richardHaw
junk scavenger
Anybody successfully repaired their Contax with this book? I just got mine and I was impressed with it. It is far better-written than the repair manuals that I have from official sources. What do you guys think? 
Philip Whiteman
Well-known
I have used it in fixing several Kievs and a dead Contax II, and would say that - along with the Kiev Survivors site and Rick Olsen's online repair advice - it is indispensable, Richard
Grytpype
Well-known
There are some major inaccuracies and a lot of bad advice. For example he says that the register is 35mm to the front of the inner bayonet. This is wrong by about 3mm. He has completely misunderstood a diagram in the Contax IIa/IIIa manual, and redrawn it to suit his own misconception!
Maizenberg is much more useful.
Steve.
Maizenberg is much more useful.
Steve.
Philip Whiteman
Well-known
Not seen that one, Steve - I shall be looking for it now!
One error I did spot in the Tooke book was that he suggested the cut-out at the right-hand end of the top shutter roller (as viewed from the back of the camera) should be horizontal when the shutter is untensioned. If this were the case, you would not be able to refit the light baffle/shutter guide!
One error I did spot in the Tooke book was that he suggested the cut-out at the right-hand end of the top shutter roller (as viewed from the back of the camera) should be horizontal when the shutter is untensioned. If this were the case, you would not be able to refit the light baffle/shutter guide!
richardHaw
junk scavenger
Thanks guys! The information you guys are giving me will save me plenty of time
Grytpype
Well-known
Some other sillies:
p55: "Be very careful not to overclean as the rangefinder has some semi-silvered surfaces"
The only semi-silvered surface is internal, where the 'pencil' is cemented to the viewfinder block. All external surfaces can be cleaned with normal lens cleaning precautions.
p58: Ignore his instructions for repairing a self-timer spring. See Maizenberg or any clock repair book (or find a 'spares' Kiev!).
p61: He suggests leaving the helical assembled and cleaning it with white-spirit. This is daft. White-spirit is not a suitable solvent and in any case the helical is a very easy one to reassemble - it is instantly obvious if you get it wrong as soon as you set it to infinity because the surfaces won't line up.
p55: "Be very careful not to overclean as the rangefinder has some semi-silvered surfaces"
The only semi-silvered surface is internal, where the 'pencil' is cemented to the viewfinder block. All external surfaces can be cleaned with normal lens cleaning precautions.
p58: Ignore his instructions for repairing a self-timer spring. See Maizenberg or any clock repair book (or find a 'spares' Kiev!).
p61: He suggests leaving the helical assembled and cleaning it with white-spirit. This is daft. White-spirit is not a suitable solvent and in any case the helical is a very easy one to reassemble - it is instantly obvious if you get it wrong as soon as you set it to infinity because the surfaces won't line up.