Something fun. Kodak Signet 35.

Have a look. <a

href="http://home.rmci.net/deanw/Signet_35.html">Signet 35</a>

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Dean

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<a href="http://home.rmci.net/deanw/Old_Stuff.html">Old Stuff</a><div></div>

Its a nice camera that can produce wonderfuls pictures IF the shutter is working. I think I've owned about eight of them and on only one did the shutter work. I pulled it out a few months back and even that one now malfunctions. Kodak did not produce good shutters.

The shutter is this camera's weak point, no doubt. They are very easy to fix, though. You can get into it through the front element in about two minutes.

Most of Kodak's better shutters are just fine. The Kodamatics and Supermatics are straightforward and well built. They are value engineered, but very capably. Mo money wasted in construction, but everything necessary is there.

 

Now, some of the high speed shutters, like the Synchro-Rapid 800 one on the Tourist, and perhaps this Synchro 300, were duds, pushing leaf shutter technology further than it could go!

I have one of these. the shutter works, but the rangefinder doesn't

I was looking for one for a while but they go for more than $7 on Ebay.

The yard sale season starts soon. After the snow melts. And I'll be looking.

Here's a shot from my Signet35. I missed the focus by a tad, and yes, the shutter isn't the pinacle of technology, but it's a fun camera and gets a lot of comments.<div></div>

There is an incredibly good lens on these little jewels. I used to pick them up

for $5 at camera shops where they had been traded in for Instamatics, and

give them to teenagers. Don't know if any of my many seedlings ever

bloomed, though.

One of my great aunts had a Signet 35. She and my great uncle lived in pre-Castro Cuba where my Uncle worked for Hershey's. My aunt took hundred of Kodachrome slides of the great house they lived in as well as the surrounding plantation. Too bad she didn't leave me any of her slides. My parents have some brilliant 8x10's made from the few slides we borrowed. My aunt never used a light meter, but always relied on the exposure guide.

Kodak did an upgrade/recall on the shutter; that changeded the palls; ie the slow speed deals that slow down the shutter when used below 1/300 second. This fixed the intermittant problems. When cleaned; the shutter is very robust; this was a camera designed for the military. It has 50 ball bearings in the focus mount; and a very fine 4 element 3 group Ektar. This one is very sharp.<B> If you have a camera that has a rangefinder that has not been aligned in 1/2 century; and the shutter has not been cleaned in 1/2 century; then off course the camera may appear as a dud.</b> The several samples I have are as sharp as a Summicron or Nikkor 50mm F2; when the Ektar is at F8. These cameras were 95 dollars new in the early 1950's in today dollars this would be 700 dollars. The focus helix is very rigid; and doesnt have right-left focus errors like a worn out Retina folding 35mm. The lens is parallel to the film plane more consistant than a Bantum Special or Retina folder. When the shutter is degunked of 1/2 century old grease; this 35mm rangefinders is one of the most robust rugged cameras ever made. The pivots on the rangefinder mirrors are spring loaded knife edges; for little slop and friction. There are three different models; and about 3 or 4 trim ring variants; two shutter variants; several rangefinder variants. Many were converted to X synch at the full 1/300 second for strobe. The double exposure lever under the bottom plate can get gunked up with dirt; and cause problems with a camara unearthed after decades of not being used.

The 44mm F3.5 Ektar's front lens block will unscrew in a counter clock wise direction. The labeled ring; and the shutter ring are below. The front lens group; an the rear group towards the film are a matched set. Goobers on ebay may mix them up; to create a better appearing camera; with a miss matched lens. Thus you magical "mint" jewell may give less than great performance; and folks blame the design; instead of the repair hackers. Both the Kodak and National camera repair books mention not to do this with this camera. The serial number of the body is usually below the rewind knob; when it is lifted up. Sometimes camera reapir chaps added their initials and repair codes here to with a scriber.

The Ektar on the Signet is a remarkable lens, and the Signet can give you 38 shots per roll!

Thanks to everyone that's had a look.

 

I don't really know why this is thought to be a "bad" shutter. It doesn't break per se, so much as simply gets stuck. Taken apart like Kelly says, i.e. front elements, facia and speed plate, you can get to everything needed. The main thing to get cleaned up are the two star wheels and their matching pallets. Kodak made it easy...they just lift off of their pivots. Cleaned up and replaced and a tiny amount of moly on the shutter release friction point will likely do it.

 

If you need to clean the helix on the focus (I did on mine), index it well, or you will spend some time getting it back in at the correct position.

 

I really wish I was better at scanning. The prints I made for the web page cannot show anywhere near the sharpness of the originals. The lens on this camera is something. Easily as good as the Tessar type on my Super Regent. I sure wish I could find some of these for $5 nowdays. Broken or not, I'd buy 'em all day long at that price.

This camera has "unit focusing"; ie the entire lens block is moved to focus. This type of focusing "tends" to have better closeup performance; that say a Kodak 35; where only the front element is moved. The Kodak 35 can be a sleeper of a camera too; its abit less sexy. :) The focus came on the Kodak 35 rangefinder version is on the rotateable front element's mount. The added "ugly" cover is used to hide the linkage/connection to the rangefinder. This camera has second surface mirrors!

Dean-

 

 

what's that little gizmo,right below the shutter release behind where it says Kodak on the shutter?I don't have that on mine.

 

btw -the Ektar is as sharp as any Tessar,Super Tak,Chinon etc., that I own-and I also have a 50 and 75 enlarging Ektars- pais $10.00 each-talk about sleepers.

I have an enlarging Ektar of 150mm. It is top-level.

Don;

 

You're talking about the half moon shaped thing, right? It's the focus ring knob. Most I've seen have a rectangular knob with four flutes milled, (or cast) into it. I don't know when this change took place. This camera was made in 1951, assuming it is the original lens. I'm pretty sure they had the rectangular knob by '54, maybe earlier.

Dean - yup, I've got the rectangular one- don't know that I've ever seen one with half moon thingy- kind of threw me off-I thought you had the DE-LUX model or something.

 

Red- I've finally sold my newer ,much more expensive glass,cause I wound up using the enlarging ektars all the time- I just like the way they look- a little warmer?less harsh? I'm not really sure.

Well, mine is parked right now. I just bought an F2 Nikon....

Okay, that does it -- I've got *two* Bantam RF cameras, effectively the 828 version of this Signet 35. I've got to get one of them fixed -- I already know how to put 35 mm film in them, and I can crop off the sprocket holes (in fact, my scanner will do that for me). I think I can get 20-24 exposures of 35 mm film on the tiny 828 spool without backing, cover the red window, and just let the camera keep track of the framing (and load it in the dark bag, but that's pretty easy, too).

 

They have Ektanons (triplet, I think) instead of Ektars, but they do have nice accurate rangefinders, and the shutters should clean up just as well as your Signet did...

Ha! I just loaded one with film today. Your results are impressive.

Donald- that's a very interesting idea.I have the 828 rangefinder also,and I've been re-rolling with the backing paper for 8 shots.

 

 

what do I need stinking backing paper for?

 

thanks-I'm all over that