I want to Learn Camera Restoration and Repair

MrSeeks · Oct 20, 2021

This is a shot in the dark on this forum but, I want to try my hand at camera restoration. I fix electronics for a living mainly phones and computers but I have a fascination with mechanical things like typewriters and old cameras. Was wondering if any seasoned conservators could lend a helping hand for me in the right direction for restoration resources and advice. I have tried to open up an old Contina Camera (attached). But to no avail being that the screw holding on the shutter advance lever is stuck (the screw, which is reverse threaded, is stuck in place and I cannot find a tool to get it open...). Any help is appreciated
!

4season · Oct 20, 2021

MrSeeks said:
This is a shot in the dark on this forum but, I want to try my hand at camera restoration.

Here's a wonderful place to start:
https://learncamerarepair.com/
My own experience with camera repairs is that I initially sucked pretty bad at it and tended to make a mess of things: When working with screwdrivers and spanner wrenches, I'd sometimes slip and leave deep scratches in formerly pristine chrome, and worse. But with practice, I've started to suck less. Many of the tools people use today are improvised or home-made to some extent, because the original tools used may have been purpose-built and all but impossible to source today.

MrSeeks · Oct 20, 2021

Thank you very much for that resource! I will have a look-see. I have noticed that some tools described are made for specific purposes but lord knows how they are able to get off something that is torqued so much or held in with factory grade adhesives like the camera above.

MrSeeks · Oct 20, 2021

Old Gregg said:
... as opposed to having a camera without a repair manual and hoping to figure shit out. That didn't work for me.

I took a look at a Bronica C2 camera teardown manual and the layout is in a nother language at times with the pictures. It is hard enough not being able to find a proper manual for the contina I added above. Still urks me. I paid 40$ for a camera that I basically cannot use but really want to use. I feel your pain on all levels. I have ruined many a device in the past by just taking it apart and hoping for the best. I have taken apart 1 lens in the past halfway down by watching a yt video but could feared taking it apart further not not being able to get it operational again. Not that it was in the first place.

Duceman · Oct 20, 2021

He may not have your particular camera, but this guy’s channel is a wealth of DIY camera repair.
https://youtube.com/c/FixOldCameras

MrSeeks · Oct 20, 2021

Duceman said:
He may not have your particular camera, but this guy’s channel is a wealth of DIY camera repair.
https://youtube.com/c/FixOldCameras

I am aware of him and he does not. He has done a Contax IIa but my camera is illusive for repairs. I found one person do a repair on it but even he had problems getting the reverse thread screw off. But i do enjoy his videos!

radiant · Oct 21, 2021

Typically these videos are mostly show-offs how someone fixes a camera. You can learn something from those but as Old Gregg pointed out, it is pretty robotic. Those are mostly waste of time.

What would be interesting to see:
- some common shutter design explanation inside out; what part does what and why it has been done so. Then disassembly.
- some overall ideas how to approach any camera; is there similar design patters?
- how to read the diagrams (maybe go through few diagrams in manner how to approach the reading & disassembly of the diagrams)

The cure is to repair cameras but the medicine is the common understanding & approach patterns that someone who knows should be teaching. That way the expertise would increase by itself; by just repairing cameras with good background of how to approach the repair.

Duceman · Oct 21, 2021

vedostuu said:
Typically these videos are mostly show-offs how someone fixes a camera. You can learn something from those but as Old Gregg pointed out, it is pretty robotic. Those are mostly waste of time.

Waste of time? I beg to differ. Seems some around here are wanting to run before learning to walk.

Kino · Oct 21, 2021

Guided tutorials on specific camera bodies, shutters or lenses are valuable to give you experience in how materials and tools interact.

Just by following along, you can get some familiarity on HOW to work on a camera; It requires learning organization, handling tools and solvents -- how much force to use, etc.

You can read all day about how to re-insert lens iris blades into an aperture assembly, but until you TRY it, you have NO CLUE as to how delicate and frustrating the procedure can be.

Not a waste of time. If you think you can read a bunch of high-end theory and then jump in and flawlessly repair a camera, you're going to be disappointed...

Back to the OP: Here's another resource -- https://richardhaw.com/

Dan Fromm · Oct 21, 2021

Some resources for repairing leaf shutters:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B1sPJkp-MdghNGM1aGY5akgtTmc ?
usp=sharing Four manuals: Servicing Prontor shutters, Prontor Press, Prontor S-SVSVS1,
Prontor S-SV-SVS supplement. Kindly posted by Charles Monday. Not archived.

http://pheugo.com/cameras/index.php Sketchy illustrated directions for dissasembling
and cleaning a variety of leaf shutters.

http://www.suaudeau.eu/memo/reparation.html Extensive set of repair manuals,
including some for leaf shutters. The shutter repair manuals range from sketchy
illustrations of disassembly to complete factory service manuals. In a variety of
languages including English, French and German.

https://1drv.ms/b/s!AggQfcczvHGNkGB903fLIOftPx-f Compur shutter repair manual.
From the factory, this is the one to use.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5FND3hVDS53THBhTlpWeGM1NmM/view Seiko
#0, from Minolta.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13WNwS6nkk9dEyORjnAeAP3IQ3HScWoFU/view
Kodak Flash Supermatic shutter repair manual. Also at

https://web.archive.org/web/20201101002252/https://learncamerarepair.com/downloads/
pdf/Kodak-Flash-Supermatic-Shutter-Service.pdf

https://learncamerarepair.com/productlist.php?category=2&secondary=35 Downloadable
repair manuals for Copal #0, Copal #1, Prontor Press and more. Not archived.

