Folder project with wildly uncertain results

After seeing some great photos from folders on another thread, I decided to take a swing at a camera that my wife inherited -- a Zeiss Ikon Ikonta 521.

The entire thing was dirty (especially the interior of the lens) and the focus was all but frozen, but I got it apart and cleaned the lens (gently, I hope), then used Goo-Gone with cotton swabs to de-gunk the focusing mechanism. I was surprised how much dirt I got out out of it. I put it back together without lubrication, which seems to be working OK. The faster shutter speeds seem to work but it jams open at anything slowish.

The snag came when it was time to put everything back together in that the front element of the lens could be threaded in more than one way, none of which resulted in a dead stop at the Infinity focusing mark. I think I figured out that the retaining screw works as a rotation limiter. Using wax paper and the B setting, dim images that I can barely see anyway sort of appear recognizable, so I decided to run a roll of film through it.

That's when things got hilarious. I went to the gardens near my house and happened upon, as near as I could tell, a Quinceanera photo shoot. It was quite a production (hair and make-up, a dress that seemed 20 feet long...) but I when asked if they minded if I took a picture, they were so nice about it that they stopped the shoot and gave me the spot where the photographer was standing. The subject straightened her back and began smiling, so there I was trying to figure out how to work the camera on the spot with four or people watching.

The photographer was interested in my old camera and gave me his business card so I could share the photos I took. I'm hoping for the best but will have to wait until the film (color) gets back before I know how it went. I seemed to just be pointing the camera -- no idea what the finder on the top is supposed to accomplish since it is about the same as looking through a round hole with no 6x4.5 matting that I noticed. Maybe I got lucky and can have a new career as a vintage Quinceanera photographer.

Here's a photo of how opaque the lens was and one of the cleaned up camera, which I have to say is pretty cool just to look at. Fingers crossed.

The focusing scale normally has three tiny set screws that allow the scale to be located into proper position. I don't have a 521, but I do have a 515 Nettar which is pretty much identical. Somebody had messed with it and the focus had to be reset. Never remove any of the three set screws completely; they are almost impossible to get back in! Only loosen them to the point where the scale can the moved/removed.

I was once stymied when working on a Baby Bessa (Klein Bessa to those with a less romantic bend). The focus scale only had one position and did not rotate. After quite a bit of puzzling I determined that the thread on the front element had six leads. You have to engage it in the correct one of its six positions to get the focus correct.

Your comment about the finder is confusing. The flip up finders were great and it is a pity that "fashion' dictated they be replaced with top housings. In addition to being big, bright, easy to clean and use, when properly designed you could just see around the frame of the objective, creating essentially an Albada finder.

thuggins said:

Your comment about the finder is confusing. The flip up finders were great and it is a pity that "fashion' dictated they be replaced with top housings. In addition to being big, bright, easy to clean and use, when properly designed you could just see around the frame of the objective, creating essentially an Albada finder.

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Thanks for this information. I got the camera out and think I have a better idea about using the finder. If I get my eye really, really close I can see the rectangle after all.

I got the film scans back this afternoon (negatives to follow by mail) and will be interested to take a closer look. At a glance the focus looks OK but not too sure about my exposures.

One quick question if anyone can tell me -- I shoot a roll of color film only every two or three years and, of course, know nothing about this camera.

Is the fogginess I'm seeing around the highlights in these pictures due to lens coating (or lack thereof) or did I not get the lens completely clean when I had it apart.

I haven't adjusted these; they were scanned by North Coast. Thanks for any help. --Clifton

afaik, you move the camera, or your eyeball, until you get the 2 rectangles that make up the viewfinder in line with each other. Like front and rear gunsights.

cdowell said:

One quick question if anyone can tell me -- I shoot a roll of color film only every two or three years and, of course, know nothing about this camera.

Is the fogginess I'm seeing around the highlights in these pictures due to lens coating (or lack thereof) or did I not get the lens completely clean when I had it apart.

I haven't adjusted these; they were scanned by North Coast. Thanks for any help. --Clifton

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What fogginess around the highlights? If you're referring to the light coming thru the trees behind the girl, that's due to the depth of field. You focused on the girl so the trees are somewhat out of focus.

Overall, they are pretty good pictures (and I'm not a big fan of scanned color negatives).

thuggins said:

What fogginess around the highlights? If you're referring to the light coming thru the trees behind the girl, that's due to the depth of field. You focused on the girl so the trees are somewhat out of focus.

Overall, they are pretty good pictures (and I'm not a big fan of scanned color negatives).

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Thanks for these comments! I feel like I'm seeing a ghosting or something above both the steps in the first image and the dress in the second. On the dress, for instance, it seems to extend to about halfway up the bouquet on the girl's left and curve out on to the edge of the dress. Same with the top step in the other picture.

I'm seeing it. Certainly not focus and I suspect it is just the older uncoated lens.
If it's not too hard to get apart you might try using Acetone to clean the glass. Acetone
and cemented groups DO NOT MIX and with an older lens it may have balsam cement that's very soluble.

The correct solution is to learn a bit of "artspeak" and say the effect is intentional

Open the lens up and shine a light through it. A cell phone light works well for this. You will see all then lol. My guess is there is some haze still in it.

This post reminds me that I really should take more photos when I'm playing around with restoring old camera gear. I've frequently been 'impressed' with how much crud people have managed to pack into lenses.

Sadly I had completely forgot to take even a single photo of the worst offender. An old leaf shutter a friend found in a cupboard. Based on the lack of rust, the only way I can think of that someone could have gotten the volume of dried 'dirt' into it has to have been they packed it in some kind of cheap grease that dried out...

I like the idea of calling any unexpected result art, John -- I must be some artist!

I'll see about more haze. I did think about taking a picture of all the dirty cotton swabs stacked up together when I was done cleaning, Luckless and StepheKoontz.

Overall, I was definitely impressed by the quality of the shot at took with the lens stopped down to f/22 (3 seconds exposure). If you are interested it is here:

https://flic.kr/p/2haKaVm

Now, my next old camera is on the way to me from England. On advice of a Flickr contact who gets great results, I bought a Bencini Koroll 24 S. It's supposed to be clean and in working order...