# Working vs. non working.....your feelings?



## star camera company (Jan 1, 2020)

] After spending five (and counting) days attempting to get a fairly simple antique camera working.....I’m beginning to feel defeated.  Simple mechanical linkages which so far I’ve broken (and attempted repair) on two critical small pieces of tge linkage.  I get it 99.5% right, then tinker with something and it’s not working again.   Thankfully I’m retired and bored so this will go on until it’s working. ••••••••• All my Cameras work.  This one is so rare though even as non working it is worth a spot in the collection.  I’ve not found “another one” to buy.     But dammit I cannot just leave it alone.....simple mechanical things easily (in theory) adjusted.    No one, no “real” repair tech would likely want to tinker with it so I’m left on my own.    •••••••. As I told the camera yesterday, “I have Time, I will Fix You”.    It’s a camera I desperately want to USE!    It’s a 1928 QRS Kamra.———-So, Can you Tolerate non working,  or is Working a prime consideration?


----------



## Original katomi (Jan 1, 2020)

Hard to answer, I don’t collect old cameras. But I do collect/use old hand tools
If it was one of my tool collection I would spend the time on getting it working or in my case a state where I could use it.
Camera wise, um um if it’s a one of a kind and I could not fix it, I probably would hang onto it whilst keeping an eye open for that one person like you who could fix it
Hope that sort of answers your question


----------



## IanG (Jan 1, 2020)

Sometimes you need to walk away and leave it for a while, get on with something else then come back to it afresh and you may have a different approach and crack the problems.

I'll tolerate not working while I've a backlog of restorations anyway 

Ian


----------



## tirediron (Jan 1, 2020)

It's not a non-working camera in your collection; it's a non-working camera that you haven't finished repairing yet!


----------



## star camera company (Jan 1, 2020)

......so the little thingy go under the other thingy properly on the way up , and over the little thingy on the way down, but just rides over the little bump on the little thingy that triggers the  Shutter.......   Geez. I need to go hold my cat.


----------



## Derrel (Jan 1, 2020)

Time to crack open a bottle and pour yourself three fingers' worth... and then repeat, and then repeat again, by which time you will have forgotten what you were worried about.


----------



## Mitica100 (Jan 1, 2020)

I'll tackle it first, even if afraid to do so... if I succeed, great, I have a working collectible. If not, it'll be a display only. I have a few of the latter kind that I couldn't just make them work properly but they're eye candies for me.


----------



## Derrel (Jan 1, 2020)

If it is a rare camera it doesn't matter if it works or not. If it is easily replaced by a working model then I would feel differently.


----------



## star camera company (Jan 1, 2020)

I know my limits and never buy “parts or repair” deals but this QRS.....for $49 couldn’t resist.  I think I made headway today with getting the replacement part adjusted, so the shutter fires now.


----------



## webestang64 (Jan 1, 2020)

Cool all your cameras work. For me I collect them no matter the condition.


----------



## Soocom1 (Jan 1, 2020)

Ok Ill play the Vulcan here.

Get ahold of someone with either a laser cutter or 3d printer and photovraph and then slowly rebuild. 

Or as Derrl says.. Three fingers


----------



## Dean_Gretsch (Jan 1, 2020)

If you have the time _and_ the ability, no second thoughts : Get that beauty working!


----------



## star camera company (Jan 1, 2020)

well Fingers Crossed looks like I may very well “have it”.    Need to pull it apart a bit and adjust the shutter blades to stop a sliver light leak at times.    It appears this camera will work without film spools or anything, just moving it through by sprockets and it coiling up in the Big film chambers.    I just dry fired a full old roll of loose 35 film through.  Should be interesting!   ••••• It’s Funny, and relavent to this thread, tonight I hold this in hand in a “new light”.  It’s a Camera, not a puzzling problem.   ;-).


