M645 1000s - the *slightest* repair is needed!

[macheesemo]

So, I've gotten around to taking the M645 1000s for a couple of spins, what became apparent was that something is not quite right!

The mirror does not return to the "down" position after taking a picture, it gets stuck in the middle. I did some research and found a couple of common reasons why this occurs- mine seems to be suffering from the edge of the mirror catching the exposed edge of the foam padding found on one side along the interior of a circular cutout. If I gently press down on the area in question, it allows for an easy return of the mirror to its resting down position.

Should I cut a little piece off? Maybe a tiny dab of super glue and some pressure? It's literally only a millimeter of problem area. I don't want to send it away for $20 just for the estimate and then have someone tell me it will be $100+ of repair and bench fees just to eliminate a millimeter of ill-spirited foam. It seems like a simple enough repair to carry out without damaging anything at all, but I thought I would check here before proceeding.

Seems to be the only issue with the camera (besides my DoF preview lever not having any effect, but it could be my lack of vivid intuition regarding Mamiya's "A" vs. "M" settings on the lenses. I thought it was for auto stopping down with later incarnations of the 645, so I usually just leave it on "M". Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I would expect that moving the lever would darken the viewfinder and let me preview my DoF setting's effect on the picture.

I got a 90 degree "spy lens" attachment so I can take portrait pictures while facing my subject with the WLF. I like this setup alright since I am addicted to the ground glass, but I'm still experimenting with my options. The left hand trigger grip is nice, but I might do a soft conversion on it into a steadicam grip with a ball joint, arm, weight and a shutter release cable triggered by the "shutter button presser" arm linked to the trigger and got the (rare?) Mamiya shutter cable release reverse adaptor to make room for the bellows (using a 6x6cm MF lens for tilt shift). Kinda fun, if not way overkill...

 

[Steve Smith]

If it were mine I would trim the foam with a very sharp scalpel.


Steve.

 

[macheesemo]

I thought about that, but I would be horrified if the loosening trend continued, as then I would require a crash course in replacing all of the foam stuff. I think it might be degrading into black specks somewhere in there...

 

[John Koehrer]

Superglue has a tendency to get all over the place. Lift the edge a little bit & use contact cement applied with a tooth pick, when it gets tacky apply pressure & let it dry.

For normal operation the lens should be in the "A" position and should stop down when the shutter is tripped. When in the "M" the diaphragm should stop down or open as you move the aperture ring.
If you dismount the lens, the diaphragm should stop down as you move the stop down lever on the back of the lens. If it doesn't, it may be suffering from oil on the blade syndrome.

 

[Steve Smith]

If the foam has started to deteriorate, now is the time to replace it rather than wait until it turns into a sticky mess with bits all over the camera's interior.


Steve.

 

[macheesemo]

I'm not sure if it's from a case of deteriorating foam (it actually looks good to the eye), but there are little black flecks I am discovering in the viewfinder and sometimes on my hands after working with the camera. Maybe it is time to get a kit to replace the foam. Maybe a can of new camera smell as well.

Seems like a good project to dive into, as I think the pads are pretty affordable if I'm going to do it myself. I definitely don't want to let an issue go until it becomes an even bigger issue.

Oil on the blade syndrome, eh? I must investigate that. And I can leave the lenses set for "A"?

Great, thanks everybody so far. The re-foaming task seems daunting now, but should prove to be a good exercise...

EDIT: Just read up a little and have ordered a replacement foam seals kit w/ the tools- I think it will be well within my capabilities to carry this one out- now just to actually get it overwith!

 

[DLM]

Replacing the foam is not hard at all. I just replaced the foam on my M645 and Olympus XA the other day with the Interslice kits, and each camera was no more than about 30 minutes to get it done. Then you just have to let them dry for a bit and press them down again to adhere. Jon with Interslice has the M645 kit, but I think he hasn't got it up on *bay yet, so you could always email him and ask about it. The kit was only $12 and replaces the light seals and the foam in the mirror box.

The 80mm lens I got with my camera had the oil problem. It wouldn't stop down at all, so I ended up just buying a nice one from KEH for cheaper than it would have cost to fix.