MrSeeks · Oct 21, 2021

Thanks for the resources. It is quite extensive! Little overwhelmed I must say.

4season · Oct 21, 2021

Spend enough time fussing with these things, and assemblies which once seemed scary and complex start to look kind of familiar, and much of the knowledge carries over to other makes and models.

MrSeeks · Oct 21, 2021

4season said:
Spend enough time fussing with these things, and assemblies which once seemed scary and complex start to look kind of familiar, and much of the knowledge carries over to other makes and models.

I will persevere!

John Koehrer · Oct 26, 2021

Ummm, https://www.micromark.com/search?keywords=camera tooks
Restoring classic and collectible cameras
by Thomas Tomosy
published by Amherst Media.............. Basic but OK mainly for leaf shutters but gets into general top cover removal
making or adapting tools &&& ...................

Used to be these guys specialized in camera tools. Now it looks like they have the tools but not a category
for them. For the nut you need to loosen you're going to need a spanner. also a drop of acetone at the
edge of the nut.
Heres the beginning of a list:
A pair of small pliers, needle nose, flat nose and wire cutters. I've used Craftsman 4" for thirty years & haven't worn them out yet.
Spanner (set) with flat and pointed tips
Jeweler's screw driver set for most earlier cameras.
Crosspoint screwdriver set for Japanese cameras. Crosspoint are NOT Phillips, the angle of the tips are different.
Tweezers, straight pointed, curved pointed. I have at least one titanium pair that's not magnetic.
Grease, I generally use a white Lithium Stay away from ANY automotive grease unless you're a masochist
Watch oil, most oil is too thick like 3 in 1 and the like are too thick.
NEVER USE SPRAY LUBES LIKE WD-40
Optional ; small file set from the local hobby shop Won't need them often.
I've an assortment of hammers, 2/4/8/16 ounce 2,4 and 8 pound for more delicate jobs

Get this stuff & you WILL add more stuff as you go along.

BobD · Oct 26, 2021

MrSeeks said:
the screw holding on the shutter advance lever is stuck (the screw, which is reverse threaded, is stuck in place and I cannot find a tool to get it open...). Any help is appreciated

How do you know it's reverse threaded?

Tel · Oct 27, 2021

The company you want is micro-tools.com. If you google it google will try to redirect you to micro-mark but don't let them! (Micro-mark is a hobby supplies company...)

I would also recommend the youtube videos of Chris Sherlock. His rebuild of a sychro-Compur shutter is a lesson in working methods and an education in leaf shutter design and function. Look under his "Kodak Retina IIIc" posts.

Edit (correction): start with "Compur Rapid Service Part One" in the Sherlock videos

Duceman · Oct 27, 2021

Old Gregg said:
The title says "repair". The videos are fine if you're trying to lubricate/clean something that's working. But they are not helpful if you're trying to repair something that's not working. The camera in a video probably doesn't have exact same defect as yours, especially if you don't even know what's wrong.

So I guess if a shutter isn't working, one just takes a hammer to the camera to get at it? /sarc/

Good grief. Some around here are wound a little bit too tight.

The videos at the YT channel I posted show how to disassemble a lot of old cameras. Never said they showed how to fix each and every repair for each and every camera ever produced.

radiant · Oct 28, 2021

Duceman said:
Waste of time? I beg to differ. Seems some around here are wanting to run before learning to walk.

Yes, waste of time. You do not learn repairing by watching someone disassemble the camera.

@Duceman Show me one video from youtube that teaches how to actually repair cameras instead of going constantly into personal.

Duceman · Oct 28, 2021

Old Gregg said:
I will repeat: YouTube videos, including those you posted, have absolutely nothing to do with camera REPAIR.

False.

Old Gregg said:
[B]To learn camera repair, one needs to study repair manuals.[/B] [I]This applies to everything in life[/I]. [B]You can watch golf videos all day long but you are not a golfer.[/B]

The two bolded sentences above contradict one another. By your (faulty) logic, if I read a manual on how to golf, I would become a golfer.

