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I also use Kiwi polish, but sometimes mix a little dubbin with the polish; it's a softer oily/fatty waterproofing stuff that I have originally for walking boots. I would guess it's probably tallow (as a vegetarian I really shouldn't be using it!); it gets noticeably softer with the warmth from your fingers.

I have a Zeh Bettax 6x9 camera, but have hardly used it. I have made better use of my Zeh Goldi (3x4 cm on 127 film).

Statistics: Posted by Dustin McAmera — Sat Dec 15, 2018 2:56 pm

tadas wrote:
The red window does not have a cover for when you aren't advancing the film, so I'm putting some black tape over the red window, to peel up only when I'm advancing the film. The leather covering is kinda dry - can anyone suggest something to treat it?

Forgot to mention that I have one 6x9 -Inos II- with the same red window style, no problem at all and I have been shooting in bright days, the black tape makes it 100% secure but just in case you don't find any near when you go out, nothing should happen

Statistics: Posted by alexvaras — Sat Dec 15, 2018 2:38 pm

Glad to see you here, Tadas! Good advice already given.

Sandeha Lynch makes, or used to make, replacemente bellows. An emergency measure may be to leave the bellows open and wrap around something to keep light off. A carefully cut sheet of thin black foam did the job for me once.

Hope you can get the Zeca in working order!

Statistics: Posted by Julio1fer — Sat Dec 15, 2018 12:26 pm

Some Lexol, perhaps.

Robert

Statistics: Posted by Brazile — Sat Dec 15, 2018 5:45 am

Kiwi black for shoes is what I use, apply, leave it 5 minutes and then polish with an old rag (cloth). If it's so day as I imagine do repeat the process and leave rest for one day and see if the leather could "admit" another layer.
Another option before Kiwi if the leather is still 100% black is to use cocoa oil 100% without smells or anything, mine is Cocoa 100% Extra virgin, apply and let it dry until the leather absorbs everything, carefull here dont over apply or you will have to remove the excess after.
Both ways work for me.
I hope we can see the camera after you do it and some pictures, I love 6x9 cameras even if I shoot better in other formats
Thank you for sharing the story.
Alex

Statistics: Posted by alexvaras — Sat Dec 15, 2018 12:01 am

When your parents were refugees, you generally have few items from "the old country". My parents fled from Lithuania during WWII, and came to the US in 1948 (thank you, President Truman!). Aside from some paperwork, my father grabbed a butter knife and his camera when he fled.

The camera in question is the Zeca 6x9 folder, made by Paul Zeh Kamerawerk of Dresden, a second-tier manufacturer. It has an f 1:6.3 105mm Zecanar Anastigmat lens and a Pronto shutter (100, 50, 25, B, T). It uses the European style f stops: 6.3, 9, 12.5, 18, 25, 36, which makes my brain hurt almost as much as the forever-damned "EV" system from the '50s that they put in "to make things easier" (don't mind the mini rant). I'm just using "sunny 12.5" for exposure, just like Pop taught me when I was 6.

It's in fine working condition, and I plan to take it out again soon - I've had a hiatus from film photography for a couple of years. Some of you may remember me from Nelsonfoto.

My father gave it to me when I was about 6 years old, in 1962. Some quick instruction, (leave the F stop on 12.5, leave the focus on 5 meters, set the shutter to 100 if sunny, 50 if cloudy 25 in shade), a roll of Verichrome Pan, and I got great pictures at Scout camp. Fortunately, the shutter's self-cocking.

The red window does not have a cover for when you aren't advancing the film, so I'm putting some black tape over the red window, to peel up only when I'm advancing the film. The leather covering is kinda dry - can anyone suggest something to treat it?

Statistics: Posted by tadas — Fri Dec 14, 2018 10:05 pm

Good call Phil, I will take a look, I know the spring which close the shutter blades but I'm not sure if can be adjusted.
Another theory about this is the 3 blade shutter can't be checked the same way a 4 blade shutter by my photosensor, the next time I open the shutter I will check carefully both options.

Statistics: Posted by alexvaras — Thu Dec 13, 2018 12:11 pm

No worries, you were the only one to reply and engage the "riddle"

Statistics: Posted by alexvaras — Thu Dec 13, 2018 5:29 am

You have to determine which lever is the catch for keeping the blades closed, and adjust the tension of its spring. But don't over do it. It once took me a couple of days to figure out that someone had really torqued a spring on a Zeiss Contaflex II Syncro-Compur, which then held back the striker bar that was supposed to activate the shutter catch lever.

PF

Statistics: Posted by PFMcFarland — Wed Dec 12, 2018 11:34 pm

Shows you I wasn't paying good enough attention on your previous portraits, and didn't bother to review them.

PF

Statistics: Posted by PFMcFarland — Wed Dec 12, 2018 11:29 pm

I want to... Im still waiting the mirror and the beam splitter, already posted 28th Nov no news so far...

Statistics: Posted by alexvaras — Wed Dec 12, 2018 2:20 pm

Alex, I have heard of shutter bounce, but usually it's with a focal plane shutter.

You definitely need to use that camera, because I want to see some photos.

