Do you usually fix the classic camaera by yourself?

[kevin h. y. lui.]

I deeply interested to know if you usually fix your classic cameras when they

have problem.

 

For me, I usually DIY, except the shutter problem with my Retina IIIc. I think

it is fun to DIY.I can also learn more from the design of the mechanism. I like

the RF of Voigtlander Prominent. The lock screw can surely tighten the whole

set of RF, unlike Retina IIIc. My Retina IIIc is the greatest challenge due to

the RF of iiic always out of alignment (sometimes it does but sometimes it

doesn't). I am still finding a way to fix it.

 

How about you? DO you like to fix your classics by yourself?

[luis triguez]

Indeed yes!

 

but I`m so clumsy to do it :(

[yann1]

I did it three times, the first time was a mess with a zeiss lens, that was totally broken & fungus anyway, and the 2 other times with a FOCA that I saved, and A rangefinder alignment on a retina, successful. Some cameras are pretty easy to deal with for some minor problems, some might be very troublesome. Unfortunately there are fewer and fewer people who can do it, and I'm afraid they will leave this world with their knowledge. There might still be films after 20 years, but how many cameras will still be useful then ?

[luis triguez]

Yann,

 

I`m afraid you are right. The guy that repairs my oldies is a top mechanic, but so old to keep business too much more time. Till when?

 

I envy those of you that can repair these marvellous cameras.

 

Congratulations to all of you.

[Matthew Currie]

Cheap or worthless, too expensive to take out for repair: I either fix or fail to fix. With luck the failure to fix results in no change. So far I've managed not to destroy much, and rescued a few.

 

Cameras actually worth money, that I would be very sorry to see die, such as the Rollei 35, I take to the local shop; even though this is not always a good return on investment, I get the working camera back.

[gary_turner1]

Yes indeed I do many but not all of my own classic camera & lens repairs. Often I seek out cameras & lenses with problems at low cost just to keep me occupied with hobbies in my retirement (besides yard work & house project hobbies). I'd say I now have about a 75% success rate but then it has taken maybe 5 years of practice and maybe 100 camera bodies and lenses. When the job looks too complex & the item is worth it, I sometimes send it off to one of my preferred repairers (Dean Williams, Mark Hamma, Eric Hendrickson). I do not attempt to replace a focal plane shutter (just too much work & complexity for my skill level / motivation). I equally like to repair lens shutter cameras and most any lens. Some repairs are only a simple mechanical jam, some crud on the blades, shutter tensioning). As a collector I also like to do some restoration, new leatherette, spot painting, etc. Isn't it a great hobby?! I find my best time to do such work is when it's quiet, no distractions, and the weather outside is very bad.

[jani_heikkinen]

I have to as I collect old presscameras and most of them have focal plane shutters...which none of the local repairman are willing to even try to repair. Also it gives me satisfaction to repair them. Almost every camera I repair have alltogether different mechanisms etc. so that it never gets boring. I also spend lots of time for finding old materials and to learn old ways of doing things. Maybe repair is not the right word.. restoration and even conservation is better.

[tien_le]

Most of the cameras and lens I have do not worth 100 bucks to repair or CLA. I fix them myself. Just done complete overhaul a Retina IIIs and I have a IIIC waiting in line. If you like old camera, you have to learn fixing it. I just send out a Nicca-3 for shutter replacement and CLA because it is beyon my skill but I will try to do it on my comming Minolta RF.

@Kevin Lui,

Please let me know what is your Retina RF problem, I may be able to help.

[h._p.]

I've fixed a Praktica shutter or three and a Russian Zenith. Oh yes, and a Linhof 67 rangefinder alignment problem. In every case, though, I judged the cost of a professional repair as unrealistic and thought I could just about manage it. Well, I was right most of the time!

 

Best repair gadget I ever had was a piece of thick black velvet material my wife gave me - essential for catching those small parts when they spring out of your tweezers.

 

:-)))<div></div>

[richard_oleson]

I do, largely because I tend only to have 2 types of classic cameras:

 

1. Those which are not valuable enough to warrant paying for repair; and

 

2. Those which I can only afford if I buy them in nonworking condition.

[kevin h. y. lui.]

To Tien :

It is strange... I have follow one of the old post which about how to adjust the RF of Retina IIIc. My previous problem is that the RF is OfA (out of alignment, short form) when I focus infinity. After adjustment was made, everything works normal again, however, the RF sometimes is OfA again. (It works normal again later!) .....It is really strange.

 

The first camera that I try to fix is my Rolleiflex old standard. It has focus mechanism problem, which I have mentioned in my old post. I fixed it by turning the focus wheel and reset the axis. It is fun to do it. (And the dirty lubricant got on my hands)

[Jochen_S]

I'm only daring to do easy stuff. If I happen to like a piece of gear, I rather rely on pros.

[dean_williams]

I'm in the same boat as Rick Oleson. I like many cameras that are not especially valuable, but hold some attraction for me.<br>

I think that as long as the lens elements are in decent condition, there will be few items on the camera that cannot be made to order, if you really want it. <br>

A good case is my little Rollei 35. Some parts are getting hard to come by, (or I don't know where to look), so home fabrication is in order.

See this link for an example: <br>

<a href="http://www.deansphotographica.com/machining/projects/gearcutting/rolleigearnf.html">Rollei 35 Gear</a>

[User_503771]

I've worked on a bunch of wooden view cameras. The smallest is 4x5, the biggest has been 8x10 -- although I'd like to work with 7x17 if I ever get the chance.

