Love my Baby - Rolleiflex 4x4

KoNickon said:
css9450, you are correct -- you turn the knob and encounter resistance; keep turning until the resistance is overcome, and the shutter is charged. The shutter had been tripping at the point the resistance was overcome. Hopefully the lighter fluid cleaned it up.
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That's good news! Your description sounds exactly right.
 
It started to seize up again, so another treatment with lighter fluid given this morning. Hopefully after a couple of additional treatments it'll be all set.
 
cassel said:
Good to see the 127 cameras getting some use!

The Primo JR seems to be rare in grey/Japan only?
I really like mine- the only issue at this point has been learning how to load it properly - getting frame #1 right and therefore getting a complete 12 exposure roll out of it! Spoiled by the auto loading Rolleiflex.

I have a roll from the Rollei and three from the Primo at the lab - but there may be a delay due to the virus shut-down.

Still shooting the Primo in the meantime...
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I thought I'd screwed it up again I followed the instructions to the letter, and half expected the first shot to be lost with an uncocked shutter, but I took the first shot and it worked! The confusing part is once you move the counter to the bullseye and FIRE THE SHUTTER. That's the part that had me worried, I thought maybe the camera then would arrive at the "1" mark with the shutter uncocked, but it was, and it fired normally.

Jim
 
So I thought you're supposed to wind to 1 in the red window, then use the counter setting button to get 1 to appear. I understood that would cock the shutter. Is that what you did?
 
KoNickon said:
So I thought you're supposed to wind to 1 in the red window, then use the counter setting button to get 1 to appear. I understood that would cock the shutter. Is that what you did?
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Yes that's what I did but it says once you press the counter reset button to fire the shutter. I don't know maybe I won't be able to duplicate it again, but I got it to work properly for this current roll. I wish is was a littlre more automatic. One of my few complaints about this camera's design.
 
You press the counter reset button to fire the shutter at frame 1? I'll play with mine (no film as yet) and see what you mean.
 
I just did exactly what it said to do in the "Special Precautions", where it says right after you revolve the spool until the bullseye appears, you "press the shutter release button". Then I followed the instructions for loading and once I got it advanced to "1" on the counter, the shutter somehow was cocked and ready for frame one.
 
OK, I thought that once you get "1" in the red window you press the counter button and it sets the camera counter to 1 and the shutter is cocked at that point. I'll play with it some.

I mentioned the Sawyer's I found -- viewing lens (and ground glass) is out of whack, but the taking lens is fine. So I'll just use the hyperfocal technique with it. I was afraid the camera was no good at all.
 
KoNickon said:
OK, I thought that once you get "1" in the red window you press the counter button and it sets the camera counter to 1 and the shutter is cocked at that point. I'll play with it some.

I mentioned the Sawyer's I found -- viewing lens (and ground glass) is out of whack, but the taking lens is fine. So I'll just use the hyperfocal technique with it. I was afraid the camera was no good at all.
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Right, that's part of the loading sequence, but it gets fouled up if you don't start off with the bullseye showing and pressing the shutter release.

I copied the manual to a pdf I can send it to you if you want.

Jim
 
I took the Sawyer's out today and took a few shots to make sure it's still working, and it's feeling like a little Rolleiflex! Feels so solid, compared to the Yashicas. Hopefully will have some pictures soon.

Jim
 
Primo Jr inner element won't come out

Primo Jr inner element won't come out

So yeah I did get my hands on another, this time a Primo Jr with the same problem, stuck shutter leaves. I got the first lens element out with some difficulty now I've tried every which way to remove the inner lens rng with no success. Used all the rubber stoppers I have. Can't get it to budge. I wonder if I should put a drop of naptha around the outside edge of the ring, but it's real tight getting in there. Very frustrating because I"m convinced I can get this working again like I did with the Sawyer's Mark IV.
 
