I have a Wirgin 6cm x 6cm folding camera with a Wollensak Anistigmat f/3.5 lens that I purchased from eBay five years ago. It has worked like a charm since I purchased it. The first images I took were of the President's Day storm that year, the one that blanketed Delaware in up to two feet of snow in thirty-six hours.
Well, the little red disc window insert that was made in Germany in 1946 bit the dust in September and I have not used it since. Until today. On my lunch hour at Manlove Auto Parts where I work, I finally remembered to try something I had thought of before Christmas.
I purchased the standard roll of red reflective tape, the tape that covers cracks or small holes on a red automotive/trailer lens. I cut a strip about seven to eight centimeters long and narrow enough to fit between the rivets that affix the film holding plate to the back lid. First I tried this with a second piece of tape adhered against the first piece to prevent the glue being exposed to the outside of the camera through the exposure count window. When I discovered that this made the exposure number too difficult to read, I tried a second piece with some clear plastic used in substitution for the second piece of tape et voila. I have blocked the light and repaired my camera. Guess what I'm doing tomorrow?
Well, the little red disc window insert that was made in Germany in 1946 bit the dust in September and I have not used it since. Until today. On my lunch hour at Manlove Auto Parts where I work, I finally remembered to try something I had thought of before Christmas.
I purchased the standard roll of red reflective tape, the tape that covers cracks or small holes on a red automotive/trailer lens. I cut a strip about seven to eight centimeters long and narrow enough to fit between the rivets that affix the film holding plate to the back lid. First I tried this with a second piece of tape adhered against the first piece to prevent the glue being exposed to the outside of the camera through the exposure count window. When I discovered that this made the exposure number too difficult to read, I tried a second piece with some clear plastic used in substitution for the second piece of tape et voila. I have blocked the light and repaired my camera. Guess what I'm doing tomorrow?
