Specialist literature on precision mechanics - recommendations?

[Andreas Thaler]

I'm looking for specialist books on precision engineering as it was used in camera construction, especially in the 1970s/1980s.

I'm in particular interested in basic mechanical designs, principles and correct part naming.

I'm surprised not to find anything on the topic.

Does anyone have a literature tip?

 

[Andreas Thaler]

It actually seems to be the case that there is no known standard work on this topic, especially in camera construction.

I therefore resort to general titles on precision engineering and look through the issues of The Camera Craftsman for specialist articles on the subject.

 

[Dan Daniel]

I expect that most camera engineering was done as need be. Informal apprentice, applied engineering. That people didn't go to school and study a text book on camera design. Assorted subsystems, assorted needs to circumvent patents, assorted personal needs of designers to put their mark on things (never underestimate this factor when you run into variations and alternative solutions- the better may be the enemy of the good but the ego only knows one rule). If you know people involved in product development and engineering you'll know that they are making it up as they go along almost all the time. And most documentation will be done after the design, not as a preliminary.

 

[koraks]

Informal apprentice, applied engineering. That people didn't go to school and study a text book on camera design.

Well yes, in addition: the competencies and technologies underlying camera engineering are generic; they're a combination of fine mechanics, a little electronics, some control systems (depending on the era you're looking at). This means that the people typically working on these things would have generic technical education in a relevant field of engineering. Camera technology is an application field and specific application knowledge would have been cultured within the equipment manufacturer (i.e. the Nikons and Canons of this world) with typically very little motivation for publications targeted at wider audiences. Btw, such literature may in fact exist, although probably partly aimed at peers/other engineers, and knowing Japanese industry a tiny bit, it's all in Japanese and published in Japanese journals and conference proceedings.

I therefore resort to general titles on precision engineering

Yes, that's the logical course of action.

 

[ic-racer]

Maitani discusses his schooling and how he came to work for Olympus, in stead of the auto industry, here:

The man behind the Olympus OM camera: Yoshihisa Maitani

The Olympus camera designer who put the M into the OM system

www.digitalcameraworld.com

 

[kl122002]

Well yes, in addition: the competencies and technologies underlying camera engineering are generic; they're a combination of fine mechanics, a little electronics, some control systems (depending on the era you're looking at). This means that the people typically working on these things would have generic technical education in a relevant field of engineering. Camera technology is an application field and specific application knowledge would have been cultured within the equipment manufacturer (i.e. the Nikons and Canons of this world) with typically very little motivation for publications targeted at wider audiences. Btw, such literature may in fact exist, although probably partly aimed at peers/other engineers, and knowing Japanese industry a tiny bit, it's all in Japanese and published in Japanese journals and conference proceedings.

If one that could read Japanese you can actually find some clubs or societies that were in that field. They also make reports on camera design and internal gears.

Old Japanese magazine, “写真工業” （Photographic Industries) have published books about this area.

 

[Mr Bill]

It actually seems to be the case that there is no known standard work on this topic, especially in camera construction.

I therefore resort to general titles on precision engineering...

Hi, I'm a bit late on this, but the standard reference on machining, etc., has long been "Machinery's Handbook." Very concise, covers about everything I can think of... gears, shafts, materials, bearings, lots of formulas and specs, thread forms, etc., etc. Over 2500 pages in small type on thin paper.

Unfortunately it takes some considerable background to follow things, so it's not for everybody. And I don't really see any direct application to camera repair unless perhaps you're gonna manufacture some of your own parts.

Machinery's Handbook: Toolbox - Industrial Press

Since the first edition published more than 100 years ago, Machinery’s Handbook has been the most popular engineering resource of all time. Universally con...

books.industrialpress.com

FWIW I suspect that most of the info can be found online. A big benefit of the Handbook is to pull it together into one place, with no question that it is reputable.

 

[Kino]

There are several books of this type that have been published over the years that may prove somewhat helpful:

507 Mechanical Movements by Henry T. Brown | Open Library

507 Mechanical Movements by Henry T. Brown, August 15, 2005, Dover Publications edition, Paperback in English

openlibrary.org

You can often find them at used book dealers online for very reasonable prices.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

@Mr Bill @Kino

Gentlemen, thank you very much!

 

[Mr Bill]

There are several books of this type that have been published over the years that may prove somewhat helpful:

Along these lines is a set of books I bought perhaps 30 (?) years ago, called "Ingenious Mechanisms..." (At the time I thought they might be of use related to custom equipment we occasionally built for internal company use. Not much so.)

There is at least one photo-related example that can be seen in an online preview at link below. It's from the 1930s, vol II. On page 77 is a mechanism for intermittently driven sprockets as in a motion picture projector. And no, I don't understand how it works either; I'm guessing it would take upwards of a couple hours of sketch-making to decipher. Which I am not adequately motivated to do.

Ingenious Mechanisms for Designers and Inventors ...

Each of the four volumes of Ingenious Mechanisms is an independent treatise on the subject of mechanisms. The books are similar in size and general character, but the contents are different. The mechanisms described are grouped into chapters according to general types. Together with the complete...

books.google.com

 

[Kino]

There is at least one photo-related example that can be seen in an online preview at link below. It's from the 1930s, vol II. On page 77 is a mechanism for intermittently driven sprockets as in a motion picture projector. And no, I don't understand how it works either; I'm guessing it would take upwards of a couple hours of sketch-making to decipher. Which I am not adequately motivated to do.

Yeah, that's the framing rack system for the Maltese Cross sprocket drive on a projector. There were some significant hurdles to overcome designing the basics of (good) motion picture projection.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

German-language specialist books:

 

[koraks]

German-language specialist books:

Let's face it - when it comes to fine mechanics and precision engineering, the German-speaking world is pretty much the cradle. Unsurprisingly, some great literature is available. Not to mention a thriving industry with unique competencies, even today.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Let's face it - when it comes to fine mechanics and precision engineering, the German-speaking world is pretty much the cradle. Unsurprisingly, some great literature is available. Not to mention a thriving industry with unique competencies, even today.

Nevertheless, Japan had already overtaken Germany in camera technology - mechanics and electronics - in the 1960s. We should therefore look for Japanese specialist literature. Reading is comfortable with the current translation software.

And whether Japanese or German is the more complicated language for an English native remains an open question

 

[Andreas Thaler]

I think this is a direct hit on camera repair.

First link: Google translation Japanese - English.

Second link: original Japanese site.

参考図書 | カメラ修理の扉

カメラ修理の参考文献

camera-kogari-jp.translate.goog

参考図書 | カメラ修理の扉

カメラ修理の参考文献

camera.kogari.jp

 

[Andreas Thaler]

I think this is a direct hit on camera repair.

First link: Google translation Japanese - English.

Second link: original Japanese site.

参考図書 | カメラ修理の扉

カメラ修理の参考文献

camera-kogari-jp.translate.goog

参考図書 | カメラ修理の扉

カメラ修理の参考文献

camera.kogari.jp

I don't need to look any further for precision mechanics in general, but I should be able to find camera-specific information from this source.

I don't know of any camera repair books by a German author.