Overhaul of Contax II

E. von Hoegh · Mar 19, 2015

At the beginning of February I received a Contax II with the f:2 Sonnar. I spent a year watching feepay, researching, learning about the shutters etc.
What I found is a 1936 C-II, with two filters, a telescoping lens hood, hard case, some literature - booklet on the Contax system, a couple US price lists, depth of field tables for all the Contax lenses and believe it or not the original bills of sale for the camera and accessories - the only item missing is a roll of film. The camera shows very light use, has the usual buboes, is extremely clean inside, and generally looks like it was used a couple times a year for family snapshots and then sat in the case in a dry and temperate environment for sixty or so years. The original ribbons broke almost immediately.

I'll describe stages of my process of overhauling this camera, and maybe put up some pictures, from time to time.
I started this morning removing the leather. Zeiss used shellac to glue the leather, so denatured alcohol (or Everclear) will soften the glue. Proceed slowly and gently so as not to distort the leather. Clean the verdigris off the leather and press flat to iron out the bumps. Clean the residue off the back, clean the rivets gently with 4-0 steelwool and give them two coats of paint, say Rustoleum or DeRusto. Stick small pieces of aluminum foil over the rivets with a third coat and let dry thoroughly. Reglue the leather using fresh orange shellac. Don't sip on the Everclear while working on the camera.

drkhalsa · Mar 19, 2015

Thanks, E. von Hoegh. I'm looking forward to reading your experience with this camera.

E. von Hoegh · Mar 19, 2015

I'm finding things that go against what info. I've found on the 'net, ( big surprise) I'll be sure to post details. Apparently there were quite a few changes as production went on, the serial of this body is B32179. I've never been this deep in an echte Contax, just a couple Kievs. I'll also add that working on this camera has increased my (already considerable) respect for the Kievs quite a bit.

I'm going to grit my teeth and learn how to use my Coolpix 995, 3.2 blazing megapixels of digital glory. Stay tuned.

IloveTLRs · Mar 19, 2015

Earlier this year I attempted a ribbon replacement on a Contax II, and even bought the repair book, but gave up and sent it off for repair. To me the process was far, far too complicated.

Trask · Mar 19, 2015

I'll be following too, as I have a Contax IIa and a couple of Kievs, and who knows -- when I retire I may find I've too much time on my hands!

E. von Hoegh · Mar 19, 2015

IloveTLRs said:
Earlier this year I attempted a ribbon replacement on a Contax II, and even bought the repair book, but gave up and sent it off for repair. To me the process was far, far too complicated.

That may have more to do with the book than you. Remove the lower roller and curtain from the shutter casting, remove the caps from the end spring rollers, sew the loops on the lower end of the ribbons - a jig helps here - slip the loops onto the rollers, etc. Trying to fish the ribbon through the roller slots is pointless and likely to result in damage. And by the way, after a year of looking I have yet to find a source for ribbons of the correct dimensions, material, and weave. Craft shop stuff is useless, wrong weave wrong material. Arsenal stock is great for a Kiev, useless in a Contax. Some guys are using Aki Asahi ribbon and crimping the buckles because the A A ribbon is half the correct thickness. But, it is the correct material and the correct weave, I just received 4 meters of it to experiment with and I see no reason why I cannot double it - doubled it is exactly .010", precisely the thickness of the original materiel.

mr rusty · Mar 19, 2015

http://www3.telus.net/public/rpnchbck/

might be useful if you don't have this link

and ribbon from here

http://www.okvintagecamera.com/

I have some from oleg tucked away for when I need it for my kiev. As above may not be good for contax.

Gabrioladude · Mar 19, 2015

IloveTLRs said:
Earlier this year I attempted a ribbon replacement on a Contax II, and even bought the repair book, but gave up and sent it off for repair. To me the process was far, far too complicated.

who did you send it off to repair to
I also bought the book and came to the same decision
my Contact II needs new ribbons

and sadly my IIa now decided to have a rangefinder mirror problem

thx , in advance , for the info

E. von Hoegh · Mar 19, 2015

mr rusty said:
http://www3.telus.net/public/rpnchbck/

might be useful if you don't have this link

and ribbon from here

http://www.okvintagecamera.com/

I have some from oleg tucked away for when I need it for my kiev. As above may not be good for contax.

