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Watzmann
Tinkerer
Username: Watzmann
Post Number: 1
Registered: 10-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 01, 2007 - 06:11 am: | 
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Hi,
i've just started to put my voigtländer vitessa N into pieces. At first i tried to find out why the rangefinder doesn't work, and the answer seems to be simple. The rangefinder mechanism which should generate an adjustable projection of a second view in the finder will need something like a moveable mirror or prism. But whatever is used is missing. I suggest that the second view comes over a fixed mirror (45 degrees) and a prism which is moved by the mechanism. I don't have a repair manual or pictures which shows the rangefinder mechanism of the vitessa, so i can't found out how to repair.
Does anyone have pictures or knows where to find an inside view of the rangefinder?
The second (and the real) problem is the plunger advance knob. I tried to unscrew it and i was really careful, but (like all other screws too) it was extremly tightened. Suddenly something cracks and the whole knob comes out, followed by a long coil. Houston, we have a problem...
Because the camera was in good condition before i started to ...repair... it and because of the very rare ultron lens i don't give up. I need pictures, repair manuals, whatever, but i only found a repair manual for the T model.
Can anyone help me? The vitessa is not my first rangefinder, and i got some experiences in camera restauration/repair. Not enough for that fascinating piece of technology, as far as i can see...
Bye
Wolfgang
P.S.: because i'am not a native english speaker, my explanations might sound a little bit silly... |
Ethostech
Tinkerer
Username: Ethostech
Post Number: 77
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 09:07 pm: |
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The Vitessa N Rangefinder uses a conventional beam-splitter to project the coincident image - but I wouldn't worry too much about that now because you are in deep trouble re the plunger.
The latter interfaces with film advance gears, wind-lock, and shutter cocking. It does not unscrew/remove.
Looks like Houston has a huge re-engineering job ahead - if indeed a repair is now possible. |
Watzmann
Tinkerer
Username: Watzmann
Post Number: 3
Registered: 10-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 09, 2007 - 05:01 pm: |
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I am in trouble. Really. I found out how to disassemble the mechanism, and now i know what was broken when i tried to unscrew the top knob of the plunger. There is a small piece of metal formed like a flag which is welded to the bottom of the plunger. That little metal flag has broken off. Damned.
And: it is impossible to unscrew the top knob of the plunger, someone has tightened it like hell. So, it seems that i have to learn how to solder. Welding shouldn't be a problem, but i think hard solder will be the right way.
And: i am looking for another Vitessa, maybe i will get one with a good plunger. Let's see what happens first. |
Ethostech
Tinkerer
Username: Ethostech
Post Number: 78
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 09, 2007 - 05:26 pm: |
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The cap unscrews fro the top of the plunger per a normal right-hand thread. Since you have the plunger separated (inadvertently) it will at least now be easier to remove its cap.
The plunger is thin-walled where the solid cap screws in. So use pencil-torch butane heat (won't need much) to expand. Cap will then easily unscrew. |
Watzmann
Tinkerer
Username: Watzmann
Post Number: 4
Registered: 10-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, November 10, 2007 - 08:27 am: |
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That's what i've tried. With heat, also. At last the plunger spend some time in the fridge, then i heated it again, but nothing moves. Don't know what the previous owner has done. But, because of some missing parts in the rangefinder, i have to buy another vitessa. I will not find an exemplar in the same good condition with an ultron, so it is worth to look for another one for spare parts.
Does anybody knows if the rangefinder and the plunger is the same in the T Model? |
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