Ferrania Elioflex-missing parts

[emmy]

Hi all,

I really didn't know where to put my question so I thought maybe this would be closest to it.

So, I bought an old Ferrania Elioflex from a flea market the other day and sadly when I got home I realised it was missing the lens focusing ring. I understand that this is like searching a needle from a hay stack BUT is there anyone who knows where I could get this as a spare part without buying a broken Elioflex to get the part?
It also misses the take-up spool from the upper part of the camera.

I would like to get this lovely camera repaired and working.

Thanks.

 

[AgX]

I never ever saw an Elioflex...

With "missing the focusing-ring" you likely mean the scale-ring. Cut-out a ring of plastic, aluminium or brass, cement it in the appropriate position. Put a piece of frosted foil or such on the film gate, set the shutter on "B" and by focusing on this make-shift groundglass put the respective marks on the new scale-ring.

Typically used rollfilm cameras lack the take-up spool, as, with the exposed film then on it, it was taken out. Remains the former feed spool, that typically is transferred and used as take-up spool itself.

 

[emmy]

There it is.

Yes, apparently it is the scale ring as you mentioned. I'm just wondering how deep should the edges be on the ring so it sits well to the rest of the body?

Maybe I'll try your tip. Do you have by any chance pictures of this repair method?

I think I can get somewhere an empty spool for the take-up spool because it uses 120 films.

 

[AgX]

So you got no spool at all? Then just buy 2 rollfilms, wind-off the film from one spool, put it aside, use that now empty spool as take-up spool and after processing that film use that very spool to roll that put-aside film on again. In case you do not want to process your films yourself and have a local lab, approach them and ask for an empty spool.

 

[emmy]

Yeah, no spool yet but I bet I can get it when buying the films.

What type of film would you recommend? I think I would like to try colour film for it first. Later BW.

 

[AgX]

If you intend to process the film yourself, then chose b&w film. Otherwise it depends on what offers you have labwise. I then would chose what comes cheapest.

 

[emmy]

Ok thanks!

 

[emmy]

Yeah had a little accident when assembling the camera parts yesterday. The "Body shutter release" bounced somewhere I can't find. I have searched the room from everywhere but cannot find it. The spring and the pipe that are inside the shutter release are safe. Now I just don't know should I make the missing part from some material or just quit and buy a new camera somewhere Also it is a bit difficult to assemble the parts without any documentation of it, except the users manual but that doesn't help.

 

[AgX]

The "Body shutter release" bounced somewhere I can't find.

That "Jack in the Box" phenomenon is something likely any camera tinkerer has experienced once. And then tried to avoid by any means to happen again...

Some use boxes to work in, other took out their looped carpets, others got magnetic search appliances. Some parts though are doomed to stay lost...

 

[emmy]

Yeah maybe I'll be smarter next time.

 

[shutterfinger]

I use one of these https://www.amazon.com/SE-8021TM-Te...508629143&sr=8-8&keywords=magnet+pickup+tools magnetic pickup tools and if it doesn't work I get out the Shop Vac, vacuum a 10 foot area around the workspace then search the collection tank.
Springs are known to hide in carpet loops or go into outer space then burn up on reentry.
Around table/workbench legs, chair cushion seams and back to bottom joints are excellent hiding places.
Its likely within 6 feet of the work area.

 

[emmy]

Looks like a handy tool I vacuumed my workspace floor with a piece of pantyhose on the end of the hose pipe, attached with a rubber band. That way the stuff you're vacuuming won't go in the tank so it's quicker style of searching

I got a new spring few days ago but my bigger problem now is that the "body shutter release" bounced somewhere into an other galaxy. I just can't figure it out because it's bigger and shinier (you could spot it with your bare eyes) than the original spring that got away and can't be found. Maybe my floor eats everything that drops down there

 

[bernard_L]

Interesting! Just yesterday I took a test exposure with an Elioflex_2 (transferred the 120 film mid-roll from another camera...) and developed it. Looks alright, did not enlarge or s**n yet. I'm curious how you even got so deep in dis-assembly to lose the shutter release button: I intended to clean the shutter (slowish) but gave up; all I did was clean and re-lube (with teflon grease) the focus helicoid.

What type of film would you recommend? I think I would like to try colour film for it first. Later BW.

With an MF camera, don't think twice: use 400 iso film. Ilford XP2 if you want to try BW but don't want to develop yourself. The extra grain (if any) is more than compensated by the larger negative. And, being able to shut down the diaphragm a stop or two helps with a triplet lens. And all negative films like over-exposure better than under-exposure. Speaking of triplet, it's possibly better than you think; if you want to evaluate its real potential, shoot with the camera on a tripod.

As concerns focus calibration. The easiest method IMO is that proposed by Rick Oleson: http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-123.html. Except in his description, bot cameras are SLRs. In your case, I would put the ground glass (or even clear glass with a sharp pattern) on the back of the elioflex, and use a known good SLR to check for infinity; the principle is that when both cameras are at infinity, the pattern appears in focus viewing through the combined optics.

I would not consider the camera lost. Be creative. For instance, obtain from someone else a good face-on picture of the focus ring, hopefully metric scale (I would be willing to do that, except I'm not sure the eiloflex2 has the same optical formula, the max aperture is slightly larger). Go to a printing shop and have it printed on a plastic substrate, overlay with transparent foil for protection. Once you have infinity calibration, just glue your scale on top of the lens ring. As concerns the shutter release; Look around. Maybe the button of a retractable ball point pen will fit? Or, use a shutter button from a different camera model, with the threaded hole: fix permanently and you'll have to use a flexible release (not a bad thing).

 

[emmy]

All the lenses were filthy and dirty all over. I thought it was mould but it wasn't. And when opened it the mirror was also really dirty. It looked like the camera hadn't been used for decades.I think I didn't have a choice than opening it because otherwise I couldn't reach the mirror.I have to admit I used some force because it was jammed from one corner. There was a dent in it that looked like it had dropped on a really hard floor with a previous owner. Later a small piece of that dent breaked.

Thanks for the film recommendation. I also thought 400 iso film for it and have a tripod in the closet.

For the focus calibration I have to study your instruction more closely, looked interesting

Hey, maybe that point pen idea will help, thanks for the tip!