Burned by the 'bay

LMNOP · Jun 6, 2015

I am sad to report that I received my first LF rig and it was not exactly functional, at least not from my perspective.

Not only does the lens make an awful scraping noise when you adjust the exposure time, but it seems to stutter on this grinding noise as well. AND the 1 second exposure is a few seconds, never the same, kind of staggers to complete its exposure. I opened the box minutes ago, tested the lens, pretty sure its not going to work out. The seller excepts returns, but this is a huge bummer and waste of time. It makes me think that I should invest in a higher quality piece with a hands on demo before purchasing. I feel pretty burned.

I have a video of the exposure, if anyone wants to see I can email it.

nanthor · Jun 6, 2015

Hmm, sorry for your problems. If you might consider another route, ask the seller to refund enough for you to get the lens CLA'd, that is if it is clean and clear with no issues. While you might get a partial refund of $200, I know a guy (give me a PM) that can do it for less. Good luck, Bob.

LMNOP · Jun 6, 2015

nanthor said:
Hmm, sorry for your problems. If you might consider another route, ask the seller to refund enough for you to get the lens CLA'd, that is if it is clean and clear with no issues. While you might get a partial refund of $200, I know a guy (give me a PM) that can do it for less. Good luck, Bob.

The Calumet CC401 was sold for $140 with $30 in shipping - not sure the refund would even cover a CLA.

ic-racer · Jun 6, 2015

Is the camera any good? Maybe just send the lens back for a partial refund.

Dan Fromm · Jun 6, 2015

Which one did you buy?

Could it be this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Calumet-C-1-4x5-Outfit-with-Ilex-Acutar-215mm-f6-3-Lens-/331566992208 ? Its been years since I visited their store in Columbus, but I've been there several times. It and the staff never left a good impression. Other people may disagree, but over the last several year their listings on eBay of items I'm familiar with haven't seemed quite right.

eBay didn't burn you, a vendor who offered his wares through eBay burned you.

gone · Jun 6, 2015

Just give the shutter a good flush w/ lighter fluid and it will probably be a lot better. It's normal for 1 second to be longer than 1 second, especially on an old camera that has probably sat for a while. There's a lot on google and probably youtube to show you how. Even on an old shutter that's been CLA'd, the standard is to be within 1 stop, so a 1 second exposure that runs from 1/2 second to 2 seconds is technically within spec.

This is similar to the 80-120 rule in generic drugs. Don't ever let anyone tell you that generics are exact equivalents of name drugs, they are far from it. The law states that they have to be within 20% in dosage availability, so you could be getting 80% of the correct dose, or you could be getting 120%. What's worse, if you are used to one generic that happens to run 120% and switch to another manufacturer of the same generic drug, you could be putting yourself at risk if the new generic is only running at 80% potency. Then you have a drop in dosage of 40%. It could go the other way just as easily, and give you 40% too much.

LMNOP · Jun 6, 2015

Dan Fromm said:
Which one did you buy?

Could it be this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Calumet-C-1-4x5-Outfit-with-Ilex-Acutar-215mm-f6-3-Lens-/331566992208 ? Its been years since I visited their store in Columbus, but I've been there several times. It and the staff never left a good impression. Other people may disagree, but over the last several year their listings on eBay of items I'm familiar with haven't seemed quite right.

eBay didn't burn you, a vendor who offered his wares through eBay burned you.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281693466888

Yes, the seller burned me, but I emailed in advance and they said it was recently inspected. The scraping sound is so unnatural. I am so disappointed. Not to mention the film holders are grimy as heck.

LMNOP · Jun 6, 2015

ic-racer said:
Is the camera any good? Maybe just send the lens back for a partial refund.

The body itself seems okay, really filthy, could be cleaned.

Sirius Glass · Jun 6, 2015

I am sorry that you got burned on eBay. After you get your money back you might want to consider KEH who will fix, replace or take a return if there is a problem.

BrianShaw · Jun 6, 2015

In general you may have to pay more to get gear in tip top condition. Cleaning that up and having the shutter overhauled will still be a rather affordable outfit. The overhaul will be around 100, give or take 20. Pct.

peter k. · Jun 6, 2015

Hmm... I've purchased from them several times, directly from them, via their web site and on e-bay. Several years ago, there was a problem, and they took care of it immediately. Give them a call..

trythis · Jun 6, 2015

Just tell th you are umhappy and want a refund, if they balk open a case with ebay and get ot back that way, unless this was an as-is no returns deal. Still, ebay supports buyers, not sellers, and will refund your money if it is not as described.

Typos made on a tiny phone...

480sparky · Jun 6, 2015

Returns: 14 days money back, buyer pays return shipping

Problem solved.

Just contact the buyer and say the lens was not properly described and does not appear usable. The seller should respond with a pre-paid shipping label.

