Hi,

I'm new to the group. Thanks to Dr.T for pointing me in this
direction. I am absorbing all of the knowledge I've found here and
elsewhere.

I saw a few posts that mention a Sputnik at f/32. Mine lists f/22 as
the last setting. The dial does turn slightly further past f/22 into
unknown territory.

How do you modify a Sputnik so the aperture can close to f/32? I'm
pretty happy with the resolution of Provia 400x and f/32 would give me
the flexibility of using it in full daylight at 1/125 shutter speed.
Thanks!

Aaron
http://www.flickr.com/photos/amuderick (2D photos only so far ;-)

Speaking only for myself, a sputnik at f/32 is nothing more than a
guesstimate. All I could really do was pay attention to the markings
as they go toward the smaller apertures and make an educated guess as
to where the f/32 mark would be. Notice that the distance between the
aperture settings decreases with each marking as you go in the
direction of the smaller apertures.

Also, you should be aware that any difference in the size of the
apertures is exponentionally magnified at the smaller settings. For
a test, go ahead and make the aperture as small as you can. Open the
back of the camera so that you can inspect the size of the apertures
(put on B and hold the shutters open while holding the camera up to a
light source if necessary).

If there is a noticeable difference in the size of the apertures (I
have found that eyeballing is sufficient), then you'll need to make
an adjustment. This involves loosening the knob (it's a screw also)
that you grab to adjust the aperture, and then sliding the left
aperture adjustment arm into position to match that of the right
aperture. Then, after retightening the knob, slide the aperture
adjustment back and forth a few times from the smallest size to wide
open and then finally back to the smallest setting. Keep testing
again until the apertures are the same size at the smallest aperture
setting, because retightening the knob doesn't always retain the
adjustment that you think you made.

Also, I noticed that you mentioned using the 1/125th shutter speed.
Be forwarned that the Sputnik's 1/125th shutter speed is a myth at
best. I have never seen a Sputnik that had both the right and left
shutter fire in sync at 1/125th sec, and I have looked at about 50 of
them. Usually, the left shutter will remain open a little longer
than the right one. To test this, you will need a shutter speed
tester, or you can just take a test shot at that speed and see if you
see any difference in the left and right exposures. Be prepared to
find this shutter speed unreliable.

Hope this helps and doesn't discourage...

Ted

--- In MF3D-group@yahoogroups.com, "amuderick" wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I'm new to the group. Thanks to Dr.T for pointing me in this
> direction. I am absorbing all of the knowledge I've found here and
> elsewhere.
>
> I saw a few posts that mention a Sputnik at f/32. Mine lists f/22
as
> the last setting. The dial does turn slightly further past f/22
into
> unknown territory.
>
> How do you modify a Sputnik so the aperture can close to f/32? I'm
> pretty happy with the resolution of Provia 400x and f/32 would give
me
> the flexibility of using it in full daylight at 1/125 shutter
speed.
> Thanks!
>
> Aaron
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/amuderick (2D photos only so far ;-)
>

Edwin,

Thanks for this advice.  This camera is really providing me with a fascinating insight into camera workings.  I'm having a lot of fun with it.  So, I'm not discouraged at all.  It is the perfect project to round out this cold, grey winter.

The lenses on my particular unit seem pretty good.  Very sharp to my eyes in the stereo viewer across the entire frame.  I'm just having issues with every other part of the camera.  ;-)  Thankfully, the other parts are a lot easier to fix than junky or mismatched lenses.

The aperture knob did need a little adjustment.  I hadn't thought to check it at the smallest aperture.  I think I had checked it earlier at f/8 or so and moved on.  That was a mistake because at f/22 the difference was obvious.  Fixed now. 

I set my dSLR up against the open back of the Sputnik, shone a bright light at the camera and took photos are each aperture setting for each lens.   This was a test of the aperture markings as well as the aperture sync between lenses.  Everything checked out.  Also, I was able to find the right spot just past f/22 that came out as f/32.  Thankfully, I didn't have to shave down the aperture lever on the right lens. It just made it.  For good measure I measured the size of the diaphragm at each setting as well.  My math came out correct.

I opened up the shutter the other day because my shutter tester was showing exactly what you describe below: the left shutter hangs open a bit too long.  I was also noticing it on my films.  I followed Jeff Pierce's advice (http://users.adelphia.net/~jp1/Sputnik/index.html) and epoxied a square of metal to the left shutter sync arm.  When the return spring on the right shutter kicks in, the square helps to pull the left shutter closed in sync.  Jeff also added a ring of metal to the right side.  Looking at the mechanics of it, I don't think this is needed.  After I added this square of metal, the sync between the lenses was dramatically improved.  My raw timing went from 1452:952 to 1080:1020.  Almost dead on.  Now that I've fixed the aperture imbalance, I should be getting exposures that are even.

My shutter tester indicated that the 1/125 is a bit slow (probably closer to 1/100).  I know there is some leaf shutter interference involved here so I let it slide.  I can't see any easy way to modify it anyway.  More concerning to me was that the tester showed the 1/60 setting firing at the same speed as the 1/125.  I will have to run some test shots to see what is really going on.

I'm sure I'll have more questions.  Thanks for your quick response!