Looks like the same issue I am having with my Sawyers -- got the whole front lens block (including the name ring) out in one piece after first being only able to get the name ring off. But I went back in (to try cleaning the shutter leaves a second time) and could only get the name ring off. And, the front element turned freely so I couldn't use a stopper directly against it to loosen the lens elements. I'm inclined to think that maybe a little naphtha around the edge, as you are contemplating, will help. I am also thinking that maybe I need to make sure the name ring is very tightly seated against the front element, and then push down hard on the stopper while unscrewing (as with a stubborn screw, using a screwdriver), so that the whole thing comes loose. After all, the name ring is screwed down onto the lens elements, and it's the part of the thread that is mounted on the shutter that needs to budge. If that doesn't work, then trying to wrap the lens elements with a rubber band or strap wrench may be the only way. Frustrating, since I had gotten it off before.
 
KoNickon said:
Looks like the same issue I am having with my Sawyers -- got the whole front lens block (including the name ring) out in one piece after first being only able to get the name ring off. But I went back in (to try cleaning the shutter leaves a second time) and could only get the name ring off. And, the front element turned freely so I couldn't use a stopper directly against it to loosen the lens elements. I'm inclined to think that maybe a little naphtha around the edge, as you are contemplating, will help. I am also thinking that maybe I need to make sure the name ring is very tightly seated against the front element, and then push down hard on the stopper while unscrewing (as with a stubborn screw, using a screwdriver), so that the whole thing comes loose. After all, the name ring is screwed down onto the lens elements, and it's the part of the thread that is mounted on the shutter that needs to budge. If that doesn't work, then trying to wrap the lens elements with a rubber band or strap wrench may be the only way. Frustrating, since I had gotten it off before.
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Yeah I don't know what I'm going to do yet. The one on the Sawyer's did the same thing but I was eventually able to get it loose. No hurry I guess I hate bearing down on the camera with force like I'm having to do in trying to turn it. So far I don't think I've damaged anything.


I did get my test roll back from the Sawyer's though! Looks pretty good. I am in the process of trying a roll of Rerachrome now.


Jim
 
success! sort of---

success! sort of---

I did manage to get the lens apart on the Primo Jr.! What it took was using the rubber lens removal tool with several of the smaller ones left in to add rigidity when turning the ring. And I did get it working again with just a little ROR-1 on a QTip, I am so much happier with this rather than putting Ronsonol in there which seems to gum things up in a way ROR-1 doesn't. It just evaporates, and you wipe off any excess with a clean Q-Tip and work the shutter until it dries. None of that nasty sticky mess naptha can leave. Now my only problem is there was a film on the inside of the rear element that I'm tying to remove using the QTip and ROR-1. A lot of it has come off, but not all of it, and I'm not sure it will. I'm just holding the shutter button down on "B" and cleaning it with the QTip. I thought about trying to take the rear element out from inside the back, but I'm not sure I can get it out of that tight deep recessed area. I also notice a little bit of a vertical rocking of the lens board that I don't like. I may just have to learn to live with that.


But it's better off now than it was an hour ago...
 

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Now where do I find ROR-1? Sounds like it's the stuff!

I need to figure out how to use the stoppers I've got to best advantage. As for going in from the back, it's hard enough with a 120 TLR; it's really tight with a 4x4. And I did try this approach with the Primo initially and found only the lockring unscrewed; the rear element group didn't come out. So be forewarned! Maybe use of pliers will work if I really am careful; we'll see.
 
I had been thinking I was never going to be able to find a proper lens shade for 4x4. Last night I was leafing through the Rollei Manual (I think that's the title) by Ian Parker -- highly recommended resource -- and read something interesting about the Rolleilux. This is their very nifty combined Bay I hood and selenium meter. I got one some years ago, and it's very useful indeed. But the Parker book mentioned that there are two versions of the Rolleilux, one for the 6x6 Rolleis and one for the 4x4 Rolleis, which can be distinguished by the index dots on the bayonet mount. The Rolleilux I have, which I understood to be for the 6x6 cameras, actually allows the bayonet mount to be rotated between two different index marks. This changes the position of the cutout portion of the bayonet mount, so that I can mount the Rolleilux on the Baby Rollei (and Primo Jr and Sawyer's Mark IV). That is NOT mentioned in the Parker book -- I am rather stoked to figure this out!
 
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