First SLR

[Les Sarile]

Thank you all for the recommendations! I still haven’t received the camera. It says it will arrive this friday.

I didn’t notice the self timer when I purchased it on ebay. And now I’m kind of nervous about it. I really hope it doesnt mean the camera needs to be fixed… Anyway, I made some research and I found a shop specialised in fixing analogical cameras and lenses. It seems reliable but I hope I don’t need to use it for now

I've bought many used vintage cameras online and have gotten a couple with this issue. In both cases the rest of the camera was functional. It was just annoying that the timer didn't work.

 

[138bb]

I've bought many used vintage cameras online and have gotten a couple with this issue. In both cases the rest of the camera was functional. It was just annoying that the timer didn't work.

I hope it’s just the timer then!

I think it’s going to take a while to find out, though. Ebay says the camera will arrive on friday, but checking the tracking number it seems that it hasn’t been handed yet to USPS



I haven’t used ebay for a long time, and I didn’t know about Pitney Bowes. But I’ve read that they are really slow.

 

[Les Sarile]

I hope it’s just the timer then!

I think it’s going to take a while to find out, though. Ebay says the camera will arrive on friday, but checking the tracking number it seems that it hasn’t been handed yet to USPS

View attachment 336168 View attachment 336167

I haven’t used ebay for a long time, and I didn’t know about Pitney Bowes. But I’ve read that they are really slow.

They use USPS in Spain?

 

[xkaes]

That package was obviously shipped from a USPS facility. So don't expect it anytime soon -- it can take a week just to get through CUSTOMS.

 

[138bb]

They use USPS in Spain?

We don’t have USPS in Spain, but the seller is from the UK.

That package was obviously shipped from a USPS facility. So don't expect it anytime soon -- it can take a week just to get through CUSTOMS.

I’m already tired of waiting

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

The shipping information above doesn't make a whole lot of sense. USPS is the United States Postal System, they don't do business in the UK excepting they deal with Royal Mail for US<->UK post.

Pitney-Bowes is an American firm that makes postage meters ("franking machines" that print a postage logo on an envelope or label) and now makes software for printing FedEx/UPS/DHL... shipping labels and tracking packages. TTBOMK, P-B doesn't actually ship anything. But I am sure, as many complaints attest, that P-B can royally slow things down.

 

[Disconnekt]

Try putting the package number through a package tracking site like Parcels App (https://parcelsapp.com/), information about it may show up there.

 

[Hassasin]

I hope it’s just the timer then!

I think it’s going to take a while to find out, though. Ebay says the camera will arrive on friday, but checking the tracking number it seems that it hasn’t been handed yet to USPS

View attachment 336168 View attachment 336167

I haven’t used ebay for a long time, and I didn’t know about Pitney Bowes. But I’ve read that they are really slow.

Pitney Bowes is in partnership with eBay for international shipment processing. So it looks like your seller is in the so-called Global Shipping Program (GSP). The way this works, he ships item to Pitney US address, then Pitney moves it to international shipping lane, a two-step process. Pitney is used for eBay GSP shipments US to EU and possibly to all other out of USA destinations. Updates sometimes are correct, sometimes they lag, but you may be seeing Friday delivery at Pitney facility not to your home. It's confusing as hell at times.

 

[138bb]

Pitney Bowes is in partnership with eBay for international shipment processing. So it looks like your seller is in the so-called Global Shipping Program (GSP). The way this works, he ships item to Pitney US address, then Pitney moves it to international shipping lane, a two-step process. Pitney is used for eBay GSP shipments US to EU and possibly to all other out of USA destinations. Updates sometimes are correct, sometimes they lag, but you may be seeing Friday delivery at Pitney facility not to your home. It's confusing as hell at times.

Really confusing but thank you for the explanation! I finally received an update yesterday:



Hope everything’s goes faster from here

 

[xkaes]

Another possibility -- not that it matters -- is that it might have been shipped at a US military facility in the UK, which might have an APO USPS facility on the base.

Keep those fingers crossed. At least you know it has been shipped and is in the system -- somewhere!!!

