Agfa Super Silette focus ring fell off

Agulliver · Aug 7, 2019

I delved into my camera bag intending to use my Agfa Super Silette a couple of weeks ago, only to find that the focus ring had fallen off. It's not been badly treated, knocked about or anything so I am at a bit of a loss as to how it happened. I can place the ring back on, and the rangefinder seems to work, but the ring just pops off again. Is there some part missing which keeps it attached?

Kino · Aug 7, 2019

Not near my Super Silette at the moment, but perchance a very slim threaded ring is missing to hold the ring in place?

Agulliver · Aug 7, 2019

Kino said:
Not near my Super Silette at the moment, but perchance a very slim threaded ring is missing to hold the ring in place?

That sounds possible but I have found nothing in the camera bag.

Kino · Aug 7, 2019

No tiny set screws around the outer perimeter?

I have been thinking about it and I seem to remember there were about 3 screws around the edge of the focus ring. Maybe the lens had to be set to maximum extension (minimum focus) to attach the ring to the lens barrel; not sure.

Won't know until I get home and look...

AgX · Aug 7, 2019

From the photos the only way to make sense is the most inner part of the fallen off assembly to act as retaining ring and to be screwd onto the brass tube around the lens cone.

Agulliver · Aug 8, 2019

Yes, I'm of the opinion that something else fell off but I haven't found anything in the camera bag. I'll need to take another look, maybe it's got lost in the folds of the material that divides sections of the bag. It's a lovely little camera that I can pocket and take almost anywhere.

AgX · Aug 8, 2019

I did not say that any part is missing.

Agulliver · Aug 9, 2019

Nothing seems to screw together, I can put the ring back on and it snaps into place but it grips nothing on the centre brass tube....which itself doesn't appear to have a screw thread. While the rangefinder mechanism works I don't see that the lens focus is actually working. Before the ring fell off, it was very difficult to turn the focus ring, if I replace the ring as best I can it still turns very easily.

I can tell that there is a lot of dust and some corrosion. But nothing there to suggest how the ring is fixed to the tube...so to speak. At the base of the tube is something that could grip onto the ring, but there's nothing on the ring assembly to attach to it.....I'm going to rummage around in the bag and see if anything else fell out.

AgX · Aug 9, 2019

Well, I try a second guess...

The inner ring is fixed with three grub screws onto the brass barrel.
The outer ring with the distance scale then is fixed to the inner ring with grub screws too.

BAC1967 · Aug 9, 2019

Agulliver said:
Nothing seems to screw together, I can put the ring back on and it snaps into place but it grips nothing on the centre brass tube....which itself doesn't appear to have a screw thread. While the rangefinder mechanism works I don't see that the lens focus is actually working. Before the ring fell off, it was very difficult to turn the focus ring, if I replace the ring as best I can it still turns very easily.

I can tell that there is a lot of dust and some corrosion. But nothing there to suggest how the ring is fixed to the tube...so to speak. At the base of the tube is something that could grip onto the ring, but there's nothing on the ring assembly to attach to it.....I'm going to rummage around in the bag and see if anything else fell out.

View attachment 228617 View attachment 228618

In that first picture you can see what looks like two screws (probably a third that we can't see) that may be accessed from the other side. I would think that they extend into that groove in the lens housing (second photo) to hold everything in place. Is there any way to access them from the outside of the focus ring? Maybe you need to remove something on the focus ring to access them, perhaps that ring that says Agfa Apotar.

Agulliver · Aug 9, 2019

You're right, there are little screws accessible from the outside of the ring...they must be what attaches the ring to the brass tube. I don't have small enough screwdrivers at home but will try at work next week where I have more tiny screwdrivers.

AgX · Aug 9, 2019

If the main grub screws were not holding by their points but instead by their cones in a conical groove, ones one screw gets loose, then by turning the outer barrel the other screws may be twisted out too. Thus enabling the assembly to fall off.

Agulliver · Aug 10, 2019

AgX said:
If the main grub screws were not holding by their points but instead by their cones in a conical groove, ones one screw gets loose, then by turning the outer barrel the other screws may be twisted out too. Thus enabling the assembly to fall off.

That's what I am thinking too. The camera has been on a flight to Malta, albeit in February...so could have been jolted even in the padded camera bag. I've used it quite a lot since I bought it two and a half years ago, and it clearly received use from it's previous owner(s) too...probably wear and tear. With luck I can get it back together on Monday when I have access to tiny screwdrivers

My other rangefinder, a Yashica Minister III, is just a little too big to fit in my pocket.

Agulliver · Aug 15, 2019

Hmm...so I tried that and while tightening the screws causes the ring to stay put, it doesn't rotate much and doesn't seem to affect the focus.

AgX · Aug 15, 2019

If I understand you correctly, the set of grub-screws at the inner part of the fallen off assembly slip on that brass barrel, containing the lens/front element.

You should ask yourself why that error happened in first place. I assumed that somehow one of the screws got loos and due not sitting at a fine point but at cones the other two twisted themselfs out. That polishing of the brass groove indicates more force though.
Furthermore we must not forget that green lubricant thing.

I now would assume the lens barrel to be frozen, if not for being surprised to learn that you not realized that.

Agulliver · Aug 16, 2019

I've tried a tiny amount of high vacuum oil on the lens barrel, just before I replaced the ring....in the expectation that this would free it up if it were indeed frozen.

What's really odd is that the camera was working in late March when I last used it, I was surprised to find this in July.

AgX · Aug 16, 2019

Strange. Try heating or solvent.

Agfa Super Silette focus ring fell off

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