Cameras and lenses with minor flaws: nothing is perfect

[Andreas Thaler]

We like to talk about service and repair for photographic equipment, checking and adjusting SLRs and lenses, repair shops, and how you can do it yourself.

There's nothing wrong with that

Seriously defective cameras and lenses will rarely deliver technically flawless photos—and that's what they're there for. Hence it is worth looking into these issues.

But it's also possible to overdo it

as the daily questions on photography forums and social media show.

Users worry about a little dust on lenses, tiny dry fungus spots on eyepieces, or strange noises when releasing the shutter.

Of course, more serious problems are also reported, where it is clear that there is a defect that needs to be repaired.

The owner of a repair shop in Vienna once told me that he had a customer who listened to all his Leicas every day for suspicious noises when adjusting them and called him immediately if he noticed anything.

This ruins the fun of the whole thing

So here are a few suggestions on how to remain a carefree photographer and collector. Of course I speak from my own experience

Nothing is perfect

• No SLR camera maintains shutter speeds exactly 100 percent,
• lenses sometimes have deviant apertures and so let in too much or too little light,
• the autofocus system can be slightly misaligned,
• the shutter mechanism can stick a little when cocking, or
• a little dust or small, long-inactive fungus spots are present in lenses.

Nevertheless, you can still take technically excellent pictures with such cameras and lenses. Flaws are only visible when the photo is greatly enlarged or if you know they are there.

Service and repair are always a risk

Any intervention in a camera carries the risk of additional problems arising. It doesn't matter whether this is done by a professional or DIY.

You should therefore think twice about whether it's worth it.

For example, I have a heavily used Canon FD zoom lens with damaged jerkily sliding plain bearings and slightly wobbly helicoids. A clear case for service/repair. But I can still take perfect photos with this lens. And I know that attempting to disassemble the lens without instructions is a risky business.

Learn to accept flaws

In a Canon T90, a digit is missing from the seven-segment LED display in the viewfinder. Unfortunately, it is the horizontal bar that turns a 0 into an 8 or vice versa. This is naturally irritating when reading the time and aperture. But it doesn't change the correct exposure, as only the display is affected.

Or one of my super wide-angle lenses has a noticeable scratch on the rear lens. When the aperture is closed down significantly, a shadow can be seen on the film. However, since I work hybrid, scanning my films and continuing to work on them in Photoshop, this can be quickly fixed with the correction tool.

Both flaws show me that perfection is only an ideal. But life is not ideal. So I am grateful to both flaws for literally bringing this to my attention.

I don't want to encourage carelessness and recklessness

But you shouldn't make yourself unnecessarily unhappy by striving for perfection.

I would consider whether a problem is really a serious issue that needs to be fixed. This would then justify a financial investment in a professional repair or spending your own time on a DIY solution.

+++

A word of caution

Please keep in mind that you’ll be using highly flammable solvents for service work, and their fumes are harmful to your health. Soldering also produces fumes that should not be inhaled. Dangerous high voltages can be present when handling electronics, especially in conjunction with electronic flash units and mains. Therefore, familiarize yourself with the safety regulations beforehand and ensure your safety. Depending on the activity, protective gear may be advisable.

All information provided without guarantee and use at your own risk.

Acknowledgments

Without the work of Master Larry Lyells, in particular, we wouldn’t have the detailed technical information we need today for service/repair of SLRs.

The SPT Journal and The Camera Craftsman, which he helped shape significantly as an author, and which contain all the necessary information and instructions are available for a fee through Learn Camera Repair.

We owe our access to them to Eugene Pate, the founder of Learn Camera Repair.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

View attachment 426215

We like to talk about service and repair for photographic equipment, checking and adjusting SLRs and lenses, repair shops, and how you can do it yourself.

There's nothing wrong with that

Seriously defective cameras and lenses will rarely deliver technically flawless photos—and that's what they're there for. Hence it is worth looking into these issues.

