unsticking isolette lens

Thanks Whitey! Yeah, I figure I can get at it (and soak it) easier if it's off the camera. I've wiped most of the green goo off from the lens, but no movement so far. I think it needs to soak. The infinity stop is on the ring that came off first, so there isn't anything but goo and age keeping it from moving.

Soaking worked only marginally for me. I would pay heed to the other posts that suggested heat.

I have taken apart a couple exactly the same lenses. The black screw in your second picture only keeps the larger scalloped retainer from turning. If you moved the black screw to clear the scallops, then the scalloped ring should turn off with only a little force applied. However, you only need to do that to open the shutter; if the shutter is working okay, then don't open it.

You should remove the lens from the standard by taking off the outer retainer ring in the back (your first image above). If you do not have a lens wrench, you can use the points on a dial caliper, or the points on a drawing compass. Sometimes you can use a small flat blade screwdriver, and simply push the retainer to spin it off.

Get some soft rubber erasers, a brayer pad, or a pad of Sorbothane rubber to use as a grip surface. Place the complete shutter/lens unit in the palm of your hand, and then apply steady pressure with the lens pushed onto your rubber pad, while turning the assembly, and the lens should come off. It helps to have the rubber pad on a grippy surface where it will not spin. If you are trying this with large soft erasers, then you put the eraser in one palm, and the lens/shutter assembly into the other, and press together while turning.

The slot in the rear element can be bridged with a kitchen knife or similar (ruler, thick feeler gauge, etc). Using that, you should be able to remove the rear element from the shutter housing easily. Sometimes it simply comes off like the front elements by turning it against a rubber pad, but not always. There should be a small retaining part on the inside of the rear element holder; you can use a very small screwdriver to carefully spin off that part, and then you can clean the optics completely. Be sure to note the orientation of the element, since it will need to go back in the same orientation in order to focus properly.

If the front group comes off in one piece, then that means the frozen focus is causing the front two elements to stick together. The arrow you show in your second shot is simply the top of the middle element of the lens assembly. If the front element actually came off by itself, then you would see the top of the middle element, at it would appear as a slot across the top, much like the rear element. When you re-assemble all this, that slot provides a torque location to tighten the middle element housing into the shutter, since you do not want it to turn. This middle element housing threads into the shutter.

Most likely the front two elements will come off in one piece, meaning that the first and second element have stuck together. Then it can be tougher to get them apart, though the previously mentioned techniques of solvents, heat, and gentle force should eventually allow them to spin apart. Resist and urge to use pliers, vices, or metal grippers, since those will warp and damage these small optics holders (they will likely go out of round, or worse case you will crack the optics).

Infinity stop is actually handled by the outside distance scale ring (the part with the three really small retaining screws). When it comes time to set up your infinity focus, you do that without the distance scale in place, only turning the front optic. Then you place the distance scale loosely onto the front housing, and gently turn it until it bumps against the infinity stop, and last you tighten the three retaining screws. It is recommended that you check the focus at two closer distances too, which will confirm that everything is where it should be located.

As to why bother with all this effort for a triplet lens: http://www.gordonmoat.com/automotive_03.html and http://www.gordonmoat.com/transportation_05.html These were shot with a similar lens to that you are restoring. The results can be quite good, even on colour transparency film.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography

Thank you ALL for great help. Gordon, that was a big help. I might need to do some more adjusting on the focus (or practice on guessing distances) and I obviously missed a light leak or two, but:

You've invented the folding Holga!

vdonovan said:

You've invented the folding Holga!

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Yeah, pretty much. :rolleyes:
But this one can be fixed. And it would have been a paperweight or mantel display piece if it weren't for the help I got here.
I'm thinking that some of the light leaks could be from the window in the back where the film # shows. I didn't use the leather case, just a piece of the foil from the film package to cover it.

Could the camera be missing the little metal sliding cover that covers the red window?

Jon

Jon Shiu said:

Could the camera be missing the little metal sliding cover that covers the red window?

Jon

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If it should have one, then, yes, it's missing. My Zeiss folder has one, but this one doesn't. Adapt and modify.

Congrats on your great camera find. Check out this website for more info on the Isolettes and DIY repairs: http://www.ph.utexas.edu/~yue/misc/AnscAgfa.html.

I recently got one and I've worked on cleaning and loosening the focus lenses (still stuck fast) for several days now. This morning, the dang front lens assembly popped out of my hands and hit the tile floor. While the front lens is undamaged, the rear lens is a mosaic of cracks and chips. I wanted to cry. Hope I can find a replacement for it.

I recently got one and I've worked on cleaning and loosening the focus lenses (still stuck fast) for several days now. This morning, the dang front lens assembly popped out of my hands and hit the tile floor. While the front lens is undamaged, the rear lens is a mosaic of cracks and chips. I wanted to cry. Hope I can find a replacement for it.

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That sucks. Sorry. I hope you find another.

winger said:

I might need to do some more adjusting on the focus (or practice on guessing distances)

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The focus should be better than that, even for the worst of guessers.

