Super Isolette

[Obot]

Hello,

I'm more of a lurker here on these fine boards than a poster but I have recently come into possession of a very fine Super Isolette. The only problem I seem to be having with it is a jammed focus ring.
So my question is are these a particularly awkward thing to fix on my own or am I looking at a repair job? If so does anybody have any recommendations for a repairman in the UK?

Regards

-Obot

[bigeye]

My experience is here.

[Obot]

Thank you bigeye.

The Speedex is the equivalent of the Isolette is it not? If so I was led to believe Isolettes and Super Isolettes had different lens constructions, do you know if this changes the methods you described at all?

Regards
-obot

[graywolf]

First I do not have a Super Isolette, so I am writing from experience with other folders.

The Super Isolette has a coupled rangefinder, my experience is that focusing problem with coupled rangefinder cameras are about ten times as hard to deal with as on uncoupled rangefinder or rangefinderless camaeras. That said whether you will feel OK working on it depends on how you feel about working on something you have no experience with. If you are used to tinkering with things mechanical, they you probably will not have much problem, if not you probably should have an expert fix it.

The problem there is that a lot of people who think they are experts, even those in the business, are not. There have been several mentioned in these threads that people have had good experience with.

The Catch-22 you are dealing with is the the Super Isoette is a valuable camera, Unlike the regular Isoesttes which are a dime a dozen.

[Steve M.]

The Super Isolettes are different from the others. They have unit focusing, vs front cell focusing in the smaller cameras. If your focus is jammed, you'll probably need to send it out. The last Super I owned ended up needing a full CLA to fix it's stuck focus, and a new bellows as well. Cost was VERY expensive. Can't recall where I had the work done. When I sold the camera later, I took such a hit that I've burned that part out of my memory quite nicely.

[Obot]

Thanks for the information guys, and while I am used to tinkering with things of this nature, I think I may have to send this one out. lucky I picked it up quite cheap.

So the question is, does any one have any good repairman they can recommend in the UK?

On the plus side the bellows seem fine, but I will have to pass some film through it to know for sure.

Regards
-obot

[bigeye]

Obot: My bad. I have a Speedex Special, which is an Isolette, not a "Super", which is a very nice, but different beast.

-Charlie

[z.bruce.li]

Jammed focus ring might be easy fix, if it is the front cell focusing type. I used hot air from hairdryer, which soften the green glue (used to be lubricant) and I can lossen it up. Once loosened up you can do cleaning. Mine was a plain vanilla Isolette I got for free so did not worry about damage.

[graywolf]

Speedex Special R? With an uncoupled RF?

That is the same as an Isolette III, I believe. Those have the front cell focusing and if the lens front turns at all it should be an easy fix. If it is solidly frozen up then it requires more draconian measures which may or may not damage the camera.

If you can turn it at all, it is just a case of removing the bezel and unscrewing the helical, cleaning, and relubing the threads. The only thing is making sure you mard it just before the threads come loose so you can start it back into the same threads, otherwise you are going to have possibly hours of trial an error getting the thing to focus correctly. That is because the helical is a multi-start thread.

If it is frozen solid, I would start with a couple of drops of penetrating oil and let it sit for a week or so, trying to move the focus every day. If that does not work you will probably need heat. Start gently and apply increasing amounts until it breaks loose, if it ever does. Some people had to go as far as putting the front standard in the oven at 250F or so. Very easy to permanently damage things, but if you can not break the helical loose, the camera is basically junk anyways.

However, the Isolette/Speedex are considered some of the easiest cameras to repair, and there is a lot of info out there on the web about doing so.

[Obot]

Thanks for all the advice guys, and based on that I have decided to send it off to Ed Trzoska as it seems a bit out of my comfort zone.
I'll let you know how I get on.

regards
-obot