Statistics: Posted by melek — Wed Dec 12, 2018 7:36 am

Thank you Phil, the order is Collinear, Symmar and Goerz.
It seems Symmar shows no reflection on glasses (modern or coated glass)?
For portraits I wont use Symmar, I still haven't found any better than the Heliar or that odd Tessar I have for LF.

Statistics: Posted by alexvaras — Tue Dec 11, 2018 11:32 pm

My nephew was interested in using film in older cameras longer enough to design and make (in a 3D printer) some caps to use 120 film in 116 cameras. He could have made lots, and he could have made other sizes, but he lost interest. Sigh. He gave me a set of the 116>120 caps but I still have not used them.

Statistics: Posted by Philip — Mon Dec 10, 2018 2:00 pm

I know what you mean about shooting digital vs. film. I desperately want to shoot film again, but I just have no place to set up a temporary darkroom, and my office is a big disaster, so the scanner is sitting off to the site. Plus, I need to run it via a virtual PC because it only runs under Windows XP.

I really like digital, but I sometimes thing that colors can be too pristine. I'm not even sure what that means.

I do like the Eiffel Tower at night and the b/w shots.

Statistics: Posted by melek — Mon Dec 10, 2018 12:24 pm

I would have thought that there was a processing reel for that size.

122 film supposedly was produced up until 1970, which was well after the dip and dunk. Maybe those were just sent through a commercial process with other roll films, and it was help by clips on either end and dragged through the chemicals.

I did find these on eBay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Kodak- ... 2916314653

These allow you to use 120 film in a 122 camera. They are caps for the ends of 120 film.

Statistics: Posted by melek — Mon Dec 10, 2018 10:32 am

I'll go with Symmar, Goerz, Collinear. All equally fine as far as composition is concerned. I'll say that #2 is sharpest. But I'm going with #3 as a favorite, even though it really is a toss-up.

PF

Statistics: Posted by PFMcFarland — Sun Dec 09, 2018 5:01 pm

Three lenses 4 photos, one the subject moved so I shot again, lenses are:

Symmar 210mm f5.6, Voigtlander Collinear III f7.7 No5, Goerz Berlin Doppel Anastigmat serie III/2 180mm f6.8 (Dagor).

Could you say which photo has been taken with each lens? The photos have been cropped.


#1


#2


#3

Btw, please say which one you like more (if any) and why, I own the Goerz Berlin and Symmar but not Collinear which may not be cheap.
My wife says so far Collinear-Symmar-Goerz in that order.

Thank you for watching and comments are welcome
Alex

Statistics: Posted by alexvaras — Sun Dec 09, 2018 11:58 am

alexvaras wrote:
It's good you got your money back.
Regarding Ebay buyer protection policy, now after a year of ebay experience I try not to use it anymore in any item that the buyer can return (even if I put no returns) or claim because the buyer's incompetence.
Happened with my first Contax II, perfectly working shipped to USA, the buyer was not able to shot any decent shot and blaimed the camera and he wanted to return it back and get refund, even if he was right (let's say so) I decided to refund him straight away before paying the return shipping cost and then having to ship it back to him after "repairing" it, not worth the trouble. All of this because the seller has no protection at all.
Now as seller I have to "pray" to find a buyers who knows how to handle the items I sell and not be blamed because this 80 years old camera it's not new.


Sellers can also vet the buyers. Say this buyer has a history of returning items, or demanding refunds, you can cancel the sale. Or if they have no to little feedback, or negative feedback. Even then, someone is going to slip through the cracks.

PF

Statistics: Posted by PFMcFarland — Sat Dec 08, 2018 10:54 pm

Thanks. Just to follow up -- in November, I met with the same people in the pictures, at the same place their picture had been taken 45 years ago, and used the same camera to take some shots. I told them that I wasn't sure it would work and they'd have to give me a few weeks or even months to work it out. And we agreed to meet next summer at the place where the archery shot was made. I'll try it again then if nothing comes of the roll I shot in November.

So, I have not yet developed the film I exposed. I've been thinking ever since about how I can easily develop it. My technique twenty years ago was the dip&dunk method which requires stronger shoulders than I think I have today. With extended developing time (to make up for the very old film) and adding in washes and fix, it took nearly forty-five minutes in the early or mid-1990s. That's 45 minutes of slowly and evenly dipping the five-foot length of film in trays of chemicals. Up right arm and down left. Up left arm and down right. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. . . .

So I have thought about how to do it in a tank. I've done some rough tinkering with my Paterson tank & reel and have figured out (using 35mm canisters) how to extend the length of the tube that joins the two parts of the film spool. But as it is, it is not very solid, nor quite exact. Being loose, I can't expect the film to hold tight as I spool it it. So I need to work that out before I do any developing.

I keep wondering "How did people develop 122 film back before the 1970s?" There must have been hardware for the purpose. I've looked at several of the spools that have been available in the past forty years, but none of them is easily modifiable for 122 film. At least no more easily than the Paterson. I sure would like to find a better way.

Statistics: Posted by Philip — Sat Dec 08, 2018 8:52 am