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Br1078lum
Tinkerer
Username: Br1078lum
Post Number: 385
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2012 - 07:34 pm: | 
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This is one camera that I had really wanted a better outcome for. It has Agfa's top of the line Solagon, a somewhat better lens than the Solinar on my Karat 36 (which is a delight to shoot). But the Super Memar (the USA twin to the Super Silette) would be less fragile to carry around, and can use the same filters as my Retina IIIC.
But when I got it, it turned out that the seller was not forthright in his assessment of the cameras' condition. And no, I didn't buy it off of eBay. This was a private sale.
After a bit of work, I got it into what I hoped would be shooting condition. But the thing that bothered me was the front element being really scratched up. Turns out I was right in my fears of the IQ going down the drain, and the camera will now be a shelf queen, unless I can find one for parts where the body is shot, but the lens is good. I can't just swap the front element, because the front and rear optical groups were matched sets.
However, I thought it might be useful to someone else to see what work I did on the camera and lens, so I've posted it to Flickr at http://flic.kr/s/aHsjCbMYma
PF |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 1243
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2012 - 08:59 pm: |
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That's interesting! I had an f/2 Super Memar that was in super shape except for that same issue - the lens looked like a marble that had been dropped into boiling water. I shot some film through it just to see what would happen, and as expected the lens was sharp but the flare was intolerable. I think I sold it cheap at a camera show after that. It wasn't your camera, though - it didn't have that interesting hexagonal badge on the front. |
Br1078lum
Tinkerer
Username: Br1078lum
Post Number: 386
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 21, 2012 - 08:53 am: |
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You know the really interesting thing about the lens, Rick, is that even though the element is all scratched up, the retaining/name ring is immaculate. Makes me wonder if it was swapped out at one time.
PF |
Br1078lum
Tinkerer
Username: Br1078lum
Post Number: 387
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 21, 2012 - 08:58 am: |
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I put the test photos up on Flickr at http://flic.kr/s/aHsjCcfvZ7
I could use this camera as a soft portrait taker, but it's not the proper focal length, and not what I bought it for.
PF |
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