AkArette....worth getting fixed?

I received an old AkArette rangefinder today (for free) and I was

wondering if it is worth getting repaired. I can not find much

information on the net for this camera that is not in German. Any

assistance would be appreciated.

The lens is a Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar 50mm 3.5, serial # 2854022

It has the original leather case and lens cover (screw-on).

The only serial number I can find on the body of the camera is inside

where the film is loaded and that number is # 50005.

 

Here is what is wrong with this camera.

- It needs a good CLA, but that is a given.

- The shutter is stuck halfway open.

- It is missing one of the screws that is required to open the back

of the camera to access the film (I can use a paper-clip to open it

at the moment).

 

Any advice would be much appreciated. I would love to have this

rangefinder for street photography, but I don't know enough about

this camera to make an educated decision wether to keep it or not.

Abandon an AkaRette with a Xenar? Heaven forbid!

 

(I have one that I've been meaning to use.)

 

It probably is not worth PAYING to have it fixed, but you may be able to free the shutter on your own. (Paying will cost maybe $100? You can buy a working one for less.)

 

MY NEANDERTHAL METHOD:

I'd get some q-tips, Ronsonol type lighter fluid and powdered graphite ($2 or so in a little tube), as well as some canned air (optional). Remove the lens. Mix a tiny amount of the graphite with a teaspoonful of the lighter fluid, and use the q-tips to gently bathe the shutter blades from both sides. Use the canned air if you have it to blow any residue off the blades. Try the shutter again and again to see if it will fire.

Now I know who to contact if I have a problem with repairing this camera. Thanks Daniel.

Do you have any other information on this camera?

I don't know the phisical properties of graphite mixed with dried lubricant, I would instead use only lighter fluid. But wait some time for Mike Elek he knows a lot of how to repair cameras and he will gladly give you a hand.

 

Regards B. B.

There is a lot of information on the excellent classic cameras site run by someone named McPherson, I think. See: www.amdmacpherson.com/classiccameras/ AKAGmBH/akarelle/gallery/display.html

 

Basically a viewfinder camera from the early 1950s, that takes interchanageable lenses. There are three sets of frame lines in the viewfinder - for 35mm, 50mm and I think 90mm. I've only seen the cameras with the 50mm lens.

The primary challenge with all leaf shutters is getting access to the mechanism and reassembling it correctly so you don't end up with a spring sticking out of the side or an extra part.

 

The secondary challenge is refitting the lens and resetting infinity focus. I'm thinking of creating a page on that, as I've come up with a method that seems to be extremely accurate and pretty foolproof.

 

Regarding a shutter that's stuck halfway open. It definitely needs cleaned. The bigger question is whether there is rust in the mechanism. Of course, the only way to find out for sure is to open it up (exploratory surgery).

 

I'd suggest first trying what Dan Iggers has advised. (He's correct when he says the cost of repair will vastly exceed the actual value of the the camera).

 

By the way, Rick Oleson has a lot of good drawings and excellent knowledge, as well as some pretty innovative ideas when it comes to repair. I don't know if he's worked on one of these. I haven't (or maybe I have).

 

Another by the way: I'm not sure of the serial number inside the back. But if it's the real number, some collectors get all crazy about these types of numbers (50005) -- that are the same forward and back. Can't recall what the term is.

The lighter fluid and graphite works well. The lighter fluid, which evaporates reasonably fast, acts as a carrier for the graphite. Graphite is a very good dry lubricant. In the "old days" it was used to lubricate door hinges, windows and other items around the house. You can still buy small tubes in most auto-parts stores. Get the fine graphite ... extra fine, if they have it.

 

You just don't want to use too much, and you want to make sure you cock-and-fire the shutter about 10 times or so before you blow it out gently with compressed air. You might end up with some excess, which is why it's best to remove all of the lens elements. Also, the lighter fluid will sometimes end up on a lens surface, which you'll need to clean. It won't hurt the lens coating, but it will leave spots when it dries.

 

Be judicious with the use of the lighter fluid-graphite mixture.

Gosh. I feel like I've actually been vindicated. The really ing about the procedure, by the way, is that it does not require any disassembly of shutter components.

Should have read: "The really nice thing about the procedure...

Thanks to all who responded to my question. I will indeed be trying the lighter-fluid graphite combo and will post my results. The wealth of knowledge from the contributors of these forums is staggering.

OK...the lighter-fluid solution freed the shutter blades which were actually stuck b/c the time was stuck. I am big enough to admit that I was more than a litte freightened when I opened up this camera to reveal all of the springs and tiny bone-like parts. The problem now however, that that the shutter was not stuck half closed, it was stuck half open. Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't the shutter be always closed until you press the release button? I hope I can assume that camera's functioned the same in the 50's as they do now. (basically). So, I'm not really sure how to tackle this issue. The shutter is always open. When you wind the film advance nob, the shutters close and open again. Nothing happens when you push the shutter release button. This is working incorrectly backwards. Anyone know where I can get a schematic of this camera?

Another possibility for freeing a stuck shutter is Radio Shack electronic cleaner which comes in a pressurized can with a plastic bristle brush on the end of the nozzle. It seems to be a bit more powerful than lighter fluid.

I suggest that you buy another Akarette on ebay cheaply with

a typical mediocre triplet lens. Then put the Xenar on it.

That Xenar is really sharp. Don't give it away unless you're

giving it to me!