[rollei_list] Re: CLA tips
- From: "Richard Knoppow" <dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 14:14:01 -0700
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jean-Marc Saffroy" <junk42@xxxxxxx>
To: <rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2005 11:50 AM
Subject: [rollei_list] Re: CLA tips
On Wed, 20 Jul 2005, Jerry Lehrer wrote:
Yes. YOU would try, because you have the experience.
As does Richard, but Jean-Marc does not. He admits
it.
Definitely. ;)
The camera seems usable anyway, so I'll shoot a test roll,
and see what I
get: if I get well-exposed well-focused pictures, then I
may live with
some minor annoyances (dirty mirror, shifted focus knob).
I will also show the 'cord to a local camera repair shop
(I live in
Grenoble, France) but it will probably be too expensive to
be worth it (I
don't intend to spend much more money for this camera).
Thanks all for your answers!
Regards,
--
Jean-Marc Saffroy
---
Since repair is too expensive there is really nothing to
stop you from trying to set up the focus. You need a small
set of inexpensive jeweller's screwdrivers. In the USA one
can find these in a grocery store, they do not have to be
expensive ones. Since some of the screws used in Rolleis and
other cameras have very thin slots it may be nececessary to
grind the screwdriver tip. A sharpening stone works well for
this. For the focus knob you need some sort of tool to
remove the cover from the focus knob. I use a small needle
nose pliers. To work the internal lock nut the best tool is
a standard screwdriver with a notch cut in the center of the
blade with a file. This makes a small spanner. You will also
need a bit of ground glass to fit the back. If ground glass
is hard to come by then use a section of clear glass cut to
the right size and use the frosted type of Scotch Tape (or
whatever its called in Switzerland) to form a "ground"
surface. The glass should sit on the film rails and rollers.
Tape it in place. Use a good quality magnifier of at least
10 power to examine the image. Getting the infinity position
right is a little tedious, it needs some juggling. Before
loosening the knob check to see if the camera will focus at
infinity on the ground glass. If it does set it there, then
loosen the nut for the knob, set the knob to infinity (the
knob itself is the stop) and tighten the nut again.
Sometimes the knob or shaft will slip a little to recheck
this. If the knob is set so that infinity is out of range
loosen the nut, move the knob in the right direction to get
more range, tighten the nut and set for infinity as above.
No disassembly other than removing the knob cover is
necessary for this adjustment.
To get the screws for the finder hood off I suggest using
a penetrating oil applied around the edges of the screws.
Leave it for several hours, even a couple of days. Sometimes
tapping on the screws occasionally will help the oil and
solvent to penetrate.
Choose a screwdriver wide enough to fill most of the slot
on the screw. It will probably be too thick. File or grind
the tip so that it has a snug fit in the slot. This will
maximise the area of the slot that pressure is applied to
and minimise the possibility of breaking the screw head. Use
constant pressure to start the screw. Avoid abrupt pressure.
Once off the hood just lifts off. The ground glass just
sits on springs under the hood and will lift off. The GG can
be cleaned in warm water and diswashing detergent. The
mirror may just be dusty, if so just blow it off. You can
also try brushing it off but use a very clean and very soft
brush. If its corroded you will have to replace it, not a
difficult job. Clean the back of the finder lens while you
are at it.
If the finder lens is out of adjustment some disassembly
is necessary. If you need to do this I suggest getting one
of the manuals available for the camera. These show the
assembly. The disassembly is not difficult but you should
know what to expect.
I learned to do at least minor repairs to Rolleis out of
self protection. I had a Rolleicord IV messed up by a
supposedly competent repair guy (NOT I hasten to add Harry
Fleenor, who is wonderful). The camera had a minor problem
that I fixed by cleaning something. This guy got the shutter
awry (the shutter had nothing to do with it) and obviously
didn't know what he was doing.
Rolleis are very well designed and very well built which
makes them relatively easy to work on. You also have the
advantage of knowing the camera worked right to begin with,
not true of all cameras.
I repeat, if the lenses are in good condition this is a
fine camera despite being Rollei's economy model. What it
lacks is the automatic loading and shutter cocking features
of the Rolleiflex. Optically, it is the equal of the
Rolleiflex and, to me anyway, is an easier camera to use. A
late Rolleicord III is worth spending at least some time on,
it is NOT a cheap or second rate camera in any way.
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
---
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