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Robertj
Tinkerer
Username: Robertj
Post Number: 3
Registered: 02-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 04, 2007 - 01:07 pm: | 
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I bought a Retinette 1b off eBay, mainly for the case. It came with a stuck shutter (500LK) and a non-functioning light meter. Even when I set the film speed to 800ASA and shine a high intensity light into the photo cell, it barely moves. However, it does move when I change the aperture, shutter speed etc. Is this some sort of mechanical bias system? I can't see how it can be electical. Selenium cells have a long life, so it's likely that something else is causing the meter problems. Any ideas?
I think that someone previously has tinkered with this camera as the leatherette around the chrome lens plate isn't seating correctly and the Kodak badge/cover from the front lhs is missing. Also, when I took the top plate off, the meter "V" plate (the inverted V that you centre the meter needle in) was held down by one screw and had a threaded hole on the opposite side as if there was a screw missing.
I suppose that I should also be asking about the shutter problems, but there is excellent information about stripping and unsticking Prontor shutters elsewhere on the internet. |
Robertj
Tinkerer
Username: Robertj
Post Number: 5
Registered: 02-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 17, 2007 - 10:34 pm: |
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The light meter problem was caused by the track on the trim pot being broken. Replaced that & now I have a functioning light meter again.
The camera has a Prontor 500LK shutter.
I took off the lens and noticed that the aperture blades didn't form a circle, I cleaned and reassembled it. However, when stopping down I see that a blade has jumped out again. I can't see any damage to the hinge or actuating pins and the base and actuating plate are flat. I'll reassemble & try again.
The shutter blades were stuck together with old grease and the self timer was jammed. Although this now seems to be working, I'd like to soak the shutter in lighter fluid. I can't remove the middle lens element & it looks to be coated. Is it safe to immerse the shutter with the element in place?
One last thing, when I reassemble, do I need to grease anywhere or should the whole thing be dry? I presume the factory used some grease, because it has got on to the shutter blades. |
Adrian
Tinkerer
Username: Adrian
Post Number: 43
Registered: 08-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 19, 2007 - 03:22 am: |
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Robert,
The Prontor info available is excellent - I restored function to a dodgy Prontor SV using it & if I can do it... I couldn't take the middle element out of my lens, so I worked around it and tried not to get lighter fluid on it. It won't hurt the coating - which is fairly much bombproof, bar fungus - but you might get interesting effects as any grease the fluid has dissolved could be left on your lens surface when the fluid evaporates.
The grease has almost certainly migrated from the focusing helicoid, where it has seperated into thick and thin fractions with time and with changes in temperature. No doubt someone on here knows of one that does need oil, but almost all shutters were made to run dry - the large surface area of the shutter blades means that anything between them, even thin oil, makes a very effective brake.
You can oil shutter escapements, but you really need a microscopic oil can as the amounts needed are tiny, and thin oil will go a long way - often far further than you want!
Good luck with it!
Adrian |
Robertj
Tinkerer
Username: Robertj
Post Number: 6
Registered: 02-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 19, 2007 - 07:09 am: |
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Thanks for that. This is much as I has thought. I don't want to take the shutter components off the base plate and soak them, so I'll carefully flush them in place |
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