My Super Ikonta iii need a cla

Bwbuff · Apr 12, 2023

After 25 some years inside the drawer, took it out this past weekend and loaded a roll of HP5 in it, just get the print back , there are some pictures that either not in focus ( double images) or double exposed (which can't be, because one must advance the film before next shot) . The problem is the focus wheel is very stiff, it hurt my fingers trying to turn the wheel. I remembered trying to focus and not sure about if I nail the focus or not.
Now my question is where can I send the camera for an overhaul in Canada ? please advise and thanks.

GregY · Apr 13, 2023

Bwbuff said:
After 25 some years inside the drawer, took it out this past weekend and loaded a roll of HP5 in it, just get the print back , there are some pictures that either not in focus ( double images) or double exposed (which can't be, because one must advance the film before next shot) . The problem is the focus wheel is very stiff, it hurt my fingers trying to turn the wheel. I remembered trying to focus and not sure about if I nail the focus or not.
Now my question is where can I send the camera for an overhaul in Canada ? please advise and thanks.

lensmedicyyc.com

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Bwbuff · Apr 13, 2023

GregY said:
lensmedicyyc.com

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Thanks for the info. I was in their site , doesn't have much info. about repairing, do you have any experience with them about the services ?

GregY · Apr 13, 2023

Bwbuff said:
Thanks for the info. I was in their site , doesn't have much info. about repairing, do you have any experience with them about the services ?

Yes, Gary has done a full CLA on a Voigtlander Perkeo for me as well as a difficult repair on a Leica CL. It's worth a scroll through his Instagram page.... lots of repaired cameras shown

Bwbuff · Apr 13, 2023

GregY said:
Yes, Gary has done a full CLA on a Voigtlander Perkeo for me as well as a difficult repair on a Leica CL. It's worth a scroll through his Instagram page.... lots of repaired cameras shown

That will do it. Thanks a lot.

reddesert · Apr 13, 2023

Bwbuff said:
After 25 some years inside the drawer, took it out this past weekend and loaded a roll of HP5 in it, just get the print back , there are some pictures that either not in focus ( double images) or double exposed (which can't be, because one must advance the film before next shot) . The problem is the focus wheel is very stiff, it hurt my fingers trying to turn the wheel. I remembered trying to focus and not sure about if I nail the focus or not.
Now my question is where can I send the camera for an overhaul in Canada ? please advise and thanks.

Some speculation from me: focusing errors normally create blur, not double images, nor double exposures. Maybe you have a pinhole in the bellows or other light leak, and if the camera sits for some time in the same place it creates a secondary image or exposure?

henryvk · Apr 14, 2023

Bwbuff said:
After 25 some years inside the drawer, took it out this past weekend and loaded a roll of HP5 in it, just get the print back , there are some pictures that either not in focus ( double images) or double exposed (which can't be, because one must advance the film before next shot) . The problem is the focus wheel is very stiff, it hurt my fingers trying to turn the wheel. I remembered trying to focus and not sure about if I nail the focus or not.
Now my question is where can I send the camera for an overhaul in Canada ? please advise and thanks.

Removing the front lens for cleaning an relubrication is very easy, you could probably do it yourself if you have a set of jeweller screwdrivers: https://www.flickr.com/photos/29504544@N08/albums/72157613202905483

I've had one or two double exposures on my Super Ikonta III. My guess is that the double exposure prevention fails every once in a while to the effect that the film advance stays blocked even though the frame has already been exposed. Best to stay vigilant and, when in doubt, simply release the shutter with a lens cap on (or blocking the lens with your hand) and advance the film rather than risking double exposure.

Bwbuff · Apr 14, 2023

Here are the pictures, the first one I suspect is double exposed and the second one has double images.

Please advise.Many thanks.

BrianShaw · Apr 14, 2023

Nonetheless… very artistic!

henryvk · Apr 14, 2023

Hmm... I would have said we're looking at double exposures in both of those frames. But now that I've looked at them for a while it seems odd how you have the same subject in the frame shifted vertically.

