Nikon F2 DP-1 Finder: Making A Good One from Three Broken

[ic-racer]

This is going to be a short thread.

I had a single DP-1 with faulty galvanometer. I bought two more. One in near-mint condition that was listed as "broken" and another rough one listed as "Needing Calibration."

Indeed the one in need of calibration was 3 stops off, but the galvanometer worked fine.

The near-mint one, only needed to be cleaned internally and now functions perfectly. So that was it.

The 'internal cleaning' to fix these DP-1 finders is described in this PDF available at the Learn Camera Repair website.

The 'secret' is to take it apart and clean the brush you can't see underneath the rotating resistor.

 

[ic-racer]

Nikon F2 with the best DP-1 of the three. The other two are still very repairable and will be saved...maybe another F2 body shows up...

 

[F4U]

One of my mad peabrain schemes occurred to me about what I might try if presented with a free junk DP1 finder with a bad meter movement. With the Freecad and 3D print skills I've acquired in the past 2 years. It would be like me to take off the top half of the finder and throw it in the parts box. then design and print a new top cover, turning it into a faux DE1 finder. But it's been years since I had a DP1 apart, so I can't remember if the overhang portion with the slot where the rabbit ears on the lens go in, are on the top or bottom half of the finder. That is, if the front edge ofthe bottom half containing the prism is flush with the font of the mirror box or if if still protrudes past it. Or is that protrusion in the top haf cotaining the ring resistor, meter, and associated parts? Hmm... would be an interesting project. Making a DE1 out of a DP1 Don't think I'd be crazy enough to do such a thing? Just imagine a nice DE1 without having to spend $200 on ebay for it.