Help: Agfa Super Silette w/ Prontor-SVS

[andrew_gormley]

I have just bought cheaply at auction an Agfa Super Silette with the

Prontor SVS shutter and the Apotar f3.5 45mm lens. I haven't put film

in it yet, but when I press the shutter, nothing seems to happen.

Should the shutter open without film in it? How easy is it to remove

the shutter unit etc? Are there any tech manuals anywhere for these?

Thanks

Andrew

[tgh]

I'm not specifically familiar with the Solinette, but a couple of things about many German-made 35's from the 1950s - The shutters often aren't self-cocking with the film advance. Many have a separate lever on the shutter housing that you've got to flip to actually tension the shutter. Second, many need film in the camera to actually position things correctly for an exposure. You can often work around this by opening the back and rolling the film sprocket with your thumb as you wind the film advance. This fools the camera into thinking there's film in place.

[tgh]

Sorry, meant to say Super Silette. But otherwise everything the same.

[francois_gauthier]

I have one too. It does not need a film to operate and the shutter is cocked by the film advance lever.

 

These oldies are often sticky on slow speeds. Try it at fast speed first. I have a user manual (jpeg files) but no technical one.

[andrew_gormley]

Thanks Todd & Francois. I too have just found the user manual, so it appears mine is really stuck - the shutter doesn't appear to work at any speed. Either of you don;t know where the may be a place on the web showing how to get these off the camera and apart. (Figure if it doesn't work, I may as well take it too bits and try to DIY)

Andrew

[mskovacs]

Is the self timer jammed? Often when a shutter acts up, the user engages the self timer in desperation. How do the shutter blades look? Are they clean, or fouled with dirt and oil?

 

<p>Most of these 35mm leaf shutter rangefinders are put together in a similar way. There should be two slotted nuts in the rear holding the shutter and the rear lens group. This should free the shutter from the camera but you'll want to make a note how the linkages for the cocking rack and release go back together, and depending on the camera perhaps have to deal with a flash synch wire.

 

<p>From the front, there should also be a way to free the front groups, likely a spanner, maybe behind a nameplate held in with set screws. Your mail goal is to get the leaf shutter free from the lens elements on both side and out of the camera.

 

<p>Once you get that far, then look <a href="http://daniel.mitchell.name/cameras/prontor/prontor.html">HERE</a> for detailed instructions on CLAing a Prontor SVS. I'm working on a Protor SV right now, and its been necessary to remove the slow speed escapement for a 12 hour soak in lighter fluid.

[andrew_gormley]

Hi Mike. Thanks for the reply and the link. When you say there should be "two slotted nuts in the rear holding the shutter and the rear lens group", is this when you open the camera-back?

Thanks

Andrew

[conrad_poulin]

"When I press the shutter nothing seems to happen"

 

With my Silette,sometimes after advancing the film to cock the

shutter I have to partially advance the film again in order to

depress the shutter button. The film advance lever should be

single stroke. But mine is faulty. I don't know if your Super Silette

is similar.

[andrew_gormley]

Mike - I got the front bits off, and noticed when comparing to your pics that when looking at it, with the delayed device on the right, the bit at the top was not in the right place. Gave it a nudge and it seemed to click into place . Shutter now works (how accurately i dont know).<br>

One final question. When screwing back in the front lens element, how far to I screw it back in?<br>Thanks everyone for your replies. <br>Andrew

[mskovacs]

Yes when you open the camera back. Often its possible to work on a leaf shutter without removing it.

 

If the camera is unit focusing (moves entire lens and shutter) as it looks from pictures, then you want to put the front element back in tight. If it focuses by moving only the front elements, then you have some additional work on your hands.

[John Farrell]

The Super Silette is front element focussing. You will have to reset the infinity focus - leave off the focussing ring, set the camera up on a tripod with the shutter locked open (on B, with a locking cable remote). Tape a focussing screen against the film rails (I made one from a piece of plastic cut from a CD case, rubbed lightly on a flat surface with an abrasive cleaner). Point the camera towards a view a mile or so away, and turn the focussing lens element until the view is in sharp focus. You may need to use a magnifying glass to see this clearly. Your infinity focus is now set, and you can refix the focussing ring, with the distance set to infinity. Make sure the pin which drives the rangefinder doesn't slip out while you're doing this!

[andrew_gormley]

Thanks for your reply John. Much appreciated. <br>

One more question which I'll ask here (so I don't start another thread).

How do I remove the Film Advance Lever on these? I want to get the top plate off so I can clean and adjust the rangefinder. I can just see a screw hiding under the lever on the top right hand of the camera, but have no idea how to get the lever off to get at it.<br>

Thanks again everyone.<br>

Andrew<br>

PS by the way. Mike - that site of yours is fantastic

[dean_williams]

Andrew, if I remember right (maybe) there are two tiny holes right in the top of the wind lever, about 3/8 inch apart. You need to use a small pin spanner to unscrew it. If you don't have this spanner, get a cheap pair of hooked needle nose pliers and grind down the ends of the "needle nose" part to fit the holes. I don't know if it's a rt. or lft. hand thread. Go easy on it. If you don't see these little holes, you may need to use a friction driver, like a dowell with a piece of rubber glued to the end of it.

[andrew_gormley]

Thanks Dean. You memory serves you well. Have now managed to get the lever off, taken off the top plate, and adjusted the rangefinder (as best I can). So now all I have to do is get the front lens in the correct place and I have a working Super Silette for NZ$10!! <br>Thanks again <br> Andrew

[dean_williams]

Andrew, for a slick way of adjusting your infinity focus, check out this page by Rick Oleson. This works great! (and a big thanks to Rick).

<a href="http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-123.html">Infinity focus</a>

[andrew_gormley]

Dean, Thanks for the link. Except as far as I understand, this method won't work as the Super Silette is a rangefinder, and therefore I dont look through the lens as in an SLR. (Good tip for setting up the rangefinder part of the camera though). Unless I combine this method with what John suggested and tape a focusing screen to the film rails?<br>Cheers<br>Andrew

[dean_williams]

Yes, Andrew, just put a piece of Scotch tape (the kind that looks "frosty") on a small piece of glass and make a vertical mark on it with a sharp marker. Lay the glass on the film rails with the piece of tape facing the rear element of the lens, and tape it down. Shine a lamp onto the glass from the back of the camera. Use an SLR with the lens set at infinity and look into the front of your Silette's lens. Rotate the front lens element on the Silette until the mark on the glass is in focus. That will be infinity on your Silette.