Fixing a lens

Not too much ago I had the opportunity to purchase a Voigtländer Bessa II with Skopar lens which I prefer for shooting 6×9 frame because of its coupled telemeter instead of Zeiss Ikon´s two viewing windows (one for the telemeter and the other for composing and shooting).

So, recently I found another Voigtländer Bessa II this time with Heliar lens. It was very cheap and I bought it promptly. Both cameras are in good shape, they are almost identical from outside.

But soon a problem arrived: the Heliar lens was almost entirelly separated.

It´s not unusual to find separated lenses in Brazil. I think it has something to do with the temperature and humidity that are higher here than in European countries.

So I bought isopropyl alcohol and Canada Balsam…

… and I will try to fix this lens. But I found too little information on this subject in the internet. The procedure I found is:

- boil the lens in water until they separate.

- softly clean the lenses with alcohol.

- apply one or two drops of Canada Balsam.

- squeeze the lenses to its original thickness.

- center both lenses using a square.

- let it cold.

Any thoughts? Suggestion? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Bye-bye Rolleiflex (2)

Cel is a good friend and a great photographer. He likes rangefinder cameras for shooting 35mm and for medium-format he tried a few different cameras, like Mamiya C330, Kowa Six and this Yashica MAT.

Yashica MAT is a great camera. I had one a few years ago. But sometimes the camera doesn´t deliver that je ne sais quoi so he decided to buy one of my Rolleiflex. So after I lent this camera to Igor, Ricardo and Silviano, it now belongs to Cel.

As a rangefinder guy traumatized by a recent robbery episode – where he had a Leia M4 and a Nokton 50mm f/1.5 stolen – he now uses a Olympus steal-if-you-want Trip for shooting in the streets.

Pentax K1000 and a nice Stair

Everytime I go to Pretti I meet someone purchasing a film camera. Now it´s Flalbert that bought this Pentax K1000 with 50 mm f/2 lens. He told me that many years ago his dream was buying this camera but he decided to use the money on other things. Now the dream come true.

Last week I visited a photo studio where they have this wonderful idea to decorate the stair.

Happy Mother´s Day

Today is Mother´s Day in Brazil. HAPPY MOTHER´S DAY!!!… film style…

3 x Rolleiflex

Sometimes I wander in downtown just for fun. São Paulo is a beautifull place to visit although its problems (violence and dirty are the worse). When in dowstown I always visit the camera shops looking for something to post here and that are my findings since last time.

At Pretti this beautifull Rolleiflex.

And this 6×6 slide projector. I´v never seen such a thing before.

They have also this poster fixed on the wall. It´s obvious Kikuyashoji is a camera-related shop in Japan but there are no link between the two shops and I didn´t understand why this poster is on display at Pretti.

At Photovison I found this digital miniature of a Rolleiflex camera. First time I see it in Brazil.

Angel have always many things like this Nikon FM2 with 35-70 lens sold for 320 USD. Classic cameras are sold for high prices in Brazil.

I found this ARFOC poster (ARFOC is a professional reporters association).

ARFOC´s logo is a film.

Shop Windows

Some more cameras at display on shop windows. Some are for sale and some for decoration. Here a Ricoh 800Z Super 8 Movie Camera.

A very rare Zeiss Ikon Movikon 8 mm Movie Camera. I wanted to buy this beauty but the shop owner didn´t want to sell it.

A beautifull Leica M3 with Summicron 35 mm f/2 lens with goggles.

A shop window with several cameras for sale.

Rolleiflex SL35.

Pentax.

Pentax Spotmatic F.

Fujica STX-1n.

Minolta X-300.

Argoflex. This is a TLR camera and was being used for decoration.

A badly shaped Olympus Pen.

Another junk: Ricoh 500G. They are suposed to sell this camera…

Rollei A110 that uses Film format 110.

Bueno Estylo

Bueno is a well-known service shop with half a dozen employees located at first store of this building on the right side.

But as a shop it is door-sized.

As a service shop working for a few decades they gathered quite a lot of good classic cameras that now they put on sale for good prices.

Estylo is another of many sell-anything-electronic shop found at Galeria das Artes right at the side of Galeria Sete de Abril

You can´t walk into the shop. You are serviced from the street.

They also sells used cameras and lenses like these Nikon SLR which was much better than it appears on the picture.

I also found this beautifull set of Pentax 67 lenses.

And some other cameras.

Rollei Red Filter

I told before how I get the UV and IR filters for my Rolleiflex. This time it happened again but with a red filter.

I really never wanted to have a red filter for my Rolleiflex but I just didn´t want to lose the opportunity to have one for a good cost. These filters are not easy to find in Brazil and I may need someday.

Bye-bye Rolleiflex, wellcome Rolleiflex

Today I´v been informed that one of my cameras was sold. It´s a Rolleiflex 3.5E with Planar lens. This camera:

One of my best. The camera was bought by this girl, Maju.

She contacted me on facebook and told me that his father used to have a Rolleiflex 3.5 that was stolen years ago. Now having another Rolleiflex is like a dream comeback.

I wish you the best, Maju, and that you take many, many pictures with your new camera.

DHM, Photovision, Photo Extreme, Photonews, Prisma

Are all small shops in Galeria Sete de Abril, in São Paulo Downtown.

DHM Photo Camara.

Photovision.

Photo Extreme.

Photonews.

Prisma.