Have You Ever Attempted To Fix Your Camera - Then Regret It?

[grat]

Best description I ever heard was from a mechanic who worked on the family car (A Mercedes W series tank sedan from the early 70's). My father found an MGB GT that needed work, and bought it cheap, and approached the "regular" mechanic who was factory trained in Stuttgart. He flat out refused to touch the MG-- when asked why he said "It's simple. When I fix something on THAT car *points to 220D*, I know exactly what will break. The MG, I have no idea what will break when I start to work on it. No thank you."

 

[David Lindquist]

From Ted Orland's poster "Photographic Truths" from 1981:

"A butter knife is a useful tool for making minor adjustments that a camera store would charge $10 to make."

"A camera store will charge $75 to repair a camera that has been adjusted with a butter knife."

David

 

[Vaughn]

My cameras would require woodworking tools and skills I do not have. I can previsualize the carnage I am capable of, and thus refrain from making repairs if at all possible.

 

[Sirius Glass]

My cameras would require woodworking tools and skills I do not have. I can previsualize the carnage I am capable of, and thus refrain from making repairs if at all possible.

Here is a great practical example of using visualization or previsualization in photography. I do not remember Ansel Adams, Ed Weston nor HCB ever voicing an opinion on this sector of photography.

 

[4season]

Better to have somebody who has the experience of hundreds of camera repairs. Also, beyond the manuals, there is a required knack not expressed in the manuals. And there is the problem of parts. I needed a tiny screw, a very tiny screw. Fastener dealers told me that that particular screw was a special manufacture, unique and hence unavailable.
Years ago I had a friend who was a third generation worker at Leitz. He told me that there were different engineering cultures. He would fix any German or Japanese camera for me for free, but would not attempt to work on a Swiss camera for any amount because he was uncomfortable with Swiss concepts of camera engineering. Would be interesting if APUG mechanical engineers would comment about validity of my friend’s comment.

If you're talking about Alpa, the original was the brainchild of a man of different names and nationalities:

https://beyondthebolex.com/
https://web.archive.org/web/20051023050531/http://www.alpareflex.com/History.htm

I got an Alpa 11 which needed minor repairs, and an Alpa 5 which needs a new shutter, or at least new ribbons. Perhaps I'm finally ready to have a go at repairing it. It's no museum piece, and clearly someone has already been inside, maybe more than once. So we're not talking about a prime collector's piece.

 

[guangong]

If you're talking about Alpa, the original was the brainchild of a man of different names and nationalities:

https://beyondthebolex.com/
https://web.archive.org/web/20051023050531/http://www.alpareflex.com/History.htm

I got an Alpa 11 which needed minor repairs, and an Alpa 5 which needs a new shutter, or at least new ribbons. Perhaps I'm finally ready to have a go at repairing it. It's no museum piece, and clearly someone has already been inside, maybe more than once. So we're not talking about a prime collector's piece.

This conversation took place in late 1970s or very early 1980s, during the heyday of film cameras. I always wanted to try Alpa, but beyond my budget.

 

[Dean Holt]

Yes indeed. A Yashica Electro 35 G. Killed it sadly but I still have the mint 100% working (with Batt light) GSN

nuff said

Dean

 

[kinglang]

yes,when i buy a kodak SLR/C

 

[benjiboy]

Also, using an inappropriate tools or cheap ones may harm your gear. it is best to use the right tool for the right job in order not to butcher your part. when repairing a Japanese equipment, it is ideal to use a Japanese industrial standard. To avoid being confused with the whole screw, service manual are very helpful and one of the best guide to repair your camera.

I have learned several things over the years:

1. Assembly code is best written by others.
2. Machine code is best written by others.
3. Camera and lens repairs are best done by professionals for my equipment. YMMV

I also consider maintaining my equipment as part of the expense of my photography.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I also consider maintaining my equipment as part of the expense of my photography.

aka "the cost of doing business"

 

[flavio81]

I have learned several things over the years:

1. Assembly code is best written by others.
2. Machine code is best written by others.
3. Camera and lens repairs are best done by professionals for my equipment. YMMV

Nowadays, better not written by anybody.

