Removing taking lens on Yashica Mat 124G

ZaphodB · Jun 27, 2006

Hi, I'm trying to remove the rear element of the taking lens on my 124G to clean what looks worryingly like fungus. I've posted on another forum and have been told it should simply unscrew, and I even emailed Mark Hama and got the same response. The problem is I've tried sticking my fingers/thumbs down there and twisting the lens barrel out and it won't move. Actually since there is no space between the barrel and the walls of the inside of the camera all I can do is get two digits inside the lens barrel and attempt to turn it, and I can't see how that would actually succeed in unscrewing the lens unless it was particularly loose...

Anyway I'm here hoping for a second opinion... has anyone ever removed the back of the taking lens on a 124 or 124G? If so, how did you do it? Thanks in advance for your replies.

papagene · Jun 27, 2006

I would advise sending it out to have the lens profesionally cleaned. I am the type of clumsy person who would put a nice big scratch on the rear glass element. Depending on where you are located, I am sure someone here on APUG can suggest a good repair service for you.
Good luck.

gene

AZLF · Jun 27, 2006

I have a 124G also and took a look. It does unscrew but it requires a spanner wrench to do the job. I would suggest in the kindest way that if you did not recognize the spanner nut around the lens then you should not be attempting to remove this lens. As another said on this thread send it to a qualified repairman.

Greg_E · Jun 27, 2006

I just checked my older 124 and it is the same. You need to use a spanner. Same for a Rolleicord V, and probably most other TLRs.

haris · Jun 28, 2006

Use friction screwdriver. That is in fact rubber glued on piece of wood. Rubber get firm grip on "screws" which doesn't have holes for screwdrivers or spanner wrench. Another way is using spanner wrench, but! On my Yashica MAT, there were no holes for spanner wrench, so I had to cut them on metal next to lens. Since I couldn't do that, first time I brought my MAT to be cleaned by pro. They didn't cleaned it well, but they cut holes for spanner wrench . Then I cleaned it by myself.

I was uscreawing lens from front side of camera, not from backside (that is I do not open camera back to approach to lens, I am approaching form front side of lens).

For friction screwdriver and spaner wrench or another tool if you can't find it near you you can try: Dead Link Removed

ZaphodB · Jun 28, 2006

Thanks for your replies. Firstly, I'd be happy to take it to a repairman except the only one I know of is Mark Hama in the USA - and I'm in England. Does anyone know of a repairman (or even bored enthusiast with a set of tools) who would know what to do with a Yashica in the UK?

Second part edited for stupidity - I see what you mean about the spanner wrench. That kind of tool had been my first thought, given the slots in the smaller round ring around the lens, but I kind of gave up on that idea after I took the camera to two camera shops and two tool shops, asking if there was such a tool, and none of them had any idea :confused: which at least made me feel less stupid Anyway I still can't find that kind of spanner wrench in any tool shop; Microtools have them but 1) they're far from cheap and 2) I don't know which tool/size would be most appropriate without looking at them up close. I'm guessing try hobby/model shops now?

haris · Jun 28, 2006

I can't find spanner wrench anywhere in my country, in any shop, pro tools, hobby, etc..

I guess it is not easy to find, and it is specially made tools which is not sold in "ordinary" shops. That is impression I have trying to buy spanner wrench in my country...

ZaphodB · Jun 28, 2006

I think it's the same here, which was why I was a bit confused by Mark Hama and various people on multiple forums telling me I needed a "standard" spanner wrench (in fact many told me I just needed a spanner!).

AZLF said:
I would suggest in the kindest way that if you did not recognize the spanner nut around the lens then you should not be attempting to remove this lens.

Thanks for suggesting that I'm totally incompetent in the kindest way but to be fair not recognising a specialist tool (which doesn't seem to be available anywhere in my country) doesn't mean I wouldn't have a clue how to operate such a tool. Now if I can just get my hands on one I'll stop bothering you all

haris · Jun 28, 2006

My experience with Yashica Mat is that it is easy to make simple thinghs without sending camera to pro repairman. I myself clean shutter blades (on my camera they stuck often, so little cleaning benzine and voila ), aperture blades, lens cleanig, etc... I would take my camera to pro repairman for let say, broken or torn parts, adjusting shutter speeds, repair twisted or broken shutter or aperture blades, and such "complicate" things.

