Kodak Reflex II: how to put lenses back

[blee1996]

Hi

I have opened up a Kodak Reflex II TLR to fix the shutter (successfully), but now I have problem with putting the lenses back together.

The viewing and taking lenses are identical, and there is geared rings to couple the focus. So the two gears turn in opposite directions. This is quite common arrangement, like in Ricohflex. I looked at the exploded view from Rick Oleson's very helpful site.

After removing the 4 set screws, I cannot seem to separate the aluminum geared ring from the front lens cell. It wiggles a bit, but does not come off. I tried to use friction pads and rubber cups to unscrew it, still nothing will move. This happens to both the viewing and taking lens. I'm totally stumped, since this is supposedly an easy step!

Do you have any idea how to separate the geared focus ring from the lens?

If it is not possible, then how do you put the two lenses back together and collimate them?

Attached two photos: one showing the camera, the other showing the focus ring + front cell + 4 set screws.

 

[Hal Beesley]

Hi

I have opened up a Kodak Reflex II TLR to fix the shutter (successfully), but now I have problem with putting the lenses back together.

The viewing and taking lenses are identical, and there is geared rings to couple the focus. So the two gears turn in opposite directions. This is quite common arrangement, like in Ricohflex. I looked at the exploded view from Rick Oleson's very helpful site.

After removing the 4 set screws, I cannot seem to separate the aluminum geared ring from the front lens cell. It wiggles a bit, but does not come off. I tried to use friction pads and rubber cups to unscrew it, still nothing will move. This happens to both the viewing and taking lens. I'm totally stumped, since this is supposedly an easy step!

Do you have any idea how to separate the geared focus ring from the lens?

If it is not possible, then how do you put the two lenses back together and collimate them?

Attached two photos: one showing the camera, the other showing the focus ring + front cell + 4 set screws.

This YouTube video might be helpful:

 

[Donald Qualls]

I've done this, but it's been so long (more than 20 years) that I don't recall how I did it.

 

[Donald Qualls]

What I fuzzily remember from doing this in 2003 is that I had to take the gear ring off the taking lens, carefully (with a loupe, on a distant object -- like a mile or further) set the focus on both, and if the distance scale on the viewing lens isn't at infinity, take it off and try a different thread start (IIRC, there are four). Once both lenses are set to correct infinity and the distance scale is right, you can slip the gear onto the taking lens, mesh the teeth, and tighten its tiny setscrews (like the ones you have out from the viewing lens). The two threads are opposite (one right hand, one left hand) so the lenses move the same direction when rotating opposite.

 

[blee1996]

Thank you all. And I figured it out as well. The aluminum gear ring can be screwed off the front lens element after some fumbling around: I was twisting the wrong direction, and some threads are not so smooth due to damage by the set screws. So in the end, both lenses had their gear coupling ring off.

I did something similar to @Donald Qualls to collimate both the viewfinder and film plane, achieving correct infinity on each independently. Only the lens front element in, no aluminum gear ring yet.

Then I need to screw on the aluminum gear ring, which is a little bit convoluted since they spin in opposite direction. I don't know if I can explain in words:

1) Start the taking lens aluminum ring low, by screwing the ring almost all in (while keeping the lens in infinity position). Then start screwing in the aluminum ring for the viewing lens (while keeping the lens in infinity posiiton), until the two gear rings start to meet each other.
2) When they first mesh together, the two aluminum gear rings will be on different height. But after turning 1-2 full turns (even over the stop tooth), they will be level to each other.
3) Since the set screws are not yet in, you can still fine-tune the infinity focus on both the viewing and taking lens.
4) Once all correct, tighten 4 set screws on each lens. Even the set screws are of different length: longer for the viewing lens and shorter for taking lens.

I cannot understand why Kodak decide to add threading to the aluminum gear coupling rings. If they just slip on and secure with set screws (like almost everyone else in the industry), life will be so much easier for the person who needs to service the camera.

Quite a bit of work, but now I have a fully functional Kodak Reflex II in quite nice condition.

 

[Hunter_Compton]

When I overhauled my Reflex I, I didn't bother to remove the focusing rings from the lens elements, I just marked a dot on each with a sharpie at the point where they meshed at infinity and removed them, then replaced them so that the dots lined up after a few tries. The sharpie is easily removed with alcohol.

 

[Donald Qualls]

I cannot understand why Kodak decide to add threading to the aluminum gear coupling rings.

This was to make them less prone to loss while preserving the ability to remove them for servicing and to adjust the infinity setting and match the focus for the two lenses. A slip-on ring would have been less secure and not much if any easier to service.

Take a look at a Ricohflex, Argoflex E, Voigtlander Brilliant, or Lubitel 166B, they have very similar setups, but I'm not sure how they handled the gear tooth rings.