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This is one of the most common questions out there, How does a Contax rangefinder shutter work?
Let’s find out.
Contax Rangefinder Shutter How Does It Work?
The Contax shutter has two parts to the bottom stop. One part is the shutter frame casting, and the other is a wing on the right and left side of the shutter curtain that hits the bottom stop on the frame when the shutters travel.
Each design has its problem. Some designs have bigger wings that can hang up on the shutter components while the shutter curtains descend when the camera is held angled.
Others have differently shaped parts on the shutter frame that could get loose and have wings that were too small making the shutter curtains liable to go too far.
Zeiss just kept testing and never got it exactly correct. We have found five designs of bottom stops, and there might be more still undiscovered.
Another problem with the Contax camera is the shutter. The shutter is made of metal and has many tiny pieces. These pieces break over time and cause problems. To fix this problem, you need to replace the shutter.
The Contax IIa/IIb/IIIa shutter is an old design. It is an antique design, and Zeiss kept working on it until it was finally perfected. It didn’t take 60 years to get it perfect, but it did take some time. You shouldn’t expect the perfection of this old design.
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External Condition
Cameras are very expensive, and they need to be cleaned thoroughly before being serviced. A dirty camera could cause harm to the user.
The exterior of your camera is covered by a layer of dirt. You must remove this layer of dirt before using the camera.
Cameras are very expensive pieces of equipment. Every piece of equipment is thoroughly cleaned before being assembled into a camera. All the exterior parts are ultrasonically washed, and the leather is dry cleaned and given a new outer surface.
Cameras are loaded with allergens. People who use them suffer unnecessary allergies and asthma attacks. A camera overhauled here doesn’t do anything that isn’t necessary. Your fingers can tell if something is clean or not. They know what’s right and what’s wrong.
Internal Condition
A Contax camera is a great camera if you’re looking for a high-quality camera. But if you buy a counterfeit camera, you may be wasting your money. You can check out the price of a genuine Contax camera by clicking here.
Do it Yourself Camera Overhaul
Anyone who has a reasonable amount of mechanical experience is capable of removing the shutter assembly from the camera body. This is a very simple task. There are no delicate parts or special tools required. Most people can do this without any problem.
A camera needs to be cleaned with lighter fluid or some type of solvent before being put back together. Grease must be removed from the bearings. Oil should be applied to the parts.
Oil applied to the exterior of the shutter will not be absorbed by the bearing. The oil will simply runoff.
A shutter that doesn’t work properly after being fixed is called a Contax Shutter.
To fix a Contax Shutter, you need to follow these steps.
Step # 1: Remove the top cover,
Step # 2: Clean out the inside of the shutter body,
Step # 3: Lubricate the gears,
Step # 4: Tighten the screws, and
Step # 5: Re-install the top cover.
A damaged shutter spring causes the shutter to shade prematurely. This problem can be fixed by replacing the old spring with a new one.
To do this, you must know how many turns there are on the adjustment shaft. Count very carefully as you turn it. You should stop when you reach 8 turns.
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Contax Rangefinder Shutter How Does It Work?
Shutter Accuracy
Shutter Accuracy Then
The Contax camera was invented by Carl Zeiss in 1935. It was designed as a 35mm single-lens reflex camera.
The Contax camera was introduced in 1936. It was very expensive because it used industrial diamonds to polish its parts.
The shutter speed of the Contax was 1/1250. This was possible because of the high quality of the lenses and the high precision of the mechanisms.
The shutter was not manufactured in perfect condition. The reason for this was that the German economy was in bad shape during the Great Depression.
Therefore, the manufacturing process took longer than usual. This meant that the price of the camera was too high for people who couldn’t afford it.
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Shutter Accuracy Today
Shutter mechanisms have been around for a long time. They use different materials to protect the lens. When you take a picture, the shutter opens and closes quickly. This makes the camera sensitive to light.
Light may cause problems if it comes into the camera while the shutter is open. To avoid this problem, the shutter uses a mechanical device called a shutter curtain.
A shutter curtain moves across the opening in front of the lens when the shutter is opened. The shutter curtains are made out of metal and plastic.
Metal is strong but doesn’t move well. Plastic is flexible and easy to move. The shutter curtain is attached to the shutter blades. The shutter blades are part of the shutter assembly. The shutter assembly is part of the shutter mechanism. The shutter mechanism is part of the camera body. The camera body is part of the camera system.
Contax shutters in working cameras were serviced by saturating them with lubricant. This was the method recommended by the current publication on the Contax cameras, but it proved useless because there is a simple reason why it doesn’t work.
However, the escapement cuts in late, causing the shutter to open too early.
Contax camera uses a different shutter mechanism than other cameras. To achieve accurate high shutter speeds, the shutter must be adjusted accurately.
The shutter slit width must be set correctly. The shutter must also be free of friction. Otherwise, the shutter may bind up.
When the shutter is binding up, the shutter speed is inaccurate. A shutter that binds up is usually over-exposed.
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Taking The Shutter Apart
The shutter must be completely disassembled to get the main synchronization gears out so its bearings may be properly cleaned and polished. It is very hard, exacting work to disassemble the Contax shutter, and it takes time to clean and polish the gears.
The Contax shutter is very hard to disassemble because it uses many very thin washers that become glued together with hardened lube.
When these washers come apart, they must be labeled and kept together with wire loops to prevent them from going everywhere.
Shutter Assembly
A shutter is an important part of any camera. Shutter speed determines how long you want your photo to last. This is why we need a shutter.
The Contax shutter has only 1 setting. That means there is only 1 way to adjust the shutter. The rest of the parts of the shutter must be adjusted correctly before the shutter can work properly.
The gears must be aligned perfectly. The gears must be lubricated well. And the parts must be cleaned thoroughly.
Shutter Tapes
Shutter tapes should be made of silk, and they should have the correct dimensions and weave. Nylon ribbons do not provide the necessary characteristics. Silk is the only acceptable substitute.
Shutter Capping
When the shutter curtains close, there is a flat spring with hooks on both ends that holds them together. The hooks fit into slots on the other side of the shutter curtains.
The springs and slots are on the outside edges of the shutters and are hidden behind the camera back.
Shutter Cocking and Film Advance
The winding knob also moves the camera’s film advance mechanism. The camera’s shutter mechanism is extremely complicated.
There’s a shaft to which the winding knob is attached. This rod actuates the film-advance mechanism.
There’s a tapered steel pin connected to the underside of the knob. This pin fits into a series of slots inside the top of the shutter speed selector barrel and rotates it.
The slot selected determines how much the shutter is rotated, and the spring tension. When you lift the winding knob, it releases the pin, allowing it to fit into the slots.
You should never force this knob. It’s an expensive job to replace the pin, and it’s possible to damage the shutter by warping delicate parts.
Clearing a Camera Jam
To clear a shutter jam the very first thing to do is find out if the problem could be film or shutter-related. Simply push down and rotate the shutter release button so the red dots are opposed.
Disengage the shutter cocking from film advance by pushing down and rotating the shutter button.
Rangefinder
The Contax rangefinder is an amazing piece of equipment. It is very precise and easy to use. However, there is a problem with the lenses. When you move them, the lenses stick to each other. You need to remove the front lens mount and move the lens mount helix.
Should the Shutter Speed Be Set Before or After the Shutter Is Cocked?
When you change the shutter speed, the wind knob should be moved back into position before the shutter is cocked, otherwise, the gear train may get damaged.
Conclusion
Always store the camera with the lens cap off. When you put the camera away, make sure the lens cap is still on. You never know what might happen to your camera.
If you have any queries reach out in the comments section below.
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