 

[it's_hank_dude]

TL;DR - Just go for it, you'll figure it out, but make sure you have a spare just in case.

I say throw all advice to the wind and just send it! (this is what the kids say, it means "go all out", "DO IT!" not "send it in"). I'm only half kidding. I have my dads old SLR which got me into this film photography mess and is my daily driver which I will only do the repairs it needs as soon as I have a different option, in case I break it. I also have a pile of cameras that are in different states of repair/disrepair because I buy basically any broken camera I come across just to see if I can fix it.

I was given a Minolta X-700 with a shutter that only opened halfway, producing half frame images. I found some ideas on YouTube about what might be the problem and since I didn't need the camera, I opened it up and replaced a couple of capacitors. It didn't fix the problem but it was broken in the same exact way it had been before! This was great news to me because it meant that I had not done any damage and I effectively did the repair I attempted (it was just the wrong repair). And under the hood of that camera was more circuitry and wiring than I ever imagined would be in a film camera.

I can't tell you how much it boosted my confidence! My next project was a CLA on a large format shutter and I tell ya what, when I got it all back together and it worked properly, I was over the moon.

 

[benjiboy]

TL;DR - Just go for it, you'll figure it out, but make sure you have a spare just in case.

I say throw all advice to the wind and just send it! (this is what the kids say, it means "go all out", "DO IT!" not "send it in"). I'm only half kidding. I have my dads old SLR which got me into this film photography mess and is my daily driver which I will only do the repairs it needs as soon as I have a different option, in case I break it. I also have a pile of cameras that are in different states of repair/disrepair because I buy basically any broken camera I come across just to see if I can fix it.

I was given a Minolta X-700 with a shutter that only opened halfway, producing half frame images. I found some ideas on YouTube about what might be the problem and since I didn't need the camera, I opened it up and replaced a couple of capacitors. It didn't fix the problem but it was broken in the same exact way it had been before! This was great news to me because it meant that I had not done any damage and I effectively did the repair I attempted (it was just the wrong repair). And under the hood of that camera was more circuitry and wiring than I ever imagined would be in a film camera.

I can't tell you how much it boosted my confidence! My next project was a CLA on a large format shutter and I tell ya what, when I got it all back together and it worked properly, I was over the moon.

When you grow up, I implore you, don't become a surgeon.

 

[__Brian]

I have learned several things over the years:

1. Assembly code is best written by others.
2. Machine code is best written by others.
3. Camera and lens repairs are best done by professionals for my equipment. YMMV

I am fluent in many assembly languages, and have implemented machine code instructions that the assemblers have left out using Macros.

Camera repairs that I do are only for equipment that I own- Screw it up, I own it.
With that stated: Contax IIIa, cleaning the Viewfinder and RF prism. Picked up a Contax IIIa and Nikon S4 that had been stored in a very humid Safe for years. Bought a collection of bodies and lenses. Spent lots of time cleaning them, got to all but one lens in time to prevent permanent damage. The S4 finder: easy, 20 minute job. The Contax IIIa: about 4 hours. Not designed to be easily repaired and cleaned.

 

[benjiboy]

Why I wrote "l consider maintaining my cameras as part of the expenses of my photography" is that I decided more than twenty years ago that instead of owning lots of disparate cameras and lenses and turning my small house into a museum I rationalised my equipment only limiting it to Canon F D gear and only five bodies, and selling the rest, spending my disposable income when necessary on maintaining them, this course of action has been very successful for me, and the amount of money I have had to spend over the years has been minimal compared with that of buying more and more cameras.

 

[it's_hank_dude]

When you grow up, I implore you, don't become a surgeon.

when I grow up? How old do you imagine me being??

