Rolleiflex - what have I bought? Resilvering mirror?

Chris N, your Rolleiflex is one of the worth to collect model. I have one. I don't change the focusing screen to as to keep very thing in original. Ran of of the merucury is a great pain for old Rolleis like yours. I asked a friend of making glass to help me.

Yes, the view finding lens is in screw form.It is easy to adjust the focus. Do you have the lens cap?
 
FrankS said:
Wayno, I disagree with your "more corect" way of adjusting focus by turning the viewing lens in or out. When you do this, you are un-synching the viewing lens focus from the taking lens focus. Assuming that the viewing and taking lens are properly synched to begin with, focus on the new viewing screen should be adjusted to match the camera's focus scale using the shims as I described. Does this sound logical to you?
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Hmm, my head is starting to hurt thinking about all of this Frank... 😕

As far as the synchronisation of the viewing & taking lenses goes, this synch is only based on where the image is formed for the two lenses. For the taking lens, this is the film plane & for the viewing lens it's the bottom surface of the focus screen. So my way of thinking is that if you change the screen (or mirror) thickness, then you should adjust the viewing lens to get it's focus back in synch with the taking lens. If you think that you may swap back to the original screen then it might pay to keep the viewing lens at the factory set position, and shim the screen instead. The screen swaps that I've done I've considered permanent (or at least long term), so I've been happy to adjust the lens to suit. I'm sure that shimming the screen works equally well, and is just as valid a technique. Adjusting the viewing lens seems to me perhaps an easier way to go about it.

I see the focus scale as just a rough guide and always adjust according to the image, rather than the scale. Having said that, the scale on Rolleis is pretty damned accurate. If the taking lens is properly set to it's infinity adjustment, the scale will be correct for both lenses if the viewing lens is adjusted to suit a new focus screen.

I hope what I've said makes sense; I'm certainly not an authority on the subject. I'd be interested to hear other ideas and am happy to be corrected if anything I've said isn't corrrect.
 
Wayno, this may be a case of there being 2 ways to skin a cat.

I just can't believe that with shims already placed there factory technicians at the time of manufacture, that this is a "less correct" way.

Also, you should expect the camera's focusing scale to be accurate and not just a rough guide. If it's not right on, your camera needs adjusting. Perhaps some shims between the body and focusing hood frame. 😉
 
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FrankS said:
Wayno, this may be a case of there being 2 ways to skin a cat.
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I believe so.

FrankS said:
I just can't believe that with shims already placed there factory technicians at the time of manufacture, that this is a "less correct" way.
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Frank, I've never seem shims under the screen or WLF of any Rollei (sample size about a dozen). Would be keen to learn more.
 
kl122002 said:
Chris N, your Rolleiflex is one of the worth to collect model. I have one. I don't change the focusing screen to as to keep very thing in original. Ran of of the merucury is a great pain for old Rolleis like yours. I asked a friend of making glass to help me.

Yes, the view finding lens is in screw form.It is easy to adjust the focus. Do you have the lens cap?
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Hi - thanks for the comment! I like originality, but I really need to improve the viewfinder to make it usable. At this stage there is a lot of guesswork! Hopefully a new mirror will solve part of the problem. If I replace the focusing screen I will certainly keep the old one in a safe place. I don't have a lens cap, but the camera came with its leather case, which has done a good job of protecting the lenses and the body. As you would know the front of the case is very stiff and stands clear of the surface of the lenses. I need to do some repair work on the stitching, too! What does the correct lens cap look like?

Frank and Wayne - I think you are right in that there are (at least) two approaches to calibrating the focus, and the end aim is to get the screen the correct distance from the viewing lens, either by moving the lens, or moving the screen! My screen is mounted under the viewfinder housing, and held in plce with two spring clips - no shims - and is exactly 1.0mm thick. Hopefully any replacement screen will be the same thickness, or no thicker (I could shim to push it down if too thin, but I can't move it up if too thick!). Another factor of course will be the replacement mirror - hopefully also the same thickness (1.5mm) as the original.

Wayne - what is involved in loosening the mounting of the viewing lens for adjustment? You mentioned removing the front bezel.

