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11-19-2014, 02:42 PM   #2341
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My Zeiss Ikon Ikomat 520/2



Bought this about three years ago, I'm told it dates from the early 1930s judging by the serial number on the lens.

11-19-2014, 04:32 PM   #2342
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QuoteOriginally posted by Cuthbert Quote
I started to buy some "toys" for pimping my LX, now it has morphed from a tiny and humble camera to a sort of evil Decepticon of the 80s:


Beautiful!

Phil.
11-19-2014, 05:09 PM   #2343
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QuoteOriginally posted by Swift1 Quote
Want!
The edgy beauty of the LX is sooo 80s, almost like the style of a Ferrari 328, especially with this finder, grip, and winder...the choice of the square hood was appropriate, even if the case is somehow too big and a little uncomfortable to carry. Now I've the three kings (F2, F1N and LX) and I can say the LX is the most elegant and Leica like of the three, the F1N still is the more capable and the F2 perhaps the most classic, but the LX has little to envy.

QuoteOriginally posted by gofour3 Quote
Beautiful!

Phil.
Since you guys like it I thought to add another crappy phone pic of the camera, in this case the crappy semi-fisheye lens of the Nokia was useful in order to deform the perspective:



I found the finder and the motordrive in an italian auction and they went for little, 90 euros both, now it appears that I solved the mirror problem and I'm waiting for a decent day to shoot another test film...I still have to understand how to use the "action" finder, I was looking for the same finder but for my F-1N but they are very pricey, unfortunately the image is relatively small and from some points of view the aperture is difficult to see, however it DOES look cool and threatening.

BTW last week I visited an early music festival with my K1000 and my voice flute (Denner model, Bruggen collection, that I built during this summer) and I took this relatively nice composition:



Usually the pics of my cameras through other cameras look much better though:





Perhaps I already published them, however the first is my FM seen by my LX, the second is a close up bokeh study done on the grip of my F-1 by my Nikon F2AS with a junky Micro-Nikkor that I got for little to nothing.
11-20-2014, 08:48 AM   #2344
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QuoteOriginally posted by Cuthbert Quote
I started to buy some "toys" for pimping my LX, now it has morphed from a tiny and humble camera to a sort of evil Decepticon of the 80s:


I did the same thing with my two....one of them lives with the WLF as a kind of subtle street shooter for small primes, while the other has the grip, winder, and the big sports finder and usually a 28-70 f/2.8 zoom.

I forgot how evil they look in all black! Both of mine are redone with grey leatherette.

---------- Post added 11-20-14 at 10:51 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by 45 Mike Quote
I am desperately attempting to decline getting a Graflex 4x5 Pacemaker Speed Graphic. With shipping it would be under $300 with a 135mm. I would have to get holders to fit graflock also. I have no experience with this size of camera, but I would like to shoot paper negs.
I dunno if I can continue to resist much longer.
Do it. You won't regret it. I jumped into 4x5 and haven't looked back.

---------- Post added 11-20-14 at 11:44 AM ----------

Crappy cell phone pic of my 6x7 and four lenses. I did the grey leatherette on the body, need to get more Griptac so I can do the finder.

Lenses are SMC Pentax 67 45/4, SMC Pentax 67 105/2.4, SMC Pentax 6x7 165/2.8, SMC Takumar 75/4.5.



11-20-2014, 01:28 PM   #2345
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I received my 4x5 Graflex today and I am quite happy so far.
I expected it to be old, and needing some attention, and yep, it does.
The front shutter is slow, and needs to soak in naptha for a while.
The FP shutter is also slow. I found a site that shows how to lube and re-tension the spring. I will try lube first, then see if it needs a tension adjust.
I cannot see the rangefinder working at all. I will be looking at that closer.
The optical finder range selector is wobbly and loose, and does not appear to do anything.
The rangefinder and optical finder may end up back on ebay, as I expect to use the GG for most all my shots.
There is a flash handle bracket that I have no use for, with a "focus spot" that is wobbly and will not be used either.
The flash solenoid is also of no use to me.
I will be installing my Kodak 126mm and shutter while the Graphex (X)135mm soaks.
Pictures for "before and after" will be posted later.
11-20-2014, 01:44 PM   #2346
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QuoteOriginally posted by 45 Mike Quote
I received my 4x5 Graflex today and I am quite happy so far.
I expected it to be old, and needing some attention, and yep, it does.
The front shutter is slow, and needs to soak in naptha for a while.
The FP shutter is also slow. I found a site that shows how to lube and re-tension the spring. I will try lube first, then see if it needs a tension adjust.
I cannot see the rangefinder working at all. I will be looking at that closer.
The optical finder range selector is wobbly and loose, and does not appear to do anything.
The rangefinder and optical finder may end up back on ebay, as I expect to use the GG for most all my shots.
There is a flash handle bracket that I have no use for, with a "focus spot" that is wobbly and will not be used either.
The flash solenoid is also of no use to me.
I will be installing my Kodak 126mm and shutter while the Graphex (X)135mm soaks.
Pictures for "before and after" will be posted later.
I wouldn't be so quick to get rid of the rangefinder and viewfinder. I used my Super Graphic handheld about 75% of the time. When i traded it for a wood field camera, I had to get a Graflex handheld large format camera to scratch the itch

