Graflex.org

[graphic6x9]

How good (1. Resolution 2. coverage 3. contrast) would a Rodenstock - Ysarex 1:4,7 f=127mm lens stripped from a late 40's/early 50's era Polaroid Pathfinder 110a camera be for use on 6x9cm or 4x5inch cameras?

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Wayne Catalano
Convention Photo & Video
P.O. Box 96
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[Les]

equal to a 127mm ektar

or

Very good

[daleraby]

And I thought I was the only one to do something like that!

[dkt]

Hey, I got one & do just that...I've used it on a speed & a pacemaker graphic as well. The lens will cover 4x5 on a press camera, but it is only a so-so lens....at least mine is anyways. It has some funky quirks to it....I wouldn't say that it has good resolution, contrast etc. compared to some other lenses I have like a linhof xenotar, or a schneider g-claron, or even a commercial ektar. The ysarex is kind of a dog compared to those, but it has it's "charm"...

[frankpaladin]

Does anyone know how to separate the lens elements from the shutter on this lens? Mine has some dust on the inner surfaces I'd like to remove... more than likely it is Teflon powder sombody squirted into the shutter for some reason. I'd rather not start twisting things with my ViseGrip until I know the procedure.

[troublemaker]

It might be graphite, as the little people who used to go inside and clean and lube shutters worked the night shift three days a week in a graphite mine near Rochester that has been a secret until now. At one time folks thought Graphite and other dry lubes was a good idea for shutters, and since the little people were covered with it already,it was economical for them to go inside the shutters and do a little jig. If you look closely you can still see tiny hand prints.
OK sorry...but dry lubes, esspecially Graphite, migrates all over the inside of the shutter regardless if you believe in the littel people.
And the lens elements should unscrew fairly easy. I did one a couple days ago and had to get out the Jar-Lid opener type vise grips to get one stubborn lens front off. Normally they should be only hand snugged and easily removed (front and back). IF you need to use any type of clamping devise, be very careful not to crush or deform the ring as it is soft brass most likely. Thus I try to use something with a rounded shape for more clamping surface area. I also add a few layers of masking tape down on the face-plate of the shutter to prevent scrathcing there (but depending on shutter make or age etc, be careful not to peel off painted surface). You will most definately want to use some hard rubber strips or leather about 1/16" to 3/32" around the outer rim you are clamping. If you have an old belt or scrap leather this should work. Be very careful when you do this and all should go well. It ussually only requires a small amount of tweak (and try to avoid calmping a vise grip to its locked position as the last movement of its design adds a lot of force) to get it started and then fingers do the rest. The Element I just removed required an unussual amount of force, all my force, to get it to come loose, and I managed to remove it undamaged or scratched by this method, but it had to come off. So for most this should suffice.
If not OK with my methods wait and see what someone else recommends...

[45PSS]

Hold shutter in one hand so that levers are not bent and do not dig into your hand, grasp the outer ring of the lens element and turn counterclockwise to unscrew the element.
For stuck lens elements use a strap wrench on the lens element and grip the shutter tightly, you may need a towel or rag.
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00945533000&subcat=Adjustable+Wrenches
or take a length of 18 guage lamp cord, wrap around the outer ring of the lens element and clamp with vise grips so that as pressure is applied the rounded most edge of the vise grip is against the lens and does not go past 90⁰ to the lens with full pressure applied else damage to lens barrel or element(s) can result.
Charles

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The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

[Henry]

I'll repeat here a method that has worked for me. Put the shutter in the refrigerator for about 30-60 minutes; the metal contraction is often sufficient to break the grip on the threads. Then remove by unscrewing ccw with the aid of one of those textured rubber jar lid remover thingys. If this doesn't work the first time, put shutter in the freezer compartment, then repeat as above.

[disemjg]

My favourite rubber tool is just a 6"x6" section of inner tube, placed on the desktop. Press the shutter/lens cell against it and turn. Protect the front element with a small piece of cleaning tissue if it protrudes too close towards the front edge of the ring.

Stubborn cases call for rubber strap wrenches and other tricks; I have not yet had to resort to the thermal cycling but I know it works.

Some lens element retaining rings lack spanner notches, and are removed with rubber tools. Go to the hardware store and buy a selection of rubber drain plugs. If you are lucky one will have an edge that will touch the ring and let you move it.

I am always on the lookout for odd shaped rubber items for use as tools, and set them aside for potential future use.

[troublemaker]

For inner retaining rings... Get an assortment of furniture tips, 1", 1-1/4" etc..., and then because they are tapered you can then cut where you need it so it fits inside the ring, and this will get 9 out of 10 (the 10th would most likely be a dinged or bent ring requiring other means like thread repair) inner element retatining rings out and I have got some pretty stubborn ones to back out and have had to push pretty hard on a couple. Also, the abover mentioned vise-grip method described is used only for extreme measures when soft approaches do not work. I have even found where someone glued a backing nut on my XL Heligon's shutter to its mount with something very evil rather than repair it properly by debutring the back of the mount barrel so the nut will do its job. To get that nut off took a combination of splittign the nut and then applying heat to soften the glue, and though you can not believe how diligently careful I tried to be, I got it off without any damage to anything other than the nut. And that is the same lens that required some serious pressure to get the front element group off. My only other alternative would have been to machine a special split ring clamp and place in suitable lathe chuck and back the shutter off of it.
As a side note to one of above comments: the common cause of loosey goosey shutters is burring on the back of the lens board drilling by hackers and such and the result tends to necessitate overtightening of the backing nut and like what I found, some kind of cement.

[disemjg]

I just got a 127 Ektar mounted on a Pacemaker board, and today when I disassembled it for cleaning, sure enough the guy who made the hole left all kinds of rough edges sticking up on both sides. It cleaned right up, but you wonder why it was left that way in the first place.


[ This Message was edited by: disemjg on 2006-03-05 17:27 ]

[troublemaker]

I would say that it is a just don't know kind of thing. I took a handfull of boards to work friday and re-holed a couple for larger shutters and cleaned up the rest on a lathe. One of the holes would have been considered more of a corrupted quadralateral.