Thanks again to all who have contributed to this thread - I am learning lots in a very short time.
 
Chris, usually there are 4 (or 6) screws under the leather that hold the front panel on. Other bits and pieces may need to be taken off depending on the model. I haven't worked on one the same as yours, but the self-timer button would also have to be unscrewed. That's probably it unless something else around the shutter release and flash socket also holds it in place. Once the cover/bezel/fascia (whatever you want to call it) is off you should see a locking ring around the viewing lens that has to be loosened before it can be screwed in or out to make the adjustment. When the cover goes back on the notches in the ring gears (that adjust shutter speed & aperture) have to line up with the relevant parts on the shutter.

Hopefully you can get a screen the same thickness as the GG and all of this will be academic... 😀

Edit: forgot to mention that there may be shims under the front cover that set the gap between the cover and the body.
 
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Thanks Wayne - sounds complicated! While I love to pull things apart I don't want to risk damaging the cosmetics, or worse, the functioning of the camera, so I'll be hoping that, as you say, it will become "academic".

Just thinking - I have other options. If the screen is too low I could shim the mounting of the viewfinder hood, to raise the whole thing, or even flip the mirror over so the light is travelling a slightly longer path!
 
The original lens cap (for this rolleiflex) should have a pin in the middle. it is used to lock the lens cap so that it won't fall off. It is difficult to get one because most of them has lost or broke in to two.

Because the old focusing scree is thick, (If you have a ROlleiflex old standard , you will find it is nearly as thick as your home's window) it is very difficult to make adjustment. The another reason that I won't suggest you to replace the the screen is owing to new scree is usually thinner than the old one. New adjustment and replacement needed to be done after you replace it with a new, thinner (/thicker?) focusing screen.

The old focusing screen have helped me a lot for guessing the exposure. Since it is dim, I take it as the film I am using.I would take the situation of the screen is base on a ISO 50 film. SO I will +1 stop for ISO 100 film that I am using.
 
Tarzak said:
The lens caps for the Rolleiflex is an engineering marvel in itself. The lens cap in the previous post , while it may fit, is no where near as nice as this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Rolleiflex-Bay-...oryZ3354QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Slight cost differential of course. It is a bayonet fixing, folding in half, beauty.
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Well, as you already mentioned, $140 for a lens cap is a bit steep.

With my Yashica 12, which has Bayonet 1 as well, I just use a piece of folded cardboard that folds over the front of the camera. $0 solution, practical, impossible to beat on price/performance 😉
 
The lens cap that can be folded up is nice.However, if my memory is correct, Rolleiflex Automat that he owned should not use that one in the original.

Try to search it though google and find some websites that discuss Collection of Rollei.
 
kl122002 said:
The lens cap that can be folded up is nice.However, if my memory is correct, Rolleiflex Automat that he owned should not use that one in the original.
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Yep, Chris' Automat doesn't have a bayonet mount for the viewing lens and requires a special cap.
 
Woohoo! Got home to find several parcels left by the Postie, including the hood and new mirror for the Rolleiflex. The replacement is beautiful, good quality and appears to be a match for thickness. Popped the mirror in, and straight away the brightness is improved considerably.

Hmmm - now what would it be like with a Maxwell screen as well?

The other parcel is a BetterScanning medium-format film holder for my scanner. Good timing as I've just shot a roll of Lucky SHD-400, which has the worst curl I've ever seen. Plenty to keep me amused tonight.
 
I didn't know that about the Lucky film. I'll stay away from it. Have you had experience with that other Chinese film, the ERA 100? If so, what's its curl factor?

BTW, congrats on your new gear and the apparent ease with which you replaced the mirror. I had to send mine away (it was a Maxwell -- different thickness).

Wait - am I missing something here? Is "mirror" the same as "screen"?

Ted
 
tedwhite said:
...Wait - am I missing something here? Is "mirror" the same as "screen"?Ted
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No, it's not. The mirror reflects the viewing image upward onto the screen where it is viewed and focused. The mirror and the screen are two separate parts.
 
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