Disaster! :(

[P3D Dr. George A. Themelis <fj834@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Just got 34 rolls back from processing (the 5 Slowchromes take longer). 

Unfortunately, camera problems have resulted in the loss of a significant
part of my pictures... The problem is frame overlap developed in my Ilex
Paragon Realist.  The first two rolls from this camera were fine.  Then...
disaster.  Frame overlap of the order of 1 to 2 sprocket holes has
destroyed most of the pictures.  Some of them are OK, others can be saved
with 4p mounts, while others are totally lost.  (Note that this is
essentially a new camera for me as I have it for only 4 months now and have
taken a total of maybe 10 rolls before this trip with no problems.)

The irony is that my 7p Realist also developed a problem with the shutter
stuck open.  I worked on that in Greece and fixed it temporarily only to
come back later... So for the last part of the trip I only used the Ilex
Realist thinking that this was working fine... Unfortunately, it was not
working fine and I did not know about it.

Who ever said that the Realists are reliable cameras :-) 

The frame overlap problem is the same that Larry Weakly mentioned earlier
and I am sure other owners of older Realists have experienced.  As it turns
out (this is explained in Piper's book too), the older Realists (up to
around 25K serial number) are using a different film advance mechanism
which tends to wear out and generally is not as reliable as the newer ones.
Ron Zakowski explained the problem in our phone conversation. One part
wears out and needs to be replaced.  This wear causes the "sprocket-slip",
especially if the camera is advanced in a hurry (that's how I usually do
it!).  Ron can fix the problem and the camera will be fine until this part
wears again.  He can also convert the entire mechanism to the newer system.
 
I am packing up both cameras to send to Ron.  In the meanwhile I am
mourning the loss of these pictures... Gone are the grilled fish, the guy
with the laterna and many other pictures, some of them award-winning for
sure.  What saved me is that I took so many pictures that even with the
loss of say 1/4 of them, I still have plenty left.

I don't know what the lesson is from this story.... Take 3 Realists next
time? (in the past I only carried one and never had a problem.)  Use a Kodak
instead of a Realist?  Develop the rolls as you go to make sure everything
is fine?  Shoot 80 rolls instead of 40?  I really don't know...

-- George Themelis


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