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David
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 - 12:41 pm: | 
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I have a Kowa Graflex Century 35. It all works to a degree. The shutter sticks if it is left for a few days unused. Once it is exercised, it works well at all speeds. The other problem is that after winding on and shooting, you can't wind on again unless you shake the camera first (not joking!) or wait a while. The shutter button seems to remain down and needs to rise up again. The spring to return the wind lever is also weak. Last problem is a hazy viewfinder. Anyone know how to remove the top to clean it? I see two screws one on the back by the end of the wind lever and one on the right side obscured by the strap lug. Does this camera have any value? It's obviously a Kowa but inside is a sticker saying "Made for Graflex by Kowa". |
Jon Goodman
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 - 01:06 pm: |
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As for the value, it depends on what somebody is willing to pay at a point in time. This somewhat "Leica-look" camera will make very sharp pictures if it is working and adjusted right. The lens is slow and small but good (particularly at f:8-16) Here is what I have learned about it: The shutter has an extra leaf. If you ever dis-assemble it, you may throw this extra one away. For me, the shutter would not work right unless oiled. I suspect old oil is what is making yours erratic. The cocking and shutter release linkage is actually sort of crude. Smart money will not disassemble to the point you need to re-connect it...ie, do not remove the shutter/lens housing. There are two screws holding the top, and also I think there is a screw beneath the cock/wind lever and maybe also under the rewind knob. The wind return spring may be broken, or the mechanism may be dirty. The viewfinder/rangefinder in mine suffered from a weak and faded beamsplitter. I swapped a brighter one from a parts camera and improved things tremendously. Good luck. You can spend a lot of time on this one.
Jon |
Paul Kollas
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 12:44 pm: |
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I just picked one of these up, and it's shutter would not operate at all. It would click, but not open/close, and it usually would release the wind handle so that it could be recocked. Then something seems to have gotten jammed in the focus helix, so that it won't run from nearest to farthest stops. So how does one get to the shutter to clean it, and to the focusing helix? |
Flashover
Tinkerer
Username: Flashover
Post Number: 12
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 22, 2007 - 02:27 pm: |
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I just picked on up at the Value village for 20 bucks. Still had someones film in it. 2nd camera today I opened to find film in ( the other was a Trip 35 ). Anyway it works on all speeds, Focus is smooth. The finder is not the clearest one I have used but it's ok. The RF patch is nice and bright. It has a nice fell to the camera. I checked the Graflex site and it seams they were made between 1958 and 1960. |
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