Who Repairs Contax I's ?

[Dralowid]

If you want to take a look inside, do this:

(Remove the back of the camera and the lens.)

Removing the top cover.

1. Remove the film stabilizers in the film room. As a result, the screws of the housing of the shutter are accessible.
2. Remove the housing of the shutter from the film chamber.
3. Unscrew and remove the release button of the image counter with a piece of rubber (rear cover, near arrow).
4. Remove the rewind button. (one screw)
5. Remove the frame counter. (one screw)
6. Remove the small nickel screws from the top of the front plate (with the versions 6 and 7 also the ones of the receiving fork of the viewfinder slider.)
7. Remove the two large screws on the corners of the cover, which can be accessed from the film room. (Inside the camera)
8. Remove the two large screws at the corners of the front side of the top plate under the leather. (Outside of the camera)

You now can remove the camera's top cover.

To get access to the shutter, remove the four screws of the cover plate of the shutter.

Erik.

Erik,

Many thanks, feel much more positive now, when I have a quiet moment I will start!

Michael

 

[Erik van Straten]

Contax I v4, Jupiter 8M 50mm f/2, Tmax400.

The Jupiter 8M is very sharp, but has some visible pincushion distortion.

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Contax I v7, Sonnar black & nickel uncoated 50mm f/1.5, Tmax400.

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Contax I v7, Jupiter 8M 50mm f/2, Tmax400.

The built-in viewfinder for framing of the v7 is of a much better quality than those in the earlier models, very precise. The image is very small, though.

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Contax I v5, Sonnar 50mm f/1.5 black-nickel, Tmax400.

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Contax I v7, Jupiter 8M 50mm f/2, Tmax400.

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Contax I v4, Jupiter 8M 50mm f/2, Tmax400.

Erik.

 

[DNG]

henry scherer did mine successfully. Take a while, but I think he's the guy.

I bet it took "A While"....
I was told a 2-3 wait for my Contaflex I (pre built in meter)...
It has been 3 years already, and I have gone from #372 to #309... at that rate it will be 14 years before he gets to it!!!! (21 a year average)

LOOK ELSEWHERE..... Fix it somewhere else only if you are going to use it... there is no monetary value in them compared to the cost of overhaul of $365 by Henry.

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

Out of interest, does anyone know how old Mr Scherer is? Just trying to get some context on these waiting lists.

 

[DNG]

He has a hand that has been has injured, and did not 100% recover a few years ago (he has a note on his website somewhere)
He works alone, or maybe with one employee...
Waiting list... read my post #88, I am #300 and have moved 72 spots closer in almost 3 years of waiting.... Invoice #740.....I still have 299 cameras ahead of me!

 

[Mr_Flibble]

If you want to take a look inside, do this:
....

Erik.

Great,
I've just bought a Contax I v4 with sticky slow speeds. Should arrive in the next few days.

I'll see this is something I can take a look at myself.

 

[Dralowid]

Slow speeds respond quite well to the lighter fluid treatment. If you are feeling brave just simply squirt it down the right hand side (viewed from behind) of the shutter curtain with lens and everything removed and camera face down. They may come back to life for a while...

On the other hand lighter fluid may not be too good for ribbons! I don't know.

 

[Erik van Straten]

On the other hand lighter fluid may not be too good for ribbons!

Usually the ribbons are soaked with oil. That is why they break. O Lord give us the right ribbons.

Erik.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Cheers,

I'm not adverse to using a bit of lighter fluid to get sticky shutters going again.
I'll see if I can keep ribbons dry, I know first hand what zippo fuel does with the glue that holds Leica Ribbons in place 😉

 

[Dralowid]

Folks, I will get back to the 'project' honest, I promise. Give us a few days of dark, wet, windy weather and I'll forget all about boats and turn my attentions to that shutter.

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

He has a hand that has been has injured, and did not 100% recover a few years ago (he has a note on his website somewhere)
He works alone, or maybe with one employee...
Waiting list... read my post #88, I am #300 and have moved 72 spots closer in almost 3 years of waiting.... Invoice #740.....I still have 299 cameras ahead of me!

Yes, I read your post. It's why I asked my question!

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Erik asked for a picture of my Contax I version 4

Speeds seemed okay when I tested them, except that the shutter is sticking on 1/2nd and Z settings.
RF view is dim, either from dirt in them or because the mirrors have faded.
Looks like someone used a screwdriver and a pliers to get the bottom of the cameras. Hope it's still light tight 😉

Got a roll of fomapan 100 in it at the moment.

I want to take the front cover off the camera to clean the VF and RF. Is that a simple case of removing all the visible screws around the VF/RF mask and lens mount?

 

[nhchen]

Hi Rick,
If I remember correctly, just like on the contax IIs there also may be one screw underneath the leather beside the winding knob holding the front plate down.

Luckily the late versions only have prisms and no mirrors to fade.

In the first one I had with a dim viewfinder, there was haze in between the two circular prisms that turn in relation to each other. That wasn't fun to put back together in the right orientation!

Nathan

 

[Erik van Straten]

I want to take the front cover off the camera to clean the VF and RF. Is that a simple case of removing all the visible screws around the VF/RF mask and lens mount?

Beautiful camera, Rick!

I don't think you'll get the front off without removing the top plate first. How to get off the top plate I've explained. Not difficult at all.

To remove the front you'll have to remove all the small nickel screws, also the TWO screws under the leather below and above the speed knob. Do not damage the leather. Pull it aside. The top plate extends around the speed knob. When all the screws are off, and the speed knob is removed (six screws) the front can be taken off. Watch out, the windows are not glued, they fall out easily. With the front off, you can also lubricate the rangefinder mechanism and the focusing threads.

However, if the shutter works fine, I would not open the camera.

Erik.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

That sounds more complicated than I expected. I'll stick with the faint RF-image for now, and just use my best guess for focusing.

I'll see about refilling those Contax engravings with a Laquer-stik (tm).