Show off your Robot screw mount camera

R_a_feldman said:
I tend not to trust dating the camera based on the lens, as the lens can be switched. I have a Robot II, which was made starting in 1939. The lens that came with it, a CZJ 3 1/4cm f2.8 Tessar, dates to 1937 based on its serial number. The body has a fairly late serial number (B91929), so I doubt that the CZJ Tessar is the original lens.

The site robot-camera.de lists a book ("RoBoT – Das Sammlerbuch" by Hans R. Grahner, mentioned at http://robot-camera.de/ROBOT_NEWS/robot_news.html) that gives serial numbers and dates, but I can't locate a copy that I can look at.
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Mine is a Robot II nominally made in '41 (according to Fritz) with body serial number B35200-6. The lens that was on it when I bought it is a CZJ Biotar 4cm f/2 (uncoated), serial 2439xxx ... that seems nominally 1938 according to the listings. I have a RoBoT mount CZJ Tessar 35 1/4mm f/2.8 which dates to 1937 as well.

RoBoT - Das Sammlerbuch by Grahner seems pretty easily available, but it's pricey (about $120). Maybe I'll pick up a copy .. I love books. ;)

G
 
R_a_feldman said:
...I have a Robot II, which was made starting in 1939. The lens that came with it, a CZJ 3 1/4cm f2.8 Tessar, dates to 1937 based on its serial number. The body has a fairly late serial number (B91929), so I doubt that the CZJ Tessar is the original lens.



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Here is a current picture of my Robot II. When I got it, it fired at the same shutter speed, regardless of the setting. I disassembled and cleaned it -- it was fairly clean, but had dried grease that prevented gears from turning and linkages from moving. I have re-lubed it and it now works well. I'm just waiting a week to see if it continues to work well before re-assembling it.

DSCF6280 small.jpg
 
largedrink said:
I ordered the book and it's on its way. 55 Euro all up to New Zealand, including for 5 Euro an extra 36 page booklet.
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The copy I ordered arrived the day before I took off on some travel. I skimmed through it quickly ... Looks a lovely book! I'll spend time time reading it when I get home.

G
 
largedrink said:
I ordered the book and it's on its way. 55 Euro all up to New Zealand, including for 5 Euro an extra 36 page booklet.
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There's also a couple second-hand ones for sale on Abebooks.de ...but at €99 a piece. I think I'll contact the auther as well.
 
R_a_feldman said:
My Robot II is back together now and working well. The YouTube video "Berning Robot II c.1950 - Step by Step Reassembly" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHA0jVW4_M4) was extremely helpful.

Now I just need to make spools for the two Robot film cassette shells that came with the camera so I can run some film through it.
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Nice work... post a few photos of your reassembled camera when you get a chance.
 
Here is my reassembled Robot II:

Robot2_small.jpg

And a couple of images using Iflord Delta 100, R09 developer @1:50, 14 minutes at 20 degrees C. The lens is a Robot CZJ 3.25cm f2.8 Tessar. I scanned the negatives with my old Nikon CoolScan LS-20 and VueScan software under Windows 10.

George2a.jpg

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The second image is not bad, considering it was taken indoors, handheld at f2.8 @ 1/2 second.
 
Here are pictures of the spool I made for the take-up cassette. An unmodified spool is on the left and the modified spool on the right. I took an old spool (Kodak, 24 exposures) and cut off the extended end. I then made an insert from 1/4" brass bar and several diameters of concentric brass tubing. I drilled out the end of the plastic spool and glued in the brass insert. I could have used styrene instead of brass, but I had the brass on hand.

Spool1.jpg

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A friend loaned me a really old one. Must have been around 1968. I shot a roll through it but gave it back to him. Interesting camera. That’s the only one I’ve ever seen in person.
 
I loaded my Robot Star with FP4 125 a couple of weeks ago and tried out the 75mm 3.8 Schneider Tele-Xenar. I cleaned the elements in this lens a year ago but never got around to trying it until now.

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