problem with agfa isolette overexposure

[lena.87]

Hi, I recently bought an agfa isolette medium format camera. I've just developed my first roll from it and most of the photos are so overexposed you can't see the image at all. A couple came out alright, but I still had to process them quite a bit to make the image clear. Does anybody here have any experience with these cameras? Is this problem likely to be a light leak? Or is it something else that might be causing this overexposure? I would be grateful for any advice, thanks.

Lena

 

[Windscale]

Hi, I recently bought an agfa isolette medium format camera. I've just developed my first roll from it and most of the photos are so overexposed you can't see the image at all. A couple came out alright, but I still had to process them quite a bit to make the image clear. Does anybody here have any experience with these cameras? Is this problem likely to be a light leak? Or is it something else that might be causing this overexposure? I would be grateful for any advice, thanks.

Lena

1. Check the bellow for holes. This can be done easily. You just go into a room, turn all the lights out, open the front and back of the Isolette, shine a torch from outside the bellow from all sides, look inside from the opened back, if you see light coming through, you have light leak.
2. Check all the shutter speeds to see if they are sticking. This is also easy. Start with 1 sec, fire it at least 5 times and listen if each time the shutter opened for 1 sec, do the same for 1/2 and so on. If you can detect your shutter sticking, you will overexpose.
3. If you were shooting into the sun, flare may have been the problem.

Of course there can be other reasons. But these are the most common ones. Which model of Isolette is yours? Which lens? Which shutter? Also you can probably see the reason for the overexposure if by looking at the negs in the case of print films.

 

[charjohncarter]

I concur with windscale, if you can get a very small flashlight (torch) and run it along the four edges of the bellows you may see some pinholes that you wouldn't see shinning a large flashlight into the back. My camera did have a slow shutter, I sent it out for a CLA, but if you read this you might improve yours: http://www.certo6.com/shutters.html

 

[lena.87]

Hi guys, thanks for the advice. I did check the bellows, and they seem fine, the shutter too. It's an old camera, I got it at a boot sale for under five quid, so its probably just had its day. I think getting it fixed would cost more than its worth. I'm thinking of buying a better medium format now, looking for a yashica 124G, so if you know any places that does them, i'd be really interested.
Thanks again,
Lena

 

[Uwe_Nds]

Lena,
Getting it fixed will probably be too expensive, but here's some DIY-instructions: http://www.rolandandcaroline.co.uk/repair.html

Which lens and which shutter has yours?
Agnar, Apotar or Solinar lens? Vario, Prontor or Copal shutter?

I find even the Agnar lens quite capable:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=52613&ppuser=9369

Best regards,
Uwe

 

[charjohncarter]

Uwe, thanks for that site, and thanks for the posted photo (something for me to shoot for). My Isolette is at the CLA man now, so I'm looking forward to getting it back.

Lena, I wouldn't give up on the Isolette, just put it aside, read about fixing them. Someday something or someone will come along that might help you with it. Isolettes are great for travel and parties.

 

[Uwe_Nds]

John,
Looking forward to seeing pics from your Isolette. And you're right: great camera for travels - don't know about parties though due to the relatively slow lens.

Still, Lena should keep it - on that I agree with you.

Best regards,
Uwe

 

[MartinP]

The Isolettes can be fun, but the original bellows are renowned for leaking in the corners. On my version, the shutter would also stick for a moment during closing with the shutter-release button but not if it was triggered directly on the lens housing. That might give an over-exposure effect too. The lenses can give very pleasant pictures, especially when shaded and grime-free 🙂

To consider the cause of the problem - is the "extra" exposure even (perhaps a slow shutter), or in bands or blobs (more likely to be leaks) ?

 

[charjohncarter]

Uwe, I really meant out door parties. Something like that wonderful image you showed us.

 

[Uwe_Nds]

John,
Agreed, for outdoor parties it's very much ok.

Best regards,
Uwe

 

[FallisPhoto]

Hi, I recently bought an agfa isolette medium format camera. I've just developed my first roll from it and most of the photos are so overexposed you can't see the image at all. A couple came out alright, but I still had to process them quite a bit to make the image clear. Does anybody here have any experience with these cameras? Is this problem likely to be a light leak? Or is it something else that might be causing this overexposure? I would be grateful for any advice, thanks.

Lena

If your camera has the original bellows (kind of slick and shiny) it is almost certainly leaking light. I have NEVER seen an Isolette bellows that didn't leak light like a seive. The expensive way of fixing this is to write to Camera Bellows, right there in England, and have them make you a new bellows. It will cost about $100 or maybe just a little less. The cheap way to fix this, and to do it permanently, is to harvest the bellows from a Kodak 66 and install that. A good condition Kodak 66 can often be found for $15 and the only really well made part of the whole camera is the 6x6 bellows. You only have to take out 4 screws to get at them too.

 

[Austintatious]

Lena,
Folders can be fun, although they are fussy. I LOVE my 124G !