Reccomend a Folder (6x4.5)

[B-9]

Dante, would you say the Multi reel 5 might be a bit more relaxed?

I currently have a standard 2-reel tank, and 3 good reels. I just recently gifted 2 other tanks to friends, thinking ide never get around to agitating two tanks at once.

Ive been seriously considering dropping the money on a 8reel tank, but the 5 reel model would realistically cover all my needs. I just hate spending all that time on one roll...

I like my small tank for experimenting, but I need a Workhorse now, not this little pony.

Thanks for the advice buddy.

 

[B-9]

My Super Baldax arrived this morning.

Rangefinder is working, needs a tiny bit of adjustment, but it can wait.

It seems the shutter is loose and spinning in its carriage, gonna have to carefully tighten it back down.

It also appears I have not one but two damaged leafs in the shutter. They both have a small bit missing from their tips, the one still has a bit of a rough edge. They do appear to be getting in the way of anything over Bulb or 1/2.

So I may not be shooting at all with this camera, really hesitant to send it out, but it may be my only option, this shutter is not going to work with a simple flush 🙁

Yeeks!

But i wont be attempting to send it back, i did pay just over 80$ but that seems appropriate for a junker now.

Not sure if i would have been better buying straight from Certo6.

Eh anyhow, time to find a donor Baldax, and possibly another camera to use in the meantime.

 

[sevo]

But i wont be attempting to send it back, i did pay just over 80$ but that seems appropriate for a junker now.

Seriously? When I spend 70€ on a coupled rangefinder folder, I expect it to need nothing beyond cleaning and adjustment. And I still do find folders for that (or even less), on ebay...

 

[B-9]

It seems the average price around these parts is more in the 250-325$ range for a good working Baldax.

So, please do let me know, if i should feel robbed of my coin? Shipping accounted for 20$ of that price.

Serious, no sarcasm.

 

[B-9]

Ive contacted Certo6 and enlisted his help on the matter of replacing the damaged leafs.

So, the Baldax is heading that way tomorrow.

Should I splurge and ask about a fresh bellows? Why not? Ooh Red sounds nice

 

[Dante_Stella]

Dante, would you say the Multi reel 5 might be a bit more relaxed?

I currently have a standard 2-reel tank, and 3 good reels. I just recently gifted 2 other tanks to friends, thinking ide never get around to agitating two tanks at once.

Ive been seriously considering dropping the money on a 8reel tank, but the 5 reel model would realistically cover all my needs. I just hate spending all that time on one roll...

I like my small tank for experimenting, but I need a Workhorse now, not this little pony.

Thanks for the advice buddy.

The Paterson stuff is absurdly expensive; I bought a new 8 last year (my old one seemed to be leaking), and I think it was like $80.

I use the 8 primarily because I shoot 6x9 and 6x12 and those 5 rolls make up 30-40 frames. To shoot that many frames with a 6x4.5, it's more like two rolls. And when I shoot with a folder, I go through a lot less film than with a GA645. So a tank that holds two or three 120 rolls should suffice. I usually just wait to accumulate enough film to fill up the big tank.

There is an old trick with plastic reels by which you can jam two 120 films into the same reel (end to end, as if they were a 220 film), but I haven't tried it in a while.

Dante

 

[sevo]

It seems the average price around these parts is more in the 250-325$ range for a good working Baldax.

Well, but it is not working! There are several hours of work (and possibly another two or three butchered folders of the same make and model) that go into one perfectly working refurbished folder with warranty. 1/3 of the going rate for the latter for something with a destroyed shutter (and a fair risk that the same clumsy repair man has been over other parts of the camera) seems high to me - having it properly fixed might bring the cost up way past a good one...

 

[B-9]

Im just hesitant to pay more for the same problems.
No listing ive found under 250$ can confirm working condition, or even proof of service.

Heck, a friend down south has one listed for his store, he is even asking 200$ for one with a sticky Prontor.

When i look for international listings, most all are hitting atleast what i paid, with the same non disclosure of working condition.

I suppose I prepared myself for the worst, which is about what I recieved.
Now just crossing fingers it can be sorted out soon.

