Rapid Rectilinear 150mm f/8 with stuck aperture

loccdor · Apr 10, 2025

What if you had a Rapid Rectilinear 150mm f/8 covering 4x5+ with stuck aperture, and you only ever wanted to use it at f/22?

Is it easy to get into this type of lens to place a plastic cutout aperture? It's from a Kodak Autographic. Would it be terrible to make an "f/22 lens cap"?

Thanks

koraks · Apr 10, 2025

Have you tried the obvious route of...fixing it?

Jim Jones · Apr 10, 2025

loccdor said:
What if you had a Rapid Rectilinear 150mm f/8 covering 4x5+ with stuck aperture, and you only ever wanted to use it at f/22?

Is it easy to get into this type of lens to place a plastic cutout aperture? It's from a Kodak Autographic. Would it be terrible to make an "f/22 lens cap"?

Thanks

The aperture in this lens should be centered between the lens cells. I don't know exactly what using a lens cap aperture would do do the image, but it can't be good. You might experiment to check this.

loccdor · Apr 10, 2025

koraks said:
Have you tried the obvious route of...fixing it?

I will if it's relatively easy to do. I'm not a camera or lens mechanic by any stretch.

loccdor · Apr 10, 2025

Jim Jones said:
The aperture in this lens should be centered between the lens cells. I don't know exactly what using a lens cap aperture would do do the image, but it can't be good. You might experiment to check this.

Thanks, possibly some vignetting, I've heard, though I don't have an idea about how much. I'll try the interior route if I can figure it out.

film4Me · Apr 10, 2025

The aperture blades could be stuck together. I would pour lighter fluid on the blades after removing the front and rear glass. Then pour more lighter fluid between the casing and the rotating aperture handle ring. Gently apply pressure to the handle and test for movement. If it still doesn't move, you may have to loosen screws and try again. It will eventually come unstuck, unless there is a hard foreign object caught somewhere in the workings of the aperture. This could be a dislodged pin from one of the blades, or perhaps a very tiny particle of gravel that made it's way in. The front and rear glasses are screwed in and they may need a rubber stopper pressed against them to act as a friction device to save your fingers getting abraded.

jimgalli · Apr 11, 2025

Go to your Napa Auto Parts store and get some of this liquid rubber buffer. I don't know what it is but it is solvent and it frees up things like stuck apertures. Squirt it on the outside by the aperture ring and try moving it. Usually they get stuck in the very fine threads on the outside. It leaves no residue, but sometimes it will loosen up old lube and gook that does leave a residue, so have some cotton swabs handy. You'll want to unscrew the front lens group and the rear lens group first and set them aside. Good time to clean both sides of the glasses with 91% alcohol. Don't be afraid of this stuff. You'll feel like you accomplished something when it's all spiffy and working perfect again.

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/BK_7651322

bdial · Apr 11, 2025

According to the MSDS, it’s heptane.

John Wiegerink · Apr 12, 2025

Yes, I'd try the fluid-flush as suggested and if that doesn't work it might mean one of the blades pins have slipped out of its slot and jammed the aperture. Most of these old shutters have the aperture directly behind the shutter blades in the rear of the shutter. That means the guts of the shutter have to be removed to get at it. Not a lot of fun. If the flush doesn't work you have a choice of sending the shutter out for repair or try your hand at fixing it. If it were mine I would try to fix it myself, but I'm pretty lucky sometimes. If I ended up trashing the shutter and loved the lens I would then hunt down a parts shutter/lens combo and put my good cells in the good shutter. I think it would be cheaper doing that than sending the shutter out for repair. That's just me.

loccdor · Apr 12, 2025

John Wiegerink said:
Yes, I'd try the fluid-flush as suggested and if that doesn't work it might mean one of the blades pins have slipped out of its slot and jammed the aperture. Most of these old shutters have the aperture directly behind the shutter blades in the rear of the shutter. That means the guts of the shutter have to be removed to get at it. Not a lot of fun. If the flush doesn't work you have a choice of sending the shutter out for repair or try your hand at fixing it. If it were mine I would try to fix it myself, but I'm pretty lucky sometimes. If I ended up trashing the shutter and loved the lens I would then hunt down a parts shutter/lens combo and put my good cells in the good shutter. I think it would be cheaper doing that than sending the shutter out for repair. That's just me.

Thanks John. I'll give it a shot. I managed to fix an Olympus Pen D yesterday (with some difficulty), so maybe I am not as much of a screwdriver-fumbler as I thought I was...

Erik L · Apr 12, 2025

Here’s a possible shutter donor that they are basically giving away if your repair attempts go awry?

VINTAGE Kodak No. 3A Model C Folding Camera with Leather Case | eBay

Includes Leather Case.

www.ebay.com

loccdor · Apr 12, 2025

Erik L said:
Here’s a possible shutter donor that they are basically giving away if your repair attempts go awry?

Thanks Erik, good option, hopefully one camera will do the trick though.

Erik L · Apr 12, 2025

loccdor said:
Thanks Erik, good option, hopefully one camera will do the trick though.

For sure, it was just a thought as you can’t get a shutter serviced for $19.99!

loccdor · Wednesday at 3:14 PM

@Erik L It did not have any aperture blades. I was able to get a 6mm aperture in there that I drilled out of plastic card. Excited to go try it! Need a sunny day.

Erik L · Wednesday at 4:17 PM

loccdor said:
@Erik L It did not have any aperture blades. I was able to get a 6mm aperture in there that I drilled out of plastic card. Excited to go try it! Need a sunny day.

View attachment 396561 View attachment 396562 View attachment 396563

Well I feel stupid now! I thought the aperture lever was just decoupled from the ring. What size film are you looking to use in it?

loccdor · Wednesday at 5:00 PM

Erik L said:
Well I feel stupid now! I thought the aperture lever was just decoupled from the ring. What size film are you looking to use in it?

120, I have the spool adapters, and will try it as is, but I might need to put rails in it for film flatness.

John Wiegerink · Thursday at 10:27 AM

loccdor said:
120, I have the spool adapters, and will try it as is, but I might need to put rails in it for film flatness.

You might be able to get by with no film rail guides if your aperture is small enough, but you'll find out after one roll.

jonny88 · Thursday at 10:43 AM

If you're only planning to shoot at f/22 anyway, a simple DIY waterhouse stop or even an "f/22 lens cap" could totally work. Just cut a clean hole in black plastic or card and stick it in front. Not perfect, but it gets the job done without messing with the lens internals.

loccdor · Thursday at 11:46 PM

John Wiegerink said:
You might be able to get by with no film rail guides if your aperture is small enough, but you'll find out after one roll.

I shot a roll at f/22 and infinity today. If that didn't work well enough I'll probably try going up to f/45. From my calculations f/22 should allow about a half centimeter of film plane range and f/45 a whole centimeter... will post my results when I can get them developed.

The Kodak Autographic certainly was a fun camera to shoot with, hope the pictures are nice too. It's the biggest, and oldest, camera I've had the opportunity to use. Surprisingly, the "brilliant finder" is nice and clear in this one, unlike in my old Voigtlander.

Rapid Rectilinear 150mm f/8 with stuck aperture

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