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Post by yashica1943 on Dec 22, 2015 8:49:33 GMT -5
I think that what is amazing about digital cameras is the way that they show up every speck of dirt. (As on the Lordomat). I have cleaned cameras carefully to sell on ebay and they always show dust particles and need a bit of spotting in photoshop. (Dust only, not dents! When I was making detailed 1/35 plastic model tanks I deliberately used to photograph them when I thought that I had finished, they always had missing paint and needed more work.
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Post by yashica1943 on Dec 21, 2015 16:16:25 GMT -5
On mine, which is nicely made and turned, it is a manufactured flange about 2mm wide, probably with the intention to protect the mirror.
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Post by yashica1943 on Dec 21, 2015 13:36:00 GMT -5
Stephen, I have no problem with the QBM to EOS mount except that I am not going to devalue a mint Skoparex by removing the screws and probably marking them. The adapter has three screw holes in it and it completely replaces the plate. I am now going to use the lens on the Rolleiflex when I go somewhere interesting after the weather clears up.
The (my) M42 to EOS adapter has a flange at the rear which does not allow the rear element to go back far enough with the lenses that I have, to achieve focus at infinity.
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Post by yashica1943 on Dec 21, 2015 7:14:54 GMT -5
I liked the Robin, it was nicely made and reminded me of an early Nikon Rangefinder. Wish that I had kept it now.
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Post by yashica1943 on Dec 21, 2015 5:38:38 GMT -5
When I bought my mint Voigtlander 28mm Skoparex with a QBM mount I didn't have a body to fit it on (I do now). I have a clean Canon EOS 3000n body which works, I cannot remember where that came from! I thought that it might be a good idea to look for an adapter, so I sent off to a Chinese seller on ebay for a new QBM to Eos unit at about £4. Wait about 10 days for it to arrive. When it does I find that I have to remove the 3 screws on the back of the lens and take the plate off to fit it. I don't want to do this and anyway in the meantime my really nice Rolleiflex SL35 has arrived.
So, the 'brain' starts ticking over and as I have a few M42 lenses stored away, I send off for a M42 to EOS adapter. This one arrives very quickly and just as quickly I find that none of my old lenses will focus to infinity using the new part. (Because of rear element to mirror distance!)
So then this genius decides to send off to China for a Pentax PK adapter. This time it takes ages to arrive. This morning it comes through the post. My nice 50mm SMC Pentax-M f 1.7 has a small part sticking out next to the aperture lever so that it will not fit the Canon body unless I cut the lever and part off. I am not going to spend any more time and money on this, so I will put the EOS body back in the storage where it came from. (I know that the EOS is a plastic camera, but I just wanted to try out some older lenses on it..)
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Post by yashica1943 on Dec 20, 2015 4:44:01 GMT -5
I have now cleaned the exterior, getting rid of all the grime in the crevices. It now looks almost as good as new. There is a little wear in the base of the flash shoe and some slight rubbing below that and on the base plate but that is all. I operated the shutter two or three times before I realised there was a film in it, it is now on exposure 28 so I assume that it is 36 exposure and the memory disc is set on 200, but could be anything. I was going to go out and finish the film off today but it is now pouring with rain. Then look at the interior. I consider this to be my best old film camera buy so far. I liked the Neoca Robin, because it was rarer but that cost me £10 and the shutter didn't work.
I took the Lordomat out today and tried to finish the film that was in it. The exposures number was on 28, so I kept photographing the same scene at different exposure settings until it had gone right past 36 and was back on 5, still not reached the end, eventually I felt that I was wasting film so I guess that the previous owner had set it wrong. I wound the film back, quite cleverly Lordomat had put the sprocket free-wheel button incorporated with the film counter, on top. When I opened it up, in the very clean interior there was a Tudor 200 ISO DX coded 24 exposure film! Under the circumstances I don't think that I will get it developed. I have a Rolleiflex SL35, a Couple of Pentax, a Vivitar V6000, a Canon EOS with a Helios lens a Kershaw 120 and a Minolta 110 to try out yet.
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Post by yashica1943 on Dec 18, 2015 11:15:54 GMT -5
This was the best one that I took from my radio control model aeroplane, with a disc camera, about 1985. The location is Beaulieu Airfield, Hampshire. The blue dot at the top is my camper van. The arrow points to me. Not a masterpiece but the camera was strapped to the side of a moving aeroplane with a two-stroke engine idling at the front. Full frame 5x 7 print scanned with a cheap all-in one.