Then again, it's your camera, do what you want.
11-20-2014, 01:50 PM   #2347
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Just FYI ... there's some Zenza-Bronica gear on the eBay site of British Heart Foundation. Lens, finder, 120 & 220 backs. J

Zenza Bronica Zenzanon 250mm F 5 6 Bronica ETR Mount Camera Lens XX B82 725211112747 | eBay

11-20-2014, 06:00 PM   #2348
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QuoteOriginally posted by unixrevolution Quote
I wouldn't be so quick to get rid of the rangefinder and viewfinder. I used my Super Graphic handheld about 75% of the time. When i traded it for a wood field camera, I had to get a Graflex handheld large format camera to scratch the itch

Then again, it's your camera, do what you want.
Thanks!
I took some pics of the beast before I did anything. I did remove the RF and optical finder. The Kalart did work, but after I got the flash bracket off, I just decided to off with it. I use MF folders a lot, and they have nothing but scale focus, and I get good shots by estimation or using a handheld RF.

I may keep the Kalart around, but at this time, I just don't see me using it.
The front shutter was an easy fix, pulled the lenses, ran naptha and graphite through it, fired it repeatedly and it got sweet and crisp. The shutter is ready, and waiting for the lensboard paint to cure.

The rear shutter, after I pulled the back, I dropped light sewing machine oil onto the roller bearings and exercised it some and it is sweet now also!!

The bearing surfaces of the graflok back and the GG were both rough and corroded. I used a brass brush and cleaned up all those bearing surfaces, then used a very thin coat of boot wax on those areas. The film holders run in and out very smooth and certain now.

I still need to do a fine clean on the GG, but otherwise, this is a shooter!
I have never loaded 4x5 film, and I wasted two new sheets of film and had to do a net search before I figured out how to do it. I tried loading the first sheet, and no matter how I tried, the film was just an 1/8" too long, and the dark slide would not close up. I turned on the light and looked and pushed and tweaked and did everything I could think of. The film would NOT fit!!
I turned out the light, (and I can hear people laughing at me in the gallery), tried another sheet on the other side, and it would NOT fit either.

Jumped online and watched a video, and they never actually said anything about flipping up the loading end to slide the film in. I was watching and watching and it finally dawned on me, that end flips up, (WHAT???)

No one ever mentions it, but there it is. LOL. Now i need to get my paper, for paper negs and I will be shooting a 4x5 Graflex Speed Graphic! Yay!
11-20-2014, 09:42 PM   #2349
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Im so excited to announce that tomorrow, I will show you pictures of my new LX I just bought with winder, grip, strap lugs, data back and SE-20 Crosslines focusing screen.
of course it has the sticky mirror thing. but I just paid COP 120.000
11-21-2014, 12:02 AM   #2350
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Got a second Spotty! The SP on the left. It it in really good shape. I was expecting a beater for the price the seller was asking for. Have to find a battery to see if the meter works.

11-21-2014, 11:55 AM   #2351
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So I just picked up two LNIB mint Pentax LX and pentax original k to 42 adapters to use with my M42 takumars.
Pretty sweet. Guy tossed in a mint Fuji EBC 55mm F1.8 to go with them.

First Three rows from the left are MInolta MD glass,
Then two Rows of Takumars
Then some Sony and Canon Modern stuff.

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11-21-2014, 03:53 PM   #2352
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Talk about a plastic, uh, fantastic? Found this in a box. Needs a little cleaning. That's a 50mm 1:6. Yep, f/6. f stops are 6, 8, 11, and 16, or you can use the 'Scene' modes.

11-21-2014, 04:38 PM   #2353
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Chinon Infrafocus 35F-MA. I absolutely love early, clunky innovations (in this case, infrared autofocus). Takes nice pictures though, high-end compacts had really good glass in them back then.
Anyone else got a camera with a face?

11-21-2014, 05:41 PM - 1 Like   #2354
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QuoteOriginally posted by edmundrt Quote
Anyone else got a camera with a face?

Oh yeah...
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11-21-2014, 08:57 PM - 1 Like   #2355
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QuoteOriginally posted by dcshooter Quote
Here's the original repair manual with lubing instructions for the body and FP shutter.

www.graflex.org/manuals/45-Pacemaker-Speed-and-Crown-Graphic.pdf

I'd follow these rather than the website directions, since I know of at least one that gives some very very bad advice on tensioning the spring/lubing.

Naptha will help with the copal/compur/whatever shutter on the lens, but you are going to want to lube certain parts with sewing machine oil and powdered graphite, too. There are variou stutorials out there for how to do that, too.
Thanks! I found the manual on Graflex.org and skimmed through it and I am confident that I have things lubed and adjusted correctly. The FP shutter just needed some light oil and some exercise and works wonderful now. The front shutter was even easier. Most of the problem was a bad cocking gate, and gummy shutter blades.
I took two test shots with it last nite. The film holders actually gave me more trouble than the camera. I had never loaded film in a holder. Had no idea that the end flipped up, and wasted two sheets trying to get the film to fit lengthwise, before I found something online that shows that end piece flipped up to load film.

I may have some Portra 160 and Vericolor to play with soon as well. The 21 sheets of b/w 100 I have now will last me a long time if I start playing with paper negs.
I was going to take some "after" shots today, but got busy with other stuff, besides the weather turned crappy and I didn't want to shoot indoors. sigh.

one of the two test shots last nite:
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