Voigtlander Superb Model I - Skopar

[titrisol]

Awesome camera, original or retrofit? as long as it works!

[alexvaras]

And now... something completely different!!


The second Superb.

I think I will follow my own notes on this... if something new I will add it here.
So far this model only differs on the handles for the strap, not 'ears' anymore, plain and boring now

[alexvaras]

Something new about Superb...

The spring for closing the WLF is removable for taking out the ground glass (which is railed) without opening the full WLF as other cameras.


Why screws and no rivets??


Voigtlander engineering.

Someone changed the mirror from here, home made mirror as I see.

It took me 1 hour removing the 6 screws from the WLF, I think I'm the first doing this...

[alexvaras]

The WLF opening was not good, many parts badly bended and all the spring but one not well positioned or made. After dismounting all parts I straightened the bars, cleaned and sanded removing marks. New springs made the WLF opening as good as it can be.


WLF fixed!

Now time for the mirror and the ground glass, the first was ordered to Martin Seelig who always did a excellent job and the second to Rick Oleson and his famous Bright-screens. Both arrived a week ago among more mirror and screen for clients cameras and the installation of the mirror was “easy”, the hardest part was removing the “toilet” mirror previously installed.


Mirror in place.

Martin always provides shims when the camera model requires it, bellow the mirror so it stays the closest possible to the viewing lens, also in this camera some holder for the mirror is missing (to keep the mirror not moving and and down) so I placed foam seals from a RB67 back to do the job.

Next is to check the taking and viewing lens if they are collimated or I need a correction, my guess is that if nobody opened this camera before (and I was the first) both taking lens and viewing lens should be fine if I placed the mirror exactly as it should go.

[PFMcFarland]

That's always a possibility. Alex. Still, you may need to remove the lenses for cleaning.

PF

[alexvaras]

That's always a possibility. Alex. Still, you may need to remove the lenses for cleaning.

PF

I have checked infinity and close focus with ground glass already mounted, it’s a good match.
I gave up trying to unscrew the front lens from the shutter, I have tried everything so far. I will test the lens with light haze between elements, otherwise perfect.
Same as viewing lens, once I do the test and I like the photos or not I will go for opening the focusing helicoids for cleaning and lubricating them back, including taking out the helicoids from viewing lens and its cleaning, same light haze.
Now 5 cameras for testing and few time plus not good weather for walking around...

[alexvaras]

This chapter is about the Rick Oleson's 'Brightscreen'. This is a fresnel ground glass that he does for several TLR models, he had Superb in his listing so I ordered at the same time I ordered the mirror.

The key for adjusting the viewing lens is not doing anything with the viewing lens itself but having the mirror perfectly placed and most important is the screen at the rails.

Original ground glass, see distance from matte side to the lower frame.

Ground glass distance to frame.


Rick’s screen just put.

Brightscreen installed.


The distance for focusing is enough to have a error of 10-15cm in focusing wide open, the key is to lower the screen, not easy since it’s flexible, Voigtlander guys didn’t expect a flexible ground glass to be placed.

Here is the frame holding the screen. I ad to make the notch wider because it was pushed by the spring that holds the ground glass so it made the frame go up.

Frame and notch.


All I did was to flatten the frame as much as I can and I added a 0.25mm shim from the Martin mirror to the left rail to push the screen a bit down.

Shim on left rail.


Here is the result.

Distance gained.


Now the last test, from left to right, Rolleicord V, Rolleiflex 3.5C and Rolleiflex 3.5F, all photos are named with the camera I was focusing, I still think the focus is 1-2cm ahead but it’s covered by the 4cm of the DOF at this distance at f/3.5


Rolleicord V.


Rolleifflex 3.5C


Rolleiflex 3.5F

Good enough for me, I’m closing the camera for curing the leather before more shooting.

PS: Superb cameras have often missing parts, the most common missing parts are the prism holder near the lens to read the shutter speeds, the second most often missing part is this knob, one was missing in one of my Superb.


Focusing knob (original).

Lucky me I have a 3D specialist next to me and she made the first version, we ordered in new-silver metal, this v1 has small screw holes and I opened a bit for inserting the piece, corners were sharp and she has rounded them and polished the piece, very nice job overall!! Second version will be definitely the keeper. Sadly I couldn’t find the correct screws so this two ones are a bit smaller than the original so thread won’t be spoiled if later I find a better fit.


Focusing knob, 3D done and polished.


Now it's time to take the camera for a walk with film inside...
Thank you for looking.
Alex

[PFMcFarland]

Other than the screw heads I'd say that new focus knob looks factory fresh.

PF

[alexvaras]

Other than the screw heads I'd say that new focus knob looks factory fresh.

PF

I'm waiting the second version, I will have it next week, I think it will have less workbench time to make it nice than the first version.

Finally I got the spirit with the Super and I shot some frames, all went much better than I though for a lens/shutter I couldn't clean.

First two photos during a walk in the city.


Unknown lady in white.


Closed down.


These are walking in the park.


Unfreezing pond.


High water.


Later when I met my friend, first portraits with this lens.






I ordered 3D caps I found on the auction site, taking the leather case is no comfortable at all... there is a second case for superb but really really rare...

Thank you for looking,
Alex

[titrisol]

The portraits are very good, but Lenin's picture is superb