Vivitar 35ES manual aperture control

[Via66]

Hi there, greetings from Germany.
I have a Revue 400SE, a copy of the Vivitar 35ES.
Has anybody attempted to convert the aperture control to manual control?
The 400SE is a great little camera but it isn't usable without a battery, unlike the Hi-Matic 7Sii.

 

[4season]

Your camera appears to be very similar to Konica Auto S3, which I own and have serviced. Full manual control of the aperture would be tricky, because aperture is controlled by the movement of the same galvanometer which is visible in the viewfinder. You can use the camera without a battery, but the aperture will always be f/1.7.

 

[Paul Howell]

Here in the U.S Vivitar 35es are going for good money over $200, so I would be very hesitant to tinker with it. For an alternative I would find working Konica S or S2. Great lens with the option for manual exposure. The trouble will be finding one in good working order.

 

[Via66]

Your camera appears to be very similar to Konica Auto S3, which I own and have serviced. Full manual control of the aperture would be tricky, because aperture is controlled by the movement of the same galvanometer which is visible in the viewfinder. You can use the camera without a battery, but the aperture will always be f/1.7.

I wasn't aware of the similarity between the 7Sii/35ES/400SE and the Konica.
The 400SE does indeed default to f/1.7 without a battery. Practically useless.
I have the 7Sii repair manual. I'll probably have to disassemble the 400SE and compare it to the drawings in the manual.

 

[Via66]

Here in the U.S Vivitar 35es are going for good money over $200, so I would be very hesitant to tinker with it. For an alternative I would find working Konica S or S2. Great lens with the option for manual exposure. The trouble will be finding one in good working order.

$200? Holy cow, that's expensive!
Here you'll find the 400SE in the local classifieds for about €50 to €80.
I found a seller offering one for €30. I wrote him to up the asking price to at least €40. Took him a month to find a buyer.
The Hi-Matic usually changes hands for about €140.

 

[OAPOli]

Hi there, greetings from Germany.
I have a Revue 400SE, a copy of the Vivitar 35ES.
Has anybody attempted to convert the aperture control to manual control?
The 400SE is a great little camera but it isn't usable without a battery, unlike the Hi-Matic 7Sii.

I actually have done this exact modification on my 35ES.

It's been two years so I don't remember the exact details. Under the lens board, I swapped the guide number coupling cam for a static 3D-printed piece. It was a bit tricky because the part was small and close to the tolerance limit of my printer, and I had to eyeball the f-no. I made a little scale and glued it in lieu of the guide number scale. It seems to work, at least to within a half-stop I suppose.

 

[Via66]

Here in the U.S Vivitar 35es are going for good money over $200, so I would be very hesitant to tinker with it. For an alternative I would find working Konica S or S2. Great lens with the option for manual exposure. The trouble will be finding one in good working order.

€45 plus €2,99 for shipping.

 

[Paul Howell]

Vivitar 35ES Rangefinder 40mm f1.7 35mm film Camera; TESTED&WORKING​

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[xkaes]

There were a LOT of these cameras that are very similar. How about a Revue 400 SE 25??? I never heard of it either. There are also other Minolta, Mamiya, Vivitar... Check them out:

https://www.subclub.org/minman/minfind.htm

 

[Via66]

There were a LOT of these cameras that are very similar. How about a Revue 400 SE 25??? I never heard of it either. There are also other Minolta, Mamiya, Vivitar... Check them out:

https://www.subclub.org/minman/minfind.htm

The 400 SE 25 was a commemorative edition in silver.

 

[Via66]

I actually have done this exact modification on my 35ES.

It's been two years so I don't remember the exact details. Under the lens board, I swapped the guide number coupling cam for a static 3D-printed piece. It was a bit tricky because the part was small and close to the tolerance limit of my printer, and I had to eyeball the f-no. I made a little scale and glued it in lieu of the guide number scale. It seems to work, at least to within a half-stop I suppose.

That's interesting. So you have to remove the lens from the camera body?

 

[xkaes]

The 400 SE 25 was a commemorative edition in silver.

What was is commemorating -- the 25th anniversary of the ending of WWII perhaps?

 

[OAPOli]

That's interesting. So you have to remove the lens from the camera body?

It requires a good disassembly. Top/bottom covers, self-timer lever and lens board. You might have to unsolder some wires.