Scratched 2.8 Xenotar testing

[pentaxpete]

Some years ago I was given a 1956-59 ROLLEIFLEX 2.8 E2 XENOTAR by a widow lady whose late husband had got kit off a Press Photographer -- the taking lens had bad scratches, the bottom latch pin was missing, the winder was stiff, the meter did not work , there was a Light Leak -- so I finally got it repaired -- he made a new very small pin for bottom latch plate, got the meter working lubed it and kit all works now ! I found a roll of outdated Kodak GPF C41 film in fridge with no wrapping so no exact 'date' -- I rated it at 50 ASA and went out in town with Rollei in dull light . I took a small series of tests with the scratched XENOTAR at full aperture and one at f5.6 -- results were amazing ! Film scanned very light ' soft and blue so I just did a colour correction and used 'Curves' to bring contrast back to how subjects looked at the time as near as possible and a small amount of 'Un-Sharp Masking' for the 'Digital Scan'

f2.8 XENOTAR at FULL APERTURE

f2.8 XENOTAR at f5.6


f2.8 XENOTAR at full aperture

[danfromm]

I'm really happy that your story has a happy ending.

My 80/2.8 Xenotar, in Compur and not from a TLR, has the much desired "cleaned with coarse sandpaper front and rear" look and is unusable.

[kds315*]

Looks very good to me! Congrats Pete!