Pentacon Six repairs

nsurit · Oct 26, 2014

Any suggestions on repair facilities in the US for Pentacon Six/Praktisix bodies and lenses?

snapguy · Oct 26, 2014

If

If you do find a satisfactory answer to this one I might be tempted to buy one. I had a Praktisix in the 1960 and absolutely loved it. It was like an oversized 35mm but gave you that huge neg that still knocks peoples' eyes out. I had an 80mm normal lens and the 180 f2.8 Olympic Sonnar which I miss like crazy.

Dr Croubie · Oct 26, 2014

snapguy said:
and the 180 f2.8 Olympic Sonnar which I miss like crazy.

You'll miss it even more if you look at the price to buy one again, the Olympics can go for more than the MC Sonnars, which are about the most expensive in the kit (but then, compare that kit to a Hassy/Bronica and it's still the cheapest all round).

nsurit, have you checked out the list here?

nsurit · Oct 27, 2014

Yes, I have and was hoping to find some feedback from an Apuger or two. Some of the data is a little dated, however did get a response back from on of those listed on a lens repair.

flavio81 · Oct 27, 2014

nsurit said:
Any suggestions on repair facilities in the US for Pentacon Six/Praktisix bodies and lenses?

Internally, it is a simple camera, so any technician versed on 1960s cameras would do.

What the technician will have to get is the camera curtain cloth. These go bad in almost all Pentacon Sixes. Even if it looks OK it will probably have some pinholes in it.

nrparsons · Nov 1, 2014

I had mine repaired and CLA'd last winter at Mechanical Camera Repair. My local tech, who does fine work with Nikon, Hasselblad, Leica, and others, politely declined the opportunity to work on the P6, so I sent it to Stanislav. He did an excellent job. All shutter speeds work as set, the advance is smooth, and frame spacing is right on.

MartinP · Nov 1, 2014

Even looking to Europe, it could end up cheaper just buying a refurbished body from Cupog on the *bay (they also do repairs, but with the repair cost and two-way postage to Slovenia might be too much), or possibly Dieter Baher (in Germany) could fix something or supply parts. Good luck!

AgX · Nov 1, 2014

You mean Dieter Baier.

Mark Crabtree · Nov 2, 2014

As mentioned, it is not a complicated camera, but I would want someone very familiar with them. I gave up on all I had since I never got them working to my satisfaction. I did like them and would have been tempted by one put in really good order. One thing to have checked is the body alignment. Mine both mis-focused and and had some mis-alignment of the lens mount. The focus error would be at the mirror or prism, but the body also has two or three (3 makes more sense) screws that adjust the alignment of the part of the body the lens flange is on, relative to the film plane. Added to poor film flatness, it just had more variables than I could sort out. The Zeiss lenses are really a delight though.

David A. Goldfarb · Nov 2, 2014

This was my first medium format camera, back in the late 1980s, and mine developed the film transport issues that seem endemic in these cameras. The film advance required a delicate touch, or you were liable to get overlapping frames. Maybe there's a machinist out there who can put in some more robust gearing, if that's possible.

The lenses were great, though. I particularly recall a nice 50mm Flektagon.

AgX · Nov 2, 2014

David A. Goldfarb said:
Maybe there's a machinist out there who can put in some more robust gearing, if that's possible.

Dieter Baier, mentioned above, does offer a modification that gives control over the film transport. As other modifications.

David A. Goldfarb · Nov 2, 2014

AgX said:
Dieter Baier, mentioned above, does offer a modification that gives control over the film transport. As other modifications.

I've long sold my Pentacon, but good to know for current users.

baachitraka · Nov 2, 2014

I tempted to get Pentacon Six for wide-angle shooting...

Dr Croubie · Nov 2, 2014

baachitraka said:
I tempted to get Pentacon Six for wide-angle shooting...

Well, the 50mm MC Flektogon is amazing, but is that wide enough?
35mm on 645 or 45mm on 67, or the Zeiss 38mm SWC or 40mm for Hassy are wider.

baachitraka · Nov 2, 2014

In small format 35mm and 28mm are wide enough for my taste. So I may go 55mm-65mm range.

Pentacon Six repairs

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