Old Voigtlaender Dynar lens with broken Wollensak Shutter-What shutter should I use?

Hi there,

I bought a Kodak no.33 5x7 camera off ebay recently. It's pretty beat, and I actually had it back on ebay for a few days. But I realized that it's got a couple of awesome things about it, namely it's super compact and weighs next to nothing. And I'm mostly interested in doing portraits and not worried about a ton of movements right now. And also functioning on a micro budget, and I got it cheap. Long story short...I decided to rebuild it rather than trying something else.

Here's some pictures of the camera:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulmcevoy/sets/72157623159051495/

Anyway, the lens that came with it is a Dynar 6 1/2" Voigtlaender no 65524 in a Wollensak shutter. The lens is is reasonable condition and I'd like to use it, at least to get started. But the shutter is not functioning. It does fire, but all speeds are really fast. I think they are all firing at 1/100 of a second.

Here's a picture of the lens:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulmcevoy/4304869922/in/set-72157623159051495/

There looks to be something missing on the front of the shutter (where the screw holes are. So I'm not sure if that's what's causing the shutter to not fire correctly. I'm assuming finding that part would not be worth it. Also odd about the shutter is that there are no F-stop markings. Am I missing something with that?

I'm wondering if I could use this lens with a different shutter? It looks to be about a 35mm equivalent focal length for a 35mm camera, and that's my favorite lens for 35mm. But I'm not sure if this is a lens worth fixing? If it is a decent lens, what kind of shutter would I be putting it in? Are they generally the same thread?

If it's not worth fixing, is there some sort of cheapish lens I could be looking for on ebay for this camera? I'm not that concerned about being able to do a ton of movements, but want something that's good for doing portraits. I'm thinking between 35mm and 50mm for a 35mm equivalent.

Thanks!!!
Paul

Hi Paul. The shutter is missing the top half of the right air cylinder (as we're looking at it), which controls the timing. You're right in thinking it's probably not worth fixing. Another Wolly shutter like it might be easy to find, there are millions of them out there, and they are surprisingly serviceable - not accurate, but with repeatable timing of shots. The default speed on mine, when they are broken, is about 1/25 of a second though, not 1/100. Put some paper in the film holders and try shooting at what is now your "default" speed. You may just be able to get by with it until you can find another.

I don't know of any modern shutter that will take the lenses that are threaded into those old Wollensak's, though they may be around. It may be easier to pick up another lens for 5x7, depending on your need. You speak of portraits and of the equivalent lens to a 35 to 50 on a 35mm camera, but most people I know use a longer FL lens for portraits to avoid distortion inherent in the wide-angle, up-close shooting needed to get a head and shoulders shot that way. To each his own. An Ektar 203 f7.7 is a nice lens for the 5x7, if you don't need too much movement, and they come up pretty often and relatively cheap on the 'bay. A more "portrait oriented" choice might be something in the 10 to 12" range. I've gone the way of Packard shutters and barrel lenses to expand the "cheapskates lens kit" myself. You can pick up all sorts of interesting glass for next to nothing- as long as you don't need it in a shutter.

Whitey's right, shutter is toast.

Lens cap. If you love the lens,
SK Grimes can put it into new shutter.
A Packard shutter is a good solution, too.

Don't give up hope yet! Send an email to Carol at http://www.flutotscamerarepair.com/ and see if she has the parts or can fix it. Her prices are much lower than through repair shops since she and her husband work out of their house.

Steve

There is a little piece of bent metal just below the broken cylinder. That is your aperture adjustment. It appears the f/stop scale is missing or worn to the point of invisibility.

Peter Gomena

df cardwell said:

Whitey's right, shutter is toast.

Lens cap. If you love the lens,
SK Grimes can put it into new shutter.
A Packard shutter is a good solution, too.

Click to expand...

Thanks all! That clears somethings up. I knew that it was the f-stop gauge but yeah, not sure where the stop listing went.

I'd take more suggestions about useable and cheap 5x7 lenses. When I said "portrait lens" I guess I mean, "do everything lens" which is what I use the 35mm lens on my 35mm camera. Newbie question: Is there more barrel distortion in a LF lens then there would be in an equivalent 35mm lens?

If such a thing is available, I'm looking for a wide-normal size lens for the 5x7 and something that is pretty darn cheap if possible. But could maybe make it to $150 if something was really primo.

Thanks!
Paul

Ok so after further research I'm on the lookout for 150mm lenses that will cover 5x7. Hopefully with a teensy bit of movements. That will also fit in a folding camera, folded up. Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Paul

Oh and one other question. I was thinking about making a 4x5 reducing back for the camera. If you were doing this, would it be a good idea to start with an old graflex back, and then mount that onto a frame that fits the back of the camera? Seems like it would work but I'm not sure.

Thanks
Paul

Sully75 said:

Ok so after further research I'm on the lookout for 150mm lenses that will cover 5x7. Hopefully with a teensy bit of movements. That will also fit in a folding camera, folded up. Any thoughts?

Oh and one other question. I was thinking about making a 4x5 reducing back for the camera. If you were doing this, would it be a good idea to start with an old graflex back, and then mount that onto a frame that fits the back of the camera? Seems like it would work but I'm not sure.

Thanks
Paul

Click to expand...

By folding camera do you mean a speed or crown graphic or the Kodak you have? Most 150 lenses are not going to be that bulky, so you should have lots of choices. I should also say that many 150mm lenses will not cover 5x7 - be careful. You might want to check on-line listings, like this one.

I made a 4x5 reduction holder just the way you suggest for an old Ansco 5x7, and it works fine. The spring back I took off my Anniversary Speed to put a Graflok back on that camera was just sitting around, so... A little fiddling makes working with these old wooden cameras a lot more fun, cheap, and often surprisingly effective. Just experiment!

210mm is normal for a 5x7, so a 35mm equivalent might be closer to a 180mm lens. There are several reasonably priced alternatives that will cover 5x7. You will have to do a bit of research. A typical, older, cheaper 150mm probably will not cover.

Peter Gomena

The Dynar/Heliar lens doesn't cover as much as a modern 6/7 lens plasmat lens (i.e. Symmar etc. lens). It's more like a Tessar/Xenar lens which covers about 60 deg while the plasmat construction covers about 70-75 deg. In real life at working apertures, i.e. at f/22 or so, the Dynar will cover 4x5" with some room for movements, while the plasmat will cover 5x7" with minimal movements.
But you have to try this out for your self. (I still have a bit of testing to do with a 210 Heliar f/3.5 which is a Dynar construction. I recon it will cover 5x7" with decent sharpness in the corners, but nothing much more unless I stop down to f/22, where the "magic" of the Dynar/Heliar is all gone anyhow.)
For what it's worth, I recon that any early Heliar (especially those of a Dynar construction) or even as early as being named "Dynar" will fetch quite a high price on whichever market where any "soft but sharp" buffs congregate. I.e. if you don't find what you're looking for with this lens, try to find good selling points, as these lenses are quite rare on the market.

//Björn