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Post by yashica1943 on Dec 18, 2015 10:36:43 GMT -5
I must admit that I bought a used disc camera in the mid 1980's - to put aboard a model aeroplane! I cannot even remember what make it was, possibly Konica or Kodak. The attraction was the low weight lack of focusing and one action shutter release and film wind-on. Easy to achieve with one servo, most small cameras needed to be wound-on after each exposure. I still have some prints taken with it at about 100 feet over a derelict wartime airfield, very fuzzy. I remember that the flash operated every time it worked, a good indication. Might find one and put it up on here.) Now things are completely different with tiny self focusing digital cameras, better lenses, video, remote control, electric flight motors that can be shut off for every exposure. I even have a very acceptable video shot with a keyring camera I bought for £7 on a 34" wingspan foam electric aeroplane. I am not going to mention drones.
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Post by yashica1943 on Dec 16, 2015 9:50:28 GMT -5
Having just acquired a Lordomat and an early Braun Paxette and having owned a Kiev for a few months and they do not have 'doors' it made me wonder which 35mm camera was the first to have a hinged opening back, as in the majority of cameras since the 1950's.
I know that Leica and Contax (as per Kiev) used a back that was released from the base and slid off downwards. I also know that a lot of roll film cameras had hinged doors in the 1930's (Zeiss etc.) But the 35mm camera?
I am not too knowledgeable about any small cameras pre 1950, it would be interesting to know when production 35mm cameras first started using a hinged door. It seems such an obvious a way to load it! I do know that Leica used their own cassette system (& possibly Agfa as well?) But those would work with a hinged opening anyway.
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Post by yashica1943 on Dec 16, 2015 3:51:42 GMT -5
Just been down to my local car boot sale (0800 on a cold damp Wednesday next to the beach!). Found a Lordomat in its case. Seems to be from 1953. Needs a bit of a clean and I have no idea if it is working, but a good buy at £5. I will put a photo of it on here when I have tidied it up. Just given it a superficial clean, everything seems to work, the viewfinder/rangefinder is clear and there is still a film in it. It has a Lordonar 50mm f2.8 lens. And this is an advert from my 1953 German Photo Magazin!
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Post by yashica1943 on Dec 14, 2015 19:26:48 GMT -5
Somebody in Portugal has listed on ebay a Rolleiflex SL35 made in Singapore with an f 1.4 lens. This is a chrome version with the angular pentaprism cover, not the rounded one. They want £210 for it, a big ask, even if it worked.........
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Post by yashica1943 on Dec 12, 2015 6:43:10 GMT -5
Thank you, Rachel. My third SL35 (E) the one that was nearly there has slipped back a bit, the wind-on, mirror, shutter sequence works about 50% of the time. Also there is a battery in there, but the compartment cover is completely jammed. I have put a small amount of penetrating oil around the joint, but even with a big screwdriver it is not moving. I may carefully drill out the small holes with a mini drill and apply more force. (I now have a spare cover.) I suspect that there will be battery corrosion inside.
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Post by yashica1943 on Dec 11, 2015 9:45:10 GMT -5
I have a Konica FP- 1 with the same effect.
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Post by yashica1943 on Dec 11, 2015 8:34:18 GMT -5
Today another cheap 'spares or repairs' Rolleiflex SL arrived, this time - a Singapore built SL35E again with wind-on problems. This one - I have removed the bottom plate and gave a short squirt of contact cleaner down the wind-on side again. (I am not recommending this as a fix!). Immediately everything started working, in a fashion, the mirror came down, the wind-on lever reached full stroke and the shutter release button started working. But at the moment it doesn't do anything reliably and not always quite in the right order, I think it is nearly there, but I don't think it will ever be a user because I just wouldn't rely on it.
Edit. After a little extra lubrication it is nearly there. Just slips up on the odd shutter operation when the lever wind has to be taken back and re-engaged. The gearing etc. seems to be quite sturdy, but prone to get out of synch. with itself. Just one question. Should the shutter speed dial have detents at each speed?
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Post by yashica1943 on Dec 10, 2015 5:34:05 GMT -5
Tried to arrange for my latest buy to arrive in the morning when SWMBO is at her sewing group. Normal postman didn't arrive, so I know that it will be delivered at about 3-30 or tomorrow morning when she is at home. The boxes normally all go straight into the garage!
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