Konica FT-1 Repair Question

[dynachrome]

I just discovered today that the AAA battery holder for one of my FT-1 cameras has a crack in it. I am thinking about using some methylacrylate (check spelling) glue. Based on the
type of plastic used in the battery holder, is there any kind of glue I should not be using?

 

[runswithsizzers]

Does the inside of the battery holder have a code molded into it which would tell us what specific plastic it is made from?

 

[dynachrome]

I do not see one.

 

[dynachrome]

I brought the battery holder to my friend's workshop thus afternoon. He used JB Weld For Plastics. I will find out tomorrow if the operation was a success.

 

[Paul Howell]

My bet is that JB Weld will work just fine. I've used for a number of plastic repairs without regard to the type of plastic. I hope it works, I have a FT on the way and there is always the risk of cracked plastic battery holder.

 

[dynachrome]

The camera the battery holder that came with has a 1983 date code. If the battery holder is original to the camera, it is now 43 years old. Some plastics have aged better than others. I have some old bakelite developing tanks that are still usable. There may come a time in the future when no FT-1 cameras still work. I have many mechanical Konicas for when that time comes, assuming that I am still working then.

 

[blee1996]

JB Weld epoxy glue has been working well for me when repairing camera parts that needs strength: plastic to plastic, plastic to metal, metal to metal. So far everything holds.

 

[Sharktooth]

I've picked up about 5 FT-1 cameras over the years. All of them were working fine when I got them, and have had very little use since. Unfortunately, the electronics in these cameras biodegrade, and only one of them still works. The broken battery holder is just one common problem, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. They aren't really worth repairing now, and the high cost of film now means it doesn't make economic sense to use an unreliable camera. I bought a Konica T3 to use with the Konica lenses. The T3 is much more reliable, and doesn't need batteries to function. I just use a hand held meter, and use the camera without a battery.

The FT-1 has a nice compact size, and a built in motor, but they become doorstops when the electronics fail. Unfortunately, they're loooooooong past their best before date.

 

[dynachrome]

I will rehash some ancient Konica history of mine. My father got an Auto S1.6 in 1968. It did not get much use. In 1971 I got my first Konica, an Autoreflex T2 with the 57/1.4. Over the following years I would have other Konica models. My interest in Macro photography caused me to want a camera with a plain matte or grid type focusing screen. In the Konica cameras, they were not interchangeable. In 1984 I bought my first FT-1. I brought it to Professional Camera Repair in Manhattan and had a Nikon E screen (grid type) installed. The screen and the surgery cost more than the camera but less than getting all new lenses for a new system. I used the camera a lot for many years, with good results. In 1992 I first knew Greg Weber. I would finally get to meet him some years later and he has been a friend for many years. My original FT-1 was serviced several times by Greg. After Konica stopped making SLRs, Greg bought the equipment and parts from Konica for servicing the FT-1. For health reasons, Greg had to stop doing repairs. I tried to see if another well known repairman would be interested in getting the equipment and parts from Greg but my attempt was not successful. I have two other FT-1 cameras which, I think, are still working. A black one has barely been used but time continues to degrade these things even if they are not used. I would go on to collect and use many other camera brands, some of which have interchangeable focusing screens. Of the 35mm models, they include the three versions of the Canon F-1, Nikon F, F2 and F3 cameras, Nikkn FE/FE2, Mamiya NC1000S, Olympus OM2N/OM2S, Canon AE-1 Program, Contax 167mt, Nikon 8008, Nikon N90S. I don't remember whether the Nikon N2020 has interchangeable screens. My Canon A-1 and Minolta have factory interchangeable screens but the screens are not easy to find. Finally, I have a fleet of Minolta X700 cameras. If you are careful you can change the screens yourself but those screens are not easy to find either. One of mine has a plain matte screen, one had a grid screen and the rest have the standard screen. I would eventually start doing more macro work with the X700 cameras because of the TTL flash feature. I may also have some Minolta Maxxum cameras with interchangeable screens. I have to look that up.

 

[Paul Howell]

I have a Pentax SF1 that I swapped out a split image screen from a Miranda EE. The SF1 has user interchangeable screens, not a split image, there is grid pattern as noted hard to find. On rare occasion screens do show up for the Minolta 9. I think Nikon F and Canon F1 screens were made in larger numbers and might show up more often.

 

[Michael Howard]

I agree with the FT-1 not really worth repairing. The T2's and T3's are generally fairly reliable, but they have their problems, too. Surprisingly, the TC's I have had and still have have been the most reliable of all the Konica bodies. I have never had one malfunction, other than meter dying, I have three TC bodies now, all work perfectly. I got a new one about 6 months ago that was apparently never used, for $65, in the box but unwrapped. Clean as a whistle, and smooth as silk. Since 1985 or thereabouts, Konica is all I've ever used and I have many pristine lenses to go with them, so I won't stop until they all die or I do. Just don't confuse the TC with the TC-X, which was made by Cosina as Konica wrapped it up.

 

[blee1996]

I have both T3n and TC as my main Konica cameras. So far they have been reliable. The T3n needs a tiny bit of lubrication oil at the aperture acuation ring on the lens mount. TC has been trouble-free. T3n feels best in hand, while TC is convenient for on-the-go.

I attempted to repair one FT-1: typical electronics malfunction due to insulation pads degraded into goo. It was not a difficult operation, but the camera still does not function 100% after the repair. So I gave up on it.

The most fun Auto-reflex is the first version, where you can switch between full frame and half frame mid-roll. It is fully mechanical, just like the T3n, and still works well today.

 

[dynachrome]

I picked up the FT-1 battery holder this afternoon. The JB Weld For Plastics had a full 24 hours to cure. Attaching it to the camera was a little stiff but it works. My first TC, purchased in the summer of 1976, worker properly for 11 years. At that point I traded it for a prettier one.