Agfa Standard folding camera - how to remove shutter assembly?

[rrunnertexas]

I have a very nice looking Agfa Standard folding camera and the focus lever is stuck due to the dried grease. I have read that this is a common problem with these cameras.

I have taken the front standard off the camera as an assembly, but now am not sure how to remove the shutter from the focusing unit.

Has another member done this work before and could share how this is done?

It would be nice to get this camera up and shooting again!

Thanks for the help.

 

[removed account4]

I don't have this particular camera, but have removed shutters on similar ones
can you unscrew the rear element?
if there is no flange/ring that tightens the rear threaded element onto the standard ..
maybe it is held on by just the rear element ..

good luck !

 

[GregW]

I was able to carefully clean mine, a 6,5x9 standard, while still on the camera, it was stuck solid, it now functions normally. Cotton swabs and bamboo kitchen skewers soaked in various solvents did the trick of softening and scraping it off the barrel, Spray the solvent into a can and dip the swab in it. Getting it off infinity to close focus which exposes the mechanism better is the hardest part. Dribbling solvent through the side slot helped at that stage. Patience is the key. PB blaster I believe was the most effective solvent. Of course disassembly is the best course, but if you are unable to disconnect the mechanism, you may still be able to fix it.

 

[gone]

That looks like a unit focusing front standard, wherein you achieve focus by sliding the whole lens standard forward or backward. Are you sure there isn't a distance scale on the bottom of the bed on the side of the rails? Like this?

http://www.cameramanuals.org/agfa_ansco/agfa_standard_rolll_film.pdf

 

[rrunnertexas]

Here is a different angle of the same thing. Yes, I did remove the front and rear lens elements. But, where to go from here? The next step is not clear to me. No obvious things to unscrew.

It almost seems like maybe I have to open the front cover of the shutter and get to some screws from there to release it from the focusing unit?

I have some Ronsonol fluid in areas in back that appear to be stuck. Tonight I would like to get it apart after it soaks today.


Seems like a mystery so far.

 

[Peltigera]

What you are calling the focusing unit IS the shutter housing. To get at the gummings, you need to remove the front plate which is held on by the Agfa logo at the top, the shutter release lever and (probably) three screws.

 

[removed account4]

hi again

seems like a common problem with these old cameras !

http://www.rolandandcaroline.co.uk/repair/frozenfix.html

i googled this in quotes " agfa folding camera standard folding camera focus stuck "
and found pages of peopel with similar issues

here is another cure ( pretty much the same thing as the other link )

http://photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00CBpP?start=10

which is pretty much what gregw did


at least i helped you remove the lens elements

good luck !
john

 

[BorgeH]

I had the same problem with my Agfa Standard. The focussing lever was stuck.

I had to dismount the rear lens inside the camera. I then got the front part loose. The grease is some green looking grease used by Agfa which is well known to stuck like cement in old cameras. I was really difficult to get the focussing lever operating. I tried white spirit. It did not work. Finally I used a hair dryer to heat it. With the combined heat and 5-56 rust-solving spray it came loose.

I then had problem to get everything operating, the shutter stuck at several speeds. The shutter is made of some paper looking thin foils. They stuck as some of the grease dust particles and solvents soiled them. By flushing with withe spirit and heating everything carefully (do not over heat!) I finally managed to get it functional.

I greased the focussing lever with ball-bearing grease. But I did not drop any oil or grease on the shutter or aperture, I think the must be dry. It is fun to use the camera, it is really manual. You double exposure just by pressing the shutter again! I quickly learned to wind after every shoot! The shutter is best operated by a cable release. The image quality gives you the "old look"!

 

[rrunnertexas]

BorgeH - That is a great picture. I can see which part is moving inside the other. I will concentrate some lighter fluid in that area to help with the process.

If it will work free without removing the shutter, I guess that will be fine. Just getting it forward far enough to clean the old grease out and put in new lubricant should get it working like it should.

The hair dryer is next!

 

[rrunnertexas]

The focus is now free! Following advice of using some heat, I baked the shutter at 180 degrees for 10 minutes, basted it and made to sure to turn it evenly. I added some salt, seasoning, etc......

The grease thinned out and I was able to move the focus. Most of the old grease is now cleaned out and now ready for fresh lubricant.

I will leave the shutter alone since it is working consistently at all the speeds. The lens elements are clear and scratch free. I hope to get this camera up and shooting soon!

 

[BorgeH]

Good to hear that you got it working!

Check the leather folder for light leaks before you mount the front part. If you have some leaks, try to mend them. You could use some black glue. I was lucky and had no leaks, but I have read that it is common with old folders. The lens is very simple in this camera, only two glass parts, the front and the back part. I think they later made cameras with more advanced lenses - triplets with three parts. When I mounted the camera again I tried to adjust the rear part, as it had the possibilty to rotatate several turns. I mounted a milky plastic foil instead of film (in fact: part of a plastic folder - I did not have any ground glass!). I focussed on infinity on the now movable lever on the front part and peeked through the camera under a blanket to some distant trees. The picture is up-side down! I rotated the back lens part to get the best sharpness. I agree that this is not the best way to do lens adjustment, but it worked for me.

I add one of my first 6x9 cm photos with this camera. I used Tri-X 120 and developed in D-76 1:1 scanned with Canoscan 9000F. It is not one of my best photos, I think the sharpness is not what I am used with from my Leica lenses, but it gives a nice "historical touch". I made a double exposure as a mistake, so that is way I have a light leak behind the bull. The finder is not exactly accurate and the bull moved towards me!

If you are interested, the animals are mine, I have a small hobby herd. I used to call this bull BigMac. I sold him and some other to a slaughter house some time ago. They are of an old swedish brand without horns, we call them "Fjällkor", (polled mountain cows) and are very friedly and easy to handle! They are smaller, healthier and more robust than Holstein cows.

 

[rrunnertexas]

The image of the cattle was pretty nice and fairly sharp compared to what I have gotten with my Standard.

I shot 8 images, all with the focus set at infinity and they all are soft. I can't find a focused area in the image at all. I'm not happy.

Any ideas as to why this is? Can this be corrected?