I recently obtained an old Rolleiflex 2.8F from a friend who had it lying around for years. I’ve managed to clean up the shutter and it seems to be working nicely. The only problem: diaphragm blades are missing! I would love to restore the camera to its former glory but can’t find replacement blades anywhere.
Does anyone know where I could get some?
Any help would be much appreciated!
Diaphragm blades missing?? Was the shutter installed into the camera, or separate? How far inside the shutter have you gone? Photo of the back of the shutter?
Hi Dan,
Thanks for your reply. I’ve gone all the way into the shutter - the blades should be between these last two plates (which I removed and cleaned). I lubricated and reassembled the shutter and it works nicely so would love to find some blades.
I have been wondering whether blades from similar size #0 shutters might fit eg Copal or Compur-Rapid…?
I think that most Compurs and Rapids have ten blades. You'll probably need blades specific to the Synchro. Look around at lenses for small view cameras, etc. Many of them used #0 shutters. Also write to people like Magicflex in Germany, Flutots in the US, etc. Eventually you'll find a set.
Quite strange thing to do! Was the camera reassembled after someone pulled the blades?
Ahh ok yeah I guess I'm looking for 5 blades based on the plate. Thanks for the advice - I wrote to Magicflex (as i live in Germany) - they found it very strange too! The camera was fully assembled when I got it.
The attached diagram shows what it should look like, though part 116 ("sector cover") has different shaped holes which suggests the blades might be different shape too...
Anyway thanks again!
The holes in 116 are clearance for studs on the shutter blades. Most likely doesn't mean a thing for the aperture blades.
Why would someone take apart an F, remove aperture blades, and reassemble?? Those are not simple cameras and the meter coupling takes work to reassemble. I've seen blades pulled for antique portrait lenses and such, but all you need to do with a Rolleiflex is open the aperture and you have the same result plus you haven't trashed a nice camera. Ah well.... the human mind is a wild and varied thing.
Anyway, I'm not sure about this, and somebody can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think your shutter is identical to that in the Retina IIIc/IIc/Ib, and in some other cameras made around that time. If you can find a suitable junker Retina, the blades are probably identical.
If you can't find a repair shop that knows that a set of blades will work for you, you can look into something like this, an older view camera lens with bad glass? I am not certain for this particuar 90mm Angulon in the Ebay listing, but very few lenses mounted for view cameras use #00 shutters. Don't buy a P or Press Synchro Compur or any with 1/5 and 1/10 speeds- that's the first shutter design and many differences.
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You'll need to be careful- here's one of the Ps that you can see has 1/10 and ten blades in the shot of the rear-
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Hi Dan,
Thanks for your reply. I’ve gone all the way into the shutter - the blades should be between these last two plates (which I removed and cleaned). I lubricated and reassembled the shutter and it works nicely so would love to find some blades.
I have been wondering whether blades from similar size #0 shutters might fit eg Copal or Compur-Rapid…?
There were four different style diaphragm blades just for the Synchro-Compur #0 shutters. You need the blades for the 1210 shutter to fit your Rolleiflex 2.8F. If you can't find what you need, contact me as I have most Compur parts as NOS, including the different versions of the diaphragm blades.
There were four different style diaphragm blades just for the Synchro-Compur #0 shutters. You need the blades for the 1210 shutter to fit your Rolleiflex 2.8F. If you can't find what you need, contact me as I have most Compur parts as NOS, including the different versions of the diaphragm