If it were a double exposure you'd have to have moved or tilted the camera up or down some and exposed the frame again... accidentally? Seems unlikely somehow since you have to cock the shutter separately. Or maybe you fired the shutter when you re-cocked it?

What short of a cracked lens element would even cause double images to appear? Maybe someone else can weigh in.

Bwbuff · Apr 14, 2023

Funny is these are the only 2 frames that shows abnormally , the rest of the roll were all in focus. These 2 pictures were frame #8 and #12. I remembered, during focusing not sure which frame, I heard a click and also the focusing wheel is not turning regardless how hard I tried to turn it.

Bwbuff · Apr 14, 2023

The sound of the click is from extending the lens to the full length, when opening the front cover.

Bwbuff · Apr 14, 2023

henryvk said:
Removing the front lens for cleaning an relubrication is very easy, you could probably do it yourself if you have a set of jeweller screwdrivers: https://www.flickr.com/photos/29504544@N08/albums/72157613202905483

I've had one or two double exposures on my Super Ikonta III. My guess is that the double exposure prevention fails every once in a while to the effect that the film advance stays blocked even though the frame has already been exposed. Best to stay vigilant and, when in doubt, simply release the shutter with a lens cap on (or blocking the lens with your hand) and advance the film rather than risking double exposure.

Thank you for the link, if it is straight forward , I definitely give it a try, my concern is will I mess up the calibration of the rangefinder ? I googled earlier for some info. and someone cautious about DIY and chances of messing up more. That's my worry.

henryvk · Apr 16, 2023

Bwbuff said:
Thank you for the link, if it is straight forward , I definitely give it a try, my concern is will I mess up the calibration of the rangefinder ? I googled earlier for some info. and someone cautious about DIY and chances of messing up more. That's my worry.

Yeah, that’s something to consider, however, it’s best that you collimate and adjust the rangefinder after this anyway. Do you have an (D)SLR that you can use?

This thread, among others, details how to use an SLR to check infinity focus on another camera, if you’re unfamiliar.

Adjusting the RF is not hard. There’s a set screw near the joint in the RF arm. Adjust so that the double images coincide for an object a few hundred meters away (as far away as you can get), then check at 1.5 meters or so.

Bwbuff · Apr 16, 2023

henryvk said:
Yeah, that’s something to consider, however, it’s best that you collimate and adjust the rangefinder after this anyway. Do you have an (D)SLR that you can use?

This thread, among others, details how to use an SLR to check infinity focus on another camera, if you’re unfamiliar.

Adjusting the RF is not hard. There’s a set screw near the joint in the RF arm. Adjust so that the double images coincide for an object a few hundred meters away (as far away as you can get), then check at 1.5 meters or so.

Thank you for your reply, I did some basic cleaning by removing the 3 screws and unscrewed the front element, that is as far as I dare to touch, the front ribbed wheel seems to be loosen up a bit, I had reload a fresh roll in , we will see what happens next. Thank you.

One minor thing to be cautious, I lose 1 tiny screws and dropped it on the floor and never to be found again ! luckily I have some other folder cameras which I can use the screw from there.

henryvk · Apr 17, 2023

Moving the focus wheel shouldn't require only little effort after you cleaned out the threads. With my camera, the old grease was fairly tough and it took some time to remove completely.

Another thing to check would be whether the focus wheel moves freely with the front element removed. If not, there's maybe something going on in between the focusing wheel and the shutter assembly? More likely that the front element still isn't moving well though imh.

Those screws sure are tiny. I spent some time on my knees swearing at a rug while looking for one.

I'd advise you to collimate the lens though. It's the basis for getting good focus.

BrianShaw · Apr 17, 2023

You need a big magnet in your toolkit. Search a very wide swath… rogue screws and springs can travel amazing distances before they stop.

henryvk · Apr 17, 2023

That... never ocurred to me.

In my experience falling screws tend to briefly phase out of our dimension into another one and then reappear after a few minutes. A magnet will definitely help once they have done that.

My Super Ikonta iii need a cla

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