Rolleicord Vb

Hi.
Just acquired my first MF camera - Rolleicord Vb TLR.
Looks good, except of few things discovered: the taking lens seems to
have fungus
(or somethign like that - a net of thin dust-like lines inside) and
the shutter speeds are a bit sticky on slow settings (1 sec looks like
1.5 - 2 second actually, 0.5 sec looks like 0.7 or 1 second long).
I nuderstand the latter can be caried out by a good the technician,
however I worry about the lens. I do not know whether it still can be
cleaned up or is useless.
First I would appreciate if someone will recommend a good technician
specializing in Rollei TLRs I can trust into. Since I'm not within US,
it can be either US or Europe (I'm in Israel)
Also, if the taking lens cannot be cleaned up, do you think it can be
replaced with a clean one ? if yes, perhaps even with Xenotar 75/3.5
(instead of my current Xenar 75/3.5) ?

Regards, Alex
www.zabrovsky.com

Hello Alexz,

The shutter is easily CLA'd. Check with Ferdi Stutterheim's site to
local a good repair person near you.

However, open the camera back, set the shutter to "B" and the aperture
to f/3.5. Trip the shutter and look through the lens toward bright
light. If you see a spidery pattern or something that looks like
fungus, send the camera back and get a refund of your money. The lenses
probably aren't worth repairing. Fungus can etch glass and render them
useless. I don't know anyone who has a lens set that could be swapped
for. The cost might be prohibative.

Sorry for all the "good" news.

Regards - Chris


Alexz wrote:
Hi.
Just acquired my first MF camera - Rolleicord Vb TLR.
Looks good, except of few things discovered: the taking lens seems to
have fungus
(or somethign like that - a net of thin dust-like lines inside) and
the shutter speeds are a bit sticky on slow settings (1 sec looks like
1.5 - 2 second actually, 0.5 sec looks like 0.7 or 1 second long).
I nuderstand the latter can be caried out by a good the technician,
however I worry about the lens. I do not know whether it still can be
cleaned up or is useless.
First I would appreciate if someone will recommend a good technician
specializing in Rollei TLRs I can trust into. Since I'm not within US,
it can be either US or Europe (I'm in Israel)
Also, if the taking lens cannot be cleaned up, do you think it can be
replaced with a clean one ? if yes, perhaps even with Xenotar 75/3.5
(instead of my current Xenar 75/3.5) ?

Regards, Alex
www.zabrovsky.com

Believe it or not, sometimes this stuff can be cleaned. Placing it in
sunshine for a day will supposedly kill the fungus and then you could clean
it with a lens cleaner solution. Sometimes it comes off and sometimes it
doesn't. Even if you're left with a speck, even though it'll drive you
crazy, you'll be hard put to find it on your photos. Almost every lens I've
gotten my hands on could be cleaned, not to perfection, but enough to make
it usable. And again don't sweat a little debris. Several of my lenses
have some and it does not appear to affect the image.

Christopher Perez wrote:

Hello Alexz,

The shutter is easily CLA'd. Check with Ferdi Stutterheim's site to
local a good repair person near you.

However, open the camera back, set the shutter to "B" and the aperture
to f/3.5. Trip the shutter and look through the lens toward bright
light. If you see a spidery pattern or something that looks like
fungus, send the camera back and get a refund of your money. The lenses
probably aren't worth repairing. Fungus can etch glass and render them
useless. I don't know anyone who has a lens set that could be swapped
for. The cost might be prohibative.

Sorry for all the "good" news.

Regards - Chris

Alexz wrote:
Hi.
Just acquired my first MF camera - Rolleicord Vb TLR.
Looks good, except of few things discovered: the taking lens seems to
have fungus
(or somethign like that - a net of thin dust-like lines inside) and
the shutter speeds are a bit sticky on slow settings (1 sec looks like
1.5 - 2 second actually, 0.5 sec looks like 0.7 or 1 second long).
I nuderstand the latter can be caried out by a good the technician,
however I worry about the lens. I do not know whether it still can be
cleaned up or is useless.
First I would appreciate if someone will recommend a good technician
specializing in Rollei TLRs I can trust into. Since I'm not within US,
it can be either US or Europe (I'm in Israel)
Also, if the taking lens cannot be cleaned up, do you think it can be
replaced with a clean one ? if yes, perhaps even with Xenotar 75/3.5
(instead of my current Xenar 75/3.5) ?