 

I found that the bellows is the part most often in need of replacement, so I learned how to make them. I've never made one that's very small, but have made a few for Speed/Crown Graphics and other 4x5s, as well as 5x7s and 8x10s.

 

With the money I save I have more money for photo supplies.

 

The only shutters I've successfully worked on are the Compounds which, again, house view camera lenses. Those are really easy because they're so simple. When I tried to work on something more complicated, it ended up reminding me of the time when I tried to "fix" a broken alarm clock back when I was about 10 years old -- you know, the old wind-up kind. I succeeded only in making a beautiful pile of parts.

 

If I could figure out how to re-do the negative spacing on my Kiev 60, I'd do it. But I'm looking for other solutions to that one.

 

Anyway, I think I've got just about enough lenses now. I want to make some more gizmos of wood and brass, and spend a lot more time shooting than I have of late.

 

One other thing: When it all turns out well, then I really know the tool I'm working with and what it can do. It's a comfort.

 

If it hasn't come off so well -- oh, let's just say it's not necessarily a comfort to really know that tool so well, but it certainly is important! :)

[kevin h. y. lui.]

It is great that you can do home fabrication. As a Hong Kong local citizen, We are very difficult to find or buy the metal-cutting machine. The machine is very very expensive and can not be afforded. Even we can afford, we are banded to have one due to it is illegal (which means you have turned your home into a light/small factory).

 

Let me share some feeling on DIY repair camera in Hong Kong :

 

The first difficult problem is the tools supply. When you ask some friends from Hong Kong, they will tell to visit Shum Shui Po. A place where most of the tools and other stuff that you can get. However, here comes the second problem, Language.

 

Yes, Language! I was born in Hong Kong but still don't know much of the words that they speak and used. Chemicals, e.g. lighter fluid, sounds easy but it is not. They have common names or some how 'technical-name'. When you don't know what they called, you may get the wrong stuff or you can not be able to find it (even they are just right there).

 

Then, the parts supply. You may and difficult to get a non-working camera for parts. The second hand camera shop is not happy to deal with this. I have tried once. The seller can sell me a non-working camera but it comes with a working one's price. It is unacceptable.

 

Another thing would be the the pros won't help you. I don't know what is inside the Chinese's mind, although I am a Chinese (I educated with Weston's ideas and knowledge) . They tended not to give you any advices because they think you will destroy their income. That idea is most ridiculous that I have never heard.

 

It is a shame many good cameras can not be fixed because of not supply of parts/tools.And that is the reason that I sometimes pop-up and ask how to fix XXX camera.

[wayne_culberson]

I usually fix all mine myself, except for one time that I dropped the Yashica Mat 124G, then it went off to Mark Hama. I've replaced prisms in OM1's and OM1n's, fixed non-working Olympus RC's, adjusted rangefinders, replaced the foam that seals against light leaks,taken apart quite a few lenses to clean oil off the aperture blades, etc. I find it fun and wish I had more old broken cameras and lenses to work on.

[tien_le]

Kevin,

I think your camera need some clean up and lubricant because the arm does not move freely so the spring can not pull the arm into contact with the lens stud. Give me your email, I got something maybe useful for you.

[kevin h. y. lui.]

Tien, I have sent you an e-mail. Please check.

[richard_oleson]

Lighter fluid seems to be very difficult, it is called something different in every language and even in different countries that use the same language. It is difficult to describe by chemical names because these are not commonly used anywhere so will not be recognized.

 

The stuff used in camera repair is the fuel for the old "Zippo" cigarette lighters, which are filled with a block of felt to soak up the liquid and keep it from leaking out... it comes as a liquid, usually in a squirt bottle, not in a pressurized can. It dissolves oil and grease but it does not attack plastics, which makes it an unusual and valuable cleaning solvent. The same chemical is also sold as a fuel for camping stoves, but I suppose that information is of very little value in Hong Kong.

 

I make many of my own tools.... most often I use long nose pliers and grind the points to make spanners, rubber crutch tips can be used to unscrew lens rings, etc.

 

It's ironic and unfortunate that machines are difficult to obtain in Hong Kong... my small milling machine came from China and was very inexpensive.

[Matthew Currie]

One word comment for Dean: wow.

[kevin h. y. lui.]

I know some Taiwanese also have the same machine as Dean has. But it seems it is rather useless and used up a lot of space in your home when you are not using it.

 

We don't have many places that sell camping tools.And they many use pure kerosene or others (e.g. LPG with small bottle one) . And If you ask them for Zippo', they will ask you to go to the stores that sells cigarettes. If you use 'naptha'. then tell you to visit Chemicals stores for pure Butane. You will get Zippo until you say 'white-petrol'.

[dean_williams]

"I know some Taiwanese also have the same machine as Dean has. But it seems it is rather useless and used up a lot of space in your home when you are not using it."

 

I may be misreading this, Kevin, but I've made a number of camera parts, not to mention other mechanical items on that little lathe, so I don't see it as "useless". As far as taking up space, the lathe is less than 0.1 cubic meter in volume.

 

Regards,

 

Dean

[kevin h. y. lui.]

I may be used a wrong way to present my ideas. I don't mean the machine is useless. I can understand that and I know it will help us to safe many cameras.

The size of the machine, to me, may be a bit too big.