Rollei 35 S, Strange Diaphragma behavior

hanskerensky

hanskerensky

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Recently bought a Rollei 35S. Upon closer inspection i noticed that the Diaphragma setting does behave strangely.

At setting 2.8 it doesn't open fully (and yes, the lens is locked in extracted position).

When closing the Diaphragma is allready fully closed at setting 5.6 (should be 22).

Did somebody experience this before ? And what could be the cause ?

14320077313_6e1972385d_z.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29504544@N08/14320077313/
 
Could it be that the setting knob is off? Try unscrewing it and move the thing without it to see if it had been removed and wrongly put back.
 
Nikos72 said:
Could it be that the setting knob is off? Try unscrewing it and move the thing without it to see if it had been removed and wrongly put back.
Click to expand...

That was also one of my first thoughts. But that would not explain the short rotation of the setting knob between fully open and closed diaphragma openings.
If it was only an offset, the rotation should be much larger.
 
My first thought is also incorrect assembly of the dial.
If it was taken apart and the f stop or dial was changed. The timing of the set would be wrong.
 
Open the back of the camera and while looking at the back of the lens, change the aperture setting. You should see a metal arm on the right side of the lens move up and down. That's the aperture linkage between the lens and body. Its impossible to know exactly whats wrong without seeing the camera, but my guess is that nothing is broken or bent, and its just an adjustment on that linkage that is out of whack.

Edit: one more thing... is the lens fully extended and then rotated to the locked position? If not rotated to the lock position, I suspect the aperture blades would behave exactly as pictured.
 
jonmanjiro said:
Open the back of the camera and while looking at the back of the lens, change the aperture setting. You should see a metal arm on the right side of the lens move up and down. That's the aperture linkage between the lens and body. Its impossible to know exactly whats wrong without seeing the camera, but my guess is that nothing is broken or bent, and its just an adjustment on that linkage that is out of whack.

Edit: one more thing... is the lens fully extended and then rotated to the locked position? If not rotated to the lock position, I suspect the aperture blades would behave exactly as pictured.
Click to expand...

The Lens is fully extracted and turned into locking position.

As you suggested just opened the back of 35S and had a look inside at that metal arm.

That arm indeed rotates together with the diaphragma dial and if i have a look at the right hand side of that arm i see that it doesn't go down far enough (opening the aperture). If i take a wooden toothpick and push that arm further down the aperture opens completly.

So guess the linkage from that arm to the diaphragma in the lens is Ok.
Seems to be something in the linkage between Diaphragma Dial and something that drives that Arm.

Well that narrows it down a bit :)
Still afraid this might not be an easy fix :-(
 
Ok, so from an old screwdriver i made a tool to remove the special form screw that fixes the Daiphragma/Filmspeed Dials.


Had a look under the hood and this image shows the 2 endstops of the Diaphragma Cam.


And it is clear that there is nothing wrong with the Diaphragma Cam (red arrow). It seems to be installed as it should be.


However in one endstop (top image) there is a big gap between the Diaphragma Cam and the Follower (see green arrow).
That doesn't seem right to me. Guess somewhere inside the camera there is something bent :-(

Anybody have experience with that Cam Follower ?


http://www.flickr.com/photos/29504544@N08/14131476097/
14131476097_428963c075_c.jpg
 
Ok, so studied the service manual of the 35 S.


The Follower is offically called by Rollei a "Diaphragm setting Slider". Part number 19400.09.0

After searching my Spareparts heap for several hours i managed to find a new one.
Also found a Shutter Plate sparepart :)

Now i could measure with a calipher the original distance between the axle of the Diaphragm Knob (see red arrow) and the Follower (see green arrow).

That distance is on my problem 35S almost 2 millimeters larger !
Guess that the thin arm running to the cam touching part of the Follower is bent.


After carefully bending the thin arm (with my fingers) it now seems to be Ok :)


http://www.flickr.com/photos/29504544@N08/14342483083/
14342483083_c612b0cf52_z.jpg
 
Thank you for sharing! I picked up an inexpensive Rollei 35 tessar which has the exact same problem. I observed the same behavior from the inside with the arm and the same behavior with the dial. I ran out of time to work on it a few weeks back - I'll have to open it up soon and see if it looks like it has the same.

Did you find a copy of the service manual online as a PDF or did you buy a copy?
 
When you say that you bent the thin arm, Hans, do you mean the small stalk that the cam follower rises up on, or the thin arm that connects the cam follower and its stalk to the large flat section? The small piece that the green arrow pints to?

Thanks- Dan
 
Brian Legge said:
Thank you for sharing! I picked up an inexpensive Rollei 35 tessar which has the exact same problem. I observed the same behavior from the inside with the arm and the same behavior with the dial. I ran out of time to work on it a few weeks back - I'll have to open it up soon and see if it looks like it has the same.

Did you find a copy of the service manual online as a PDF or did you buy a copy?
Click to expand...

Brian, there is a pdf copy online somewhere. Not the best of scanned quality but i have also an Original from the 35SE which is in this matter the same.

When you start working on this please remember to take pictures BEFORE disassembly of every step !

There is form screw (special tool needed !), a spring and some spacers.
The diafragm locking better be not completly removed as i guess it will be a PITA to get that back because of the strong spring.
 
Dan Daniel said:
When you say that you bent the thin arm, Hans, do you mean the small stalk that the cam follower rises up on, or the thin arm that connects the cam follower and its stalk to the large flat section? The small piece that the green arrow pints to?

Thanks- Dan
Click to expand...

Hello Dan,

I removed only the Diaphragm Cam and the Film Speed Cam so only the naked axle (post, pole) remained.
At that stage it is only possible to push against the uprising lip which normally touches the Diaphragm Cam. The thin arm, which runs from that lip to the large flat section is not accessible but will be deformed.

In my case i had to push the uprising lip towards the axle (post, pole) of the Cams. I pushed with a finger in small steps, everytime in between measuring the progress with a calipher till distance was the same as in the spareparts example. That did the trick !
 
Find the National Camera Book by Larry Lyells, Most common issue with these is incorrect assy/ disassy. That tab does get bent a fair amount. Make sure when assembling that the meter pointer moves fully.
 
mikemc_photo said:
Find the National Camera Book by Larry Lyells, Most common issue with these is incorrect assy/ disassy. That tab does get bent a fair amount. Make sure when assembling that the meter pointer moves fully.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that information !
Good point about checking the lightmeter !

btw In the mean time did re-assemble the Diaphragm/Filmspeed Dials. This is not as easy as might be expected. Surely somebody with no camera repair experience should refrain from working on this part of the Rollei 35 !
 
hanskerensky said:
Thanks for that information !
Good point about checking the lightmeter !

btw In the mean time did re-assemble the Diaphragm/Filmspeed Dials. This is not as easy as might be expected. Surely somebody with no camera repair experience should refrain from working on this part of the Rollei 35 !
Click to expand...


Or any part.......:rolleyes:
 
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