Graflex.org

snapshot · Joined: 12 Dec 2022 Posts: 4

Well it looks like I spoke too soon. The 135mm Graflex Optar Wollensak lens on my 1950 Pacemaker has decided to show its age. The shutter fires off, but it does not change speeds when I cycle through the speed settings, firing off at the same fast speed regardless of the setting. Also the T setting was working yesterday but today it was staying open intermittently and now does not stay open at all.

Thanks to this forum I downloaded the service manual for this, but it appears to be a pretty daunting task to repair this. I read that some of the parts for this lens are no longer available and its a shot in the dark ( no pun intended) that this may or not be fixable?

Any thoughts?
Thanks

Dan Fromm · Joined: 14 May 2001 Posts: 2144 Location: New Jersey

Hmm. Wollensak's Rapax shutters can be cleaned, lubricated and adjusted.

Working alone can be hard. Check with https://alphaxbetax.com/services/, who may be able to help you. This fellow is a specialist in Wolly gear. There are other shutter repair services. Go to https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/ and ask about them.

snapshot · Joined: 12 Dec 2022 Posts: 4

Thanks bunch for the links. This helps to know that there is someone out there that can do this kind of work.

offhand35 · Joined: 05 Mar 2023 Posts: 1 Location: Connecticut, USA

I have found Mark Hansen at http://www.zeissikonrolleirepair.com/index.html to be excellent for shutter service & repairs. He likes working on Zeiss Ikons and Rollei's, but his real love is older leaf shutters. From his website:

View cameras: All shutters including Betax, Compound, Copal, Compur, Kodak, Prontor, Seikosha, and wollensak, and many more, no matter how old.
Press Cameras:
Speed Graphic, Crown Graphic
Bush Pressman, Linhoff, Plaubel
Mamiya.

NOTE that he is backlogged and turnaaround is approx. 6 weeks.