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on Aug 8, 2016 21:25:04 GMT
Last Edit: Aug 9, 2016 13:10:54 GMT by bp_reid
I'm really excited because I just picked up a boxed Contax 159MM on eBay, for just under £50 including postage. The rubber looked awful, almost white, but everything else looked really good. As it turns out, the rubber has cleaned up beautifully and the camera is now so clan that it looks unused! In the box were all the papers and the eyecup and neck strap which were both still stapled into their plastic packets. There was even a bit of paper place over the shutter, in the film gate. I already own a 159, and I know the camera and really enjoy it. It's my most used Contax so I've been looking for a well priced back up for ages. After popping in a battery I fired it up and everything is working perfectly. I'm delighted to have found such a great copy and I'm looking forward to running a film through it. |
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on Aug 9, 2016 15:58:29 GMT
Last Edit: Aug 9, 2016 16:08:00 GMT by biggles3
What an excellent purchase - well done barryreid!
The 159MM is an under-appreciated member of the Yashica/Contax family. As I think has been said before, it suffered a poor reputation for reliability because it was rushed to the market by Kyocera before full testing was completed and several reviewers had problems with their samples. It did not take too long for those glitches to be ironed out and the resulting camera is a delightful piece of kit especially with the Zeiss 45mm pancake lens (or when partnered with the W-7 winder and an 85 1.4!).
It's great to hear from someone who knows, uses and enjoys such a classic camera! And now you have two... 
By the way, what did you use to remove the milky appearance of the rubber grips?
For anyone with a 159MM and a dead shutter:
There are still quite a few 159MMs out there with the classic dead shutter problem; this arose from oxidisation of the magnet/armature assembly but the good thing, if people but know it, is that there is a well-established procedure for correcting the problem that can be done in the home. Just go to: www.rangefinderforum.com/classics/forum/messages/15681/12566.html?1218312674 and you'll find the solution.
Unfortunately, the earliest 159s that suffered from problems with a PCB can't be saved unless a donor camera is available. |
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on Aug 9, 2016 17:09:53 GMT
Last Edit: Mar 16, 2018 9:50:03 GMT by bp_reid
When I got my first 159 it had some whitening, and as the was a bit of a duffer I just tackled it with some spray on screen cleaner from Maplin and it worked a treat. This one needed a bit more effort but it has worked, I'll post a picture when I get home.
Incidentally, I got that first 159 for next to nothing as it was a bit rough and the shutter wasn't firing. I was going to try the fix you link to but found different fix - it may be for a different problem of course. This fix is to work the aperture follower. Luckily it got mine firing again without the need to peel the rubber.
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on Aug 9, 2016 17:24:38 GMT
Posted: Aug 9, 2016 17:24:38 GMT
When I got my first 159 it had some whitening, and as the was a bit of a duffer I just tackled it with some spray on screen cleaner from Maplin and it worked a treat. This one needed a bit more effort but it has worked, I'll post a picture when I get home. Incidentally, I got that first 159 for next to nothing as it was a bit rough and the shutter wasn't firing. I was going to try the fox you link to but found different fix - it may be for a different problem of course. This fix is to work the aperture follower. Luckily it got mine firing again without the need to peel the rubber. That little tag for the aperture linkage should probably be the first thing to be tried as it's the least destructive; good call! I have a 159 Repair Manual somewhere and I must check out the disassembly charts to see just what that tag connects with... |
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on Aug 9, 2016 17:26:05 GMT
Posted: Aug 9, 2016 17:26:05 GMT
I do have a W-7 and it can have benefits for handling heavier lenses like the 85/1.4 or 28-85 VS the latter of which feels very front-heavy on the lightweight 139/159/Aria family. That said, while the RTS III is a good match for Big glass it was too heavy for my taste so I ended up swapping it for an with Aria to use when I want an all mod-cons film body.
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on Aug 9, 2016 22:13:14 GMT
Posted: Aug 9, 2016 22:13:14 GMT
This is the camera after cleaning and the liquid I used, just rubbed away at the white residue with an old microfibre lens cloth...   |
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on Aug 10, 2016 0:46:55 GMT
Posted: Aug 10, 2016 0:46:55 GMT
Can still see a bit of it under the self timer switch. I had an older rangefinder with pleather that I used Lysol Spray Cleaner on. It's an unfortunate consequence of cheap plastics being put to use without good durability testing beforehand. Likely you'll have to clean it a few more times as the covering ages.
