I have the Ansco Speedex Special R 6x6 and Ansco Viking 6x9. Both needed new bellows and I had both CLA as well. They function as new. They are a lot of fun to shoot with!
We would strongly suggest NOT pushing the folder button without supporting the front drop down cover. Isolettes are notorious for damage to the bellows, typically most original bellows have to be replaced. Though the mechanicals are robust on the camera body the forces involved in the cover snapping open only asks for trouble. Placing your hand on the front cover and then pressing the folder mechanism button is a better bet on preserving the mechanics and the bellows. Use a very bright flashlight ( LED and examine the bellows in a completely dark room. Most likely every corner crease will have a pin hole in the original bellows fabric. (we use a Streamlight DS Stinger Cree LED torch). If the bellows are not bad condition sometimes you can seal the corners with a flexible opaque sealer. The best solution for a shooter camera is replace the bellows. If you are willing to DIY the following link provides a source for this specific bellows for Isolettes: www.sandehalynch.com/isolette.htm at the time of this writing.
+WeBuyIt WeSellIt Good suggestion. Although the cameras were intended to be self-erecting with the push of a button, those cameras with plastic bellows definitely aren't up to snuff.
I have an Isolette III with a 75mm f3.5 Solinar BUT the SHUTTER is a 'Synchro-Compur' not like your Prontor SVS ! I think I am also lucky that the bellows are leather ! I had to free up the front cell focus by taking out those tiny grub screws ( being careful not to SNEEZE ) and putting a minute amount of WD40 into the groove between the elements then they would at last separate and I could fix the focus .
I just picked up an Isolette III at a thrift store yesterday. It also has a 75mm f3.5 Solinar with the Synchro-Compur shutter. The shutter speed goes up to 1/500 which is wonderful. Does yours as well? This version does not appear in the video. I guess there are actually 4 versions of the Isolette III. The other lenses shown in the video seem to have a dial at the bottom of the lens for setting the aperture whereas my version seems to only have a slider at the top. Is that what yours has, just a tab slider between the shutter speed dial and the start of the bellows? The focus dial is frozen on the one I picked up so I will have to dismantle it to remove the green grease and regrease it will fresh and better grease.
I have the Speedex Special "R" version. I have a roll in it and used the liquid tape, but I'm also going to wrap some cloth around the bellows until I can order new bellows. The focus ring turns well but the wheel on top does not, but I seem to focus my Vigilant okay by guesstimate. I only paid 10 bucks American for it so I can afford to treat it. Deploying the lens scares the crap out of me every time, so I hold onto it and let it flop slowly. Great video. Thanks.
Agfa is famous for its frozen green grease in cameras from the 1930-40s. At that time, Agfa owned Ansco in the US and imported several of their popular cameras for sale under the Ansco label; those cameras suffer the same frozen fate. Fairly easy to clean and relube except in the focus threads re front lens elements; there, it acts like cement and often cannot be extracted without harming the lens glass.
Dear Mike, thank you for sharing this video with us. But I still want to warn you, that you should not let the lens shoot out of the body at full speed ... The fact is that due to the air and light closedness of the bellows, there is a good chance that the film will come outside is sucked and thereby distorted. I thought I wanted to say this to you and your viewers. (sorry for my Google English) A fan of old cameras
Never let the shutter assembly shoot forward without catching it with your hand. You will eventually break it. If you have a film installed the bellows can suck the film forwards.
Any idea why my film advance wheel wouldn’t lift up? I’ve taken the top screw off to inspect and I can’t even see a mechanism or anything to indicate lifting it up would be possible? It seems at though I would have to take the advance winder off every time I would like to take my film out
Ray! Never open a folder without supporting the door. That snap will 1) pull the film (if any) off the optical plane, and 2) eventually wear out the bellows and the the support mechanism--please!
On my camera, the focus is completely frozen, like you described, is there any way to repair that? Perhaps heating it up a bit? Or would that damage something?
+Olumin You need to remove the focus scale from the front element. I've been using a combination of a dental pick to remove as much of the old grease as possible. Soak the exposed helicals with lighter fluid. I have used a small propane torch (BE VERY CAREFUL) to heat the helicals and while wearing thick leather gloves, I try to twist apart the front group from the middle element. Again, be VERY CAREFUL with the propane torch!
+Mike Elek I don't understand, how exactly do I remove the focus scale from the front element? By heating it up and "twist" or pull it off? And even more importantly, how do I put it back together again? If I would just heat up the front element, wouldn't that damage the lens, or other parts (the metal, the engravings and writing...). Can I also use a hair-dryer instead of a blow torch, I don't even have something like that. Also, soak the exposed helical's of what, the focus scale , or the entire front element?
The focus scale is held by three tiny grub screws. You need to loosen those screws. You need a screwdriver with a very tiny head to loosen that screw. Probably a screwdriver that comes in eyeglass repair kits. Even then, you might need to make it narrower.
