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Davilo
Tinkerer
Username: Davilo
Post Number: 2
Registered: 11-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 29, 2011 - 09:22 pm: | 
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hi, i just bought an agfa super solinette. The "distance setting ring" does works well, but I can't make any coincidence between the two images in the viewer. |
Fallisphoto
Tinkerer
Username: Fallisphoto
Post Number: 206
Registered: 09-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 03, 2011 - 12:14 pm: |
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Do the two images in the viewfinder move at all? If so, you just have to adjust the horizontal (and possibly the vertical) alignment. You have to take the top off of the camera to do this. Under the top, you will find a semitransparent mirror and a silvered mirror. On pretty much all rangefinders there will be screws that allow you to tilt one of them (usually the silvered one) horizontally and vertically. Set up a target (a big "+" drawn on a piece of paper works well) at about 10 feet and find a telephone pole or something that's at 100 feet. Put the camera on a tripod and with the focus setting at infinity, adjust the image in the viewfinder until the images coincide. Then set the focus at 10 feet and fine tune it using the 10 foot target. This is always asuming that you are right and the lens is focusing correctly and does not need to be recolimated. |
Gemgemhk
Tinkerer
Username: Gemgemhk
Post Number: 1
Registered: 11-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 21, 2011 - 02:36 pm: |
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hi, I have the same problem with mine from eBay too. I just done a DIY CLA. Well, for the usual viewfinder alignment, I think I will learn to do it from articles published. But, I am quite curious if when the distance setting ring is rotated, the lens/shutter assembly unit will move in and out like a zoom lens? For my camera, it seems the lens/shutter assembly unit does not move at all, is it normal? If it does not move in and out, how the camera adjust the lens to react to change of object distance? can anybody enlighten me with some ideas? thanks a lot. I ask because I don't have a chance to compare my CLA camera with a good one. |
Hanskerensky
Tinkerer
Username: Hanskerensky
Post Number: 147
Registered: 05-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 21, 2011 - 03:00 pm: |
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I have an Agfa Super Solinette. The shutter/lens assy is attached to a helicoid. When you rotate the distance setting ring then the whole shutter/lens assy has to move in or out.
Have a look at my Super Solinette here. |
Gemgemhk
Tinkerer
Username: Gemgemhk
Post Number: 2
Registered: 11-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 21, 2011 - 05:17 pm: |
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hi Hanskerensky, it seems that the helicoid of your cam comes out more number of threads than mine.The yellow color brass helicoid of my cam just comes out a couple of threads and seems to have been glued to the white color aluminium distance setting ring. Is the inner brass helicoid should be loosened from the outer distance setting ring? then I should copy your method to soak the grease with some lighter fluid right? pls. see my attached pic. thanks for your reply. |
Gemgemhk
Tinkerer
Username: Gemgemhk
Post Number: 3
Registered: 11-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 22, 2011 - 02:40 am: |
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hi, what I like to know is that: Is the inner brass helicoid supposed to be able to rotate independently from the outer aluminium distant setting ring? thanks for a reply of yes or no will be okay. |
Hanskerensky
Tinkerer
Username: Hanskerensky
Post Number: 148
Registered: 05-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 22, 2011 - 03:08 pm: |
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Just home from work so (for me) a late answer.
Never had the Super Solinette dismantled from the front but here are my observations :
If you open the back of the camera and look at the rear part of the lens the outer ring should rotate together with the distance setting ring.
The next ring (tube) inwards should move in or out while the outer ring rotates. To this tube the shutter/lens assy is attached. |
Gemgemhk
Tinkerer
Username: Gemgemhk
Post Number: 5
Registered: 11-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 22, 2011 - 05:05 pm: |
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Frist, sorry to bother u so much. Yea, exactly, my cam fails to do what you have said : "the next ring (tube) inwards should move in or out while the outer ring rotates. ...." And that's why I been wondering how my cam can respond to change of object distance without the lens unit moving in or out. I need to check what should be noticed when I put back the shutter/lens assy (2 tiny screws at its back got to be noticed) on to the distance setting ring (a tiny hole on the brass helicoid ring as I circled in red in above pic got to be noticed too). Also highly possible the inner brass helicoid is supposed to be able to rotate independently from the outer ring, I will study it too. Hey, thanks a lot, issue really interesting. I visited your flickr site too , pics amazing. my sincere regards. |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 1159
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 22, 2011 - 09:04 pm: |
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It sounds like your camera has Agfa Disease (hardening of the focusing helical grease). Lighter fluid will not likely be strong enough to soften it - Xylene has worked for me. It may take a few days of soaking to free it up. Once you've done that, you may find that something has come loose in the outer focusing ring, which is allowing it to rotate without moving the helical. |
Gemgemhk
Tinkerer
Username: Gemgemhk
Post Number: 6
Registered: 11-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 23, 2011 - 02:15 am: |
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Hello, Rick, many many thanks for your help and kind heartedness, your comment about my cam's notorious disease is very exact. I can rotate the outer distance setting ring without any problem but the brass helical always protrudes 1mm only, no change at all. Based on Mr. Hanskerensky's pic in his flickr site, I have noticed that the brass helicoid protrudes about 3 mm out which makes me think that the brass helicoid and the distance setting ring surrounding it as my pic above look like two separate pieces of metal parts instead of one piece of metal part, in particular, I guess that the small hole on the brass helicoid (as circled in red color in my above pic) is to enable us to insert a tiny tool into it so as to turn the the helicoid loosened to some extent. okay, I will try soaking first, see what will happen. well, if still cant work, I will try visiting an antique cam shop to see if I can find any help there. Adios my friend, regards and my best wishes, merry Xmas to all.bye. |
Scott
Tinkerer
Username: Scott
Post Number: 173
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 23, 2011 - 11:32 pm: |
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I tried to overhaul a Super Solinette, and eventually got it working, but I don't think I ever want to do that again.