Kiev ribbons are .013" thick, Contaxen need ideally .010" thick - that's a 30% (huge) difference. The Kiev survival site has some good info, and some not so good info. By the time you find out which is which you're already in trouble. As I mentioned, I've been at this for a year - a year a month and three weeks to be precise.
I should point out that I'm approaching this project from the perspective of having worked on things like this - http://timeandnavigation.si.edu/multimedia-asset/marine-chronometer-by-parkinson-frodsham-no-2349
(I'm fortunate to own Parkinson & Frodsham #3066) and this - http://www.antique-watch.com/product-15-w9984.html for about 30 years. A Contax is merely a matter of familiarity and sorting out good information from bad.

E. von Hoegh · Mar 19, 2015

Gabrioladude said:
who did you send it off to repair to
I also bought the book and came to the same decision
my Contact II needs new ribbons

and sadly my IIa now decided to have a rangefinder mirror problem

thx , in advance , for the info

No mirrors in that Rf, but something else might be loose if it happened all of a sudden.

IloveTLRs · Mar 19, 2015

Gabrioladude said:
who did you send it off to repair to
I also bought the book and came to the same decision
my Contact II needs new ribbons

and sadly my IIa now decided to have a rangefinder mirror problem

thx , in advance , for the info

I sent it to Oleg Khalyavin.

E. von Hoegh said:
That may have more to do with the book than you. Remove the lower roller and curtain from the shutter casting, remove the caps from the end spring rollers, sew the loops on the lower end of the ribbons - a jig helps here - slip the loops onto the rollers, etc. Trying to fish the ribbon through the roller slots is pointless and likely to result in damage.

Undoubtedly it was me. I read up about changing ribbons before trying myself, and the procedure seemed not all that complex. However I failed completely so I gave up.

E. von Hoegh · Mar 19, 2015

IloveTLRs said:
I sent it to Oleg Khalyavin.

Undoubtedly it was me. I read up about changing ribbons before trying myself, and the procedure seemed not all that complex. However I failed completely so I gave up.

Maybe give yourself more credit? Most of the online procedures are wrong, badly wrong.

I don't know what book you had, but in the late 1980s I put ribbons in a CII based on info from a 20 minute phone convo. with an old camera tech in Brooklyn. I saw that camera recently and it still runs OK fine.

What book?

Brett Rogers · Mar 19, 2015

I've bookmarked this and will be following it with interest. I don't have a Contax yet, but I would certainly like a II some time later this year. From your description, your example sounds like as good a prospect as one could reasonably hope to procure, so many decades after they were made.
Cheers
Brett

IloveTLRs · Mar 20, 2015

E. von Hoegh said:
Maybe give yourself more credit? Most of the online procedures are wrong, badly wrong.

I don't know what book you had, but in the late 1980s I put ribbons in a CII based on info from a 20 minute phone convo. with an old camera tech in Brooklyn. I saw that camera recently and it still runs OK fine.

I wish I could have done it in 20 minutes. Instead I believe I lost tension in the top drum, which, according to the internet, makes the repair much more time consuming (and complicated.)

Instructions/methods/etc I've found online for the Contax II/KIEV:

- KIEV survival site
- Rick Oleson
- Dead Link Removed
- This Japanese gentleman has nice, detailed photos of his experience. (All in Japanese, but with detailed photos.)

What book?

It's called Zeiss Contax Repair Manual: Models II & III ...

"Well illustrated, showing dismantling stage by stage, with full service instructions. A guide to the workings of this historic camera series. This Contax camera repair manual is not meant to be definitive. It has been written for amateurs by an amateur."

Grytpype · Mar 20, 2015

IloveTLRs said:
It's called Zeiss Contax Repair Manual: Models II & III ...

It is rather a confusing book. As E. von Hoegh said, the really difficult bit is finding suitable ribbon.

E. von Hoegh · Mar 20, 2015

IloveTLRs said:
I wish I could have done it in 20 minutes. Instead I believe I lost tension in the top drum, which, according to the internet, makes the repair much more time consuming (and complicated.)
Instructions/methods/etc I've found online for the Contax II/KIEV:

- KIEV survival site
- Rick Oleson
- Dead Link Removed
- This Japanese gentleman has nice, detailed photos of his experience. (All in Japanese, but with detailed photos.)

It's called Zeiss Contax Repair Manual: Models II & III ...

