Rare 1950s BeautyFlex TLR camera - Repair and Restore

I believe this is BeautyFlex IV (early version?) Twin Lens Reflex camera. I got this from a local flea market with a cheap price because it was broken. I tried my best to restore this camera. Hope you get some useful information from my video. Enjoy watching!
Please subscribe and help me restore more of the vintage camera. Thanks...
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Amazing Background music by William King
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#analog #mediumformat #film #TLR #vintage #restoration #camera

[@silviopfeifer8094]

Great Job! you shoulf offer this as a service. Very professinal. great skills !

[@nostalgiccameralife]

There's a guy who'll custom cut front surface mirrors, I've replaced several mirrors in old TLRs and SLRs. The silvering on pre-war German mirrors will literally dissolve if sprayed with glass cleaner, so I've learned it's better to replace than attempt to clean.

[@Femmypixel]

Beautiful.

[@100davies]

stupid looking gloves

[@clad89]

This is amazing ! Do you know if this kind of cameras were build with some form of automation or was it all fully built "by hand"?

[@JanneRanta]

Holy hell my ears exploded from that first ultrasonic cleaner clip. Also, how accurate did you get the shutter speeds? And that bent pin in the shutter. That may have been bent intentionally to change the engagement with the main cam.

[@VintageResurrection]

Sorry for the bad audio. This one come with shutter speed guide plate which help a lot. There will be margin of error in shutter speed but will not get complete different shutter speed. (eg 1/200 sound like 1s shutter)

[@randallstewart1224]

Beautyflex is a camera of the 1950s, made in a number of models with slightly differing features and lenses over the years. They are very simple, ordinary examples of classic, inexpensive Japanese TLR of that era: simple designs made out of sheet metal folded to shape; usually simple triplet lenses, not very well corrected; not high precision construction. The Beautiflex was one of those models which were rebranded under other names, usually as shop brands sold in stores like Sears and Montgomery Word. A better quality example of the type would be the earlier TLRs made by Ricoh, which share the less common focus coordination had by gearing the viewing and taking lenses so they rotate together in helicord mounts, rather than more common and expensive method of fixed both lenses to the front panel and focusing by moving the panel. Apparently, Beautiflex holds some collective value, as they are ebay listed in the $200-250 range, well above its value as a functional camera.

[@user-ve3gh5xg9q]

💪👏

[@janekpachowicz8569]

Hey there. Great restoration. I can't wait to see another TLR restoration, especially czechoslovakian Flexaret. It would be a great help because I want to get one of these and do full CLA by myself.

[@bradhagen1269]

Fantastic work. I love this kind of stuff!

[@SomeUnremarkableGuy]

I have been waiting to do restorations of analog cameras like this for years. I really hope you will do restoration like this on some Minolta TLR cameras.

[@peinmilan]

Whatever they do it's always nice to watch professionals at work. Amazing!

[@onyxbird5509]

My guy! This is a truly gorgeous restoration. Loved it and will be looking forward to do not miss another video like this.

[@brentbrown51]

Camera repair and brain surgery: Two birds of a feather...

[@bday56]

I’ve watched hundreds of these and this is the best by far. Just brilliant.

[@robettarmstrong6108]

1st class restoration, thankyou.

[@PaulSafford]

Incredible work, no part of what you do that I could do! 😂

[@damham5689]

Be novel if they made a quality digital version

[@ludwigvanbeathoven]

So my biggest question is: How do you put it together or how do you know where all the parts go? Do you have a printed layout or video in front of you? Or is it just learning by doing?
Also, what purpose does the yellow cable have?
ps: 17:19 was extremely loud

[@VintageResurrection]

Sry for bad audio. I couldn't find repair manual for this one so I did with blind repair based on experience. TLRs are pretty much like range finder. Yellow cable for flash sync I think.

[@andresaironneil1378]

what did you use to polish the optics? was it really okay to freehand it like that? might change the shape of the curvature

[@VintageResurrection]

It is 80000 grid diamond paste used to polish mirror like finish in jewelry

[@3dmaniac]

hi, What kind of lubricant do you use for glass and mechanisms before disassembling them ?

[@VintageResurrection]

Any good low viscosity rush removing oil will do the job. The one I used is WD40 like variant with good penetration into grooves. Leave the oil for few hours before removing rusty , jammed parts.

[@zootgambale1]

Very nice work!!

[@Klpinfl]

Wonderful restoration!

[@jayzphotography]

Beauty😃