Old lens haul (2 of 3)

[Rider]

I do like my new Dagor 180!

Here is the first shot I made with it. It's of a Dagor 120 (Serie III). This is one is really beat up, and unless someone tells me otherwise, headed for the junk heap. It's mounted in some kind of shutter (numbered 0 Z 100 up to 1); none of the controls seem to work. The diaphragm is rusty and hardly moves at all. Of course there's lots of dust on the internal elements, but the outside elements are scratch fee.

Hopeless case, or in need of love and attention?

[David A. Goldfarb]

Dagors are generally worth saving. It has two cemented groups of three elements each, so you can clean the dust off yourself just by unscrewing the cells and cleaning the easily accessible surfaces. If the glass is good, it's worth mounting in a new shutter. They have a large image circle when stopped down, very good contrast (even uncoated), and are quite sharp.

[Diane Maher]

I had a shutter that was far worse looking than that when I took it to a guy for cleaning. However, the only thing that was wrong with it was a missing piston. It looks like you might have an old Compound shutter. If you don't want it, then you might consider donating it to one of the people or places who repair camera shutters, like Flutot's or Grimes who can probably clean it up and use it for parts. The Z is likely the T setting and I guess maybe the O is the Bulb setting. The Z is for Zeit (I think), which is time in German.

[Uusilehto]

Yes, the 120/6.8 Series III dagor. Nice little lens. A moderate wide-angle (although) when stopped down. A typical Dagor of that age should cover around 80-85 degrees at f/32 to f/45. That would amount to an image circle of around 210-220mm.

I'm looking at a Goerz catalog and it lists the 120mm (4 3/4") f/6.8 Dagor to cover 5x7 at f/32 and slightly less than 4x5 (can't make out the numbers) wide-open.

The picture you posted clearly shows dislocated aperture blades. Although I've never handled that particular shutter before, it does look like a fairly easy repair job. most air-regulated shutters are pretty simple in construction, not having any gears or small easily-gunked mechanical parts.
Dagors from that era are fairly numerous. Having it repaired by an experienced repairsman would likely prove to be uneconomical.

[Rider]

Dagors from that era are fairly numerous. Having it repaired by an experienced repairsman would likely prove to be uneconomical.

That's what I thought. Especially those misaligned and maybe rusty aperture blades. What Dagors aren't numerous?

[David A. Goldfarb]

Misaligned aperture blades are usually easy to fix, as long as they are not physically broken. Typically the pins have just come out of the tracks.

A straightforward shutter repair should be about $80-120, if you want to send it out, which is well worth it even for an older ser. iii Dagor.

[Gene McCluney]

If you DO decide to trash this shutter, I certainly could use a few parts from the outside of it. Namely the shutter release lever and screw and washer (if any) and the pointer from the aperture lever.

[Uusilehto]

What Dagors aren't numerous?

Well, for instance, the C.P Goerz Berlin marked f/9 Weitwinkel-Dagors. I just happen to have one arriving this week. Looks like it's in the original shutter too. Should be interesting.

[Rider]

Are there any good books out there on how to take apart lenses and clean shutters and lenses? What tools are needed?

Btw, I emailed Flutot a few days ago and haven't heard back from them. Is this normal? What is the best way to get a hold of them?

[David A. Goldfarb]

To clean the lens, just unscrew the front and rear cells from the shutter using no tools other than your hands, and clean using whatever you normally use to clean your lenses. I usually use Dust-Off, an anti-static brush, Kodak lens cleaner, Kodak lens paper or PEC pads, and a microfiber lens cloth. You usually want to try to remove any dust with air if possible before touching the lens with a cloth or lens cleaning pad.

[Jan Pedersen]

Btw, I emailed Flutot a few days ago and haven't heard back from them. Is this normal? What is the best way to get a hold of them?

Carol is very good at responding to emails but has been swamped with work lately, give her a little time, i'm sure you will hear from her.

[Nathan Smith]

A straightforward shutter repair should be about $80-120, if you want to send it out, which is well worth it even for an older ser. iii Dagor.

Well, yes at some places but I think once you contact Carol Miller (at Flutot's) you will be pleasantly surprised with the quote. This lens is easily worth the small sum it takes to have her put it right.

Nathan

[Rider]

To clean the lens, just unscrew the front and rear cells from the shutter using no tools other than your hands, and clean using whatever you normally use to clean your lenses. I usually use Dust-Off, an anti-static brush, Kodak lens cleaner, Kodak lens paper or PEC pads, and a microfiber lens cloth. You usually want to try to remove any dust with air if possible before touching the lens with a cloth or lens cleaning pad.


Thanks David. That was easier than I thought, but I'm not sure it did much good, other than I got a close look at how rusty and stuck the aperture blades are! I guess with this shutter the aperture blades and the shutter blades are one and the same.

[Ernest Purdum]

The shutter looks like an Ernemann "Cronos". There always seems to be one of these on eBay. You might measure your elements and ask the seller if the size is right. I think his shutters are NOS.

[Rider]

I think his shutters are NOS.

What's "NOS"?

This shutter has no brand name or serial number on it at all. Will keep an eye out for Cronos.

[Mark Sampson]

NOS = New Old Stock. A term from the old-car business, to describe somethimg that's been sitting on a warehouse shelf for decades, waiting for someone to need (say) a 1951 Hudson tail-light lens. Usually implies a dusty box; the term is meant to distinguish these parts from a)used and b)new replica items.

[Rider]

Thanks Mark; very educational :). Whose shutters was Ernest describing as NOS?