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View Full Version : I love my Korona but ------ ?



Shen45
29-Mar-2010, 01:22
I have had a Korona 5x4 for quite a while now that I purchased off this list and seriously would not trade, swap, sell or whatever for another camera -- it is very good. Light, quick to setup, great bellows extension but it can be a bit imprecise in the backend even when locked down tight. There is forward and back movement, not along the track as such but more a rocking on the base. There seems to be about a gap of 1 or 2 mm, so no matter how tight I try to lock everything down there is that rocking movement. Mind you everything seems to return to the "focused" position after putting in the film holder.

Every screw is tight -- everything does lock fully -- it is just the physical gap between the focus rail and the back body section of the camera

Has anyone encountered similar and did you bother to try to remedy the situation. If so what did you do?

I have tried very thin temporary wedges, but I keep loosing them. They do work well though.

Steve

catshaver
29-Mar-2010, 05:17
A little slop in the standards will not hurt anything. My Busch has some in the front standard - the shift rail is not tight anymore. Even my Calumet monorails have some slop in the lens board mounts. Just as long as everything is sitting still when you push the plunger. Draping the darkcloth over the camera before you shoot helps to stabilize.

Brian Ellis
29-Mar-2010, 10:03
1 or 2 mm isn't unusual with a wood camera, I wouldn't worry about it, especially if you get the "rocking" only when you induce it by hand and things settle back to their original position after you're through "rocking" it with your hand. I had something like that with both of the otherwise perfect 8x10 Deardorffs I owned. It irritated me at first but after I saw no apparent effect on the photographs I just ignored it.

IanMazursky
1-Apr-2010, 06:35
I have 3 Krona's a 5x7, 8x10 and 12x20. They all wobble a bit.
But thats what makes them fun! One they settle down, the focus isn't affected.
On some of the really loose knobs, i placed some thick paper towel under friction areas.
It seems to help take up the slack and keep things from moving to much.

Ivan J. Eberle
1-Apr-2010, 07:06
I shoot outdoors in breezy conditions with no settling period much of the time; something like that could be a real bugbear.

Is the wobble due to excessive gear lash from wear, perhaps? If so, new brass racks are available from McMasters and several other sources.

Jim Galli
1-Apr-2010, 07:23
weird software. You wait 5 minutes then you get double posts. :rolleyes:

Jim Galli
1-Apr-2010, 07:24
Has anyone encountered similar and did you bother to try to remedy the situation. If so what did you do?

Steve

Switched to a Kodak 2D. The Korona's are just notoriously flimsy. I've kept my 5X12 and my 8X20 because........there is no alternative.

Shen45
1-Apr-2010, 18:47
I shoot outdoors in breezy conditions with no settling period much of the time; something like that could be a real bugbear.

Is the wobble due to excessive gear lash from wear, perhaps? If so, new brass racks are available from McMasters and several other sources.

There doesn't appear to be any undue wear anywhere, in fact the camera is in very good condition. I have never had a dud due to sloppy movement of the camera. My query was to see if others had similar experiences.

I'm not doubting the camera or for that matter myself as many far better photographers have used these and similar cameras for over 100 years without problems.

Jim, I actually have a 2D 10x8 -- less bellows, less GG glass and less extension rail -- almost complete really :)

I need to consider making a bellows for it and using it for paper negatives.

Steve