Regards, Alex
www.zabrovsky.com

1. Fungus is not the end of the world. If it has gone too long, it can damage
to coating or leave marks on the glass. I'd take a crack at cleaning it first.
This is not difficult. Both the front and rear lens cells unscrew and are
easily accessible for cleaning. Your repair person should be able to do this
easily. If the fungus is between the elements, you're SOL. Often the fungus
can be cleaned with no damage done to the lens or coating.

2. No, you can't replace your Xenar with a Xenotar or Planar. They won't fit.
The Xenars on the Vb are excellent lenses and at f8-f16 you probably won't
notice any difference between them and their pricier relatives.

On 2004-04-05 12:16:49 -0400, (Alexz) said:

Hi.
Just acquired my first MF camera - Rolleicord Vb TLR.
Looks good, except of few things discovered: the taking lens seems to
have fungus
(or somethign like that - a net of thin dust-like lines inside) and
the shutter speeds are a bit sticky on slow settings (1 sec looks like
1.5 - 2 second actually, 0.5 sec looks like 0.7 or 1 second long).
I nuderstand the latter can be caried out by a good the technician,
however I worry about the lens. I do not know whether it still can be
cleaned up or is useless.
First I would appreciate if someone will recommend a good technician
specializing in Rollei TLRs I can trust into. Since I'm not within US,
it can be either US or Europe (I'm in Israel)
Also, if the taking lens cannot be cleaned up, do you think it can be
replaced with a clean one ? if yes, perhaps even with Xenotar 75/3.5
(instead of my current Xenar 75/3.5) ?

Regards, Alex
www.zabrovsky.com

Some years ago I asked on this newsgroup about having my Rolleicord
fixed up and the quoted answer was: " Marflex in Pine Brook, New
Jersey" I don't know about them firsthand or even if they still exist
but it's worth a look-up.
--
Michael Weinstein | Never underestimate the power of
Nashua, NH | stupid people in large groups.

Christopher Perez wrote:
Hello Alexz,

The shutter is easily CLA'd. Check with Ferdi Stutterheim's site to
local a good repair person near you.

However, open the camera back, set the shutter to "B" and the aperture
to f/3.5. Trip the shutter and look through the lens toward bright
light. If you see a spidery pattern or something that looks like
fungus, send the camera back and get a refund of your money. The lenses
probably aren't worth repairing. Fungus can etch glass and render them
useless. I don't know anyone who has a lens set that could be swapped
for. The cost might be prohibative.

Sorry for all the "good" news.

Regards - Chris


Alexz wrote:

Hi.
Just acquired my first MF camera - Rolleicord Vb TLR.
Looks good, except of few things discovered: the taking lens seems to
have fungus
(or somethign like that - a net of thin dust-like lines inside) and
the shutter speeds are a bit sticky on slow settings (1 sec looks like
1.5 - 2 second actually, 0.5 sec looks like 0.7 or 1 second long).
I nuderstand the latter can be caried out by a good the technician,
however I worry about the lens. I do not know whether it still can be
cleaned up or is useless.
First I would appreciate if someone will recommend a good technician
specializing in Rollei TLRs I can trust into. Since I'm not within US,
it can be either US or Europe (I'm in Israel)
Also, if the taking lens cannot be cleaned up, do you think it can be
replaced with a clean one ? if yes, perhaps even with Xenotar 75/3.5
(instead of my current Xenar 75/3.5) ?

