Up to speed again with the Ikonta A (520)

[connealy]

My little 6x4.5 is the classiest of my classics; no rf or double exposure prevention, but it does have the very fine f/3.5 Tessar.  I hadn't used it for a while because the shutter was dragging and spoiling the Tessar's sharpness.  Opened up the shutter and decided that the problem was that I hadn't properly seating the cocking rack.  I got it down into a more stable position, and also sloshed on a bit of Ronsonol with a little suspended graphite.  Seems to have done the job.

[connealy]

This is Dancer.  He is a 5-year-old with all that implies.  Dancer is from a strain of Arabs that are used for 100-mile endurance runs; he's large for the breed and very powerful.  He is a challenge to ride and to photograph.

[connealy]

I've probably shot these tiles with every camera I own.  The fellow who owns the property next to ours very thoughtfully stacked them up and left them there about two years ago.  I like them for their patterns and tonalities, and also because the offer the promise of creating a new roof one day.

[connealy]

ps: sorry for all the typos.  My wife spilled some vodka and cranberry juice on her keyboard - a fatal combination.  Had to give her my nice Dell keyboard as it was the only one that fit.  I'm going to steal it back one night soon.

[nelsonfoto]

Mike, I might have a spare laying around. You need one with the small connector, right? Lemme check later to see what parts I still have laying in state.

[connealy]

I looked for a connector at a couple of places, but none seemed quite right.  I'll probably just buy another keyboard as even the good ones are pretty inexpensive.  The Belkin, however, is a piece-o'crap.

[nelsonfoto]

You should be able to find a AT/PS2 converter easily enough - hit this link:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=AT%2FPS2+keyboard+converter&btnG=Search

[Glenn Thoreson]

Cute little camera. I have a couple of clones. I need to fine tune their little shutters before I would trust them for use. I like those tiles.

[nelsonfoto]

However, if the keyboard that requires the converter is a POS... forget it.

I am afraid I cannot donate any parts. Not long ago - I swear it - I carried off close to a hundred pounds of printers, cabling, mainboards, vid cards, modems, network cards, you name it. I had been helping people for a while, doing tech stuff. Inevitably, you get DOA machines, and many people just dump them on me once they realize it would cost more for me to repair the issue than it would for them to buy a new tower.

At any rate, I got tired of looking at the crap. I am now on a laptop, have no desire to have a tower for the foreseeable future, so I took it all down to the Salvation Army. I had a lot of perfectly good stuff, cannibalized.

The converter is cheap. A replacement KB is cheap, too.

Gladly.

Funny, that 486 I had was worth $4000 not long ago. Kicks my ass every time I think about it.

[connealy]

BTW, those two shots from the Ikonta were on Delta 400 souped in HC-110, dilution H.  I don't think that is a particularly good combination with bright sun.  I will try it again with better light, but am also thinking about D-76.  Would appreciate any suggestions in this regard.

[nelsonfoto]

Is this the same folder you used for your cat shots? Those were very nice.

[Dean Williams]

Nice and sharp, Mike.  I think I've seen some of your tile shots before, or maybe it was this same shot.  Anyway, you make good use of the subject, with the angles and elevations here.

I have one of these little cameras too, but in the down spec'ed version with the three element lens (Nettar 515).  Nice little folders.  You really can take them anywhere!


Nettar 515, Tri-X, D76.

DW

[connealy]

Very nice results from that Nettar, Dean.  Zeiss Ikon really didn't put bad lenses on anything, I think.  One does have to take into account their peculiarities, though.  I try to remember to put the shade on mine when outdoors, and that helps a lot with apparent sharpness.  Matching film and processing to the shooting conditions is another challenge.  In any case, I think the combination of MF and very small, pocketable size in these 645 folders is a combination hard to beat.
  Craig, you are right that I did show a picture before from the Ikonta A of my cat Richard sitting on a bar stool.  That was shot indoors with no glare problems, and I thought it did really show off the Tessar's capabilities.
  Here is a chunk of the tile shot from the 1200 dpi scan at 100%.  Very harsh light, but I had the slip-on shade in place and the 1/500 speed and dof  permitted by the Delta 400 was also helpful.

[Mike Kovacs]

I gave one of these to Les Gediman after it was given to me by Mr Nelsonfoto himself.  Yours has 1/500 speed?  The one Les has had a rim set Compur T,B, 1-1/300 installed with an uncoated Tessar.

I tend to shoot more HP5+ than Delta 400 but have you tried overexposing by one stop and cutting back on the developing in bright sun?  Should lower the contrast somewhat.

[P C Headland]

Nice shots from that little camera.

As for the keyboard, you can try taking it apart and, depending on the type of keyboard, wash the board in warm water.  I used to do this regularly for the Police and Traffic cops back home who'd spill tea and three sugars or coke (the drinking kind!) in moments of excitement in the control room.

If not, there are enough cheap new ones out there.  Or grab an old IBM clicky-clack jobbie.  Good for beating off burglars too ;-)

Paul