Friday, March 09, 2012

got focus

I ran another roll through my Certo Super Sport Dolly after adjusting the focus.  




I traded away a very nice Dolly some years ago and have been looking for a replacement ever since.  I bought four in various states of repair in the intervening time.  Mostly they were junk, but I've got a good supply of parts now, and the latest purchase has me nearly to the finish line.


This one has a good bellows and, being an early model, it sports the elegant diamond-pattern on the leather covering.  The cloudy front lens element cleaned up pretty well.  The low-speed escapement has a lazy spring, so I'm limited to shooting at 1/25 and faster, but that is not much of a problem.





Since everything is really working pretty well at this point, I'm looking forward to shooting this camera on an upcoming trip to Phoenix.

9 comments:

Jim said...

This camera looks like a good German citizen - ein guter Deutscher Bürger. There's something umistakable about German folder design.

Mike said...

Yes, I think your description is on the mark. There is more sturdy than sleek in the design. I like it as an example of the era. The Trioplan is also excellent, and I am partial to the 6x4.5 format with the round-edged framing which I often include in my scans.

Julio F said...

Best luck in your quest for a working Dolly. Certainly a nice camera. I like that viewfinder with the crosshairs.

Mike said...

I generally like the flip-up finders on my folders. The frame lines and cross-hairs on the Dolly don't seem to add any useful functionality, however. I also find that the view is not really clear for me unless I have my reading glasses on. Still like the camera a lot, though. If I can muster the resolve, I'll try a roll of 35mm during the upcoming trip.

Dirk said...

Congratulations to the camera!
Glad that it works.
In Germany, the Trioplan and Meritare-lens not very popular. (only Tessare, Heliar or Skopar)
Fortunately for me, someday I'm also such a nice camera like this.
(Although I'm afraid before cleaning and re-adjustment)

Oh, and the Click II is here. (Was your tip!)

Mike said...

You'll have fun with that Click. Nothing much that can go wrong, and I've seen some fine images from them.

I have a Tessar on my rf-model Dolly,but the rangefinder is broken and there is no distance scale, so I have been unable to give it a fair trial. I would be surprised if it produces better images than the Trioplan.

Leon Neal said...

Hi Mike, I have a Dolly Super Sport that my Grandfather in the late 1930s. It was used by my father and has now come to me. As I'm a professional press photographer, it's great to have an heirloom that means something to me! Anyway, waffle aside, in all your dealings with this camera, have you ever replaced the bellows on one? I sent mine to a camera store today and they returned saying that it was impossible. I'd be gutted if it was destined to be a paperweight. There are pictures of it here - http://www.leonneal.com/blog/2011/03/20/hello-dolly/ Cheers, Leon

Mike said...

That's a great story about your Dad's Dolly. I've left a note with some thoughts on it at your blog.

Leon Neal said...

Cheers Mike. I'll check it out.