Well that's buggered then!

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Mark
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I picked up a cheap Lubitel 166B off of flea bay for £21. Ran my first roll through it and it worked fine but the lenses where so grubby I had to clean them. That meant I had to tinker ;)
Taking the lens and shutter assemble apart was actually very easy as was taking the lenses out. But in my eagerness, I didn't think of how I was going to re-align the viewing lens and the taking lens. I now have a camera that has clean lenses but the focus on the viewing lens doesn't actually correlate to the focus on the taking lens.

I wonder how they got these things lined up during manufacture, is there anything I can do it to get them lined up?

If not it'll look nice on my shelf.
 
h'mm don't have an answer to your problem but would think depth of field would cover a lot of shots.
 
I picked up a cheap Lubitel 166B off of flea bay for £21. Ran my first roll through it and it worked fine but the lenses where so grubby I had to clean them. That meant I had to tinker ;)
Taking the lens and shutter assemble apart was actually very easy as was taking the lenses out. But in my eagerness, I didn't think of how I was going to re-align the viewing lens and the taking lens. I now have a camera that has clean lenses but the focus on the viewing lens doesn't actually correlate to the focus on the taking lens.

I wonder how they got these things lined up during manufacture, is there anything I can do it to get them lined up?

If not it'll look nice on my shelf.

Do you have a spare focusing screen? Maybe put that on the back of the camera where the film would normally sit (so you are seeing what would hit the film) and then adjust the camera's lenses so that they are focused for infinity properly? This should hopefully mean that the other distances are then aligned too.
 
Do you have a spare focusing screen? Maybe put that on the back of the camera where the film would normally sit (so you are seeing what would hit the film) and then adjust the camera's lenses so that they are focused for infinity properly? This should hopefully mean that the other distances are then aligned too.
Yes, I found an article where someone had a similar issue and they used a bit of ground glass and did as you suggested. I don't have any ground glass but have tried with an LED video light diffusion panel and that seems to show the idea will work but because of the thick plastic getting a clear enough image isn't easy.

Said article:
https://superradiatingfieldmagnet.wordpress.com/2009/05/22/fixing-the-focus-on-a-lubitel-166b/
 
I remember Lubitels costing £19.99 in about oooh, 1992 or so? I find it incredible that they sell today for more than a fiver! All this 'lomography' stuff, in't it?

Hipsters, eh? :LOL:
 
I remember Lubitels costing £19.99 in about oooh, 1992 or so? I find it incredible that they sell today for more than a fiver! All this 'lomography' stuff, in't it?

Hipsters, eh? :LOL:
Lomography do sell one and like £300 (WTF ?) And yeah £21 was at the top end of what I was willing to pay for sure.
 
I remember Lubitels costing £19.99 in about oooh, 1992 or so? I find it incredible that they sell today for more than a fiver! All this 'lomography' stuff, in't it?

Hipsters, eh? :LOL:

I was after a Yashica but couldn't afford one so I bought a Lubitel, think I paid around £10.00 in the early 80's for it. First outing was up Blackpool Tower, with one roll of film.
Cracking camera it was, £21.00 has to get to be bargain forty years later:giggle:
 
You can try greaseproof paper on the back to focus on, or take some fine sandpaper to a transparent Perspex CD case lid and make a 'ground glass' screen to use if you're handy with the DIY. Other than that, you could always ask someone like Miles Whitehead for a quote to recalibrate the lenses?

As for the Lubitel 2 and 166, it was capable of quite nice results once you got used to it:

 
I was after a Yashica but couldn't afford one so I bought a Lubitel, think I paid around £10.00 in the early 80's for it. First outing was up Blackpool Tower, with one roll of film.
Cracking camera it was, £21.00 has to get to be bargain forty years later:giggle:

Oh no don't get me wrong; in a world of Mamiyas, Yashicas and Rolleiflexes, the Lubitel was a Godsend for impoverished students wanting a MF cam. I'm sure at least 1 fellow student had one when I was at college. I remember a Mamiya C330 user scoffing at the Lubitel, then being astonished at the results. He was a massive snob though. He just couldn't afford a Rolleiflex. I toyed with the idea of getting one myself, but as a 35mm user, decided I probably wouldn't use it, so spent my £19.99 on something else instead. Praps I should've got one after all..
 
Oh no don't get me wrong

I didn't take it the wrong way fella, it's all good fun :giggle: I had to Google what "lomography" was though :LOL: and I thought Hipsters were pants that weren't high enough on the waist:giggle:
 
I thought Hipsters were pants that weren't high enough on the waist:giggle:

Don't. I find shopping for new undies bewildering enough as it is. Why do they have to confuse me with so much CHOICE?
 
Apologies for going off topic Mark:giggle:

My pair of undercrackers doesn’t need updating yet.