But it's also possible to overdo it

as the daily questions on photography forums and social media show.

Users worry about a little dust on lenses, tiny dry fungus spots on eyepieces, or strange noises when releasing the shutter.

Of course, more serious problems are also reported, where it is clear that there is a defect that needs to be repaired.

The owner of a repair shop in Vienna once told me that he had a customer who listened to all his Leicas every day for suspicious noises when adjusting them and called him immediately if he noticed anything.

This ruins the fun of the whole thing

So here are a few suggestions on how to remain a carefree photographer and collector. Of course I speak from my own experience

Nothing is perfect

• No SLR camera maintains shutter speeds exactly 100 percent,
• lenses sometimes have deviant apertures and so let in too much or too little light,
• the autofocus system can be slightly misaligned,
• the shutter mechanism can stick a little when cocking, or
• a little dust or small, long-inactive fungus spots are present in lenses.

Nevertheless, you can still take technically excellent pictures with such cameras and lenses. Flaws are only visible when the photo is greatly enlarged or if you know they are there.

Service and repair are always a risk

Any intervention in a camera carries the risk of additional problems arising. It doesn't matter whether this is done by a professional or DIY.

You should therefore think twice about whether it's worth it.

For example, I have a heavily used Canon FD zoom lens with damaged jerkily sliding plain bearings and slightly wobbly helicoids. A clear case for service/repair. But I can still take perfect photos with this lens. And I know that attempting to disassemble the lens without instructions is a risky business.

Learn to accept flaws

In a Canon T90, a digit is missing from the seven-segment LED display in the viewfinder. Unfortunately, it is the horizontal bar that turns a 0 into an 8 or vice versa. This is naturally irritating when reading the time and aperture. But it doesn't change the correct exposure, as only the display is affected.

Or one of my super wide-angle lenses has a noticeable scratch on the rear lens. When the aperture is closed down significantly, a shadow can be seen on the film. However, since I work hybrid, scanning my films and continuing to work on them in Photoshop, this can be quickly fixed with the correction tool.

Both flaws show me that perfection is only an ideal. But life is not ideal. So I am grateful to both flaws for literally bringing this to my attention.

I don't want to encourage carelessness and recklessness

But you shouldn't make yourself unnecessarily unhappy by striving for perfection.

I would consider whether a problem is really a serious issue that needs to be fixed. This would then justify a financial investment in a professional repair or spending your own time on a DIY solution.

+++

A word of caution

Please keep in mind that you’ll be using highly flammable solvents for service work, and their fumes are harmful to your health. Soldering also produces fumes that should not be inhaled. Dangerous high voltages can be present when handling electronics, especially in conjunction with electronic flash units and mains. Therefore, familiarize yourself with the safety regulations beforehand and ensure your safety. Depending on the activity, protective gear may be advisable.

All information provided without guarantee and use at your own risk.

Acknowledgments

Without the work of Master Larry Lyells, in particular, we wouldn’t have the detailed technical information we need today for service/repair of SLRs.

The SPT Journal and The Camera Craftsman, which he helped shape significantly as an author, and which contain all the necessary information and instructions are available for a fee through Learn Camera Repair.

We owe our access to them to Eugene Pate, the founder of Learn Camera Repair.

my hat goes off to people who can tolerate imperfection. They are the happiest people. I envy them for that,but they will never feel the satisfaction and pride of perfection.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

my hat goes off to people who can tolerate imperfection. They are the happiest people. I envy them for that,but they will never feel the satisfaction and pride of perfection.

I think we have to be realistic in this case.

A DIY home workshop is not a manufacturer’s service center complete with training and equipment. Many measuring and adjustment tools listed in the original repair manuals for SLRs no longer exist—or at least, they are no longer available. But even with those tools, tolerances cannot be reduced to zero (which the specifications also take into account).

Perfection is a virtue, but if it isn’t grounded in realistic expectations, it leads nowhere.