Walzflex TLR!!

Ok, after looking around on eBay for more than 3 months, and based
exclusively on Matt Denton's own camera review (great guy and fascinating
reading!!), I spotted a Walzflex II TLR in fairly good conditions. It was
going for $15 and I was the only bidder, so I won the auction. The seller
was Jay Tepper, which I now know is a long-time and reputed collector and
seller, and as he is also a nice guy the transaction went smooth and fast.
So, now I'm the proud owner of a (not so) brand new Walzflex II TLR, serial
212398, and man, a sexy little camera she is!! All metal, heavy as a brick,
in fairly good conditions for it's age, with some obvious wear on the edges
and two leatherette-missing spots. The focus is smooth and even the
automatic frame counter works like a breeze. The shutter is COPAL 1-300 with
B and is rather fine, too. Strangely, the slow speeds seem accurate enough
but the higher speeds (1/100, 1/300) are rther sluggish. If I release the
shutter a dozen times at 1/300 it starts to operate better, but when I leave
the camera alone for a day it turns sluggish again. Any suggestion? Also I
obviously would like to get Walzflex accessories, lens cap, hood, case, and
so on but I guess they are rather rare. So, has any fellow collector ever
tried to adapt some accessory from other cameras to the Walzflex? Filters
and maybe hoods should not be an issues, as it sports a Bay I bayonet mount,
but I guess the case is much more troublesome. Another question: as the
camera doesn't seem to have a standard cable release socket, can I use an
adaptor as those for Minoltas (if I remember well....)? Are they standard
size?
Thank you in advance for your answers.

All in all, I'm very pleased of the great vibes this camera gives, and the
world seems just right looking down the finder hood!! Man, oner of these
days I could even put a roll of film in, and shoot a couple of photos!! ;-)

Love to all,
--
Sergio La Marca
Tredici (CE), Italy

http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/forum/

Sergio La Marca wrote:
The shutter is COPAL 1-300 with
B and is rather fine, too. Strangely, the slow speeds seem accurate enough
but the higher speeds (1/100, 1/300) are rther sluggish. If I release the
shutter a dozen times at 1/300 it starts to operate better, but when I leave
the camera alone for a day it turns sluggish again. Any suggestion?

Sergio La Marca wrote:
Ok, after looking around on eBay for more than 3 months, and based
exclusively on Matt Denton's own camera review (great guy and
fascinating
reading!!), I spotted a Walzflex II TLR in fairly good conditions. It
was
going for $15 and I was the only bidder, so I won the auction. The
seller
was Jay Tepper, which I now know is a long-time and reputed collector
and
seller, and as he is also a nice guy the transaction went smooth and
fast.
So, now I'm the proud owner of a (not so) brand new Walzflex II TLR,
serial
212398, and man, a sexy little camera she is!! All metal, heavy as a
brick,
in fairly good conditions for it's age, with some obvious wear on the
edges
and two leatherette-missing spots. The focus is smooth and even the
automatic frame counter works like a breeze. The shutter is COPAL
1-300 with
B and is rather fine, too. Strangely, the slow speeds seem accurate
enough
but the higher speeds (1/100, 1/300) are rther sluggish. If I release
the
shutter a dozen times at 1/300 it starts to operate better, but when
I leave
the camera alone for a day it turns sluggish again. Any suggestion?
Also I
obviously would like to get Walzflex accessories, lens cap, hood,
case, and
so on but I guess they are rather rare. So, has any fellow collector
ever
tried to adapt some accessory from other cameras to the Walzflex?
Filters
and maybe hoods should not be an issues, as it sports a Bay I bayonet
mount,
but I guess the case is much more troublesome. Another question: as
the
camera doesn't seem to have a standard cable release socket, can I
use an
adaptor as those for Minoltas (if I remember well....)? Are they
standard
size?
Thank you in advance for your answers.

I use an adaptor without problems in my Walzflex. Get a lens cap or
something to protect your lens. I was lucky to get mine with a leather
case; maybe you should wait until a stuck focus/shutter appears in
E-bay with case, and buy it for the case (and spares). I'm a shooter,
not a collector, so I have an hodgepodge of yashica, rollei and walz
filters and hood.

All in all, I'm very pleased of the great vibes this camera gives,
and the
world seems just right looking down the finder hood!! Man, oner of
these
days I could even put a roll of film in, and shoot a couple of
photos!! ;-)

They are sweeet, ain't them? I went with mine to a Harley get-together,
loaded with Tri-x and APX400, and the camera attracted more attention
than many cycles. She was right at home with all the leather & chrome.
Now I must get a 6x6 enlarger; looking at contacts with loupe gets
tiresome quickly!

Best wishes, Santiago

"Sergio La Marca" wrote in message .. .
Strangely, the slow speeds seem accurate enough
but the higher speeds (1/100, 1/300) are rther sluggish. If I release the
shutter a dozen times at 1/300 it starts to operate better, but when I leave
the camera alone for a day it turns sluggish again. Any suggestion?

Either the shutter blades or the speed escapement gears are gummed up.

To clean the shutter blades, you can remove the front lens elements
(usually they are just screwed in) and wipe them many, many times with
lighter fluid and paper tissue. Cleaning the escapement is somewhat
more difficult, you have to open the shutter. There are descriptions
of disassembling and servicing many shutters on

www.daniel.mitchell.name

However, any experienced repairman should be able to fix this.

Winfried