In Karlsruhe again

Franka is incredible. She went from Karslruhe to Colorado Springs having mechanical problems. Valeria sent her to Genoa for repairs and now she is back in Karlsruhe, Germany in good health,
Photo by Beatrix von Hartmann

Franka is back in Europe for repairs

From Colorado Springs, USA to Genoa, Italy

Today I received Franka from Valeria (hey, what a fancy violet paper wrapping the box!)

Franka was blind, the shutter stuck.

I opened it and found that the problem was difficult to find since the shutter mechanism is so simple and based on few basic levers, a one-leaf shutter and two springs and I couldn't see where the jam was... since when you take off the lens assembly from the front you can see the shutter mechanism there... and the open shutter operates perfectly all the time without the lens ass.y!

After more than two hours trying and guessing I found the only way to save Franka... amputation.

The lens ass.y have two levers, one is for iris movement and the other communicates to the shutter ass.y for setting the B pose. The latter lever is close to the shutter and, probably because of age and growing plays between things the two assembly kept the shutter jamming. 

Removing the lever closer to the shutter left Franka able to shoot again.
I closed the slot that now is without the lever with some very thin adhesive foam. Nonetheless I left the other slot where the iris lever is still in place without new foam, even if the old one was totally missing... this will keep the errorist mood of light leaking be there like it was before if someone likes it.

The shutter sound like a "leaf" now, better than before since I also put some siliconic grease on the right places where levers and pivots rub together. So it's easy to hear when you press bad.

Then I tried the shutter many many times and then went out with one roll of film. I now finished developing. The shutter fired ok in 11 frames on 12. In that wrong case I heard the sound not being perfect when shooting and I shot again. I had to remember that you have to press the shutter button quite fast even if the camera works with a fixed (slow) 1/30th sec. 

Now Franka can keep going its journey

- Paolo Saccheri

Photo © Paolo Saccheri

Blind Franka

Two weeks ago I received the Franka camera, -arrival from Germany to USA-, was until a couple of days I realized that Franka not open the shutter.  Let´s try to fix.

Franka in flight

Franka flew over Germany and after landing in Karlsruhe she took off to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

Anita and Franka

Getting around in Hungary

Photo © Emese Altnöder

Franka with Emese

Photo © Emese Altnöder

in Hungary

Photos © Vera Fehér

Lost frames come to light

I had forgotten for long these frames that I took with Franka last summer, while walking along the narrow streets and alleys of the old medieval citadel of Tivoli. Not among the best shots ever taken by Franka. Just a sign left by her passage.