Tessina L instructions

xya

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recently I have bought a tessina L with a working light meter which is quite rare. the meter can be coupled to the aperture setting wheel. I do have the instructions for a tessina automatic, but there's no meter in it. it seems as if one sets the meter to the desired iso setting and then it's coupled to the wheel at f2.8 or so, but I'm not sure about it. if you happen to have the tessina L instructions, please let me know.

if you happen to have cartridges or a daylight loader, I would be interested as well. thanks.
 
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xya

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by further investigation I found an ad for the meter which explains the procedures to follow. so I nearly got it right. you have to set the iso on the meter according to your film and then set the camera to f4. push the meter into it's place and against the camera setting wheel. the meter will then couple to the camera setting wheel and move the speed scale on the meter. look at the needle and set the approriate speed. the ad is here: http://www.submin.com/35mm/manuals/tessina/literature/lifesize_22.jpg

so this is solved. nevertheless if you happen to have cartridges or a daylight loader, I would be interested. thanks.
 

Bill Burk

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Ah mechanisms with ruby stones! How many other cameras claim that?
 

millardmt

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millardmt

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As luck would have it, I just became an APUG member in order to respond to a particularly evocative post. So this is my first post!

Anyway, I applaud your good taste, XYA -- the Tessina 35 is my favorite camera, next to the Nikon F2SB, Nikkormat FT2 and the Minox BL.

Send me a PM with your email address and I'll send you a 14-page, 4.7Mb "*.pdf" compendium of assorted [English] articles about the Tessina.

As for the daylight loader and film cartridges, you'll find eBay is rife with them -- as no doubt you know -- but vendors often have a rediculously inflated idea as to their worth. Be patient, is my advice.

Marc

(PS:. Both my meters work too -- it's all a question whether the selenium's been long exposed to light. MMT)
 

AgX

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Bill Burk said:
Ah mechanisms with ruby stones! How many other cameras claim that?
Click to expand...

In general meters with a ruby bearing seem to have been common, but I never looked at this matter with my exposure meters.
 

Lourie Zipf

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Hello,

I recently bought a Tessina L camera. It's in excellent condition, but it hasn't been handled for a long time. I'm trying to open the back, but can't get it to budge. I don't want to force it, but thought someone out there would have an idea of how I could get it open. I've tried moving the bar to the O, which it says in the instructions, but it won't move at all. The lens cover is closed. I bought it from a camera store in Chicago and they said that they tested it and everything was working fine. I may try and give them a call. Thanks in advance. Not sure if anyone will see this post since it's been so long since anyone was on this thread, but thought I would give it a shot.
 

Sirius Glass

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Lourie Zipf

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Thank you for the link. Yes, got pretty lucky with this collection. Light meter works well, as well as the camera. Just wish I could open the back. I think with time, it maybe just needs a little more coaxing. I may call the camera store
tomorrow. I wish there was more info about Tessina cameras out there. I even have daylight loader and loaded a cassette today, but not sure if I did it correctly. I had a Tessina about 20 years ago, which I later had to sell when the recession hit. Back then, there was a Submini Club where you could submit pictures and exchange info. It's since been shut down. Wish there was more stuff like that now on the Internet. They're such fun, little cameras and besides, film is making a comeback.
 

millardmt

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Are you sure you are pushing the sliding "backlock catch" all the way up towards the "[O]pen" mark? I own five Tessinas now and ALL of them require that the side latch be given a very hearty push. The backs are not spring-loaded so they require that the user prise them open (after the latch is at the end of its travel).

Marc
 
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Lourie Zipf

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I did get the back open after all, and even shot some film. It works great. Thanks, Marc. Love these little cameras.
 

millardmt

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millardmt

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Oh, and one more thing regarding your Tessina. There is a man I've known episodically for 25 years named Radu Lesaru, and he is an absolute wizard at fixing Tessinas (and a number of other 'exotic' cameras too). You can visit his website at "3rcamera.com".
After many years spent fixing cameras in New York, he has just moved (literally, last week) to a new location in Naples, Florida.
I cannot recommend him highly enough.
Marc
 

Lourie Zipf

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Thanks for the information, Marc. I just bought another Tessina on ebay that was serviced, cleaned, etc. It's good to know though that there are people out there who can fix them. I wish they would start up the Sub Club site again - great site for exchanging images and info about subminiatures. There was always a lot of Tessina stuff on there. Thanks again.
 

Lourie Zipf

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Marc,
Since you have 5 Tessinas, I thought you might be able to answer another question for me. I've shot 2 strips of film with my Tessina and I'm getting these strange track marks in the last few exposures. The camera seems to be working fine and nothing is different when I shoot the last few images. I've attached a photo of the processed negatives. Anyway, I thought you might have an idea. Also, the film rewinds too, without any hitches. Thanks.
 

millardmt

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Lourie:

These defects don't look like they were made in camera. They look like light leakage or development artifacts. But I can't tell exactly what I'm looking at -- that is, which "marks" are properly part of the subject(s) and which are not.

It does strike me that the "stripes" are remarkable beyond the edges of the 14 x 21mm frame and, indeed, continue up between the perforations. That couldn't happen inside the camera.

But the "tracks" seem to run both latitudinally and longitudinally. That's impossible.

Tell me more about how the film was loaded and exposed, please. It appears you made (several) bursts of exposures. Is that right? How old is the ilford hp5 stock? Did you load the film into the Tessina cartridge using your daylight loader? Was there direct sunlight when you loaded the film? Can you show me a "proper" exposure that is immediately adjacent to one evidencing defects?

There must be a very simple explanation for all this.

Marc
 

Lourie Zipf

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Hi Marc, yes it's strange. I'm getting vertical black lines in the last few images and then, I'm getting horizontal white lines only in some images - not all. I'm shooting Ilford HP5 Plus 400 film, not expired. I'm processing with Cinestill df-96 (monobath stop fix developer) I'm using the daylight Tessina film loader. It seems to be working fine. And then, I'm rolling the film on to steel reels with a changing bag. Definitely picking up some light leaks somewhere, but don't understand the white, horizontal lines only through some images. Perhaps, it's the film cassette I'm using. Thanks for your help. I have such a fascination with Tessina cameras, and it's a lot of fun to be shooting with one again like I did 20 years ago. I'm just glad it's working and I'm getting images, despite these little problems. Thanks again, Lourie
 
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Lourie Zipf

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Yes, but I'm not inverting the tank because I have one 35mm roll in a 120 tank. (I also process 120mm film) I need to get another steel roll, or a 35 mm tank. First roll, I processed in a Patterson tank. I hate those plastic Patterson reels, so I just bought a 35mm steel reel. I didn't think about that, but it could also be an agitation problem.
 

MattKing

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Are you using a steel reel in a Paterson tank? If so, is the central core in place?
Most steel reels won't work in Paterson tanks, and if you are using a Paterson tank, the central core must be in place or it will leak light.
 

Lourie Zipf

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No, I'm not using the steel reel in the Patterson tank.
Yes, it's a mystery. I just ordered another 35mm steel reel and will make sure that the agitation is precise. The Tessina I've been using was just cleaned and all parts were lubed, so I should get a lot of images out of it (?) I hope so. It's such a delicate camera. Will post again when I process another roll with the proper agitation.
 
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