Vitomatic Ii

[puderse]

FOUND A $20 VITIMATIC II THAT SEEMS TO BE DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT, EVEN THE METER.

FOCUS IS VERY,VERY, VERY STIFF. DID SAY THE FOCUS WORKS BUT WAS STIFF!

MY QUESTION IS, IS THIS NIFTY LITTLE RF WORTH THE EXPENSE OF A CLA TO GET THE HARDENED 70 YEAR OLD GREASE OUT OF THE HELIX AND THE RF RE-CALIBRATED?

YOUR TWO CENTS IS APPRECIATED.

SID

 

[Steve Bellayr]

CLAs generally run $125+ & these cameras are probably worth less than that amount. Try lighter fluid on a q-tip on the focus ring. If you can hold the shutter open go in from the back. It might last for awhile but will eventually harden up. I have an Agfa Karat with the same problem (same cost). Never used it because of that issue. It has become a display item.

 

[johnnyrod]

I have a set of photos from when I stripped and cleaned the shutter etc. on mine. It's not too hard to do but adjusting the rangefinder is a swine of a job. I can upload them to Flickr sometime if it helps, just getting the rings off to clean them should be fairly easy, and should take care of it.

 

[johnnyrod]

Finally uploaded some pics
https://flic.kr/s/aHsknCpZbC
I'm afraid there has been a big gap since taking them so I can't write much in the way of notes. if it's just stiff rings then it's an easy enough fix, the tricky bit is collimating the lens afterwards. I've taken to taping a split-circle focus screen from an SLR camera in place of the film and using this and a tape measure to set it at a known distance e.g. 1.5m, with the camera on B and wide open aperture.

 

[btgc]

Instead of lighter fluid I would blow lens barrel with hair dryer, that is, warm it up a little - just be as careful as with mentioned liquid. If grease gets too thin it could redistribute unevenly or even migrate as in case with lighter fluid.

I like Skopar in Vito B - it has some nice characteristics.

 

[konicaman]

Yes try warming it a bit (hairdryer or radiator) and then exercise it. Repeat several times - has worked wonders on some of my older lenses.

 

[johnnyrod]

Excellent top tips there, using grease is one of those things that give me pause as i don't want to get the amount grossly wrong