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Isolette big FIASCO!!!
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:00 pm    Post subject: Isolette big FIASCO!!! Reply with quote

Well, it had so many light leaks that the first roll is to be thrown to the garbage can...

So now is time to look for fabric to replace the bellows...

Some samples, (just to show the fiasco):







Otherwise, a nice experience uning the Isolette.
Everybody was looking at me when I took out the camera... Smile


Jes.


PostPosted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't know - a couple look interesting, sort of like UFO pictures.


PostPosted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

According to Mr. Kreckel (certo6) nearly all Agfa's have bellows leaks. You might try some fabric paint as a temporary fix till you can locate replacement bellows. I've seen them here and there but can't recall where.
http://www.certo6.com/index.html
http://www.davidrichert.com/AGFA%20Manuals/agfa_isolette_i.htm

Those are good photos despite the leak. Looks like you got a good lens.

People's reactions are priceless: then 14 year old daughter and I drove to a nearby town to buy a Voigtlander Bessa I. We then drove to a nearby waterfall to try it out. Of course I let daughter have the first tries.

There was a guy with his huge Canon/Nikon digital thing with the lenses and stuff. Now my daughter is a skinny little thing, and there she was with this long (105mm) folding camera shooting the waterfall. He glanced over and then did a long double take.


PostPosted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ah, here it is, I knew I had some info somewhere...
http://www.ph.utexas.edu/~yue/misc/AnscAgfa.html

Obviously, I've been interested in the Agfas (and other quality folders) for a while. Too bad my Bessa 66 is currently out of order.


PostPosted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 7:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You can replace the bellows with some from another camera - the Agi folders for example have the same size bellows which are nearly always light tight and good quality. The Kershaw 110 is another. Usually found very cheaply.


PostPosted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 7:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That ain't no leak! If it were a leak, it would be lighter than the rest of the photo, but it is darker. The bellows is simply somewhat deformed, and there is even some stringy stuff sticking out so the rays from the lens are partially obstructed and you get shadows. With the aperture fully open, open the back of the camera and look at the lens from each corner of the film gate to make sure that the whole aperture is visible from everywhere. A drooping and/or lopsided bellows is quite common in old folder cameras.

Veijo


PostPosted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks like a leak to me. Are you sure you have that the right way around Veijo?


PostPosted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree with Veijo, it seems no leak to me, but like if there were something fabric like just after the lens, look! there are fabric yarns visibles everywhere.


PostPosted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That is possible, but the first one shows a leak. The yarns may be from the edge of whatever fold has parted in the bellows, projected onto the film from the gap rather than the light from the lens. Plus, the leak seems dependent on where and how strong the light hitting the camera is.


PostPosted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jes, I can close my eyes and superimpose my Contaflex fiasco, my
commiserations! The cam does show promise, tho.


PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 9:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think, its a processing error. Look at my sample, that is a leak.

Ingo



PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 7:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm still unsure about where the problem is....

It doesn't seem a bellows problem, I've checked carefully the folds and no one seems to have any hole.
Neither the droppings inside that Veijo pointed to...
I've taken a couple of shots to show it:





Jes.


PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 8:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looking at your camera it seems all in good order.

At this point I guess your developing lab played you some nasty trick Sad


PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 11:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I still think I agree with Veijo. I can't explain the bright streaks in the first pic, maybe there is indeed a leak, but the darker areas in pics 1 & 2 certainly look very much like a shadow cast by one of the folds in the bellows. Now I see that the bellows are lined with fabric I'm even more convinced.


PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 11:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Often you can't see a light leak in a bellows unaided. Go in a dark room and put a light inside the bellows, and look from the outside to see.

Have you run a second roll through to eliminate or confirm the processing snafu theory?


PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 1:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi colleagues, thanks for your thoughts.
I didn't want to run a second roll until sure of the camera has nothing wrong. I thought also in putting a ligt inside and trying to see any leak from the outside.
And to confirm (or reject) the shadow cast theory of Veijo and Peter, I thought in placing a translucid paper in place of the film and try to see if I can reproduce the effect.
I'l try to do such tests along the weekend.

Jes.


PostPosted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 6:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Final diagnose: Leaks, leaks, thousand of leaks....
All the single corners where the bellows fold, have leaks. Putting a hi-intensity LED inside, shows it quickly....










So I need some way of reparing/replacing the bellows.
I heard about a painting to fix them...
Is it worth to consider?.

Thanks in advance.

Jes.


PostPosted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 7:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think you need new bellows Jes, painting over the holes won't get rid of the shadow. Have you seen this?

http://www.rolandandcaroline.co.uk/html/isolette_bellows.html


PostPosted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 7:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

peterqd wrote:
I think you need new bellows Jes, painting over the holes won't get rid of the shadow. Have you seen this?

http://www.rolandandcaroline.co.uk/html/isolette_bellows.html


Hi Peter,
Thanks for the pointer. I know Roland & Caroline, I bought one of their books on repairing old cameras in the past, but I didn't recall that particular page....
It seems that I'll have to take out the craftsman that everybody carries inside and build a new set of bellows Smile

Jes.


PostPosted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jesito wrote:
It seems that I'll have to take out the craftsman that everybody carries inside and build a new set of bellows Smile


Another project at the end of the queue Wink

It looks like one of those jobs that seem daunting at first, but turn out to be quite easy once you've made the templates and got the hang of the folding. You'll become our resident bellows expert Jes!


PostPosted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

peterqd wrote:
Jesito wrote:
It seems that I'll have to take out the craftsman that everybody carries inside and build a new set of bellows Smile


Another project at the end of the queue Wink

It looks like one of those jobs that seem daunting at first, but turn out to be quite easy once you've made the templates and got the hang of the folding. You'll become our resident bellows expert Jes!


As you say, Peter, the queue is long...
The bellows will have to wait a little.
Today I've fixed three flash units, built the fungus zapper, fixed the old B&D electric screwdriver and cleaned up (a little the bench). Next in the queue are some rangefinders that have to be resealed since long. After the Olympus 35RC, there are some Konicas and Voigtlanders that need attention.
And probably (not to say too loud) there will be a new dig camera body to replace the 350D...
There is also a dead Spotmatic body waiting for surgery.
So the bellows factory will probably wait until holidays. But I must admit that it's an appealing project. After seeing the pictures from the Isolette, even bad exposed, I see a promise there...
Whenever it will happen, I'll try to document the process as usual.

Jes.