I really don't care if i blow past the resale value on this one, ive got almost 100 rolls of 120 in the fridge waiting to get burnt through, if it can do that for me after a CLA, it will be money well spent, yeah!?

 

[B-9]

There is an old trick with plastic reels by which you can jam two 120 films into the same reel (end to end, as if they were a 220 film), but I haven't tried it in a while.

Dante

Im going to have to give that a try soon.

That could be a really helpful trick.

Thanks!

 

[Fixcinater]

I had a 645 Ikonta with Tessar and Compur Rapid. Only thing it lacked was a built in rangefinder. Otherwise it was a great little camera with high impression of quality in use. The one I used for a bit had been modified with a cold shoe so it was trivial to add a shoe-mount RF but I just didn't like how much that slowed the process down.

Sold it, then few months later found a cheap 6x6 Ikonta on eBay with 7.5cm/3.5 Tessar but it's still slow to work with and the pop up viewfinder is not as interesting to use this time around. I learn slowly...

Just recently I got a Super Ikonta with the 80/2.8 Tessar and greatly prefer having the built in RF. It's quite a bit bigger but I'll take the size hit for having the ability to use it wide open quickly.


EDIT: Sorry, I missed the side rail/deck requirement. Hope you find something you like!

 

[B-9]

The reason for a side folding rail is pretty trivial, but you know... want what you want lol

The hour or so I spent with the Baldax has me really in love with it. The combined RF/VF is not so bad, in fact much better than my Leica III, obviously framing in the VF is going to be the same old gamble at best. Might be worth adding an external VF with parrallax adjustment at some point (plus i really like little toys). The RF patch was really clear and contrasty indoors, alignment was so-so vertically, totally usable. Distance seemed to match the focus lever just fine. Focus was also very well dampened, but I wouldn't go as far to say stiff. No oil on the aperture or shutter leafs, just the two leafs with missing tips. Glass was also clean of fungus or haze, no scratches or cleaning rubs. Just a tiny bit of shelf dust. The noticeable oops was the fact the shutter was loose in the helical, the retaining ring shows very clearly fresh tooling, suggesting somone took a crack at it.


Hope that paints a good picture for you guys.
Camera is already in the post heading to Certo6's workbench.
Wish me luck!

 

[BobBill]

Im going to have to give that a try soon.

That could be a really helpful trick.

Thanks!

Me too excellent idea, if it works...

 

[oftheherd]

...

There is an old trick with plastic reels by which you can jam two 120 films into the same reel (end to end, as if they were a 220 film), but I haven't tried it in a while.

Dante

That does sound interesting, but wouldn't it require a 620 reel rather than a 120 reel?

 

[B-9]

Paterson System 4 reels are universal, in that they have adjustable center columns. They fit a range of film sizes, old and new.

Really love mine, but i feel they are overpriced even when used. Not nearly as rediculous as Jobo prices, I was glad to see one of those chinese companies pick up on daylight tanks, I found a 3rd party 5-reel tank literally identical to the Paterson Multi-Reel tank. The bonus is, you get 5 plastic reels with the 3rd party kit, all for the same price as just the Paterson tank alone with no reels. Slap free shipping from somewhere in Asia, and youve got a killer deal.


Haha, as you can see, I want a bigger tank... my birthday is coming quick, may just get myself one! 😉

 

[JoeV]

That does sound interesting, but wouldn't it require a 620 reel rather than a 120 reel?

I'm able to do this with a Jobo plastic combo 135/120 reel. Just be sure to wind the first 120 roll all the way to the center. The trick is that this reel is also compatible with 135 film, meaning it's big enough to take a 36-exposure roll of 135 film; so it's big enough also for 2 rolls of 120, end-to-end.

~Joe

 

[BobBill]

I have been doing film since the mid seventies and acquired the Patterson System then: the long tank and reels. Maybe ten years back I was given the smaller tank, with reels...had to buy the agitator gadget.

I have an Omega steel tank for 35 also.

Things I like are that they are still avail, compatible, and versatile, as well as very very easy to use. I now use mostly with medium format and would never change, but that is me.