Kodak Pony II

[zackesch]

I received a Pony II earlier today that needed a little TLC. The shutter was sticking a bit and there was a small amount of lens fungus that I cleaned off. Is there a way or a rule of thumb when re attaching the focusing element to the proper distance?

I am very excited to put this camera back into action.

 

[Yashinoff]

I'm not sure about the Pony specifically, but usually a front element focussing lens only has a single thread helical so it should only be able to be screwed on in one way. If not, then the focus ring probably has set screws, screw the lens in, loosen the screws, focus the lens on an object, get a tape measure and match the distance on the tape with the distance on the focus ring, and re-tighten set screws.

 

[zackesch]

Yashinoff, my front element is threaded, and attaching the lens isn’t the problem. I read a post on another forum where an owner of a Pony IV Pretty much was doing what I was doing, but the BIG difference between the two is the Pony IV has a selectable shutter speed including Bulb and the Pony II has a fixed shutter speed. You set the exposure by the EV value.

What the creator of the post I am referring to “Cannot find the link again” did was attach some plastic from a blister pack on the film plane, look at a light source at a distance, set the estimated distance on the focus ring and adjust the lens till the plastic is sharp. Unfortunately, now that my shutter doesn’t stick anymore, I cannot keep the aperture open to use this technique. I know I could burn a roll of film to see if the focus is accurate or not, but I’m looking to see of there is an alternative way.

ADDED:
This is one of the links I found helpful, but sadly, its not the forum on how to set the focus.
http://pheugo.com/cameras/index.php?page=pony

Id also like to note that about ¼ of the page down, the last sentence on how to reattach the front element, it states “Screw the lens in clockwise until you hit the infinity stop. Loosen the screws, turn the focusing ring counter-clockwise, and then retighten the screws. Screw the lens in as far as it will go, then back it out one-half turn. This is the starting position for setting the focus.” The repair guide is for the 135 and 828. I am not sure if the same starting point applies to the Pony II.

 

[Yashinoff]

A trick with some self energizing shutters is to push the button down half way and then slowly release it and this will cause the shutter to open. I don't know if this is something that is possible with the pony's shutter, but it might work. You have to listen very carefully for a faint click that occurs just before you've pushed the button far enough to trip the shutter, then slowly release the button.

 

[zackesch]

Thanks! I'll give that a shot when tonight.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

No help now. But for anyone contemplating disassembling a lens, MAKE DETAILED NOTES AND DIAGRAMS. Use a marker to show the position of any element relative to another. If you don't do this and the lens has more than one set of helical threads it can be very tedious to reassemble such a lens correctly. Diagram where each individual screw goes -- they may not all be the same length or size. Work on a table with a cloth on it to prevent things from rolling onto the floor. Watch for loose ballbearings and springs. Etc, etc, etc.

 

[zackesch]

I set the lens at the recommended starting point according to the link and loaded a roll of Kodak MAX 200 last night. Does anyone have any tips on using the EV system? Im pretty sure the original EV card for kodachrome will not be accurate, so will using an EV application result in more accurate measurements? From the minimal information available about what speed the fixed shutter is, ive heard 1/60 or 1/125, but i'm not sure which one i should go for.

 

[trojancast]

No help with your question, but congratulations on acquiring a beautiful and rare camera.

 

[zackesch]

The camera was my grandfathers, so lets hope for the best results possible!