A lesson from an East German clock
No matter how precise the manufacture of a mechanical instrument, proper servicing and regular use is necessary to keep it running smoothly. This is certainly the case with my vintage Leica IIf from 1952.
It is more than likely that this old camera has not been used to take photographs in decades. So what could go wrong?
Recently our fully mechanical Dugena clock manufactured in East Germany in 1960 simply stopped working. It is now undergoing a proper service. It appears the problem is simply one of lubrication. Over time the lubricants wear out and need to be replaced. Mechanically the clock is fine.
There are two problems with the camera that you can see in these samples: (1) One of the shutter curtains appears to be closing fractionally late and shows up "ghosting" in the sky. (2) Those little spots of light on the dark wood panels are telltale signs of pinholes that have formed in the cloth shutter curtains allowing light leaks onto the negative.
A lesson from an East German clock
No matter how precise the manufacture of a mechanical instrument, proper servicing and regular use is necessary to keep it running smoothly. This is certainly the case with my vintage Leica IIf from 1952.
It is more than likely that this old camera has not been used to take photographs in decades. So what could go wrong?
Recently our fully mechanical Dugena clock manufactured in East Germany in 1960 simply stopped working. It is now undergoing a proper service. It appears the problem is simply one of lubrication. Over time the lubricants wear out and need to be replaced. Mechanically the clock is fine.
There are two problems with the camera that you can see in these samples: (1) One of the shutter curtains appears to be closing fractionally late and shows up "ghosting" in the sky. (2) Those little spots of light on the dark wood panels are telltale signs of pinholes that have formed in the cloth shutter curtains allowing light leaks onto the negative.