"Well illustrated, showing dismantling stage by stage, with full service instructions. A guide to the workings of this historic camera series. This Contax camera repair manual is not meant to be definitive. It has been written for amateurs by an amateur."

No no, I got the info from a 20 minute phone call. There is no tension on the top roller in a prewar Contax, perhaps you lost the timing of the gears?

That Japanese link looks interesting, thanks.

E. von Hoegh · Mar 20, 2015

APUGuser19 said:
GL on that up there. As for me, I'm just doing a cleanup on the rf of a Polaroid 100 till the new coil spring comes for my '57 500C. You know restoring these old cameras destroys our eyesight and drives us insane, don't you? (speaking for myself, anyway).
I'm sure you'll get it done.

Not at all. It's as good as meditation, for me.

E. von Hoegh · Mar 20, 2015

So this morning saw the body casting stripped of it's last part, the residue from the leather cleaned off, the screwholes pegged out and blown clean with compressed air, all the screws cleaned, and the advance gear and fork & rewind shaft and fork reinstalled. The screw holding the fork on the advance gear seats on a shoulder, the spring tension is set by shims.
The only issues this camera has is 79 year old lubricant, bad ribbons, and bubonic plague. There was virtually no dust inside and there are no signs of wear anyplace.

E. von Hoegh · Mar 20, 2015

Brett Rogers said:
I've bookmarked this and will be following it with interest. I don't have a Contax yet, but I would certainly like a II some time later this year. From your description, your example sounds like as good a prospect as one could reasonably hope to procure, so many decades after they were made.
Cheers
Brett

I was very patient, but mainly very lucky and this one has the luxury of some provenance. My goal was to find one that had never been worked on, and the ribbons lasted long enough to check the shutter functions pretty thoroughly.

IloveTLRs · Mar 20, 2015

E. von Hoegh said:
... There is no tension on the top roller in a prewar Contax, perhaps you lost the timing of the gears?

That must be it. How is that fixed, or will you be detailing that in a future post?

E. von Hoegh · Mar 20, 2015

IloveTLRs said:
That must be it. How is that fixed, or will you be detailing that in a future post?

I've read conflicting information about how to retime them and decided to ignore it. I've made timing marks on the gears in my shutter and will post how I did it once I've stripped, cleaned, and reassembled it (so I know the marks are correct ).
Before the ribbons broke I also measured the slit widths at the speeds 1/125 > 1/1250, I'll post those too. The timing of the four high speeds depends on tension and slit width only - and they can vary a slight bit from shutter to shutter!
Interestingly, the axis pin of the upper roller - the one that is supposed to be liable to fall out and lose the gear timing if you tilt the shutter assembly the wrong way - is immobile in mine. It appears to be staked.

E. von Hoegh · Mar 23, 2015

OK, the axis pin of the upper roller just needed a little persuading, the curtains are now removed and the shutter partially stripped. Depending on what I see, I might not go any farther and just soak the mechanism, then ultrasonicly clean it. Some of the gears have their axis pins riveted, so they are not disassemblable anyway.

The rangefinder mechanism and optics are reinstalled on the body casting, the leather is pressed flat, etc. I've been photographing the process and will post the photos once I learn how. I'm a digitard and oddly proud of it.

Kevin Caulfield · Mar 25, 2015

Good luck, Tom

E. von Hoegh · Mar 26, 2015

APUGuser19 said:
Von Hoegh, I buttoned up the project and it failed same way. The center bends of the coil spring pulled out straight, and slipped from its notch, just as before. The 1957 piston and cylinder requires an extra turn in winding that spring so the barn doors can snap shut. Bad design. I should have put in a conversion damper instead of trying to go original. Dissapointing. This once, I do not question the quality of my work as the blame. It was good work. The 1957 was a bad design. Good idea, but not dependable. The piston and cylinder really was more vibraton and noise free, but the spring was nt designed to be able to drive it without failing. GL on yours up there. I'm going to play with the Polaroid 100 I did this past weekend. That turned out beautifully. And the Retina IIa I did last month.

Use the correct tools.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-KEN...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

This or one similar, any makeshift will ruin the spring. as you found out.
You have to get with the tao of whatever you're working on, rather than blame the design.

E. von Hoegh · Mar 26, 2015

I've had very little time for this project the past few days.
The shutter is all that's left to do, the rangefinder, self timer and focusing mount are reinstalled on the main casting, leather ready to reinstall once everything else is done, etc..

Overhaul of Contax II

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