hansz
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Hans
Posts: 697
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Post by hansz on Jul 19, 2013 3:47:00 GMT -5
Stephen, I'll get back to you when I have consulted my friends who know more about prewar cameras then I do... Hans
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Post by Peltigera on Jul 19, 2013 4:51:26 GMT -5
Here is the back of my Tenax I. It has a different, black, pressure plate which I suspect is the original.
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Post by Peltigera on Jul 19, 2013 4:56:15 GMT -5
Stephen, I mis-remembered what Hans told me about the body numbers. 'J' (mine) was the second batch, not the third, which was 'M'. 'H' was the first batch - 10,000 made for each batch.
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Stephen
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Still collecting.......
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Post by Stephen on Jul 19, 2013 8:00:16 GMT -5
That's the current pressure plate, and I have seen thicker and flatter ones on cheaper cameras, and with known Zeiss standards, this may well be a replacement by a previous owner. It is different from the other one of John's shown, which looks more professionally made, with cut outs over the studs. This one seems to be made from a plate of nickel silver, quite thin, with a single stud rivet in the middle securing the spring. I can do a suitable replacement in steel and chemically, or heat treat, to blacken it, or anodise an aluminium one black. The ghosting on the other camera of John's, must purely be the lens, there would be problems with this pressure plate in bright light getting through the film base though. Stephen.
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Stephen
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Still collecting.......
Posts: 2,718
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Post by Stephen on Jul 19, 2013 8:17:34 GMT -5
There's another small difference, the tab next to the delivery side that takes the cassette has vertical tab on mine, which spaces the end of a standard Kodak cassette, but it is folded flat on Jon's version. It is thick metal and would not bend by accident, I wonder if Zeiss fiddled with it to make it take Contax opening cassette, although there no way of opening them!
Perhaps removal allows a Karat type cassette to fit. Was there another Zeiss opening cassette that needed the tab to operate?
The pressure plate will be left for the moment, I'll remove it and have a harder look. The whole camera back is rather thin aluminium, riveted to a stout brass plated base.
I will consider a total leather replacement, there are no impressed logos or names or numbers, but using real leather might be an issue as it has very thin leather cloth at the moment, and it would need the thinnest book binding leather to do it. Even modern leatherette is a bit too thick.
Stephen.
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Stephen
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Still collecting.......
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Post by Stephen on Jul 19, 2013 9:31:42 GMT -5
I have removed the pressure plate and it is not original, it is well made, but is soft soldered to the spring over the rivet, and has very slight excess solder, which Zeiss would have never tolerated! No marks or part numbers on the back of the plate. I have run of a couple of B/W negs, with the plate as is and covered with black tape to check the difference. I will process them next.
Stephen.
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Stephen
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Still collecting.......
Posts: 2,718
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Post by Stephen on Jul 23, 2013 17:25:48 GMT -5
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Stephen
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Still collecting.......
Posts: 2,718
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Post by Stephen on Aug 2, 2013 15:04:00 GMT -5
Found a different close up that fits the tiny lens, off a Bolex 8mm cine, couple more flower shots, hollyhocks I think. Contrast etc., has been raised in the Gimp, but the Tenax is working well. Next job is a new pressure plate in steel, which will be gun blacked after polishing to fine finish. Stephen.
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Stephen
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Still collecting.......
Posts: 2,718
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Post by Stephen on Aug 24, 2013 6:30:00 GMT -5
Got the Tenax out to try out with further colour film, Agda/Fuji 200asa, and of course it is pouring with rain for the August Bank Holiday weekend! I have finished cleaning up the camera, all works fine bar the contrast being low on the lens, which needed boosting in The Gimp to get decent shots. The Zeiss Novar lens seems sharper at close distances than views, but it is often true of older lens that are not very sharp, the close-ups concentrate the impact of the photograph. The edges are definitely softer than the centre area.
Stephen.
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