----------



## Original katomi (Jan 2, 2020)

And the clapping starts, brill on getting it fixed


----------



## star camera company (Jan 2, 2020)

Thanks!   It looks ready to put film in.  I’ve got Kodak XX, if I get a few good images, to start, I’ll be happy.  Still seems to have occasional light barest sliver from the overlapping shutter blades.  It will be interesting to see what that little lens does.  By reflection, it looks like a triplet.  The lens was made by Graf Optical Co. of South Bend Indiana.


----------



## Tropicalmemories (Jan 2, 2020)

It needs to work in my view, otherwise it's just a paperweight.


----------



## vintagesnaps (Jan 2, 2020)

Cool camera that you got, that should be fun getting it working and seeing what you get.

I have a number of vintage cameras in various states of usability! lol Depends on what it is... most are thrift store price range in value. I have a few box cameras, some are art deco style and primarily decor.. I have one that's the last of the box Brownies that has actual settings, that's one that I've used.

I have some that work, like my Agfa Clack that seems to have been named after the noise it makes when you release the shutter. I have some that work, sort of, at faster speeds, but have to sit and 'think' awhile about releasing the shutter at slower speeds. I've done some tinkering but not actual repairing. I have some that are actually good cameras with nice lenses anywhere up to 100 years old that are usable and capable of good photos.

Then there are some like the Fotron that are ridiculous and cool modern style at the same time and might work if I felt like trying to figure out how to get 35mm (828) film into the little black box that fits into the back (it came prefilled and sealed) and then get it to advance... Others that are funky bakelite midcentury 'atomic' style that may/may not work or get used but look fun on a shelf. I have cameras all over the house...

Now what was the question...??

I agree with whoever (edit - Ian, who's busy repairing other cameras) said sometimes it can help to come back to it later, then sometimes then I've seen right away what to do with whatever it is. edit - Or just do what Derrel said and don't worry about it...


----------



## Original katomi (Jan 2, 2020)

You just can’t seem to find anyone who repairs cameras now,  I used. To have a zenith that I took climbing and absailing it was forever getting bounced 
At the time there was a local fix it man who liked working on cameras, did not charge much he put that old zenith back together more times than I can rember
Got to the stage he would ask what I was doing the W/e so he had an idea what would happen to the camera
Think he used to like the story of what I did and what happened to the camera.
Having a camera round your neck whilst absailing is def not a safe thing to do... found out the hard way
Camera shop.. just look at something like that and shake their head.
So good on you for being able to fix the camera


----------



## star camera company (Jan 2, 2020)

WOW!   All the work pays off as a 1928 QRS Kamra successfully shoots a full roll of film and does it with ease and simplicity!  I’m getting some scans done tomorrow but anyway, just seeing a negative (actually a full string of them) really delights me!    This is a quick iPhone shot/invert with some contrast  tweaks.  Eastman XX iso 250 Caffinol C 8 min.  Here’s how to load it, I used a normal cassette and padded the big film chamber with a paper towel, so the film sits just right.  Pull the leader across, curl the end into the other camber, put on the back.  It has a counter, I ran the roll till it stopped, then opened the back in the darkroom and loaded into the tank.  I’m shooting tri X next, should get more density.


----------



## vintagesnaps (Jan 3, 2020)

So cool you got it working. 

I wondered what film you were talking about so I searched and it came up on FPP, they're respooling film as usual... I'm going to try some!


----------



## star camera company (Jan 3, 2020)

Yes Double X is a very old emulsion I believe it dates to 1959.  Interesting too the sprocket holes retain the early Cine shape of oval tops and bottoms, rather than the usual square shapes.  The original roll of nitrate based film that came with the camera had this early hole shape also.


----------



## star camera company (Jan 5, 2020)

Well I Guess the QRS Kamra really Can do the job!!  Today, Tri X in Caffinol.


----------



## Heidi Rosser (Jan 16, 2020)

To me if it's rare it doesn't matter if it works or not.   
Obviously if it's not rare I don't mind taking it apart and fiddling. 
I have whole heap of cameras in various states of repair, many need parts to get them going. Which are easier to find if it's not rare.
Same goes for if it's worth a lot of money. I'd prefer to find someone else to fix it.

Hope you can get it going again. Good Luck.


----------

