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Psurfer
Tinkerer Username: Psurfer
Post Number: 1 Registered: 01-2010
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Thursday, January 14, 2010 - 02:29 pm: |
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I was recently given a Contax 137MD body that's missing it's rewind crank assembly: both the knob on top of the camera, and the crank/shaft that turns in the film cassette. Does anyone have these? Or (maybe) even just the shaft if no one has the knob? I've found a seller of an NOS 137md knob -it has a threaded hole underneath for the shaft, I assume it's the right piece. Am I correct to assume there are no other parts/highly trained skills I'd need for this rewind fix? |
Tom_cheshire
Tinkerer Username: Tom_cheshire
Post Number: 237 Registered: 04-2009
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Thursday, January 14, 2010 - 05:08 pm: |
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Quoted: "Am I correct to assume there are no other parts/highly trained skills I'd need for this rewind fix?" Yes, that sounds about right. I was thinking parts from a Yashica might fit since the Contax/Yashica shared some parts in some models. If the back door is popped open by pulling up on the rewind (as is usual with many cameras) you may have to use the tip of a jeweler's screwdriver (or similar) when inserting the rewind shaft to move aside the little pip which the shaft snags (which pops open the door in normal use) but that is about all there is to contend with. |
Psurfer
Tinkerer Username: Psurfer
Post Number: 2 Registered: 01-2010
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Thursday, January 14, 2010 - 05:40 pm: |
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That's a good idea, Tom, if it shared the crank shaft w/the Yashica's. Thanks. Does anyone know if the shaft from an FR1 would be compatible? -I'd still rather find the parts from a single source if possible. -I'm all ears (& this is my first posted thread here, fwiw)! |
Mikel
Tinkerer Username: Mikel
Post Number: 194 Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Thursday, January 14, 2010 - 07:50 pm: |
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There was no Yashica equivalent to the 137. That said, an FR rewind knob might screw on and work. I doubt that the shaft is identical, however. The FR II has the same rewind parts as the FR I and would probably be cheaper to source. |
Psurfer
Tinkerer Username: Psurfer
Post Number: 4 Registered: 01-2010
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Friday, January 15, 2010 - 10:36 am: |
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So where's the Contax/Yashica parts graveyard? |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 1041 Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Friday, January 15, 2010 - 11:00 am: |
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It might not be a hard part to turn on a lathe, if you can get the correct dimensions to make it to. |
Psurfer
Tinkerer Username: Psurfer
Post Number: 5 Registered: 01-2010
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Friday, January 15, 2010 - 01:17 pm: |
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Oh man, now I've got to start part fabricating? LOL! I suppose if I can get a hold of a rewind shaft that at least threads into the knob, then there should be a fair amount of leeway in the range of it's length needed to work - assuming light leakage doesn't become an issue. There was apparently a light-proofing cap that slid onto the shaft, but I guess that could be done w/a pc of rubber. |
Psurfer
Tinkerer Username: Psurfer
Post Number: 6 Registered: 01-2010
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Friday, January 15, 2010 - 01:50 pm: |
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I know believe the Yashica FX-D has the same rewind parts as the Contax 137, 139, 159. Anyone have a dead body for donor parts? |
Psurfer
Tinkerer Username: Psurfer
Post Number: 7 Registered: 01-2010
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Friday, January 15, 2010 - 02:04 pm: |
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That is, I think all the Yashica FX- models at least have the same rewind knob as what I need. |
Tom_cheshire
Tinkerer Username: Tom_cheshire
Post Number: 239 Registered: 04-2009
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Friday, January 15, 2010 - 02:09 pm: |
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I was looking through the books and it seems the Yashica FX-70 has virtually the same spec.s as the 137MD so I was thorizing it had many shared parts. No pic. to compare it with. |
Psurfer
Tinkerer Username: Psurfer
Post Number: 8 Registered: 01-2010
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Friday, January 15, 2010 - 06:05 pm: |
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From online pics, here are the Yashica's that show the same rewind Knob (therefore, probably also share the same rewind Shaft) as the Contax 137/39/59: FX-D, FX-3, FX-7, FX-70, FX-103 (only for Blk body), FX-A Other than the chrome FX-103, it appears than all the others above have the correct blk w/chrm knob, whether their bodies are chrome or blk. I did see some later version of the FX-3 Super that had a diff knob style, but most of the Supers had the same as the regular -103's |
Mikel
Tinkerer Username: Mikel
Post Number: 195 Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Friday, January 15, 2010 - 08:50 pm: |
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As I said, there was no Yashica equivalent to the 137's. The 137's were the first cameras with built in electric advance in the size of a normal 35mm slr. They have cloth focal plane shutters. They bear no resemblance to the Contax RTS/Yashica FR series either. All of the Yashica FX series have metal Copal square shutters. The FX equivalent in the Contax line is the 139. These are significantly smaller cameras. I'll try to do an archeological dig this weekend for some parts. I've worked on hundreds of Contaxes and Yashicas but it has been years ago and the location is dim...... |
Monopix
Tinkerer Username: Monopix
Post Number: 87 Registered: 11-2008
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Saturday, January 16, 2010 - 03:42 pm: |
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For everyone else's benefit (as I've already been in contact with the OP), the shaft of the 137 is longer than the 139 and I suspect longer than any others. The knobs are the same. More importantly, there is a retaining spring that keeps the shaft in place and keeps the shaft in the up position when pulled out. This spring is almost certainly missing, unless it's rattling around inside the camera somewhere. To fit it requires the removal of the top plate and, ideally, removal of the exposure compensation switch components - though, in theory, you could fit it without removing them, but it's difficult. |
Psurfer
Tinkerer Username: Psurfer
Post Number: 9 Registered: 01-2010
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Sunday, January 17, 2010 - 04:47 pm: |
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Monopix- then it sounds like I'm spinning my wheels, unless Mikel has a long enough shaft. And this might be more involved than I thought... thanks for the correction. (I never got any email back from you, btw) If the shorter FX- shaft would reach the film cassette to turn it, the maybe it would also install without disassembling the body? (insert Hopeful smiley here) |
Psurfer
Tinkerer Username: Psurfer
Post Number: 10 Registered: 01-2010
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Sunday, January 17, 2010 - 10:48 pm: |
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Thanks for the email Mikel, I'll (try to) wait patiently! |
Monopix
Tinkerer Username: Monopix
Post Number: 90 Registered: 11-2008
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Monday, January 18, 2010 - 10:50 am: |
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Peter, I sent you an email on the 15th. I've just resent it but I guess you already know what it says now anyway. |