Hi Mike, Do you know a way to safely clean the inside surfaces of the lens on this camera. I have the mark 2 & it seems to work fine, other than some dirt on the inside of glass. Thanks in advance, Pete
thanks for the great video. Can you tell me how the view through the viewfinder relates to the actual picture taken? How much do you have to compensate when composing the photo? Thanks in advance, Sam.
Hi, great video. I've just bought an Isollet III , it's missing on your video how to remove the film when it's used? Never wind the film back you said. Do I have to take it to a photografy store? I don't have a dark room at home. Thanks and chees
Strange that they specced the fastest shutter with the slowest lens. The faster lens would have been able to make better use of the 1/500s shutter speed.
You might have the Isolette model (No. II) that doesn't have the rangefinder. It would have had either the Apotar or Agnar lens. I don't know that any had the Solinar, but maybe some did.
+SuperPunaniska Where are your video's superpunk ? ...Lets hear your superb English language skills...Oh you don't have any....that's what I thought...Just a troll that judges everybody else's work...makes perfect sense...
Please do not snap put the lens/bellows like he does here. It puts excess war and tear on the struct mechanism and will lead to the lens being misaligned went open. Just stupid! The Isollette III was intended to be a lower cost competition to the Zeiss Super Ikonta, more lightly and smiply built, but delivering equal quality photos. And it does. The most desirable of these is the 4 element Solinar in the Synchro Compur shutter. The Prontor shutters were a major step down, weak and not as reliable. I rebuilt a cheap version, the Apotar with Prontor shutter. I had to replace the cheap plastic (pinhole cracked) Agfa bellows with a really nice leather bellows from an Ansco Regent (same camera; different name of US sales).. Also had to clean the famous jammed focus from its hardened grease. Finally has to open the top to discover and clean out a lot of beach sand and dirt which was jaming the rangefinder movement. In the end, a very nice if optically challenged folder.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #1 НАЧАЛО ПУТЕШЕСТВИЯ [Новый сезон] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/380Q7gLWGvk/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks for the in depth overview! It really helped me.
Great video, Mike! Well done and very clear and exhaustive. Thanks.
I have the Ansco Speedex Special R 6x6 and Ansco Viking 6x9. Both needed new bellows and I had both CLA as well. They function as new. They are a lot of fun to shoot with!
We would strongly suggest NOT pushing the folder button without supporting the front drop down cover. Isolettes are notorious for damage to the bellows, typically most original bellows have to be replaced. Though the mechanicals are robust on the camera body the forces involved in the cover snapping open only asks for trouble. Placing your hand on the front cover and then pressing the folder mechanism button is a better bet on preserving the mechanics and the bellows. Use a very bright flashlight ( LED and examine the bellows in a completely dark room. Most likely every corner crease will have a pin hole in the original bellows fabric. (we use a Streamlight DS Stinger Cree LED torch).
If the bellows are not bad condition sometimes you can seal the corners with a flexible opaque sealer. The best solution for a shooter camera is replace the bellows. If you are willing to DIY the following link provides a source for this specific bellows for Isolettes: www.sandehalynch.com/isolette.htm at the time of this writing.
+WeBuyIt WeSellIt Good suggestion. Although the cameras were intended to be self-erecting with the push of a button, those cameras with plastic bellows definitely aren't up to snuff.
I have an Isolette III with a 75mm f3.5 Solinar BUT the SHUTTER is a 'Synchro-Compur' not like your Prontor SVS ! I think I am also lucky that the bellows are leather ! I had to free up the front cell focus by taking out those tiny grub screws ( being careful not to SNEEZE ) and putting a minute amount of WD40 into the groove between the elements then they would at last separate and I could fix the focus .
Good job - freeing a seized Agfa lens is one of the biggest challenges for those who own those cameras.
I just picked up an Isolette III at a thrift store yesterday. It also has a 75mm f3.5 Solinar with the Synchro-Compur shutter. The shutter speed goes up to 1/500 which is wonderful. Does yours as well? This version does not appear in the video. I guess there are actually 4 versions of the Isolette III. The other lenses shown in the video seem to have a dial at the bottom of the lens for setting the aperture whereas my version seems to only have a slider at the top. Is that what yours has, just a tab slider between the shutter speed dial and the start of the bellows? The focus dial is frozen on the one I picked up so I will have to dismantle it to remove the green grease and regrease it will fresh and better grease.
Thank you Ray Romano, this was super helpful!
I have the Speedex Special "R" version. I have a roll in it and used the liquid tape, but I'm also going to wrap some cloth around the bellows until I can order new bellows. The focus ring turns well but the wheel on top does not, but I seem to focus my Vigilant okay by guesstimate. I only paid 10 bucks American for it so I can afford to treat it. Deploying the lens scares the crap out of me every time, so I hold onto it and let it flop slowly.
Great video. Thanks.
very helpful, thank you very much ❤
What an unbelievably helpful video! Thank you!
Agfa is famous for its frozen green grease in cameras from the 1930-40s. At that time, Agfa owned Ansco in the US and imported several of their popular cameras for sale under the Ansco label; those cameras suffer the same frozen fate. Fairly easy to clean and relube except in the focus threads re front lens elements; there, it acts like cement and often cannot be extracted without harming the lens glass.
