unsticking isolette lens

[winger]

Originally Posted by vdonovan

You've invented the folding Holga!

Yeah, pretty much.
But this one can be fixed. And it would have been a paperweight or mantel display piece if it weren't for the help I got here.
I'm thinking that some of the light leaks could be from the window in the back where the film # shows. I didn't use the leather case, just a piece of the foil from the film package to cover it.

[Jon Shiu]

Could the camera be missing the little metal sliding cover that covers the red window?

Jon

[winger]

Originally Posted by Jon Shiu

Could the camera be missing the little metal sliding cover that covers the red window?

Jon

If it should have one, then, yes, it's missing. My Zeiss folder has one, but this one doesn't. Adapt and modify.

[Elita Chrome]

Congrats on your great camera find. Check out this website for more info on the Isolettes and DIY repairs: http://www.ph.utexas.edu/~yue/misc/AnscAgfa.html.

I recently got one and I've worked on cleaning and loosening the focus lenses (still stuck fast) for several days now. This morning, the dang front lens assembly popped out of my hands and hit the tile floor. While the front lens is undamaged, the rear lens is a mosaic of cracks and chips. I wanted to cry. Hope I can find a replacement for it.

[winger]

I recently got one and I've worked on cleaning and loosening the focus lenses (still stuck fast) for several days now. This morning, the dang front lens assembly popped out of my hands and hit the tile floor. While the front lens is undamaged, the rear lens is a mosaic of cracks and chips. I wanted to cry. Hope I can find a replacement for it.

That sucks. Sorry. I hope you find another.

[Nicholas Lindan]

Originally Posted by winger

I might need to do some more adjusting on the focus (or practice on guessing distances)

The focus should be better than that, even for the worst of guessers.

It is easy to get the focusing helicoid one coid off when putting the camera back together.

Do a quick check: stretch a bit of Magic frosted tape across the film gate and with the shutter and aperture open point the camera at a far object. Focus as you would a view camera, with a high power loupe. Check that the lens ring focus indication agrees with the actual distance. If you can get to an infinity like target - a far radio tower or some such - the lens ring should be _exactly_ at infinity.

Jupiter is up in the south at around 10 pm and makes a good target. The moon, for some reason, doesn’t. If you can pick up Jupiter’s moons then the focus is good (very, very good).

[Elita Chrome]

Winger, I forgot to mention in my previous post that I really liked the photos you've taken so far. Very promising!

[winger]

Do a quick check: stretch a bit of Magic frosted tape across the film gate and with the shutter and aperture open point the camera at a far object. Focus as you would a view camera, with a high power loupe. Check that the lens ring focus indication agrees with the actual distance. If you can get to an infinity like target - a far radio tower or some such - the lens ring should be _exactly_ at infinity.

I did do a check and some adjusting when I put everything back together. I think one of the screws is a teensy bit loose and it shifted during the roll.
Elita Chrome - Thank you!

[HerrBremerhaven]

Nice images Bethe. Looks like you are off to a good start. After more practice, you should get better at guessing distances. However, don't be surprised to get it slightly wrong at times.

If you have an art supply store near you, try to find some ink for T-Shirt printing. You can use black screen printing ink on the inside of many bellows to fill in light leaks at the corners. Then simply place the camera with the bellows opened in sunlight for a while, and the heat of the sun will cure the screen printing ink. Best of luck.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography

[paul ron]

Just a quick tip besides feeding it liquid wrench n WD40... leave the lens in the sun for a few days or if you have a pilot light in your oven put in to heat it up to about 100°F. The heat will soften the caked up grease n using a strap wrench on both halves it should turn with a bit of persuation. If all elese fails the good old pliers n some leather to soften the jaws will surely do the trick. I break about 3 out of 40 lenses every year, some just won't budge no matter what you feed em.

Winger.. if you want me to give it a crack, e-mail me?