Contarex bullseye repair/CLA - overlapping frames

[blee1996]

Hi, I have a Contarex bullseye camera that has frame overlapping issue and wondering if anyone had experience fixing it.

The camera is beautiful cosmetically, operates smoothly with good shutter speeds. The paired Planar 50/2 black/Blitz lens is wonderful too. So it is a pity that the camera has severe frame overlapping issue: and it is not consistent. 30% of frames there is some separation in between, but 70% of the frames are overlapping.

So the options are:
- Try to fix it myself
- Find someone to fix it
- Find another Contarex body that works well
- Find an adapter and use the Contarex Planar lens on another camera system (Nikon F, Leica R?)

Any recommendations and pointers will be very welcome!

 

[blee1996]

I found one old thread on photo.net suggesting to check the rewind/film supply side, to make sure there is not too much tension.

I checked, and found the rewind shaft quite tight. So I removed the rewind knob, and applied a few drops of naptha both from the top and bottom so it can work its way into the rewind shaft channel. Now the rewind mechanism is super smooth.

I hope this will resolve the film advance / frame overlapping issue, and will do some quick test this weekend.

 

[blee1996]

A quick update: yes that solved the frame overlapping issue. And the latest roll have zero overlapping frame.

I did clean up the feed side spool spindle, as well as apply a few drops of sewing machine oil. Now it turns smoothly and without resistance.

This actually inspired me to check my Konica Big Mini BM-201 P&S again, which also has frame overlapping issue. It also has the ribbon cable half broken problem. So I ordered replacement cable from ebay, and will do both repairs once the ribbon arrives.

 

[btaylor]

Wonderful resolution to the overlapping frames issue.
From what I have read those Bullseyes are complex and difficult to repair.
I have always kinda wanted one since I saw a used one in a camera shop window when I was a teenager- I could only dream of having one, much less with a set of uber expensive Zeiss lenses. They have a great ‘50/60’s German precision look to them that I like. And superlative Zeiss glass from the period.