But, if you have no experience, take it to the pro repairman.

haris · Jun 28, 2006

I use friction screwdriwer for unscrewing my lens. Friction screwdriwer is piece of rubber which pressed on surface produce grip firm enough to hold that piece allowing that part to be rotated. It is used for srewing/unscrewing screws or other items which on themselves doesn't have holes for screwdriver or spanner wrench. For example I am using friction screwdriver for unscrewing/screwing film advance lever on my Konica AutoS2. Film advance lever on that camera is screwed with "screw" that doesnt have holes for screwdriver or spanner wrench.

Since I couldn't buy friction screwdriver in my country too, I simply bought few rubber balls (balls about 10cm diameter, like tennis balls, but balls which are completely filled with rubber, for example balls which are used for children to play, or balls which are used by people who had fist problems, and therapists give these balls to those patients to squize them in order to make theire fingers stronger, rubber not to soft to be easily torned, but also not so hard rubber, like plastic, which wouldn't have enough grip), cut those balls in sizes and forms I wanted and used it.

You have on side 2 in Microtools catalogue picture of "universal" spanner wrench (that is set with different sizes and shapes) and just below its picture you have picture of friction screwdriver.

Greg_E · Jun 28, 2006

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Spanner-Wre...1QQihZ003QQcategoryZ79000QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Film-Camera-Mai...2QQihZ017QQcategoryZ30038QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Camera-repair-T...150QQihZ006QQcategoryZ628QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I don't know if these links will actually work, but you might try searching ebay for "camera tools". Since these guys all ship worldwide, there shouldn't be a problem getting them to your country. Cost might be a factor though. I was going to order a bunch of things from ebay, then started to look at the shipping cost, and ordered from Microtools instead, it all came out to be about the same price; however, I am in the USA so your prices and import duties may be different!

One word about the Microtools products, they seem to be about the same items, except the rubber stoppers. The ones shown in the auctions above are hollow in the center. The ones from Microtools are really just rubber stoppers. While they do the same job, there may be times when the rubber contacts the lens! So keep them clean! The price difference is huge between these two styles of rubber tools, and yess you really do need them. They make good backing material for when you really have to put some pressure on your spanners to keep them from slipping out of the slots. The focus knob on Rollei's is held on with a threaded retaining ring, again you need something like a stopper to remove this. You'll find other uses as time goes on.

Greg_E · Jun 28, 2006

Forgot to mention that you need the 3 different types of spanners, or at least the point and blade type. The cheaper set that Microtools sells are not the best, but they do get the job done without damaging the slots (or at least so far, but I've only used them a couple of times).

Nathan Smith · Jun 28, 2006

For some applications you can also make a spanner from a piece of sheet metal or a good stiff putty knife. Grind a big divot out of the middle (like an upside-down "U") to clear the lens and grind the sides to fit.

Henry Taber has a page on Favorite Classics which describes this approach.

I have not needed to do this, but in the absence of a store-bought lens spanner this looks like a good substitute.

Nathan

ZaphodB · Jun 28, 2006

Greg_E said:
Cost might be a factor though.

You could say that - looks like even the cheapest option is going to set me back at least £50. I guess that's the problem with a tiny niche market like do-it-yourself camera repair - even simple tools are expensive. At the moment it looks like my options are to make something myself or wait for a reasonably priced one to pop up on Ebay; in the meantime I'm just going to make an appeal - does anyone in the UK have one they'd be willing to sell, or even lend? Thanks!

Kapten Stofil · Jul 4, 2006

If you are very very very careful and the retaining ring is not too large and not screwed down too hard, you could try using a pair of pointy tweezers as a spanner. I have done this on an old Pontiac Baby Lynx.

Jim Jones · Jul 8, 2006

Yesterday I couldn't find my spanner, so I made one just for the rear lens cell of an older Yashicamat. The lense is set deep enough in the cell that a sheet metal blade flat across the tip mould have worked well. If the cross-section of that tool is in a Z shape, it might resist twisting better. Instead of trying the easy way, I made a tool of oak with two piano wire pins epoxied in the end and filed down to fit the slots in the cell. The cell wasn't difficult to remove. Nails set into pine and filed to fit the slots probably would have worked as well.

Removing taking lens on Yashica Mat 124G

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