Sirius Glass · Jun 6, 2015

trythis said:
Just tell th you are umhappy and want a refund, if they balk open a case with ebay and get ot back that way, unless this was an as-is no returns deal. Still, ebay supports buyers, not sellers, and will refund your money if it is not as described.

Typos made on a tiny phone...

When I had any problem with KEH and there were very few, they took care of it quickly. In one case because I was going on a trip the shipped the replacement before I would be able to return the defective item just so that I could have it in time for the trip.

Gee I make my typos on a full keyboard and take the blame for myself.

LMNOP · Jun 6, 2015

peter k. said:
Hmm... I've purchased from them several times, directly from them, via their web site and on e-bay. Several years ago, there was a problem, and they took care of it immediately. Give them a call..

you may have misread, this is the listing:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281693466888

Seller's name is man_eee

LMNOP · Jun 6, 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUPMkTHly-M

here's the shutter at 1 second

LMNOP · Jun 6, 2015

APUGuser19 said:
You never posted the video. Have no idea what you're talking about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUPMkTHly-M

Old-N-Feeble · Jun 6, 2015

That's a very decent deal even if the shutter needs a CLA. The bright side is you'll know when and who serviced the shutter... and you'll have a warranty for the service. The camera alone could easily sell for that much. At the very least, at that price, you essentially got the lens for free with everything else.

Dan Fromm · Jun 6, 2015

LMNOP said:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281693466888

Yes, the seller burned me, but I emailed in advance and they said it was recently inspected. The scraping sound is so unnatural. I am so disappointed. Not to mention the film holders are grimy as heck.

Thanks for pointing us at it. Inexperienced seller -- been on ebay since April, '13 but 42 of his 44 feedback ratings are < 6 months old -- who sells mainly odds and ends. These types can't be counted on to know much about photographic equipment and can't evaluate it fairly. Good intentions, I'm sure, but not much competence with view cameras.

Thanks also for the video. The shutter certainly runs slow at 1 sec but it doesn't sound bad. Escapements are always noisy at one second.

You didn't expect to get a shutter in good order, did you? There's a law of nature to the effect that all used shutters need to be cleaned, lubricated and adjusted before they run properly. Keep the camera and have the shutter CLAd. You're unlikely to get as good a deal with a shutter in good order. And don't pour a solvent through the shutter. Ilexes are made to run dry and some of them have hard rubber blades that many solvents attack.

Check immediately that the bellows is light tight. This is a deal breaker.

peter k. · Jun 6, 2015

LMNOP said:
you may have misread, this is the listing:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281693466888

Seller's name is man_eee

Yes I did, wrong listing... I was talking about http://columbuscameragroup.com/
thanks for the clarification.

fotch · Jun 6, 2015

Well the sellers ad states "The entire set is in great condition." And, they are in the camera selling business so can be considered experts. I would be upset also.

Gerald C Koch · Jun 6, 2015

What is the condition of the optics and the camera in general? The shutter can be fixed.

Old-N-Feeble · Jun 6, 2015

fotch said:
Well the sellers ad states "The entire set is in great condition." And, they are in the camera selling business so can be considered experts. I would be upset also.

That's a valid point but the OP could shoot himself in the foot by demanding a return. It's a very good deal even with the shutter needing a CLA.

LMNOP · Jun 6, 2015

Gerald C Koch said:
What is the condition of the optics and the camera in general? The shutter can be fixed.

The only other issue I can see is the tripod mount is wobbly, I can't screw the plate in tight enough to not wiggle, it's weird. Maybe it needs to be deeper cleaned. The other thing is the lens has some dust in it, pretty much all throughout the surface. I don't know how bright the ground glass should be but it's somewhat dull at 4.8. Overall it just seems to need tlc that I can't provide, but maybe I can learn.

LMNOP · Jun 6, 2015

Dan Fromm said:
Thanks for pointing us at it. Inexperienced seller -- been on ebay since April, '13 but 42 of his 44 feedback ratings are < 6 months old -- who sells mainly odds and ends. These types can't be counted on to know much about photographic equipment and can't evaluate it fairly. Good intentions, I'm sure, but not much competence with view cameras.

Thanks also for the video. The shutter certainly runs slow at 1 sec but it doesn't sound bad. Escapements are always noisy at one second.

You didn't expect to get a shutter in good order, did you? There's a law of nature to the effect that all used shutters need to be cleaned, lubricated and adjusted before they run properly. Keep the camera and have the shutter CLAd. You're unlikely to get as good a deal with a shutter in good order. And don't pour a solvent through the shutter. Ilexes are made to run dry and some of them have hard rubber blades that many solvents attack.

Check immediately that the bellows is light tight. This is a deal breaker.

Any tips on light checking?

Burned by the 'bay

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