It is a good looking camera though, and hopefully it will do right by you.
PF
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on Aug 12, 2016 6:43:30 GMT
Posted: Aug 12, 2016 6:43:30 GMT
This is the camera after cleaning and the liquid I used, just rubbed away at the white residue with an old microfibre lens cloth... Nice work - thank you for taking the trouble to explain your cleaning method. With the honourable exceptions of the original RTS (it used pig-skin until Yashica's marketing people realised that some religions didn't appreciate it!) along with the Yashica FR series and FX1/FX2 cameras, the leatherette and rubberised grips have been a constant weak point. The terrible problems of the leatherette fraying and peeling or the rubber grips turning either milky or shiny (or bubbling up on the 167MT) have betrayed the appearance and quality of some of our favourite cameras.
Like a few others on this Forum, I started buying replacements from Yashica/Kyocera back in the 1980s before discovering the delights of Aki Asahi's cow-hide and synthetic leathers and those of cameraleather.com which offers a greater variety of colours (for those that like that sort of thing on a classic camera) and also offers genuine lizard and snake skins - all CITES compliant. Fortunately, for the 159MM, I still have one complete replacement set left which I bought from Kyocera in Japan - I can tell you, their replacement sets were not cheap! Obviously, replacing damaged rubber grips on many of the later cameras is far from straightforward because they can be heavily contoured, especially in the gripping areas. Model-making skills can come in very handy for such complexities. But if it's just a case of cleaning them, a little experimentation and a lot of perseverance usually gets the job done...
For me, getting rid of the milkiness that can develop on rubber grips - on both cameras and lenses - usually involves soapy water applied with a tooth brush. The good thing is that it seems to be kept at bay simply through regular handling - it only seems to develop after long periods of non-use.
Anyhow, you have a good-looking 159 - it was definitely worth the effort!
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on Aug 24, 2016 13:45:46 GMT
Posted: Aug 24, 2016 13:45:46 GMT
Just thought I'd mention an apparent cure for whitened rubber on cameras like the 159MM, lens grips, etc. that was given a positive recommendation on the classic repair forum: 303 Products 30307 Aerospace Protectant.
I've ordered a spray version from Amazon and will test it shortly and report back in the appropriate section in due course.
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on Mar 16, 2018 9:54:38 GMT
Posted: Mar 16, 2018 9:54:38 GMT
OK, I have had to open up one of my 159MMs to do the shutter armature fix and have been left with a detached rubber grip that now needs re-fixing to the body. Can anyone recommend a glue or tape that will give decent grip but allow me to peel it again in case the fault returns?
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on Mar 17, 2018 1:32:50 GMT
Posted: Mar 17, 2018 1:32:50 GMT
OK, I have had to open up one of my 159MMs to do the shutter armature fix and have been left with a detached rubber grip that now needs re-fixing to the body. Can anyone recommend a glue or tape that will give decent grip but allow me to peel it again in case the fault returns? I'd like to say contact cement, Barry, but not sure about how easy it is to peel. PF |
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on Mar 17, 2018 19:26:05 GMT
Posted: Mar 17, 2018 19:26:05 GMT
The Rubber fits nicely so I don’t think it needs to be a strong glue. From reading around it looks like double sided tape is a good option and I think I’m going to go with it and see.
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on May 3, 2018 18:03:14 GMT
Posted: May 3, 2018 18:03:14 GMT
Be aware when using TTL-flash. Once had a crash where 50% of the images were underexposed. was an optomechanical problem. Contax-cams should go to service from time to time.
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on May 3, 2018 18:05:52 GMT
Posted: May 3, 2018 18:05:52 GMT
This is the camera after cleaning and the liquid I used, just rubbed away at the white residue with an old microfibre lens cloth... View AttachmentView Attachmenti have never see that grip on the 159MM. beside this the plastic winder W7? is terrible when using heavy telelens. contact will be interrupted since body will be bent! |
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on Sept 24, 2018 23:52:31 GMT
Last Edit: Sept 25, 2018 1:41:32 GMT by ridgeblue99: Banned scammer
Interesting topic, do you think, when is the best time to buy a camera? Another interesting version of the camera xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Sorry, but this link has absolutely nothing to do with a 159mm, or a Contax or a Yashica camera. It looks like it's some kind if an ad disguised as a blog post to me.
Admin note: Troll that was banned. Cleaning up his messes now.
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