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View Full Version : Wollensak Automatic Shutter anybody work on these?



Skorzen
17-Apr-2008, 09:38
I have a shutter simply marked Wollensak and Automatic (or maybe just Auto it's not in front of me right now) the lens mounted in it is a (I am guessing early) Wollensak Voltas triple convertible. I believe this is the combination listed here (http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/wollensakcata/voltas.html) Part of the reason I am guessing this is an earlier lens is that it is simply marked 8X10 Voltas f:8 while most I have read about these say something about "three focus" which is absent from my lens.

The main reason for my asking this is that I stripped the shutter down last night and at the end of everything tested the speeds as they seemed to be off (both before and after cleaning). 1 =1/2, 1/2=1/5, 1/5=1/10, 1/10=1/10, 1/25=1/25, 1/50=1/30, 1/100=1/30. So my suspicions about the speeds being off were correct. The way they are off seems a little strange to me as the low speeds are a stop too fast. I could see the high speeds getting slow simply because it is an old shutter and the springs are likely not what they used to be.

I also know that these old shutters were made to be "close enough" so extreme precision should not be expected. However is does seem very consistent with the speeds I am getting.

Anyone who might have some suggestions on this, they would be greatly appreciated. I didn't immediately see anything inside that looked adjustable, but it was evident that I was not the first person to take it apart.

lschi
30-Sep-2011, 08:06
Greetings from China. I have this lens. Triple convertible, focus 324, 518, 725mm. The shutter is OK as your post. If you like a bit lubricating using graphite may make it better.