Dear Mike, thank you for sharing this video with us. But I still want to warn you, that you should not let the lens shoot out of the body at full speed ... The fact is that due to the air and light closedness of the bellows, there is a good chance that the film will come outside is sucked and thereby distorted. I thought I wanted to say this to you and your viewers. (sorry for my Google English)
A fan of old cameras
Never let the shutter assembly shoot forward without catching it with your hand. You will eventually break it. If you have a film installed the bellows can suck the film forwards.
Any idea why my film advance wheel wouldn’t lift up? I’ve taken the top screw off to inspect and I can’t even see a mechanism or anything to indicate lifting it up would be possible? It seems at though I would have to take the advance winder off every time I would like to take my film out
Fantastic informative 👍👌
I own the Agfa isolette ii 75mm 3.5 prontor. Can't figure out how to focus?
Ray! Never open a folder without supporting the door. That snap will 1) pull the film (if any) off the optical plane, and 2) eventually wear out the bellows and the the support mechanism--please!
I hope it takes good pictures for all that work you has to do
thanks!
On my camera, the focus is completely frozen, like you described, is there any way to repair that? Perhaps heating it up a bit? Or would that damage something?
+Olumin You need to remove the focus scale from the front element. I've been using a combination of a dental pick to remove as much of the old grease as possible. Soak the exposed helicals with lighter fluid. I have used a small propane torch (BE VERY CAREFUL) to heat the helicals and while wearing thick leather gloves, I try to twist apart the front group from the middle element.
Again, be VERY CAREFUL with the propane torch!
+Mike Elek I don't understand, how exactly do I remove the focus scale from the front element? By heating it up and "twist" or pull it off? And even more importantly, how do I put it back together again? If I would just heat up the front element, wouldn't that damage the lens, or other parts (the metal, the engravings and writing...). Can I also use a hair-dryer instead of a blow torch, I don't even have something like that. Also, soak the exposed helical's of what, the focus scale , or the entire front element?
The focus scale is held by three tiny grub screws. You need to loosen those screws.
You need a screwdriver with a very tiny head to loosen that screw. Probably a screwdriver that comes in eyeglass repair kits. Even then, you might need to make it narrower.
I've heard good things about this repairman. He does solid work.
Hi Mike, Do you know a way to safely clean the inside surfaces of the lens on this camera. I have the mark 2 & it seems to work fine, other than some dirt on the inside of glass. Thanks in advance,
Pete
thanks for the great video. Can you tell me how the view through the viewfinder relates to the actual picture taken? How much do you have to compensate when composing the photo? Thanks in advance, Sam.
Hi, great video. I've just bought an Isollet III , it's missing on your video how to remove the film when it's used? Never wind the film back you said. Do I have to take it to a photografy store? I don't have a dark room at home. Thanks and chees
Strange that they specced the fastest shutter with the slowest lens. The faster lens would have been able to make better use of the 1/500s shutter speed.
Good video! What are names of these three models? How can I different them on eBay?
imagine a digital folding cam like the beautiful agfa? :D
I´ve got the Isolette II, but I dont have the "range finder". Why is that???
You might have the Isolette model (No. II) that doesn't have the rangefinder. It would have had either the Apotar or Agnar lens. I don't know that any had the Solinar, but maybe some did.
You probably have the Isolette II. Looks like the Isolette II but doesn't have a rangefinder.
that is because there is no rangefinder on the Isolette II. The isolette III has the rangefinder.
Like bj stevens said: very clear, easy to understand, even with not so good english language skills. Thanks!
+SuperPunaniska Where are your video's superpunk ? ...Lets hear your superb English language skills...Oh you don't have any....that's what I thought...Just a troll that judges everybody else's work...makes perfect sense...
+SuperPunaniska That's my Pittsburgh accent. I've been working on it for several months. :)
Mike Elek Sounds good to me ...lol..
he kinda sounds like Mr. Data from star trek next generation. Am I right?
This was one of my earlier videos, so anything was possible.
امتلك واحده في حاله جيده جدا بالجراب الجلد الطبيعي
Please do not snap put the lens/bellows like he does here. It puts excess war and tear on the struct mechanism and will lead to the lens being misaligned went open. Just stupid! The Isollette III was intended to be a lower cost competition to the Zeiss Super Ikonta, more lightly and smiply built, but delivering equal quality photos. And it does. The most desirable of these is the 4 element Solinar in the Synchro Compur shutter. The Prontor shutters were a major step down, weak and not as reliable. I rebuilt a cheap version, the Apotar with Prontor shutter. I had to replace the cheap plastic (pinhole cracked) Agfa bellows with a really nice leather bellows from an Ansco Regent (same camera; different name of US sales).. Also had to clean the famous jammed focus from its hardened grease. Finally has to open the top to discover and clean out a lot of beach sand and dirt which was jaming the rangefinder movement. In the end, a very nice if optically challenged folder.
Fatal frame confirme😏😏