 

[138bb]

Another possibility -- not that it matters -- is that it might have been shipped at a US military facility in the UK, which might have an APO USPS facility on the base.

Keep those fingers crossed. At least you know it has been shipped and is in the system -- somewhere!!!

Fingers crossed to receive it on monday

 

[Sirius Glass]

Really confusing but thank you for the explanation! I finally received an update yesterday:

View attachment 336315

Hope everything’s goes faster from here

The tracking information for all shippers is confusing when packages go through customs of the leaving country and entering the receiving company.

 

[xkaes]

Here's another example of a stuck self-timer. Dropped of at GOODWILL because the shutter is STUCK

 

[Sirius Glass]

Here's another example of a stuck self-timer. Dropped of at GOODWILL because the shutter is STUCK

View attachment 336608

I had one of those. Took it to Europe many times. Replaced with the SR301.

 

[EggFriedRice]

Full mechanism SLR is recommended. It's hard to repair the old camera with electronic parts as there is lack of replacement. Now I'm still looking for an expert to fix the shutter issue of my Hexar RF...

 

[138bb]

No tracking update since friday. This is exasperatinggg. I just want to know if the shutter is stuck

 

[Chan Tran]

Just confused as to why everyone recommends late era film cameras that NEED 25-30 dollar batteries, that to qoute the canon eos manual, last 20 rolls of 36 exposure film.

Because sometimes the camera costs half the price of the battery.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Full mechanism SLR is recommended. It's hard to repair the old camera with electronic parts as there is lack of replacement. Now I'm still looking for an expert to fix the shutter issue of my Hexar RF...

Hello EggFriedRice, welcome to Photrio! Be sure to tell us a little about yourself, and your interests in photography, in the Introduce Yourself To The Photrio Community! Cheers! https://www.photrio.com/forum/forums/introduce-yourself-to-the-photrio-community.35/rs!

 

[xkaes]

No tracking update since friday. This is exasperatinggg. I just want to know if the shutter is stuck

Sometimes packages are "in the system" and don't get "tracked". FEAR NOT!!!

 

[Disconnekt]

Sometimes packages are "in the system" and don't get "tracked". FEAR NOT!!!

Yep, sometimes they dont scan it when it arrives/departs at a certain location.
There's been a few times when I bought something and the only info that showed on usps site was "package dropped off, package departed/in transit", nothing for a few days, then it just randomly arrived in my city to be delivered to me.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Full mechanism SLR is recommended. It's hard to repair the old camera with electronic parts as there is lack of replacement. Now I'm still looking for an expert to fix the shutter issue of my Hexar RF...

Welcome to APUG Photrio!!​

 

[Huss]

Because sometimes the camera costs half the price of the battery.

I use rechargeable batteries. CR2 or CR123 work in all my AF slrs, as well as the Leica R9.

 

[138bb]

Hi guys! There’s been no updates on tracking since monday

But, while I wait, I managed to get another camera. I found this Minolta SRT Super on ebay for just 5€. And of course, I had to buy it.

It’s untested and ir arrived today. Everything seems to work. However, it needs a cleanup. I attached some pictures.

Any recommendations about what to use to clean it? Specially, the mirror.





Now I need to finde a lense! I found some cheap ones:
- Tamron 28-70mm f/3,5-4,5 cf macro for only 15€
- Sunaction 28-70mm, f/3,5-4,8 for 20€
- Vivitar 50mm f/1,7 for 25€

Tamron is the cheapest option, so I probably get that one. Mostly, because I don’t know if the camera really works and don’t know how the pics will turn out.

What do you think?

 

[KerrKid]

Great find if it works! I would say it needs new light seals at least. Do you have a battery to test the meter? Not that you have to use the camera's meter, but it's nice. I don't put zooms on my SRT's so I'd go with the Vivitar 50, but that's just me.

I used alcohol or lens cleaner to clean the mirror. There may be other options.

 

[Huss]

Before you clean it you need to remove the remnants of the old foam bumpers and replace with new ones. That junk on the mirror is from the disintegrating foams in the camera.
Once you have replaced the foams, and blown out the camera to remove any remaining crud, then clean the mirror.
I use isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs.