THE Vitomatic IIa

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pinkarmy

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i have finally got the Vitomatic that i lusted most : the Vitomatic IIa with Ultron.
(now i can start talking 😛)

i think it is much better than the IIIb because it has the more rational shutter release (which is located at the usual place-- on the top plate), so the handling is smoother.

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but first i would like to ask if any one know how to take out the focusing ring? because mine is very stiff, might need some cleaning.
thanks in advance.
 
Good looking camera there, Pink. I think I see some deformity in the filter ring. It may be related to the stiff focus, or maybe the helical grease has dried up. Never taken one of these apart, but I would look for some set screws in the focusing ring, as nothing is going to come off before that does.

If you don't find any set screws to loosen, then you will have to take the name ring off (it's either slotted for a spanner, or is pressure tightened, and takes a rubber stopper or equivilent to grip it). You might find a slotted retainer under that which holds the lens together. You'll have to fix the dents in the filter ring first.

PF
 
good eyes farlymac.
the dent is ugly, apart from that the camera is heavenly,
the rangefinder is good, vf clean & clear, even the meter works!

i can see no screw around the ring,
which is strange because EVERYBODY mentioned 3 (or 4) screws,
includes the link jajong suggested (thanks jajong!!)
 
farlymac said:
...you will have to take the name ring off (it's either slotted for a spanner, or is pressure tightened, and takes a rubber stopper or equivilent to grip it)...
Click to expand...

no slot so a rubber grip then.
may i ask which direction? --clock-wise, or i beg, anti-clockwise?
 
so...the mystery of the screws solved:
i dug up my other Vitomatic IIa with Color-Skopar lens
to play a one-on-one with the Vitomatic IIa with Ultron
--that the Color-skopar do have screws around the focus ring
and the Ultron has none.


so i listened to farlymac once again, struggled (with a rubber grip) and finally took out the plastic inner ring (with the front element of the lens)--anti-clockwise.
i could not remove the name ring, may be because of the dent, and also because i did not dare use too much force.

">
(alright alright the dent is ugly...but it is still an Ultron)

so then i follow the link that jajong kindly provided (that actually is about Vitomatic II, not IIa, but still),
i added a few drops of Ronsonal to the gap between the focus ring,
and with the help of some toothpicks, the thinnest screwdriver i have,
a few pieces of dry-out "wet tissue" (courtesy of my 11 months young baby girl 😀),
i managed to clean out some grease and the turning of the focus ring is improved...a bit.
it is far far away from perfect smooth but i am now sure that it is the 50 years old grease that caused the problem and that the camera is usable.

i still need to find away to take the name ring out to do a more thorough cleaning.
i know someone will drill two shallow holes on the name ring so that he could use tool to screw open the ring (like a certain ex-owner of my Vito B) but that is too risky for a mechanic jerk like me.
 
batterytypehah! said:
Isn't there a hole already, under the E..
Click to expand...

if you mean that dark thing at the brass part--no, that's not a hole--it is a large piece of dark grease that i "flushed" out...@_@

i am now giving the camera a "Ronsonal bath"--put the camera with the lens point down and submerge it in a 1cm Ronsonal, hoping that will desolve the thickened grease😱
 
Hi pinkarmy, regarding the dent have a look here (http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/filterringtool.html ). In order to get to the helicoid I am afraid you'll have to unscrew the plastic name-ring with a rubber stopper (or anything that works like that). As you have the front lenses out you cannot scratch them by accident! At any rate, keep up the good work, because the camera is worth it: the lens is amazing!. Cheers, Jan
 
Had a look at the dent again: maybe a hose clamp of the right diameter might help to reshape the part that is bent outwards. Anyway, I hope it helps. Cheers, Jan
 
much thanks for the kyphoto link jajong--i used their search engine but i find it difficult to get the right threads i need.
 
Pink, I usually just use a wooden dowel and a brass hammer to work the filter ring back in shape. Start from the outside ends of the dent, and work your way towards the center. The dowel helps to keep the thread lands in place while pounding out the dent, instead of smashing them like some tools might. And try not to work too much of the dent at one time. Just small advancements will get you to the end soon enough. Here is a photo of a Yashica Lynxe-14E lens I saved. The ring was almost completely bent over, so it took a lot of hammering to get it back in shape.


Condition Survey 6 by br1078phot, on Flickr

Make sure the camera is well supported, and that you have a back-stop against the lens to take the shock of the hammering. You can cut a section out of a piece of wood in the diameter of the lens to use as a back-stop. If the end of the dowel starts to splinter, just cut it down a bit to get a new surface. After that, use an old metal hood to chase the threads, and see where the low spots are that will need more work. Don't over bend the ring, as the more you work it back and forth, you increase the chance of cracking it. At that point, it would be advisable to just cut out the bad section of filter ring.

Good luck!

PF
 
farlymac said:
...a wooden dowel and a brass hammer...
Click to expand...

farlymac your work never stop impressing me, but also challenging.
i am sure NOT on the same skill level of you i probably just smash the whole lens flat 😀
you know my little one is a big distraction i can hardly concentrate on delicate work.
 
fellow RFf member errorlogin is generous enough to share his thorough knowledge of Ultron lens service with me.

A true masterclass tutorial it is: Step-by-Step!!
even an idiot like me understand (--the question is "do i have enough nerve to follow")
Lucky me!

Thanks errorlogin!
(and i know who to turn to if i need a Vitomatic Ultron!)
 
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