Help with my new Flexaret -please !!

digiconvert · Jan 3, 2006

My Flexaret arrived just after Christmas and as I am off work I put a film through straight away. BUT when I have developed it the results are dire. Every shot is 'out of focus' and then some (example attached) . Since I have taken the same picture with a Lubitel (see (there was a url link here which no longer exists)) I am confident of my ability with a WLF so am pretty disheartened by this.
The camera came via cupog who has a good reputation and I wonder if there is a possible silly cause (film misaligned on the spools for example- I admit I found it a bit strange loading this for the first time ) before I contact him or try another film.
Comments greatly appreciated .

Dan Fromm · Jan 3, 2006

This sounds unpleasantly familiar. Is the distance indicated by the focusing scale consistent with the focused distance measured with a tape measure?

digiconvert · Jan 3, 2006

distances

I am working in imperial measures, I will try ro get a metric equivalent in.
At 4 feet (1.2m?) I am about 4 to 6 inces (10-15 cm) out (approx 10%) and at 7' (2.2m) I am abot 6" - 8"out (15cm-20 cm) (8-10%) when comparing scale to measured distance (. The lever also goes past the 'stop' on the low end.
However given that that the DOF at f8 (this was taken at f8) is approx 6' to 8' at 7' (1.8 to 2.5m at 2m) and that some of the photos at f11 are also out of focus is this likely to be significant ?

Thanks for the help

Dan Fromm · Jan 3, 2006

How is it at infinity? I ask all these tedious questions because the one Flexaret I've owned had focusing scale and ground glass that disagreed quite a lot. I suspected that the ground glass was out of position, never could find a way to get at it.

Another possibility is that at least one of the taking and viewing lenses is out of collimation. Mike Elek, has posted a simple collimation test. See http://elekm.net/zeiss/repair/collimate/ , check your taking lens.

Gerald Koch · Jan 3, 2006

I purchased a Mamiya C2 which seemed to be having focusing problems. There was no agreement between the ground glass and the focusing scale. Turned out the mirrior in the focusing section had come loose.

digiconvert · Jan 3, 2006

Dan Fromm said:
How is it at infinity...... I ask all these tedious questions...

A landscape I took was the same, all out of focus.

No problem , rather have too many tedious questions than be ignorant - I am a teacher after all

Thanks for the input. I suspect it's the viewing glass to be honest, the lenses are on a helical (?) not geared like Lubi so I suspect when one's out they are both out.

The e-bayer is saying to send it back, pain in the a$$ for a $50 camera !

Cheers CJB

Mark Fisher · Jan 4, 2006

I had the same problem with a cupog Flex' I set it away and forgot about it. I recently looked at the ground glass and it was installed upside down (cupog had it CLAed). It is easy to access by unscrewing the name plate on the front and it slides out. It is a little trickier to get back in. A dental pick helps to depress the back spring. BTW - I have had two bad CLAed cameras from cupog and have not bought from him since.

Help with my new Flexaret -please !!

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