It is easy to get the focusing helicoid one coid off when putting the camera back together.

Do a quick check: stretch a bit of Magic frosted tape across the film gate and with the shutter and aperture open point the camera at a far object. Focus as you would a view camera, with a high power loupe. Check that the lens ring focus indication agrees with the actual distance. If you can get to an infinity like target - a far radio tower or some such - the lens ring should be _exactly_ at infinity.

Jupiter is up in the south at around 10 pm and makes a good target. The moon, for some reason, doesn’t. If you can pick up Jupiter’s moons then the focus is good (very, very good).

Winger, I forgot to mention in my previous post that I really liked the photos you've taken so far. Very promising!

Do a quick check: stretch a bit of Magic frosted tape across the film gate and with the shutter and aperture open point the camera at a far object. Focus as you would a view camera, with a high power loupe. Check that the lens ring focus indication agrees with the actual distance. If you can get to an infinity like target - a far radio tower or some such - the lens ring should be _exactly_ at infinity.

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I did do a check and some adjusting when I put everything back together. I think one of the screws is a teensy bit loose and it shifted during the roll.
Elita Chrome - Thank you!

Nice images Bethe. Looks like you are off to a good start. After more practice, you should get better at guessing distances. However, don't be surprised to get it slightly wrong at times.

If you have an art supply store near you, try to find some ink for T-Shirt printing. You can use black screen printing ink on the inside of many bellows to fill in light leaks at the corners. Then simply place the camera with the bellows opened in sunlight for a while, and the heat of the sun will cure the screen printing ink. Best of luck.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography

Just a quick tip besides feeding it liquid wrench n WD40... leave the lens in the sun for a few days or if you have a pilot light in your oven put in to heat it up to about 100°F. The heat will soften the caked up grease n using a strap wrench on both halves it should turn with a bit of persuation. If all elese fails the good old pliers n some leather to soften the jaws will surely do the trick. I break about 3 out of 40 lenses every year, some just won't budge no matter what you feed em.

Winger.. if you want me to give it a crack, e-mail me?

Winger.. if you want me to give it a crack, e-mail me?

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Thanks, but it came loose on about the last page of posts. It actually wasn't too bad, once I got it out of the camera itself (easier to get leverage). I've even run a couple of rolls through it (post #29).

Winger... I just took a look at your pics... I have a question for you. Did you split the top lens cell halves appart? It's a 2 part assembly. The front turns as the inner (middle) element is stationary. It's not a one piece front cell.

paul ron said:

Winger... I just took a look at your pics... I have a question for you. Did you split the top lens cell halves appart? It's a 2 part assembly. The front turns as the inner (middle) element is stationary. It's not a one piece front cell.

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I'm not exactly sure what you mean. The front cell turns to focus. When I got it, that was frozen, so I worked it loose.

When you took out the front cell that seemed stuck it came out in one piece. That one piece consists of actually 2 that are also stuck together. The front part is suposed to turn and the back part stays stationary. scroll down a bit on this site and see what I am talking about, he shows a couple ways to unstick it... Dead Link Removed

Which lens do you have in your Isolette?

I got the front part off the middle element without resorting to a hose clamp. I took the lens/shutter assembly off the camera's front to be able to get a better grip on the pieces. I got the front, middle, and back elements apart; cleaned them; put them back together; reset the focus (though I'm going to re-check that); and loaded film.

jazzokny said:

There is a man who has done this for years and only works on these types of folding cameras. I can try to find out his web sightfor you. James

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caveat emptor

winger said:

I got the front part off the middle element without resorting to a hose clamp. I took the lens/shutter assembly off the camera's front to be able to get a better grip on the pieces. I got the front, middle, and back elements apart; cleaned them; put them back together; reset the focus (though I'm going to re-check that); and loaded film.

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Sounds to me like you have it exactly correct. When checking focus, I usually start with the infinity focus, then use two closer distances. One method was to place the camera on a tripod, and have a tape measure on the floor to indicate distance. I used 10' and 4' as my close distances.

You can also calibrate an accessory rangefinder, like a Präzisa or similar, in much the same way. On one of my 6x9 folders, I have a Präzisa in the accessory shoe, and it is much more repeatable than guessing distances. This will decrease your focus distance errors at closer distances. Judging by your images, I think it was more focus error than a problem with the lens.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography

Winger, that's correct, you did the right job. Many DIYers miss this and by the decriptions, I didn't see you mention that. Most of these Agfa lenses are practically welded together, you were very lucky.

Enjoy the camera, it's going to give you many more years of pleasure n great pics.

BTW a ground glass on the film plane n loosening the focusing ring n resetting it is a very easy job. Once it's properly done, your pics will be razor sharp.

Sounds to me like you have it exactly correct. When checking focus, I usually start with the infinity focus, then use two closer distances. One method was to place the camera on a tripod, and have a tape measure on the floor to indicate distance. I used 10' and 4' as my close distances.

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Yeah, I think I SWAG-ed it a bit too much. Since it's empty, I'm going to do it again.