I find it quite stressful updating your undies...I still remember the day I parted company with my favourite pair. They were battle ship grey from M&S.
I was in work and started having this funny feeling in my pants, I quick trip to the gents reveled the elastic had gone. I were gutted. The only other time I had that
feeling was finding out I had a pair of the wives on, again in work. She'd put a pair of hers in my drawer, by mistake I hope. I didn't pay too much attention
in the morning getting ready and was still half asleep. Once in work I kept thinking they must have shrunk in the wash. I was mortified when I realised,
and all I could think was, I hope I don't have an accident and end up in A&E:giggle:
 
And your point is ... ?

:oops: :$


Apologies for going off topic Mark:giggle:



I find it quite stressful updating your undies...I still remember the day I parted company with my favourite pair. They were battle ship grey from M&S.
I was in work and started having this funny feeling in my pants, I quick trip to the gents reveled the elastic had gone. I were gutted. The only other time I had that
feeling was finding out I had a pair of the wives on, again in work. She'd put a pair of hers in my drawer, by mistake I hope. I didn't pay too much attention
in the morning getting ready and was still half asleep. Once in work I kept thinking they must have shrunk in the wash. I was mortified when I realised,
and all I could think was, I hope I don't have an accident and end up in A&E:giggle:

:LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL:
 
Well an update. No matter how many times I try I can't get the two lenses to sync.

If I get the viewing lens to focus at it minimum (1.4m) it's at the very end of the thread a quarter turn Futher and it comes off.

I'm probably doing something wrong.

Now looking at TLR's like the Yashica's that use a bellows style focus.
 
Apologies for going off topic Mark:giggle:



I find it quite stressful updating your undies...I still remember the day I parted company with my favourite pair. They were battle ship grey from M&S.
I was in work and started having this funny feeling in my pants, I quick trip to the gents reveled the elastic had gone. I were gutted. The only other time I had that
feeling was finding out I had a pair of the wives on, again in work. She'd put a pair of hers in my drawer, by mistake I hope. I didn't pay too much attention
in the morning getting ready and was still half asleep. Once in work I kept thinking they must have shrunk in the wash. I was mortified when I realised,
and all I could think was, I hope I don't have an accident and end up in A&E:giggle:
Lol!!!
 
I had a Lubitel 166B as my first medium-format camera. While it's capable od surprisingly nice results, I foung it a complete bugger to focus. The viewfinder is pretty primitive when compared with better quality TLRs. A Yashica Mat or a Rolleicord will cost quite a bit more, but they're leagues ahead in terms of build quality and ease-of-use. I didn't have my Lubitel long before I felt the urge to get something better.

Alternatively, unless you're sold on the idea of a TLR, there are loads of folding medium format cameras available for not too much money, and loads of those will produce very high-quality results.
 
No not set on TLR, folding cameras are on my research list.
Any recommendations on folding cameras?
I had a Lubitel 166B as my first medium-format camera. While it's capable od surprisingly nice results, I foung it a complete bugger to focus. The viewfinder is pretty primitive when compared with better quality TLRs. A Yashica Mat or a Rolleicord will cost quite a bit more, but they're leagues ahead in terms of build quality and ease-of-use. I didn't have my Lubitel long before I felt the urge to get something better.

Alternatively, unless you're sold on the idea of a TLR, there are loads of folding medium format cameras available for not too much money, and loads of those will produce very high-quality results.
 
No not set on TLR, folding cameras are on my research list.
Any recommendations on folding cameras?

Perhaps have a look at the Ensign Selfix 820 (6x9 format with an in-built, fold out, 6x6 conversion mask) and the 16/20, which is 6 x 4.5 format. The Ross Xpres lens versions were the top of the range, but the Rosstar and Ensar lensed version of the 16-20 also give a good account of themselves. Speeds below 1/30 sec can be a bit sticky or non-existent on an Epsilon shutter that needs a service, and while the bellows don't seem to be too bad on those two cameras, do check for light leaks. Condition and functionality is everything price wise. Hope this is useful.
 
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No not set on TLR, folding cameras are on my research list.
Any recommendations on folding cameras?

The only one I currently own is a Zeiss Mess-Ikonta 524/16, which is a 6x6 uncoupled rangefinder. It cost me around £40. I've been very happy with it. Collapsed down, it's small enough to fit in a pocket, and it's lens is really sharp.

I'm sure there will be plenty of recommendations from others though, and there are a whole range of manufacturers.

The main thing I'd watch out for (other than specs of the camera) is the film format the camera uses. There are a lot that use different, sometimes no longer readily available, film formats (e.g. 127 film - which you can still buy from specialist retailers, but it's usually 120 film that's been re-spooled and so is pretty expensive).
 
