MikeT-NYC

Yesterday my Nikon D 700 started doing something it never did before. Clicking the release raises the mirror and opens the shutter's opening curtain. Clicking it again closes the shutter. I tooka picture while doing this and it worked -- the sensor recorded the image, just as if this were a proper time exposure. Anyone know what's going on here? I did not fool around with the settings to cause this, and the battery is fully charged. Mike Taglieri

I recently got an EL with lens and 12-exposure back (but no finder yet) but the lens wouldn't come off. I got it off using the method described (with nowhere near enough detail!) in Thomas Tomosy's book Camera Maintenance & Repair (Vol. 1). The good news is that the lens is OK -- the shutter is a little sticky at 1 second but otherwise works. But the body isn't working right. The instruction manual doesn't explain how the body works when there's no lens on it, but I assume when I press the shutter release, it should go through the wind cycle and the mirror should come down. But even with a new 9-volt battery in an adapter, the mirror stays up and I just get a click (the sound of a little prong coming out near the bottom of the magazine). I'm also having problems with the magazine itself. The spool holder catch that opens the magazine is frozen and is absolutely rigid. I've tried turning it with my hand with all my might, but I haven't dared to use tools in case I break something. Has anybody else dealt with this problem? Mike Taglieri

I recently bought an FR developing tank for sheet film (partly because I don't have a proper darkroom yet, so tray developing is difficult or impossible). This is a well-known older design that's adjustable for different sizes from 4x5 down. But I noticed that in addition to the usual sizes, this thing can be adjusted for sizes of film as narrow as 45mm (1 3/4"). Did anyone ever make cameras for such small sizes of sheet film, and what were they? Mike Taglieri

Could you clarify a bit how you added extra movements to your Crown Graphics? I have two 2x3 Speed Graphics and I might be interested.in doing them.