Argus-Cosina STL 1000 repair question

[brainbubba_motornapkins]

<p>Hi,<br>

I recently acquired one of these for a very good price, however it's got an odd mechanical issue: the rewind post is extremely stiff in terms of popping it up and down to unload/load film cassettes (it revolves fine for actual rewinding). I need to use a butter knife to pry it up from the top plate, so I can get a good enough grip to pull it up the rest of the way. It also requires unreasonable force to pop it back down. I've spent some time trying to work it free with judicious applications of mineral oil, popping it up and down, and spinning it. When I wipe down the post with a paper towel, it yields a blackish residue, suggesting oxidation may be the cause -- there's been a slight improvement, and perhaps if I persist with this method it will obtain a more usable state, eventually.<br>

Has anyone else experienced the problem, and were you able to fix it -- speculative suggestions also welcome.<br>

<br />Incidentally I've been able to put a film through it (at the lab now), so I'll soon know whether there's anything left of the light seals...<br>

<br />Thanks!</p>

[walter_degroot]

<p>as a user not a repair person..<br>

I think that this is a M42 camera.<br>

mNY COMPANIES MAKE OR RE-BRAND THESE <br>

CAMERAS. it would cost less to purchase another m42<br>

camera or try a self lube job ( carefully)<br>

rick oleson has a set of instuctions on cd for do-it -yuself repairs.<br>

a repairman could do the job at 4x the cost of another similar camera.</p>

<p>one of the compnies cosina or another simil name has a m42 camera with full aperture me<br>

metering with regulAR single pin lenses.<br>

it will work with third party or [entax lenses that will require stop down metering on the original body.<br>

read the instructions on the butkus site to find out about<br>

which moidels work at full aperture metering.<br>

other cameras with a modified m42 mount do offer<br>

full aperture metering BUT only with their own special m42 lenses.<br>

this other japanese brand dscribed on the butkus site<br>

will work with any single pin m42 lens as it tekes the exposure reading at the moment of exposure.<br>

IF I were to buy a m42 based camera this is what I would get.<br>

the build quality is not as high as other brands. you may obtain a few clunkers. but the overall cost still will be lower.<br>

I feel the remaing few camera technicians are worth their costs. as it is exacting precise work.<br>

I do not fault them.the other third party company is chinon.<br>

I do fault the few I have asked to clean my Miranda 1.4 lenses.<br>

I know the problems . but do not have the sghht tools<br>

or skill to do the work. I hope this s a help to you<br>

I own a Ricoh TLS a very heavy m42 ttl metering camera.<br>

it is hard to set the meter inside. as it really gets dark when I stop-down inside.<br>

it has turned me off to stop down metering.</p>

<p> </p>

[thirteenthumbs]

<p>This is a typical 35mm SLR. With the back open place a screwdriver or similar between the forks that engage the film cassette. Holding the shaft steady turn the rewind crank opposite the wind arrow and unscrew the lever from the shaft. Sit the rewind crank aside and any other loose washers and note their order on the camera.<br>

Pull the rewind shaft down and out of the body. Clean the shaft and polish the inside of the opening, a round needle file may be needed to do the polishing. Reassemble.<br>

If there are any clips or other retainers on the shaft post pictures before removing them.</p>

[John Seaman]

<p>What Charles said.</p>

<p>And be very careful not to let the back close while you have got the rewind shaft removed.</p>

[allen_gara]

<p>What John said.<br>

<br />And lube the shaft with a very light coating of grease, preferably some type of synthetic or silicone based. Not oil, it'll eventually run into the film area. </p>

[rick_drawbridge]

<p>What everyone else said... Here's some information on the camera, <strong>Brainbubba</strong>.</p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00Vocf</p>

[winfried_buechsenschuetz1]

<p>Even if you close the back with the rewind crank/shaft removed: on many cameras, the latch of the rear door is actuated by a groove on the rewind shaft. If you accidentally close the rear door, you can still lift the latch with a hook made from a piece of thick copper or steel wire. Your lady's crochet hook should work, too. </p>

[brainbubba_motornapkins]

<p>Thanks for replies to all. Yes it's an m42 screw-mount. I already own a Spotmatic SP in reasonable (but deteriorating) working condition and a bunch of S-M lenses to go with it, and I was attracted to buy the STL 1000 after some research because it is described as very heavy metal build with first copal fp shutter in an slr (interesting story), I also know Cosina has historically made product for pretty all the major brands, and is the company behind the more recent Voigtlander resurrection as a respectable line of mechanical cameras and great optics. Closing the back with the post out shouldn't be an issue, because the STL has a separate door latch on the bottom plate. I was hoping that disassembly would be unnecessary. I've done this before, and I'm always afraid of losing some tiny and utterly irreplaceable part or bodging the order of reassembly which I've usually managed to work out by trial and error. Anyhow that's what I'm probably looking at. Thanks again!</p>