BTW, regarding the "...this applies to everything in life...," the following are all examples of things I learned by WATCHING VIDEOS on YouTube:

Example #1: The latch on my car door broke. Dealer wanted $250 to REPAIR it. Bought my own handle for <$35 and watched this YouTube video wherein I was able to REPAIR it myself:

Example #2: Air dampener on my wife's car went out. Dealer wanted $300 to REPAIR it. Bought my own dampener for <$30 and watched this YouTube video video wherein I was able to REPAIR it myself:

Example #3: Nearly 20 years ago, in the infancy of YouTube, trigger on my Remington 700 had become gummed up through years of use. Gunsmith wanted >$250 to just take a look at it. Found a YouTube video on how to remove and clean it. I was thus able to REPAIR the trigger myself. Fast forward 15 years; got tired of the same trigger and decided to replace it altogether. Didn't even bother trying to find a gunsmith to do it. Found this video and did it myself:

Example #4: Five years ago, I had never BBQ'd once in my life. Had no knowledge of it whatsoever. However, by doing nothing more than WATCHING YOUTUBE VIDEOS, I was able to teach myself how to do it. Since then, I have hosted parties of up to 15 people, each of whom have told that that was some of the best BBQ they've ever had and that I should consider opening my own restaurant. Here are some of the channels out there that I learned from:

>>Harry Soo<<

>>How to BBQ Right with Malcolm Reed<<

>>Cooking With Ry<<

Again, all of this was learned solely by WATCHING YOUTUBE VIDEOS.

Old Gregg said:
@Duceman for the dense ones,

Ok, Boomer. Enjoy "ignore" status form here on out.

vedostuu said:
Yes, waste of time. You do not learn repairing by watching someone disassemble the camera.

@Duceman Show me one video from youtube that teaches how to actually repair cameras instead of going constantly into personal.

I'll show you several.

Example #1: Shutter on my Canonet QL17 G-III was frozen. These videos showed me how to REPAIR it; prior to watching these videos, I had NO IDEA of how to do anything with that camera:

I suppose now you're going to say that this wasn't a real repair?

Example #2: I had a Minolta MD 50mm lens with stuck aperture blades. This video not only showed me what tools I would need, but did a step-by-step disassembly and assembly of the lens, including removal and cleaning of the aperture blades. Prior to watching this video, I didn't know the first thing about lens repair. However, after watching it, I was able to fix the aperture blades on my lens.

John Koehrer · Nov 2, 2021

Old Gregg said:
@Duceman Aww. Cute effort. But I already addressed your confusion. Not going to waste any time dumbing it down even further.

Odd. When I went to National camera years ago, After some basic exposure/class work the basi intro consisrted of take it apart & put it together,
see if it still works. They too, couldn't provide of SPECIFIC cameras but general principles to follow. the YouTube stuff
is also very general just like YouTube videos.

gone · Nov 2, 2021

Old folders and TLR's are a lot of fun to restore and make BIG negatives. They're almost always all mechanical, sometimes have great lenses, and you can buy them for very little money. They make little bitty 35mm folders too.

Working on them would be like therapy compared to the more modern camera gear, and they're great to shoot or display. If you avoid the folder brands that have bad bellows, $25-$50 will get you something to start out that often just needs a good cleaning and maybe boot polish. You rarely need any special tools to restore them either, just screwdrivers, alcohol, etc.

Youtube has saved my rear end many, many times. It's a great asset to the internet, and I owe a big thank you to all the people that have posted helpful stuff there. Seeing it done is so much better than looking at a drawing or photo. The manual is for when you're just lost and need to get back to square one, or if you didn't take good notes when taking something apart.

Besides, the manual may not always be right. They were constantly updating things when I was a dealership mechanic, and a mid-year car w/ production changes may not be like the manual that you have in the shop.

Kino · Nov 2, 2021

It is like anything in life; There are the "experts" (usually self certified) and even the trained repair people who crap all over those who try to do their own repairs.

Ignore them.

As long as you are prepared to fail, and even better learn, you can do basic repairs yourself. Eventually, maybe even complex repairs if you dedicate yourself to the task.

You don't have to be paddled on the bum in a ceremony at midnight with men in goat's heads costumes, muttering magical incantations from the manufacturer, despite frantic comments to the contrary...

Bill Burk · Nov 3, 2021

Old Gregg said:
@Duceman for the dense ones, I will repeat: YouTube videos, including those you posted, have absolutely nothing to do with camera REPAIR. To learn camera repair, one needs to study repair manuals. This applies to everything in life. You can watch golf videos all day long but you are not a golfer.

There was a video that just helped me. There are three screws I didn’t know about on the Contax IIa that prevented me from lifting the shutter assembly.

Just three screws that I needed to know about.

awty · Nov 3, 2021

Kino said:
Ignore them.

.

Thats the best advise ever........although I do like a good ceremony.
You dont need an engineering degree to fix your old camera. I use what ever I can find on the net and some common sense.
Would say it pays to build a collection of quality tools and take every precaution possible not to drop a lens element on the concrete (whoops) and not to have a little tiny spring or circlip go fly off out the window (whoopsie)

I want to Learn Camera Restoration and Repair

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