C1932 Voightlander brilliant

Neil Purling · Joined: 12 Oct 2009 Posts: 37

I have got one of these, with the f7.7 Voightar.
I may need the inside of the lens cleaning, but at the moment I would like someone to step forwards if they have the same camera & all the leather straps associated with the case & camera.
There are two big strap lugs,presumably for a neck strap. I wondered if anyone has a complete example they cam photograph for me?
The case needs stitching too & I thought i'd get the lot done.
BTW I am in the UK if anyone knows of anyone who can 'do' the CLA.
I am well aware the camera is not worth a massive amount.

Nesster · Expire: 2014-02-20

I did a search on flickr for the brilliant, and interestingly most of the camera photos didn't have the strap... here's a few with the case
http://www.flickr.com/photos/corradoe/5411150288/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sovietcamera/4820186533/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/heritagefutures/4032967865/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sovietcamera/4820182599/

The best thing, I say, is to put the straps on the person fondling the camera Wink

Dobriyin 5494 by Frank Lopez Photography, on Flickr

Do you have a desire to be authentic about the straps? If not, what I've done with my cameras is simply to use modern web straps of the appropriate width - e.g. SONY video camera straps. They get the job done...

Laurence · Expire: 2016-06-19

nesster wrote:
The best thing, I say, is to put the straps on the person fondling the camera

Even better, take the straps OFF of the person fondling the camera. Shocked

Neil Purling · Joined: 12 Oct 2009 Posts: 37

Stunning Picture Nesster: The camera looks pretty good too...
So that's two of us needing a immediate cold shower?

The camera in the images is of a later year than mine.
The case of mine has tooled lines all the way around the case, (Art Deco) influence. There is a very short strap stitched to the case at the same spot as those loops in the image.
I assume this is for carrying the case in the hand.
On the camera body there are things like the spring-loaded film spindles that project out of the body & the wind knob.
There are two other projections that are fixed & I thought they were there to accept a strap if the camera was being carried out of the leather ERC. I have not yet seen any evidence to support this guess.
Winding is a bit of a stiff exercise. Maybe some spools are minutely wider? It means winding can't easily be done with the camera in the makers ERC.
Anyway. I just noshed my way through a roll of Kodak BW400CN. The sun came out yesterday & I exploited that situation. I'll take it for processing tomorrow.

std · Joined: 09 Feb 2010 Posts: 1826 Location: Bulgaria

There is a ever ready case for this camera. I had one some time ago but it was so badly worn that it didn't make any sense for keeping it.

Neil Purling · Joined: 12 Oct 2009 Posts: 37

The camera must have been used with a additional strap & worn around the neck, not in the case as it is very stiff winding on & would be almost impossible to do with the camera in the official case.

I had the Kodal film developed. The results were encouraging but not perfect. At this point I suspect the Kodak film was at fault, because it was eight years past it's expiry date!
I stuffed the camera with that great cheap film: Shanghai GP3.
I used two rolls in the Brilliant this Sunday. There was another two in a Lubitel 166B and a Holga GN.
I was testing the Lubitel after adjustment of the infi8nity focus. The results will be a contrast comparison as I duplicated shots with the Voightlander, Lubitel & the Holga in some instances.

I have got to soup this lot of four rolls now.......

Neil Purling · Joined: 12 Oct 2009 Posts: 37

Would you expect image contrast to be reduced if I had a shot by the Voightlander Brilliant (uncoated optic) and a Lubitel, which is coated. They took the same shot only seconds apart & the light did not change. The light came from over the photographer's right shoulder.

Otherwise the lens needs a internal clean.

Neil Purling · Joined: 12 Oct 2009 Posts: 37

Can anyone reccomend anyone in the UK who could give the simple shutter a CLA & clean the internal surfaces of the lens. Contrast is down & a little under exposed.
Or maybe I am worrying about nothing?????????

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

The lens is easy enough to clean on your own. Its a cheap camera, so in my opinion anyway its not worth the expense of having service done.

The front and rear cells just unscrew, and you should easily be able to reach all the glass surfaces and clean them with alcohol.

When you reassemble it of course you will have to reset infinity.

I highly recommend making your own plastic "groundglass" for this purpose -
http://forum.mflenses.com/make-your-own-plastic-groundglass-t35782.html

nemesis101 · Expire: 2015-01-22

Really! BAD boy! Smile

Doug

Neil Purling · Joined: 12 Oct 2009 Posts: 37

I managed to dismantle the lens and clean the surfaces of all the cells with alcohol. I re-assembled the camera, managing to lose one of the tiny stop-screws.
I have the mortal remains of another (incomplete) Brilliant to take bits from. This camera also gave me another case that was not in such a advanced state of decay.
I only took four on the roll, so it might be a while before I see what effect my spring clean has had.
I loaded up with FP4, but at £5.00 a roll it will be Shanghai or Foma 100 in future. I figure the faster film around in 1932 would have been around 100 ASA given the shutter speeds and lens stop options.

Neil Purling · Joined: 12 Oct 2009 Posts: 37

Another strip down after the shutter croaked on me.
I striped the donor unit's lens and cleaned as I did before.
Same amount of bad words used in re-assembly.
I burned three rolls of Fomapan over the course of the week, so I will have to mix some D76 and get to work. I have been on holiday, so I hope i've got some nice shots.