Perhaps have a look at the Ensign Selfix 820 (6x9 format with an in-built, fold out, 6x6 conversion mask) and the 16/20, which is 6 x 4.5 format. The Ross Xpres lens versions were the top of the range, but the Rosstar and Ensar lensed version of the 16-20 also give a good account of themselves. Speeds below 1/30 sec can be a bit sticky or non-existent on an Epsilon shutter that needs a service, and while the bellows don't seem to be too bad on those two cameras, do check for light leaks. Condition and functionality is everything price wise. Hope this is useful.
:plus1:
 
Well an update. No matter how many times I try I can't get the two lenses to sync.

If I get the viewing lens to focus at it minimum (1.4m) it's at the very end of the thread a quarter turn Futher and it comes off.

I'm probably doing something wrong.

Now looking at TLR's like the Yashica's that use a bellows style focus.

At what distance are you trying to align the lenses? I would be aligning them based on infinity, if you're not already trying this.

From your post and that previous link you pasted above, it sounds like you might be trying to align these using minimum focus distance, which wouldn't be my recommendation.
 
I was purely because we're stuck indoor and I have no garden.

I will try again but using infinity. [emoji106]
At what distance are you trying to align the lenses? I would be aligning them based on infinity, if you're not already trying this.

From your post and that previous link you pasted above, it sounds like you might be trying to align these using minimum focus distance, which wouldn't be my recommendation.
 
Perhaps have a look at the Ensign Selfix 820 (6x9 format with an in-built, fold out, 6x6 conversion mask) and the 16/20, which is 6 x 4.5 format. The Ross Xpres lens versions were the top of the range, but the Rosstar and Ensar lensed version of the 16-20 also give a good account of themselves. Speeds below 1/30 sec can be a bit sticky or non-existent on an Epsilon shutter that needs a service, and while the bellows don't seem to be too bad on those two cameras, do check for light leaks. Condition and functionality is everything price wise. Hope this is useful.

What he says.... There was also a 12-20 which shot 6 x 6 negs on 120, I've got one you can have a borrow of if you want and a 16-20 with a Rosstar lens, I have one with the Ross Xpres lens as well but thats my precious and its not allowed out on its own. :D The slower speeds are a bit slow but if you don't mind completely manual they both produce good results.

16-20 on Ektar
Safe Hands 2 by Andy, on Flickr

12-20 on FP4 I think
Ingleton 2 by Andy, on Flickr

If you want to have a try of either or both drop me a PM (y) I think the 16-20 cost me £7.99 + postage and the 12-20 was £15. You can get very good condition 16-20's with the Xpres lens for £30-40 or cheaper if you're lucky.
 
I remember Lubitels costing £19.99 in about oooh, 1992 or so? I find it incredible that they sell today for more than a fiver! All this 'lomography' stuff, in't it?

Hipsters, eh? [emoji38]
But they actually take pretty decent photos - they should be banned from the Lomo community on that basis alone.

I got a 166U for about £15, and a 2 for a bit more. Unfortunately the 2 has a stuck shutter and I can't be bothered to do anything about it.
 
Some interesting cameras there, The Ensign Selfix 820 seems to be £150+ the 16-20 is far more reasonably priced.
The Zeiss Ikon Ikonta 521/16 is a decent price at around £30.
 
I'd recommend the Ensign Selfix 16-20 as a great starting point to see whether you can get on with a folder. It's at a price where you won't lose much (if anything) if you decide to sell it on. Here's a photo from my one taken last June, and you can judge the lens quality from it.

img012-copy.jpg-apug.jpg
 
It'll really help if you make say a black cross on white paper as the contrast will make seeing the target easier on your home made screen (brightly lighting it helps as well.
I've not tried it but I was told you can do it the other way around with a torch at the film plane and focus the image (not sure about that though, costs nowt to try).
 
One thing I did notice on those old folders was the shutter speed, it tends to go from 1/100 sec to 1/250 or 1/300. I'd recommend going as high as possible if using one hand-held. I was quite disappointed with the varying results from my 16/20 to start with, then I realised the soft looking images were down to camera shake, caused by a small camera and a slightly stiff shutter button resulting in movement when the shutter was fired. At 1/100 sec this was enough to ruin an image! Once I started using 1/300 second things got about as sharp as I could ever expect from a 1950s 6x4.5 folding camera. Images below taken on Ilford XP2 400 ISO film (click on the image to view full size in flickr).




 
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I often, well when I remember, use old folders with a cable release, it takes away the problems with using the stiff and often tiny shutter release buttons.
 
I often, well when I remember, use old folders with a cable release, it takes away the problems with using the stiff and often tiny shutter release buttons.
The button's a reasonable size on the 820 (once you get used to driving on the left), and mine isn't stiff. (don't start!). I am told mine was serviced my Miles before I bought it and he fixed the shutter speeds.
 
Yes the 820 is definitely more accessible.
 
The 820 doesn't impale your finger with a spike if you forget to wind on either! o_O
 
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