Regards, Alex
www.zabrovsky.com

Hi Chris and Alex,

Cleaning the shutter and lens at the same time might not be too much
more than just doing either... Still probably more than what you paid
for it! Shock hooror! Chris is right in saying that fungus can etch the
lens so it might not be worth getting fixed. Better to find someone who
can honestly judge that. If its a little fungus not to worry--however...
Fungus also ruins coating, and stains it, this is even just with a little.
Unfortunately, swapping lenses is not really a viable option as they are
matched and carefully calibrated at the factory (AFAIK). Xenars can be
really good lenses too so I wouldn't worry about not having the
so-called "best" lens for that camera.

Michael Weinstein wrote in message news:2004040521232116807%drmike99NOSPAM@ixnetcomc om...
On 2004-04-05 12:16:49 -0400, (Alexz) said:

Hi.
Just acquired my first MF camera - Rolleicord Vb TLR.
Looks good, except of few things discovered: the taking lens seems to
have fungus
(or somethign like that - a net of thin dust-like lines inside) and
the shutter speeds are a bit sticky on slow settings (1 sec looks like
1.5 - 2 second actually, 0.5 sec looks like 0.7 or 1 second long).
I nuderstand the latter can be caried out by a good the technician,
however I worry about the lens. I do not know whether it still can be
cleaned up or is useless.
First I would appreciate if someone will recommend a good technician
specializing in Rollei TLRs I can trust into. Since I'm not within US,
it can be either US or Europe (I'm in Israel)

Also, if the taking lens cannot be cleaned up, do you think it can be
replaced with a clean one ? if yes, perhaps even with Xenotar 75/3.5
(instead of my current Xenar 75/3.5) ?

Regards, Alex
www.zabrovsky.com

Some years ago I asked on this newsgroup about having my Rolleicord
fixed up and the quoted answer was: " Marflex in Pine Brook, New
Jersey" I don't know about them firsthand or even if they still exist
but it's worth a look-up.


Thank you guys, great help.
I think I'll try to figure a good lab locally (BTW, I'm not in US, I'm
in Israel) to get their estimation. General CLA should be done anyway
(at least to fine tune the shutter speeds), however the fungus may
pose an issue.
Nevertheless, this weekend I'm going to put the camera in field test
shooting aside to my Canon L optics, and then I hope to figure how
critical is the curent fungus issue.

As about the pricing - I won the auction for 135$. As it seems, aside
of fungus, the camera is in working condition and cosmetically is good
considering its age...

Marflex still exists. They do outstanding work. Krikor Marlian is
simply amazing. His boss isn't 1/2 bad either. :-)

If the original poster can find someone closer to themselves in Europe,
or the Middle East, then the ship time might be shorter. So checking
Ferdi's list of repair shops may remain a good idea.

If one doesn't mind the wait, another good option is to send the camera
to Harry Fleenor in California.

Regards - Chris

Michael Weinstein wrote:
On 2004-04-05 12:16:49 -0400, (Alexz) said:

Hi.
Just acquired my first MF camera - Rolleicord Vb TLR.
Looks good, except of few things discovered: the taking lens seems to
have fungus
(or somethign like that - a net of thin dust-like lines inside) and
the shutter speeds are a bit sticky on slow settings (1 sec looks like
1.5 - 2 second actually, 0.5 sec looks like 0.7 or 1 second long).
I nuderstand the latter can be caried out by a good the technician,
however I worry about the lens. I do not know whether it still can be
cleaned up or is useless.
First I would appreciate if someone will recommend a good technician
specializing in Rollei TLRs I can trust into. Since I'm not within US,
it can be either US or Europe (I'm in Israel)
Also, if the taking lens cannot be cleaned up, do you think it can be
replaced with a clean one ? if yes, perhaps even with Xenotar 75/3.5
(instead of my current Xenar 75/3.5) ?

Regards, Alex
www.zabrovsky.com


Some years ago I asked on this newsgroup about having my Rolleicord
fixed up and the quoted answer was: " Marflex in Pine Brook, New
Jersey" I don't know about them firsthand or even if they still exist
but it's worth a look-up.