Seeking help w/ Retina Automatic III

[cbass]

(Not sure if this should be posted in "Repair Notes"; Joe & moderators -- feel free to move this post).

Yesterday I was given a Kodak Retina III Automatic rangefinder that once belonged to a close family friend. All the mechanicals work (even the selenium meter) and she's a real beauty on the outside.

The only flaw I can find is that the aperture blades do not stop down properly. For example, with the camera back opened and the aperture set to 8.0 and shutter to "B" I can see the blades hesitate a moment before stopping down. I'm guessing this problem is due to dust and grit gumming up the blades; likely from prolonged storage.

My questions are: can I use a point spanner to unscrew any of the lens elements? If so, how do I know how far to re-insert them? I think I could get this old chrome sweetheart working properly if only I could swab the blades with a little Ronsonol.

I'm a Bessa man myself so I went to Google turned up some info about the Retina Automatic III. It was built in Germany by Nagel Camerawerks between 1960-1963. Over 77,000 units were made, making it the most common non-folding Retina. Shutter-priority AE with manual override. Several quirky features like front shutter release, bottom wind and easily the most awful frame counter I have ever seen 😱 !

I realize this isn't a high-value camera but it's still nicely built and attractive and I'd hate to see her relegated to Shelf Queen status. Any help from RFF members greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I just grabbed my Kodak Retina Automatic III. What are the odds, huh? Like 1 in 1?

ANYWAY: Are you sure that it is the set of aperture blades, and not the shutter blades, that are hesitating? Here is how to tell:

1) Open the camera back; looking through the rear part of the lens, you will see the aperture blades and the shutter blades behing them
2) Set the F-stop manually. The aperture blades should open and close, the shutter stay closed. You will see both sets of blades.

SO: If it is the shutter blades, try exercising the camera before opening it up. push the shutter release down ALL the way and give the shutter a chance to make its mind up. Mine has not been used in a while, and I just had to fire the shutter 20 times or so. It "remembered" its job after that, and I'd pop film in it and go.

If that does not doo it, The retaining ring looks like it should easy to get out. Never overt0ghted, ie force it back in. I broke a Canonet front element doing that. But i think it should come out, and just hand tighted without overdoing. Iyt is too tight of a squeeze to get a rubber cork into place, so Spanner it is. I use a cork whenever possible to tighten rings back into place.

Post how it comes out.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

If you have not seen this thread, you might like looking at it.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=388

Links to breaking down a Retinette 1a are still active. Will give "some" insite.

 

[cbass]

Brian, it's definitely the aperture blades which are slow. The outer shutter blades seem to be fine. When I cock the shutter, the inner aperture blades go to their full open position (2.8) and then stop down to the taking poistion (e.g., 5.6, 11, whatever) when the shutter release is pressed. It's during the shutter release that the aperture blades "crawl" into position.

At faster shutter speeds the blades don't even have time to get to the taking position before the shutter closes.

BTW your other RFF thread was partially responsible for getting me interested in repairing this Retina! Thanks for your quick response.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I think your Ronsonol assessment is correct. I don't want to open up my Auto III -cause it works great-; but I think that from module will come out with the spanner. Then a little Ronsonol should do it.

 

[cbass]

Did it...

Did it...

Well, I was able to get the rear lens element out by *gently* coaxing the rear retaining ring off with the edge of a jeweler's screwdriver. The film chamber is deep and rectangular and prevented my point spanner from turning through a complete revolution. With the ring off I flipped the camera over and let the rear element fall into a lens cloth I held in my other hand.

(It was at this point that I saw why the previous owner -- known as a "perfectionist" -- might not have used this Retina too often...there was a hairline fracture in the edge of the rear element ...which was made worse when I removed it. It's a tiny imperfection but might enough to affect picture quality in wide-open shots. 🙁 )

With the rear element removed I was able to thoroughly swab the aperture blades and shutter with Ronsonol. There was a lot of dirt on those blades -- the end of my swab turned black. With the aperture wide open and the shutter on "B" I was also able to get at some spots (fungus?) on the back of the front lens element; but some still remain.

After the Ronosol treatment everything returned to normal. Shutter and aperture now work as intended. 🙂 Getting the rear element back in place was more difficult than removing it...I used two toothpicks to gently nudge it into its seat before lowering the retaining ring back on.

The whole job took about 30 minutes, which included about 10 minutes of letting the Ronsonol dry out, and was a very pleasant Sunday morning project. I will try to shoot a test roll and post some results if they are acceptable.

Thanks for your help, Brian.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Way to go!

There is a special tool for some of the Retina's, to get the rear retaining ring out. But I end up doing it like you just did.