Rolleiflex apearance

[peter gooijer photography]

I've bought a batterded 1949 Rolleiflex, and after fixing the film

transport, and removing the fungus from the front lens element, I am

thinking about making it look better. Allmost all the black paint is

worn. What is your opinion: should I repaint it, or should I respect

it's age, and let the aluminum apear and corrode. The black paint has

some kind of structure, I don't know where to get it. I also can

polish the aluminum. BTW I fixed the film transport by opening the

right hand side, there is an excentrical (English?) washer with two

tiny holes around a screw, and by turning it (took a lot of trying),

now it starts counting again.

peter

[roger_michel]

i have collected classic cameras for many years. every time i have tried to improve the appearance of a worn camera, i have succeeded only in making it look worse. you can never make the camera look new again, and amateur facelifts tend to give cameras a kind of pathetic homemade appearance. however, having said that, replacing the leathers is a nice safe (reversible way) to spruce up a rollei. why not start there. the rug site has lists suppliers of new leathers.

[greg_jones1]

I agree with leaving the Rolleiflex the way it is. The leather is a good idea, and can make a nice difference. Paint is tricky-you would just about have to take the camera completely apart, strip all paint, repair surface defects, prime, choose the proper paint, apply, cure and finish. It is much like painting an automobile-you need to know how to select and handle the paint. Just enjoy it for what it is--I have one just like it, uglier than a mud fence, but sharp as a tack and a joy to use.

[caliber_60]

How do you remove the fungus?

[peter gooijer photography]

My general answer is: don't try it yourself, let the servicedepartment of your dealer do it. I opened a lot of (cheap) lenses, most of the time something goes wrong. I got some experience however, and I can afford (financially and mentally) to take the risk turning it into a show-model. With the Rolleiflex, which I bought relatively cheap because of the state it was in, I dared to take the risk. The ring with two slots, which holds the front element, turned rather easy. You have to apply force to both slots as much as you can, preferebly by using the special tool with two 'legs' (I don't have it). Use a screwdriver or so with a blade that fits the slot as close as possible. If you slip, you can easely scratch the lens, so don't use to much force! The Tessar has a single front element, in mine the fungus was on the inside, and coold be removed with a cloth. Steve from Australia wrote me in his R'flex it was on the rear element, so he had to wipe it off through the opened shutter. Very tricky! If it fails, weep and think about the meaning of life, if it succeeds, you will feel as proud as I did.