Unexpected results from my attempt to fix the frozen focus on a pretty looking Ansco Memar.
Now before we get into this, let it be known that I know very little about camera repair. Most of the few things I do know have been learned by breaking many, many cameras. However, one thing I have learned over the years that has usually worked is, when the focus on an Agfa/Ansco camera is locked, or very stiff to turn, it normally means that the helical threads need to be cleaned. For some reason Agfa had buckets and buckets of a green goop that they thought was a lubricant. So, if your 50 year old (plus or minus) Agfa camera is having focus problems then the first thing that you need to do is clean the dried up green goo/glue out of the focusing threads. Once that was done you could apply a very small amount of graphite powder or white lithium grease and all we well with the world. Agfa did have other problems but that is not the subject of this post.
For some reason I have an attraction for cheap, Agfa cameras. So, when I found that my newly purchased Ansco Regent had a frozen focus ring I thought nothing of it. Clean the threads and the focus would work again. In the meantime, since the focus ring was set exactly at infinity, I took my new purchase out and fired off a couple of rolls using zone focusing. The results were good between 8 foot to infinity, which meant the shutter was firing somewhere close to accurate. The camera went into the drawer to await its turn with the Ronsonol and Q-Tip brigade. That day finally arrived today. So I pulled out the tools (it really doesn't take much) and unthreaded the collar ring that holds the shutter in place on the front of the bellows. The Ansco Memar is a folding 35mm camera and it is very easy to remove the shutter assembly from the front standard even for a hamfisted camera breaker with three thumbs like myself. This gives easy access to clean the focus helicoid.
Now this is where things began to get odd. When the shutter and lens came out I pulled out a q-tip, dribbled a bit of lighter fluid on the end, and began to run the q-tip around the helicoid threads. Nothing to it...right? My mind began to wander off as it often does when I'm doing these mindless, but time-consuming little tasks. But this time I got very little green on the q-tip. Odd. But I went to turn the focus ring and imagine my surprise when it turned quite easily. It was not frozen at all. In fact, it may even have been a bit loose. But I still didn't get it. I happily continued to clean things and then proceeded to reinstall the shutter and lens on the front standard. I snugged the collar up and lifted the camera to my eye. What??? The focus control was locked up solid again and absolutely would not move. Something was wrong for sure.
At this point I am without a clue. There appears to be a small post/screw on the back of the shutter that fits nicely into a small hole in the bottom front of the front standard. Once it is in that little hole the focus ring is locked in place whether the threaded collar is installed or not. It would seem that there should be some type of spacer/shim that has been lost at some point in the past.
What I need is a drawing/diagram that shows how the lens/shutter attaches to the front standard that includes all the expected shims and spacers and other doohickies that should be positioned between the shutter and front standard so the focus ring turns as expected. Maybe there is some sort of a repair manual out there that would give me some ideas. The camera itself isn't worth a whole lot so I don't intend on spending a lot of money, or my time, fiddling around trying to figure out what is missing. But I do enjoy shooting these little camera and they are so light and handy that it is great to have one sitting on the seat in the car when I'm running around.
So here I am. The shutter operates nicely and the lens produces very nice images as would be expected from a quality German-made triplet lens. The focus ring also turns nice and smooth, as long as the shutter and lens are not in place. Once I put the two together everything locks up and I am left with a very effective point and shoot camera that does not focus.
Help??
Now before we get into this, let it be known that I know very little about camera repair. Most of the few things I do know have been learned by breaking many, many cameras. However, one thing I have learned over the years that has usually worked is, when the focus on an Agfa/Ansco camera is locked, or very stiff to turn, it normally means that the helical threads need to be cleaned. For some reason Agfa had buckets and buckets of a green goop that they thought was a lubricant. So, if your 50 year old (plus or minus) Agfa camera is having focus problems then the first thing that you need to do is clean the dried up green goo/glue out of the focusing threads. Once that was done you could apply a very small amount of graphite powder or white lithium grease and all we well with the world. Agfa did have other problems but that is not the subject of this post.
For some reason I have an attraction for cheap, Agfa cameras. So, when I found that my newly purchased Ansco Regent had a frozen focus ring I thought nothing of it. Clean the threads and the focus would work again. In the meantime, since the focus ring was set exactly at infinity, I took my new purchase out and fired off a couple of rolls using zone focusing. The results were good between 8 foot to infinity, which meant the shutter was firing somewhere close to accurate. The camera went into the drawer to await its turn with the Ronsonol and Q-Tip brigade. That day finally arrived today. So I pulled out the tools (it really doesn't take much) and unthreaded the collar ring that holds the shutter in place on the front of the bellows. The Ansco Memar is a folding 35mm camera and it is very easy to remove the shutter assembly from the front standard even for a hamfisted camera breaker with three thumbs like myself. This gives easy access to clean the focus helicoid.
Now this is where things began to get odd. When the shutter and lens came out I pulled out a q-tip, dribbled a bit of lighter fluid on the end, and began to run the q-tip around the helicoid threads. Nothing to it...right? My mind began to wander off as it often does when I'm doing these mindless, but time-consuming little tasks. But this time I got very little green on the q-tip. Odd. But I went to turn the focus ring and imagine my surprise when it turned quite easily. It was not frozen at all. In fact, it may even have been a bit loose. But I still didn't get it. I happily continued to clean things and then proceeded to reinstall the shutter and lens on the front standard. I snugged the collar up and lifted the camera to my eye. What??? The focus control was locked up solid again and absolutely would not move. Something was wrong for sure.
At this point I am without a clue. There appears to be a small post/screw on the back of the shutter that fits nicely into a small hole in the bottom front of the front standard. Once it is in that little hole the focus ring is locked in place whether the threaded collar is installed or not. It would seem that there should be some type of spacer/shim that has been lost at some point in the past.
What I need is a drawing/diagram that shows how the lens/shutter attaches to the front standard that includes all the expected shims and spacers and other doohickies that should be positioned between the shutter and front standard so the focus ring turns as expected. Maybe there is some sort of a repair manual out there that would give me some ideas. The camera itself isn't worth a whole lot so I don't intend on spending a lot of money, or my time, fiddling around trying to figure out what is missing. But I do enjoy shooting these little camera and they are so light and handy that it is great to have one sitting on the seat in the car when I'm running around.
So here I am. The shutter operates nicely and the lens produces very nice images as would be expected from a quality German-made triplet lens. The focus ring also turns nice and smooth, as long as the shutter and lens are not in place. Once I put the two together everything locks up and I am left with a very effective point and shoot camera that does not focus.
Help??