Wards am551 rangefinder camera fixed

[KerrKid]

I bought a Wards am551 camera (rebadged Konica S2 Auto) awhile ago - yes, the GAS continues unabated - and when I got it I discovered it had no rangefinder patches visible in the viewfinder. Rats.

I removed the top of the camera and a very small mirror fell out. Double rats. It took me awhile to figure out where that mirror went and it took me days of headscratching and trying all sorts of things to finally get it glued properly back in place. If anyone is in a similar pickle, I can help with tips on how to do this. It's a royal pita unless you know a couple of tricks.

I figured out how to adjust the rangefinder patches horizontally and vertically and then installed new light seals.

I put a roll of Kentmere 400 film through the camera a couple of days ago and the camera was a joy to use. I don't have a battery for it so I used it in manual mode with my iphone light meter app.

I have to send the film off to be developed so I don't know what worked and what didn't. Fingers crossed that there are no light leaks and the pix are in focus.

Anyway, lovely camera to hold and use. Of course, I'm in my "rangefinder" phase now. ))

 

[albada]

Only Konica cameras had viewfinder framelines that both moved and shrank as one focused closer, providing accurate framing. (Unless Leica M does that, but I've never checked).

 

[Paul Howell]

Really nice camera, I need to take mine apart to work on the film advance.

 

[GRHazelton]

Only Konica cameras had viewfinder framelines that both moved and shrank as one focused closer, providing accurate framing. (Unless Leica M does that, but I've never checked).

You speak of the Konica IIIa, I believe. I don't think other Konica rangefinders have the field shrinkage display, save a variant of the Konica IIIa, offering 1/2 frame shooting. I have a IIIa, and it is a lovely box. And no, Leica cameras don't shrink the frame lines

 

[reddesert]

Yes, the Konica auto S2 has the moving and shrinking frame lines for parallax correction. So does the Konica S (and probably the auto S, but I don't have one to check).

I thought I had a photo of the auto S2 with the top cover off to show how the rangefinder is configured, but I can't find the photo. It is not hard to remove the top cover (IIRC you only have to remove the wind lever and rewind knob).

 

[KerrKid]

Only Konica cameras had viewfinder framelines that both moved and shrank as one focused closer, providing accurate framing. (Unless Leica M does that, but I've never checked).

That's a neat feature. I discovered that it's very easy to knock the leg of the tiny spring for this off its little peg when futzing with the top cover of the camera. Luckily I caught the issue before buttoning everything up.

 

[KerrKid]

Really nice camera, I need to take mine apart to work on the film advance.

Yes, so nice I just got another Konica S2 Auto to go with it. It's in mint shape except for no rangefinder patches again. Hope that little mirror is still inside somewhere. Seems like I'm seeing a pattern with these (no pun intended).

Roberts camera on ebay listed the camera as Ugly and not working and I got it for next to nothing, but it is in beautiful condition with the exception of the mirror problem.

Fingers crossed your mirror stays put. Otherwise, yeh, a really nice camera. Not to mention the cool factor of having a lens that says "Cyclops eye" on it.

 

[KerrKid]

Yes, the Konica auto S2 has the moving and shrinking frame lines for parallax correction. So does the Konica S (and probably the auto S, but I don't have one to check).

I thought I had a photo of the auto S2 with the top cover off to show how the rangefinder is configured, but I can't find the photo. It is not hard to remove the top cover (IIRC you only have to remove the wind lever and rewind knob).

I'll try and get some pix of mine with the cover off. Btw...there's a little screw under the rewind knob.