That brass ring is just pressed on, which makes it impossible to remove without distorting it, which means it is basically impossible to separate the components of the helical. And the ergonomics are terrible.
What were they thinking?? It must have been a different committee that designed the Karat. The Karats are kind of complicated, but compared to the Super Solinette, they are a breeze to overhaul. Everything comes apart pretty much like you expect it to. No pressed parts. |
Gemgemhk
Tinkerer
Username: Gemgemhk
Post Number: 7
Registered: 11-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 24, 2011 - 01:36 am: |
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Yea, Scott, exactly. I have more or less understood the structure of that agfa harden greased parts from talks of both Hanskerensky and Rick. It is like this: When you rotate the aluminium distance setting ring and at same time, you look at the rear of the camera, the most outer ring is that brass helicoid, which in turn wraps an inner black colored brass tube. To this inner tube, the shutter/lens assy is screwed on with a lens grip ring with 2 notches. I appreciate very much Hanskerensky's kindness confirming to me that this inner tube carries the lens unit and can move in and out when you also rotate the aluminium distance setting ring in front; this has proved what I did think about. Well, I am unlucky to have a cam which has the brass helicoid glued with the inner tube and this inner tube always protrudes 1mm only, so the shutter/lens assy if screwed on cant move in or out to a maximum of 3mm < as Rick told me. From Hanskerensky's pic in his flickr site, I got to think about a way to get the brass helicoid deglued from that inner tube, then it will be okay. Really challenging now. I will let everybody know if I got it done. thanks. |
Gemgemhk
Tinkerer
Username: Gemgemhk
Post Number: 11
Registered: 11-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 16, 2012 - 02:32 am: |
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Hi, finally I got it DONE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I opened the cam back and looked at the rear again, then the focus ring again, repeatedly, for nearly a week, I decided to give up the idea of using any solvent even though I already got xylene and acetone, then unscrew the 4 small screws loosening the bellow wanting to see the back of the focus ring. Oh......I found a lens grip ring like thing with notches on opposite side fixing the copper helicoid (i.e. the inner tube thing when you look from the cam back,I used a spanner wrench trying to loosen it but wow...so difficult, all glued together. Then I dropp some WD-40 lubricant on it, let it be soaked. (In fact, I felt like finding a treasure and needed to take a break with a cup of milk tea.). After the break for about half an hour, I loosen the ring grip again, wow.. a couple of turns, then became easy, I kept on rotating anticlockwise for another few turns, oh.....the inner tube look helicoid (for attaching the rear lens element) fell down then exposing that helicoid part of the focus ring. I used Zippo lighter fluid to clean all threads and wipe some watch repair lubricant there with a very light touch of that kind of grease used by racing car.
