rod_larson

<p>The Kodak Signet 35 really suprised me with its size, simplicity, and the quality of its lens. It's<br>

also a very compact camera and its art deco styling is a real eyecatcher.</p><div></div>

<p>On a recent weekend I added three more toys to the shelf. They are a Kodak Signet 40, a Kodak Signet<br>

35, and a Yashica Lynx 14E, all for less than $50. One I found at an estate sale and two were bought at<br>

an antique store. I don't usually buy at antique stores but this one had several cameras and a very<br>

reasonable pricing. Also unusual was that the cameras mostly worked. The Signet 35 didn't seem to have<br>

any problems as did the Lynx 14E. All of the Signet 40 shutter speeds were slow but the other night I took<br>

the the lens barrel apart and put a small amount of light lubricant on the cocking ring and the shutter<br>

started working. The viewfinder is so dirty you can hardly see through it so that will have to be cleaned<br>

before I can use it.</p>

<p>I put a couple of 1.5v batteries and a metal spacer in the Lynx and found that the under exposed light<br>

does not work so that will take some investigation one of these days.</p>

<p>And here they are.</p><div></div>

<p>Good luck! Sounds like you are making the best of the situation and having a really good<br>

time.</p>

<p>Rod</p>

<p>On my morning walk by the river when I scared a bald eagle eating a carp. He was no more<br>

than five feet from me when he took of with the carp. Then there was the time I caught<br>

a small bluegill that swalloed the hook and was bleeding profusely. I threw it back in the<br>

water and it was flopping around on the surface a few feet from the boat when an osprey<br>

came down, wings extended, legs straight, and facing me grabbed the fish.</p>

<p>Even if I had a camera with me I would have been too awed to get the picture.</p>

<p>Rod</p>

<p>Sorry to hear about your lens. You might try <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/Kiron-Klub/">http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/Kiron-Klub/</a><br>

and see if you can find any help there. From what I read about the lens it is worth it to<br>

get it repaired. If it is not repairable there always the auction site.</p>

<p>Good luck<br>

Rod</p>

<p>Great pictures Alan. I have an Exakta VX with a CZ Jena Tessar on it and it produces some<br>

mighty fine images.</p>

<p>Rod</p>

<p>I can't advise you on a trusted repair person and the cost will be more than the camera is<br>

worth in monetary value but an old classic brought back to life is priceless.</p>

<p>I must warn you that you are headed down a slippery slope. Soon that "once every six<br>

months" will be weekly. Then you will hear about how good the Minolta Hi-Matic series are<br>

and you will pick up one just to "try out" and then...... well, consider yourself a lost soul.</p>

<p>Rod</p>

<p>Thanks for the comments. Kayam, I don't have anything interesting on the rest of that roll<br>

but I loaded another roll into the camera so I will post some more photos later on. The<br>

compact size and ease of use make the Canonet 28 the ideal camera to use in situations<br>

like this and it is a fun little camera. I will be using it more.</p>

<p>Rod</p>

<p>I forgot to mention the winds were clocked at 75mph and this was at Woman Lake in Minn-<br>

esota.<br>

Rod</p>

<p>The fishing wasn't that good.</p>

<p>Rod</p>

<p>Here is another picture of the waves. Luckily no one got hurt, no one was caught on the lake,<br>

and there was minimal damage.</p><div></div>

<p>Things always turn out differenly than you expect. Saturday morning an unpredicted wind-<br>

storm hit us about 10:00AM. The wave were so high the ropes used to tie the boats to the<br>

docks started snapping and we had to try and get the boats beached. Here is a picture of<br>

the waves.</p><div></div>

<p>I trying to decice what camera to take on an upcoming fishing trip when Kayam Rajaram's post on his<br>

first rangefinder, a Canonet 28, inspired me to take my Canonet 28 which I had not used for almost a<br>

year. So here is the camera.</p><div></div>

<p>Well, Kayam, I have been trying to decide what camera to use on a fishing trip this weekend<br>

and your post has inspired me to take my Canonet 28. Its small size and ease of use make<br>

it the perfect camera to use in a boat.</p>

<p>I bought mine at a yard sale a couple of years ago and have only used it once so it is time<br>

to run some more film through it.</p>

<p>Rod</p>

<p>If did not have all these old cameras which I have to buy film for and have processed I would<br>

have enough to buy a pretty decent dslr but having just one camera would not be much<br>

fun.</p>

<p>Rod</p><div></div>

<p>Hi Mark,<br>

Not sure why you want to remove the lens. If you are not proficient in working with small<br>

mechanical devises and a soldering iron I would not attempt to do this.</p>

<p>I have not worked on a ql17 but generaly on this type of camera you begin by removing the<br>

front lens ring and lens. Then there will be another large, thin scalloped nut that can be<br>

removed giving you access to any wiring for the metering and cds cell that has to be<br>

unsoldered. I think the spanner you are refering to is the one seen on the auction site<br>

once in a while and that is for removing the retaining nut on the rear lens element.</p>

<p>You might try the repair forum at kyphoto.com or Rick Oleson's site at<br>

<a href="http://www.rick_oleson.tripod.com">www.rick_oleson.tripod.com</a>.</p>

<p>Good Luck<br>

Rod</p>

<p>The Minoltas are great cameras. I picked up an SRT201 with the 50mm f1.4 lens at an<br>

estate sale. Later on I bought what looked like a brand new Celtic 35mm f2.8 for a very<br>

reasonable price because it was filled with grease and the iris blades would not move but it<br>

is working now and I would have a hard time parting with the system.<br>

Rod</p>

<p>Whenever I have my digital p&s at a family function or sightseeing I like to snap a lot of<br>

candid photos which irritates my wife and she invariably tells me to "quit wasting film."</p>

<p>Rod</p>

<p>Great lens. I came into two or three of them over the last few years and they are great<br>

performers. Maybe the mirror bumper on your MV has turned to goo and the mirror gets<br>

stuck on it. If you can't fix the MV you could always pick up a Pentax MX body. That lens<br>

looks real good on an MX.</p>

<p>Rod</p>

<p>Not as loud as my srt201 or Pentax MX but louder than other rangefinders such as Himatic 9<br>

or Retinas.</p>

<p>Rod</p>

<p>Your "mistakes" gives it an old look that some photos taken a hundred years ago with some lens flare<br>

and soiled by time had. And the subject just reinforces the antique look. It does look like you<br>

planned it that way.</p>

<p>Rod</p>

<p>Old, high quality cameras are really cheap and so is film processing. And those old cameras<br>

are really fun to use.</p>

<p>Hi Andrew,<br>

On my hi-matic 9 you can feel the detents as you turn the aperture ring but I'm not too sure about the 7s. IIRC the aperture setting is a spring return in one direction the aperturemay be held open by old, gummy lubricant on them. Good Luck.<br>

Rod</p>

<p>Hi Andrew,<br>

It does unscrew. The problem is getting enough leverage in such a tight space. Good luck.<br>

Rod</p>