Stephen
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Post by Stephen on Aug 9, 2013 11:33:40 GMT -5
A recently acquired Balda Baldina from the mid 1930's,about 1937, not quite the basic model variant as it has a Compur shutter and Schneider Radionar 5cm F4.5 lens, and has the adjustable viewfinder for parallax correction, which was dropped on the later 1938/9 cheaper models. No rangefinder, of course. The condition of the leather is quite poor, and the plated steel parts are spidered with light rust, so there is a lot of polishing,, and anti rust treatment. The old leather covering sheets need careful lifting, and then scraped to flatten and remove any old glue, and glued back on, or any bad leather replaced if needs be. The steel plated parts might clean with chrome cleaner, and then clear gloss cellulose lacquer them to protect from more rust. The Schneider Radionar lens looks really reasonable, clean and bright, and the Compur shutter all works. Little bit of black gloss paint re-spray required on the Compur wavy casing. The seller on ebay described the leather as " sound but worn"...Hmmmm....... It is missing one item, often broken off, the Balda Baldina had a cover over the film counter, which is the second type on this model, and it is gone, leaving one hinge pivot. a new cover, which is like a cap, with a hinge, can be turned up in stainless steel. No luxuries like double exposure protection, although Balda added it to later models. It has got a very decent Depth of Field scale table on the camera back, in good condition. The Balda Baldina has the usual quirky Balda wind on knob on the bottom of the camera, with the film release alongside for rewinding the 35mm cassettes. AThe leather can hardy be described as sound but worn! it is old n' tatty, but it may respond to and clean and shave off any loose surface stuff, then use a leather restorer, and boot black polish. The missing bits can be touched in with epoxy, mixed with carbon black, or black sealing wax can be melted and sculpted into the missing bits, once scalpeled smooth, it can then be fine sanded and polished with the leather. Stephen.
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Stephen
Lifetime Member
Still collecting.......
Posts: 2,718
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Post by Stephen on Aug 9, 2013 16:06:18 GMT -5
Further shots, shows leather needs urgent attention. The depth of field scale is in good condition though, as is the shutter, focus scales and struts. Stephen.
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Stephen
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Still collecting.......
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Post by Stephen on Aug 13, 2013 7:04:56 GMT -5
The Camera has arrived, pity the leather arrived with it! I really must remember the description of the leather for future sales, "sound but worn".....It is worn and not sound!
All the leather needs replacement, the lot. It will need a new impression made for a hot stamp with the name Baldina to replace the logo, fortunately I was taught bookbinding!! The edging is no problem, hot rollers are used to make the lines
Mechanically quite sound, it all works, and amazingly the lens is clear, bright and fungus free. The F Deckel-Munchen Compur Shutter, with the strange bottom sideways Balda release, works on all speeds plus T and B, the shutter speeds are quite accurate +/- 5% going from 1 sec to 1/300th. The shutter is very quiet.
The Baldina camera's lens is a Schneidar-Kreuznach Radionar, 3 element, uncoated 50mm F4.5. The viewfind unusually has a parallax corrector plate under it which you set to match a rangefinder or guess the distance. The lens is front element focus, usual for Radionar lenses
There is no interconnection with the wind-on and shutter, you have to spaces shots by pressing the rewind button as you wind on, it registers on the counter on the top plate. Pressing the same button allows re-winding of the exposed film into the standard Kodak 35mm cassette. Unlike many 35mm cameras of the late 20's early 30's it cannot take reel to reel or special cassettes. Made from about 1934 until mid war period.
Stephen.
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Stephen
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Still collecting.......
Posts: 2,718
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Post by Stephen on Aug 13, 2013 12:07:24 GMT -5
I might leave the Balda leather replacement for a while, it has responded quite well to an old trick, I used Johnsons Klear, an acrylic glossy water based floor polish. The leather was cleaned with spirit first.
Klear dries very quickly, and stabilises the chaffed leather surface quite well. It can be re-coated several times to build up a protective finish. It also removes with Ammonia if needed.
One small leather panel came away, but re-glued easily. It revealed the leather is very thin, under .2mm, thinner than standard .4mm bookbinding leather. The .4mm leather would have to be scraped thin at the edges to settle below the chromed edge mouldings. Also it has to be thinned under the viewfinder etc., so a bit complex to fit.
The original "leather" is paper backed, so is a composition material, not solid leather.
I have tested the Baldina bellows with some scrap film, no leaks, thank goodness. I think the trial film will be a Fuji colour print film.
No case came with the Balda camera , but being quite small and thin, it can fit a modern pouch designed for a digital compact.
Stephen.
Stephen.
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Stephen
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Still collecting.......
Posts: 2,718
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Post by Stephen on Aug 13, 2013 14:25:56 GMT -5
Study of the Balda Werk camera's features, dates the Baldina to about 1936, certainly earlier than the Balda Jubilette, in 1938, which had body shutter release and no parallax correcting viewfinder.
Balda did lots of variants and names on the basic Baldina model, and the Schneider-Kreuznach Radionar lens is uncommon in the F4.5 version, more commonly made in F2.9 variant. The Baldina was supplied with all the well known lens variety of the 1930's.
The Radionar is a three element un-cemented lens, which was usually about the same as a Tessar when stopped down from full open, where they are a bit soft.
Lens for lens the Kodak Nagel Retina was more expensive, and the Voightlander Vito was about the same for similar lens. Agfa stuck with the Karat 35mm and were quite pricey, I have not traced exact prices so far.
Most of this type of camera sold for about 2/3 weeks wages in those days. The Ansco Agfa Memo sold for also exactly a US weeks wages in 1939, assuming about 42 hours.
Stephen.
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Stephen
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Still collecting.......
Posts: 2,718
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Post by Stephen on Aug 15, 2013 5:10:35 GMT -5
All cleaned up quite well, a few pits in the chrome edging, the "Sound but worn" leather now much better with the Klear stabilised surface. I have run off a Fuji film, and sent off for processing to shots on a Cd-Rom.
A pleasant little camera to use all round, the only small nuisance is the bottom film wind on knob position, which means the Baldina 35 camera cannot stand flat for taking shots, although, like all folders, it will stand upright with the door open, but with portrait 35mm format.
Stephen.
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Doug T.
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Post by Doug T. on Aug 15, 2013 10:05:14 GMT -5
Very nice! I'm looking forward to seeing it all cleaned up. I like the floor polish idea Doug
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Stephen
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Still collecting.......
Posts: 2,718
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Post by Stephen on Aug 15, 2013 18:07:53 GMT -5
Now with leather surface stabilised, and basically de-rusted metal parts, it needs polishing the bright parts with buffer. All working now, needs some black paint on the worn parts. The focus scales on the lens have painted on focus figures, I have left them, I expect the ones hidden are feet, and metres were required, or the original owner just need clearer markings. With the smaller Westex 127, the Balda Baldina is a lot larger than the 127, both have Schneider 50mm Radionar lenses, but the 35mm is F4.5, and Westex is F2.9. The Westex is top film wind on, the Baldina bottom film winding. Both Balda's are about 75 years old. Stephen.
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