 

[flavio81]

I am fluent in many assembly languages, and have implemented machine code instructions that the assemblers have left out using Macros.

Camera repairs that I do are only for equipment that I own- Screw it up, I own it.
With that stated: Contax IIIa, cleaning the Viewfinder and RF prism. Picked up a Contax IIIa and Nikon S4 that had been stored in a very humid Safe for years. Bought a collection of bodies and lenses. Spent lots of time cleaning them, got to all but one lens in time to prevent permanent damage. The S4 finder: easy, 20 minute job. The Contax IIIa: about 4 hours. Not designed to be easily repaired and cleaned.

Um at least the Contax IIa is very easy to open... Maybe the IIIa has more steps due to the meter, i've yet to open my IIIa. But the IIa is very, very easy to disassemble down to having the rangefinder prisms out.

Yes, i've also programmed some old x86 assembler too...

 

[benjiboy]

when I grow up? How old do you imagine me being??

I have no idea how old you are, I wasn't referring to your chronological age

 

[__Brian]

Um at least the Contax IIa is very easy to open... Maybe the IIIa has more steps due to the meter, i've yet to open my IIIa. But the IIa is very, very easy to disassemble down to having the rangefinder prisms out.

Yes, i've also programmed some old x86 assembler too...

IIa. Easy.

RIMG0753 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

IIIa. Not Easy, I filled Two Ice Cube Trays with parts in order of disassembly.

Assembly Language: PDP-11, IBM 370, VAX, FPS-120B, 8080, Z80, Intel 8086, 80386, Pentium and up- real mode and protected mode, 8051, i960, MIPS r3000 and r4000, ARM, Microchip PIC, Atmel AVR, and a few others. Nice to get paid for it from 1980 through 2022. Not many people know it anymore. I've taught 16 year old students to program in assembly. And people worry about when I'm going to retire.

 

[Helios 1984]

How about a 7-day pill dispenser with covers that snap. An open ice tray can get dumped.

For extended projects, I use a ziplock for each part and its related screws then label it (ex: Top cover w/ screw - Long left, small right + washer).

 

[__Brian]

The open Ice Cube Tray: I use this to keep the parts in order as removed, when putting back together- just go in reverse order. Start and finish the repair, never store the parts in the tray. I tend to do a repair from start to finish, or at least in stages that can be completed in a session.

 

[Tel]

I can't tell you how much it boosted my confidence! My next project was a CLA on a large format shutter and I tell ya what, when I got it all back together and it worked properly, I was over the moon.

Ditto that: no better way to learn patience and develop a methodical working process. Repairing cameras and lenses got me through lockdown without losing (too much) of my sanity.

 

[KerrKid]

I love tinkering with anything mechanical. If it’s broke and I don’t end up fixing it, no loss. At least I‘ll have fun trying.

I’m working on my Konica Auto S2 now. I want to take the lens apart and clean a bit of fungus and dust off.

Anyone know how to do that and where I can get quality tools to do it?

 

[fpd2]

Once, I fixed a Compur-Synchro shutter, but learned the hard way that the previous person used red loctite on tiny copper screws holding the aperture plate...barely placed them back after rethreading.
Another one was early Copal, where I discovered that shaft holding a spring for the self-timer was glued after an apparent mishap, and it came off nicely once I gave it an ultrasonic bath. I have gladly sent off that shutter to a professional.

 

[KerrKid]

Once, I fixed a Compur-Synchro shutter, but learned the hard way that the previous person used red loctite on tiny copper screws holding the aperture plate...barely placed them back after rethreading.
Another one was early Copal, where I discovered that shaft holding a spring for the self-timer was glued after an apparent mishap, and it came off nicely once I gave it an ultrasonic bath. I have gladly sent off that shutter to a professional.

Red loctite. Nooooooooooo. And you sure can't heat the part.

I still feel compelled to try and fix my Konica Auto S2 lens myself. It's like trying not to look at an accident. I have to look.