Re: Sputnik Success

[Paul Talbot <ptww@xxxxxxxxx>]

Brian Reynolds wrote:

> I hadn't had time to modify my Sputnik before the trip but things
> still went better than previous attempts. ...
>
> There is an incredible amount of flare
> and a light leak on the left (I think) top of the camera.

I'll propose a wild guess that you have a leak at the door
hinge.  It probably appears to be at the top of the camera
because the bottom of the camera isn't exposed to nearly as
much light as is the top.

> I've gotten
> a couple of PVC caps and will be building lens shades soon.  I'm also
> going to flock the interior and add yarn to the light trap.  Does
> anyone want to recommend a glue for doing this?

I'd been toying with the idea of offering Sputnik fix-up
services as an add-on to the Sputniks I offer through RMM.
Lincoln was kind enough to be my first guinea pig, so I
spent some time researching these issues.  I found several
glue recommendations:

  - Greg E. mentions using super glue
  - Sam Smith recommends contact cement
  - Paul Bigelow suggests trying Elmer's

Sam also mentioned that:
  | Someone was using black silicone instead of wool to
  | make a light tight seal. They applied it to the groove
  | and closed the door once the outer skin had set to form
  | it. Neat concept.

I ended up going with the contact cement and black yarn.

Flocking the interior gets pretty cumbersome due to all the
irregular surfaces inside the Sputnik.  Don Lopp came up with
a nifty removable baffle made of black paper.  I've improved
on his design by coverin the inside surfaces of the baffle with
flocking paper.  The black paper Don used was more reflective
than the flocking paper.

I'm also working on putting together a Sputnik fix-up kit for
RMM to offer.  The costs of the separate materials required,
especially when you factor in shipping of the flocking paper
from Edmunds, and driving all over town to pick up the other
items at what seems like 1/2 dozen different places.  And then
you end up with about 100 times as much as what you need of
all the different supplies.

I'll discuss the proposed kit in a separate message.  I'd
like to tap this group's knowledge and experience for ideas
about what should be added, left out, changed, etc.

> Focusing the Sputnik is pretty random.

Don Lopp is of the opinion that in the Sputnik the film
doesn't lay flat against the film plane.  So putting a
lot of effort into setting the focus for a sharp image
on a ground glass at the film plane doesn't necessarily
produce the expected results.  I'd like to hear what some
of the experienced Spud hackers on the list think about
that.

Paul Talbot