Sick of buying lenses that need work

[MFstooges]

I just bought this.

I'm one of those people who can't resist a project. Lord knows I now have enough of them.

that thing looks like a product made by a blacksmith

[Stephanie Brim]

It's a Wollensak triple convertible, if my eyes don't deceive me, likely of a design that will cover at least 4x5. Hoping for 5x7, but I'm not going to hold my breath. Needs a good cleaning, but if the shutter at least functions I can probably get the thing back to working condition without having to do *too* much taking it apart. We'll see.

That board is going to have to go, though. I'm crossing my fingers that it will actually fit the Speed Graphic board I just found. If so, I'll likely use it as the shortest focal length for that particular camera.

[hoffy]

The thing with that one there Stephanie, is that you knew what you bought! Half the time, the rubbish I buy off the bay looks like what's in a B&H catalogue when listed, but looks like that when it arrives!

[PentaxBronica]

I don't really mind the fungus, stiff focus or sticky aperture assuming that the seller warned about the problems. What drives me to despair is when the lens has clearly been fiddled about with by someone who didn't have a clue what they were doing. I've even found greasy fingerprints on internal elements before now (after noticing that the front element group wasn't screwed in properly and investigating further).

My repaired lenses are usually capable of very decent results, inevitably they end up with a little fine dust in as there's no way to avoid this without a clean room and moonsuit. But no fingerprints or smears. I keep meaning to go back to one of my first major projects (Pentax 28-50mm riddled with fungus) and see if I can get it a bit less dusty. It's not bad, but could be better. Also noticed a tiny speck of cotton or something in there, amazingly it still takes perfectly good photos!

[al.b]

hi Stephanie

that lens should cover a 5x7. i have one almost the same its a seneca duo dustproof.

it came on a competitor view. Made by seneca camera mfg. co. Rochester n.y. u.s.a.

I think mine was made around 1908 . mine is a 5x7.

al.b

[tkamiya]

Buying from reputable dealers do not guarantee you'll get the item as described, either. Used gear dealers don't check large amount of inventory they have to a degree we would. It may have been a good unit when they got it but in storage it can deteriorate. In shipping it can get knocked around. A lot can happen to gears. I had many pieces that had to go back for refund or exchanges.

It does guarantee you can return it and get a refund, however....

I have repaired relatively simple lenses like enlargement lenses. But it does take some finesse in doing so. If you are not comfortable with doing this or can risk the lens rendered completely useless as a result, I wouldn't try it. I have destroyed lenses in my attempts as well.

[Mark Crabtree]

I often find a very slight haze in lenses that are even just a few years old; plus it often returns every couple years. I've learned to work on my own as a way to keep this from driving me crazy. The faint haze I'm thinking of is hard to see, so I assume most sellers will just not notice it. The pro dealers use a small flashlight to check, especially when they are buying :-)

But it is far too common to buy lenses that have obvious haze, fungus and other problems. It is certainly frustrating, and expensive. Nikkors are the least prone to these problems of any lenses I've seen, though obviously stuff can happen on anything 40 and 50 years old.

The Seneca lens linked above should be a fun project. It looks like a rapid rectilinear based triple convertible and looks to have Uniform System aperture markings. Hard to read the focal lengths. Is it 6"/14"/18". I hope we'll be seeing some great photos from it and the Olys.

[Chris Nielsen]

I also am hoping for great photos from the Oly lenses. I just got my first roll of Velvia back that I shot with the OM4 and it looks awesome, especially the shot I took of a car's engine bay using my T20 flash I used for the first time. Haven't had much luck with flashes but I squeed when I saw how well it had exposed the shot!

[BrianShaw]

When buying old camera gear I ALWAYS remember to add the following phrase to any sales description I'm reading: "considering how old as it is". Otherwise the expectations as a buyer of old camera gear get set too high.

As far as descriptions such as "freshly CLA'd","Like New", "Mint", "works perfectly... I pretend I never saw it. There are far too many things those phrases can mean.

[BrianShaw]

p.s. except for sticky shutters, major fungus/scratches, and sticky aperture blades in a SLR lens, most of the other afflictions are fairly innocuous in their affect on images.