Tool for removing Retina's shutter retaining ring.

OAPOli

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If you can remove the rear lens you could make a much simpler tool. A piece of steel plate of the right length and thickness to fit in the notches, with a handle brazed or locked onto it. Now I remember that this is what I did. A prior attempt with a regular spanner had marred the notches.

 
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Here’s your opportunity: https://ebay.us/m/QiLFuZ
 

F4U

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Might have been returned because the buyer only needed it once. So me made an excuse and got a refund.
 
OP
OP

Rumbo181

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Seller answered.

Clarified: it's not the same tool. The proof is this new one is engraved in the shaft with "National Camera Repair ..." while the other don't.

I guess that both tools came from an old repairman shop. I have some manuals and magazines from them, and I know they made shutter analyzers and collimators also, but I didn't know they made small tools as well. Apparently this company/asotiation faded long time ago ...
 
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OK, I guess that sounds legit. Good luck, I hope you get it.

If you use it for your current projects and decide you don't want to do more, you can be sure to recoup your investment by selling it on fleabay when you're done with it.
 
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I bent a piece of 4mm brass rod into a v shape and filed the ends to fit in the notches in the ring. Not terribly difficult.
 

F4U

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I believe Id get busy with Freecad and design one. Will likely be a fair amount f trial and error prototyping, but it's probably do-able. Of course, for the protruding tangs themselves, those would need to be made of metal.
 
OP
OP

Rumbo181

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Rumbo, I'm guessing it's not you who has driven the bidding price up to $350 USD already? Yikes.
Somebody wants that tool real bad.

Well, finally I won the auction, but it wasn't me who raised the price.

Initial price for the first tool in eBay was 25$, but this time the seller started with 99$. The action was this way: somebody raised the price to 150$ -something reasonable- but then other bidder come up and started bidding aggressively till reaching 345$. I raised just 5$ but it was my last trench and I thought I was going to be easily surpassed; eventually It didn't happen and I got the auction, first surprised was me.

I don't know why the other person was raising the price so heavily, maybe he read this thread here in Photrio and thought it was a collectible of value - this was the reason why I kept silence until the action was finished - or maybe he thought that the engraving was a proof of an original item and added value. Of course; I have some other theories as well, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter.

Regarding the tool itself, on one side it's way too much than I was considering to pay - and many other projects will have to be on standby by budgeting reasons. On the other side I can use the tool, and I think that one way or another it has a value in itself. and maybe I could consider the price just an "opportunity cost" for a scarce good;

Anyway, @retina_restoration thank you for your support and for letting me know this second auction, and for you all thank you as well for sharing your ideas with me.
 

BrianShaw

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Given that kind of valuation, I might have to start renting mine...
 
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I've never seen one of those sell for more than $200 before, and I thought THAT was an outrageous sum!
 

mshchem

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I guess it's positive that camera repair equipment is in demand?? Not sure. Seems to me that would indicate a demand for nicely repaired cameras.
 
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I guess it's positive that camera repair equipment is in demand?? Not sure. Seems to me that would indicate a demand for nicely repaired cameras.

But the price went stratospheric only because two people apparently wanted that tool really badly. I don’t think that indicates a general trend. The OP bought that tool to repair his two cameras. What happens after that - who knows.

I purchased my “Beljan tool” for $40. Prices on eBay are often a distortion field effect.
 
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