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Lens repair help
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AuthorMessage
snapshot
Joined: 12 Dec 2022
Posts: 4
PostPosted: Tue Dec 20, 2022 2:24 am   Post subject: Lens repair help

Well it looks like I spoke too soon. The 135mm Graflex Optar Wollensak lens on my 1950 Pacemaker has decided to show its age. The shutter fires off, but it does not change speeds when I cycle through the speed settings, firing off at the same fast speed regardless of the setting. Also the T setting was working yesterday but today it was staying open intermittently and now does not stay open at all.

Thanks to this forum I downloaded the service manual for this, but it appears to be a pretty daunting task to repair this. I read that some of the parts for this lens are no longer available and its a shot in the dark ( no pun intended) that this may or not be fixable?

Any thoughts?
Thanks
Dan Fromm
Joined: 14 May 2001
Posts: 2165
PostPosted: Tue Dec 20, 2022 3:25 pm

Hmm. Wollensak's Rapax shutters can be cleaned, lubricated and adjusted.

Working alone can be hard. Check with https://alphaxbetax.com/services/, who may be able to help you. This fellow is a specialist in Wolly gear. There are other shutter repair services. Go to https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/ and ask about them.
snapshot
Joined: 12 Dec 2022
Posts: 4
PostPosted: Wed Dec 21, 2022 3:02 am

Thanks bunch for the links. This helps to know that there is someone out there that can do this kind of work.
offhand35
Joined: 05 Mar 2023
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Sun Mar 26, 2023 12:17 pm   Post subject: Press Camera Shutter Repairs

I have found Mark Hansen at http://www.zeissikonrolleirepair.com/index.html to be excellent for shutter service & repairs. He likes working on Zeiss Ikons and Rollei's, but his real love is older leaf shutters. From his website:

View cameras: All shutters including Betax, Compound, Copal, Compur, Kodak, Prontor, Seikosha, and wollensak, and many more, no matter how old.
Press Cameras:
Speed Graphic, Crown Graphic
Bush Pressman, Linhoff, Plaubel
Mamiya.

NOTE that he is backlogged and turnaaround is approx. 6 weeks.
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