Best,
Aaron


Edwin Baskin wrote:

Speaking only for myself, a sputnik at f/32 is nothing more than a
guesstimate. All I could really do was pay attention to the markings
as they go toward the smaller apertures and make an educated guess as
to where the f/32 mark would be. Notice that the distance between the
aperture settings decreases with each marking as you go in the
direction of the smaller apertures.

Also, you should be aware that any difference in the size of the
apertures is exponentionally magnified at the smaller settings. For
a test, go ahead and make the aperture as small as you can. Open the
back of the camera so that you can inspect the size of the apertures
(put on B and hold the shutters open while holding the camera up to a
light source if necessary).

If there is a noticeable difference in the size of the apertures (I
have found that eyeballing is sufficient), then you'll need to make
an adjustment. This involves loosening the knob (it's a screw also)
that you grab to adjust the aperture, and then sliding the left
aperture adjustment arm into position to match that of the right
aperture. Then, after retightening the knob, slide the aperture
adjustment back and forth a few times from the smallest size to wide
open and then finally back to the smallest setting. Keep testing
again until the apertures are the same size at the smallest aperture
setting, because retightening the knob doesn't always retain the
adjustment that you think you made.

Also, I noticed that you mentioned using the 1/125th shutter speed.
Be forwarned that the Sputnik's 1/125th shutter speed is a myth at
best. I have never seen a Sputnik that had both the right and left
shutter fire in sync at 1/125th sec, and I have looked at about 50 of
them. Usually, the left shutter will remain open a little longer
than the right one. To test this, you will need a shutter speed
tester, or you can just take a test shot at that speed and see if you
see any difference in the left and right exposures. Be prepared to
find this shutter speed unreliable.

Hope this helps and doesn't discourage.. .

Ted

--- In MF3D-group@yahoogro ups.com, "amuderick" wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I'm new to the group. Thanks to Dr.T for pointing me in this
> direction. I am absorbing all of the knowledge I've found here and
> elsewhere.
>
> I saw a few posts that mention a Sputnik at f/32. Mine lists f/22
as
> the last setting. The dial does turn slightly further past f/22
into
> unknown territory.
>
> How do you modify a Sputnik so the aperture can close to f/32? I'm
> pretty happy with the resolution of Provia 400x and f/32 would give
me
> the flexibility of using it in full daylight at 1/125 shutter
speed.
> Thanks!
>
> Aaron
> http://www.flickr. com/photos/ amuderick (2D photos only so far ;-)
>

: "Aaron Muderick" Wrote:

>. This camera [Sputnik] is really providing me with a
> fascinating insight into camera workings. I'm having a lot of fun with
> it. So, I'm not discouraged at all. It is the perfect project to round
> out this cold, grey winter.
>

Welcome Aaron.

It seems that you are figuring out the Sputnik fast enough. I have found
that each Sputnik seems to have a personality all it's own. I found that my
first Sputnik would adjust beyond F/22 to something around F/32 and all I
had to do was to match the two apertures using the adjustment on the
coupling. I then found that the tighter F stop would give me a good
increase in DoF and used it there for most of my pictures. The 1/50 speed
on it was more like 1/35 to 1/40 and so I would it there on my sunny day
pictures there if I had a good depth scene and no objects moving. The
second Sput I got would not do anything past F/22 and I found out that the
linkage would touch the lens housing and stop it there. I found that I
could rotate the lenses after loosing them and make it work. I don't advise
that fix as the mounting holes for the lens assemblies are larger than they
would need to be and you can really open up a "can of worms" by loosening
them. It took me longer than I would like to talk about to get them lined
up again so that the gears on the lenses were snug, the lenses were close to
the same level vertically and the shutter linkage would open the lenses at
the same time. I also had a light leak develop around the left lens. The
third Sputnik I modified to do F/32 I went the "file the linkage" route so
it would touch the housing at about F32. .F/32 is half as wide as F/16 in
the Sput and the same size as F/16 on my Belplasca. You can eyeball that.
I freeview the apertures to see that they match.

One of my Sputs had the left shutter speed about 20% longer and I found that
the linkage pushed the left shutter open but a spring on the left shutter
would push it back closed. I lubricated the shutter with graphite and bent
the spring so it would put a little more pressure on and that seems to work
now. .I may try the mod to the sync arm if the problem comes back. I have
one Sputnik with marked 1/125 shutter speed that measures 1/100. I don't
have any that are faster.

Another problem that seems to happen a bit too much is shake in the right
lens when the shutter is fired. It sure makes the right image un-sharp.
Many people put a rubber band on it to dampen the movement but I found that
it was caused by the grease in the focusing spiral getting hard and loose.
I simply removed the lenses one at a time and cleaned out the old hard
grease and put in a thick grease. Problem cured. Focus the lenses while
putting it back together. Do that at infinity.

When I check my shutter speeds, I use a photo transistor and my
oscilloscope, and write the true speed on a label and put it on the camera.
I haven't tried to adjust the speed.

I of course flock the inside of the chambers and fix the light leaks with
black yarn in the groves.

I find it fun to make good high depth images using such a simple camera and
enjoy doing things with it that the new $1500 China cameras can't do. There
are some on this list who are modifying their China cameras to lenses with
55 mm FL and will get better DoF with them but I haven't seen anyone
developing a viewer with 55mm lenses to properly view (ortho) the results.
One thing at a time.

Cheers,

Chuck Holzner