Everything is fine enough now. The next step is to CLA the viewfinder coupled with the rangefinder finder, horizontal adjustment etc. Hope to snap a roll to see the result. Thanks all the great guys here, like Mr. Hans kerensky, Mr. Ole Rickson, Mr. Scott, Mr. Fallisphoto and the Forum. Wishing everybod have a productive New Year in 2012. |
Gemgemhk
Tinkerer
Username: Gemgemhk
Post Number: 12
Registered: 11-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 16, 2012 - 02:43 am: |
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By the way, one thing you got to notice, when you reassemble the lens/shutter assy back to the cam back and you tighten it with the lens grip ring (i.e.the most outer ring), simultaneously, you have to rotate the distance setting ring (focus ring)from time to time seeing that it can rotate smoothly between infinity symbol to 3 feet because they are related to each other. If you turn the lens grip ring too tight ( too much), the distance setting ring(focus ring) may get stucked between 4.5 ft to 3 ft. You need to find it out and adjust it by yourself. thanks |
Gemgemhk
Tinkerer
Username: Gemgemhk
Post Number: 13
Registered: 11-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2012 - 10:53 pm: |
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I have found out the reason causing the issue in aforesaid post. When I put back the inner tube helicoid to the distance setting ring helicoid, I should make sure both their rims are at least level with each other or the rim of the inner tube helicoid should be one or two threads lower. Why? because this adjustment affects the zoom in-out of the front lens which carries a metal loop( at its aperture ring) pressing the small steel rod at the lower right corner of the lens. The small rod then correlates some kind of lever mechanism to the rangefinder at the top for focus. When you rotate the distance setting ring (dsr)to 3.5 feet, the image in VF moves to the right and the front lens zoom out the most. If you rotate the dsr to infinity symbol, the image moves to the left and the front lens soom out the least. That was my experience tackling my cam. btw, for helicoid threads lubrication, I have had lubricant grease from a model toy shop, the brand name is TAMIYA brand Ceremic Grease, in toothpaste or superglue tube form, high level lubrication but low level sticky. That's all I wish to share with everybody here. |
Gemgemhk
Tinkerer
Username: Gemgemhk
Post Number: 14
Registered: 11-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2012 - 11:37 pm: |
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Let me tell you how much I spent on this cam:
1. Cam from eBay "an antique cam" $35 free( shipping. I was lucky, shutter perfect from B to 1/500 sec., mechanism inside top cover untouched,
bellow supple fresh, no previous CLA at all, optics show normal wear due to aging. Guess that the guy found distance setting ring freezed then gave up the cam).
2. isopropylene for lens cleansing, Zippo
for shutter bath and flush $4.00
xylene,acetone not used $5
3. 10" groove joint pilers for looseing
knurled front lens,very easy with tool,
I covered the knurl part with tshirt $4
4. a tweezer to pick up small screws $2.00
5 cam screwdriver set $8
6. primitive spanner wrench (wont be used
for digicam) $15 + ship $9 total $24
7. 1/8" sloted with 4 inches long metallic screwdriver to loosen 4 screws inside bellow $1.
8. small size WD40 $2
9 Tamiya ceremic grease $2
total $87 but really fun and explore a lot during the past few months. |
Gemgemhk
Tinkerer
Username: Gemgemhk
Post Number: 15
Registered: 11-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 - 02:50 am: |
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- To lub helicoids, I used TAMIYA CEREMIC GREASE. Well, I think, its production was stopped in 2008 and replaced by an even more upgraded product called TAMIYA CERA-GREASE HG (subtitle: TAMIYA BORON NITRIDE COMPOUND) c2008 nowadays and is currently available from any toy shop selling Japanes brand name TAMIYA toy cars, boats, aeroplanes etc, for a few dollars. It is used for lubricating metallic parts of mini disel/electric engines, gears. However, I bought the old product in 2006 to lub the metal moving parts in my cd player laszer head mechanism. From its usage, you can imagine how delicate and high grade is this kind of grease lubricant. It is low sticky but high lubricating.
- I used racing car lubricant,'German made Wuerth Zebra Rost Off' to help loosening both the front and rear lens threads, then WD-40 to loosen the metallic lens grip rings cos they dont hurt the adhesives, plastics and paints and within short time you can see its impact, and u can clean it away by using lighter fluid.Luckily I got a dozen of tiny pvc bladder pump obtained from perfume sprays counter in flea market for less than a dollar. I sprayed a spoonfulof WD40 in the can's cap, use the tiny pump to pump a couple of drops, then squeezed out again bit by bit along the tiny thread areaor cracks of the lens grip rings, then will be ok. I avoid using xylene and acetone cos they can peel off paints and soften adhesives and plastics, there are high chances of damaging the painted figures on the rings, adhesives and plastics,special paints for making the leatherette, bellows. I am merely an amateur and cant afford mounting new leatherette, or replacing bellows, so I didnt use them.
- To clean optics, I used Isopropylene alcohol which seemed quite alrite, luckily the optics in my cam got no fungus, just some aging issues which cant be avoided anyway. A cotton bud will help, effect shiny and bright, better than ammonia distilled water.
- For the inside of top cover and shutter and related metal areas, I used Zippo lighter fluid to flush, shutter box really needed a bath, I shaked the shutter box violently inside the 1.5 inches deep lighter fluid basin (a porcelain ash tray), oh. all steel powder-like chips and very tiny hardened grease (1/20 of 1mm. coming out. I did this 3 times. The steel shutter box becomes shiny and all speeds work with lovely sound.
- To lub metal parts insdie top cover, I used watch movement lub oils, I got it from a watch repair man , a dollar for 10 ml. only. For the shutter, I left the leaf blades dry, just used a cotton bud soaked with a bit of this kind of oil to ski on the tiny levers on the rim.
Well, above said is how I lub my cam parts in detail, hope to share with each other what I have experienced. |
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