Graflex.org

RichS · Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2004 3:37 am Post subject:

I have just recieved a 'new' camera that came with an unknown lens mounted in a Regno shutter (by Wollensak). Amazingly, the shutter works, almost...

The speed selector will move and set the first 3 speeds (from the right side, not T & B). But it won't move past the third speed. Feels like it's hitting a stop?

So I thought before I take the cover off the shutter that I better ask here first to see if anyone is familiar with these old shutters?

Is it just possible there's a trick to moving the speed selector?
Will a thousand springs fly out of the case if I take the cover off?

I hope to get it apart in the next day or two, so if noone has any info, I'll just put on the safety glasses

and grab a screw driver, and drill, and hammer & chissel, and maybe the Dremel... and go at it

Thanks if anyone may have some info...

Rich...

hurdy_gurdyman · Joined: 20 Aug 2004 Posts: 44 Location: Central Michigan

Hi Rich,
I have an old Regno shutter. Don't know if it's the same as yours or not. I've had it opened a few times. It's a pretty simple shutter with no parts flying out at you when it's opened. Mine just needed cleaning and a small lever repositioned that had slid over a part it wasn't supposed to. It now works well, abiet 2 stops slow at all speeds.
Good luck with yours.

Dave

RichS · Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2004 3:13 pm Post subject:

Thanks for that info!

I've had quite a few shutters open and do clean them myself, but I hate to go in blind... Hopefully, a little later I'll get the shutter up here and pop open the cover to see why the speed selector stops where it shouldn't. This lens/shutter may not ever be used, but I hate things that don't work if they can be fixed. And who knows how good the lens may turn out to be? At worst, it may make a nice soft portrait lens

RichS · Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2004 5:31 pm Post subject:

Well this mystery has been solved. Turns out the shutter was apparently "fixed" at some point. There's three screws that hold it together from the back side. One happens to be shorter than the other two. The two longer stick out from the font side by a thread. Yep, one of the longer screws was put through the hole that sits right in the middle of the speed settings and the selector was hitting it...

Now it works fine from 1 sec through 1/25. 1/50 and 1/100 are about the same as 1/25. So at least it's got 4 selectable speeds

Unfortunately, the lens looks like it's got some fungus. I have no idea what the lens is. Might be in the 12 inch range, f/7.7 through f/256. Looks like two elements, air spaced. And there doesn't look like there's any possible way to seperate the elements to get at the fungus... But it still might make a nice 'soft' lens, at 4 speeds

And a comment (of course). The Regno shutter has a typical set lever and a release lever. But the remote release is AIR operated! I like that! Much smoother and less shakey than a cable release. Why didn't they keep air releases???

Nick · Joined: 16 Oct 2002 Posts: 494

Les · Joined: 09 May 2001 Posts: 2682 Location: Detroit, MI

sounds like US (unified system) stops to me.

f16=US16

so

8 11 16 22 32 45 90
4 8 16 32 64 128 256

US 7.7 is about f12 which seems slow.

RichS · Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2004 7:22 pm Post subject:

Ya got me?

The listed stops are:

7.7 8 16 32 64 128 256

Past the 7.7, it looks like the old system and probably is. But the 7.7 seems odd?

Doesn't look like a 'slow' lens. Viewed from the rear, the aperture is 31mm wide open, the lens element is 41mm, but it's got a paint vignet at 37mm. Front cell is 40mm...

Les · Joined: 09 May 2001 Posts: 2682 Location: Detroit, MI

I was wrong. US 7.7 is a bit wider than US 8 which is f11.
that makes 7.7 something around f9 or 10 not f12.

If the aperture is 31mm and it's an f10 lens than the focal lenght should be around 310mm or 12 inch lens. Yeah the front element does magnifiy a bit so the "entrance pupil" is not exactly 31mm, but this is close enough.

It's unusual that the elements are in a mount that's "rolled" shut. Usually that happens much later. are there threads in the front? maybe the cell was front loaded.

Les

RichS · Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2004 11:30 pm Post subject:

Les · Joined: 09 May 2001 Posts: 2682 Location: Detroit, MI

any chance for some nice photos? just okay Photos?

And just what the heck was the camera? 2D?

I could be wrong, but I didn't think Regno shutters made it past the depression, so I'm guessing the shutter if not the lens is from the 30s. If the front and rear are the same it sounds like a dialyte type lens (4 elements, no cement, air spaced, al a Celor, artar, 203 Ektar. Graphic Anastigmat.) BTW these were popular lens in f10.

RichS · Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2004 3:25 am Post subject:

hurdy_gurdyman · Joined: 20 Aug 2004 Posts: 44 Location: Central Michigan

Hmmm, that Regno shutter is a lot different from my much smaller one. Mine has a pair of shiny buttons on the top, one for cocking the shutter, and one for tripping it. It only has a 6 1/2 inch (Luxar) lens in it, and probably only made for 4 x 5 film at the most. I suspect mine is much older.

Dave

RichS · Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2004 4:21 am Post subject:

It's very possible that the Regno went through some incarnations and "improvements" through the years. I was even suprised to see the Wollensak name on mine as I thought Regno was a different company?

And a further note about the element mounting. Turns out those front inside "threads" are actually concentric rings... So nothing was ever screwed into the front, which kinda confirms that the elements are 'rolled' into the mounting... It makes it odd though that there are no markings at all on the lens. Maybe it was a special government order by the OSS so it couldn't be traced