suzy_jackson

<p>I clean focus screens using isopropyl alcohol, which is much less aggressive than most other solvents.</p>

<p>The best method I've found is to drop the screen in a little plastic beaker immersed in isopropyl, and put that in an ultrasonic tank (like jewellers use to clean things). The ultrasonic shakes the gunk out of the fresnel, without doing any damage. Rinse with distilled water, and dry with compressed air.</p>

<p>My favorite from this series is the FE2. It's the same size and weight as the FM2n, but adds the aperture priority auto exposure of the F3HP, without the added size and weight of the F3. It uses the same match needle meter as the FM series, which is miles better than the LCD on the F3, F4, and FA. Like the FM2n and F3 (and unlike the FA, which has a ghastly plastic top cover), it's all metal, and built to last a lifetime.</p>

<p>I bought a Bronica ETRS with 50mm f/2.8 MC, 75mm F/2.8 EII, and 150mm f/3.5 MC lenses, plus a back and (non-functional) metered prism on ebay, for around AU$150. It's all well and truly abused. The body is functional, but the focus screen looks like someone's taken to it with a scotchbrite pad, and the lenses all have fungus to varying degrees. The prism had been dropped, and has a chip in it, which does nothing for contrast.</p>

<p>While I was waiting (somewhat impatiently) for it to arrive, I put in a ridiculously low bid for a Mamiya 645 super, and ended up getting it for AU$170. This turned out to be a whole pile of kit; a functioning but well used body, a spare non-functioning body in really nice cosmetic condition, 55mm f/2.8 and 80mm f/2.8 lenses, a metered prism (with separating eyepiece doublet), and a waist-level finder with lots of paint missing.</p>

<p>So the last few weeks have been an adventure in camera repair. I've disassembled, cleaned and reassembled all the bodies, taking the opportunity to put all the best bits from the non-functioning super into the functioning one, and had a good go at cleaning off the fungus in the Bronica's lenses, with varying levels of success. I repainted the metalwork on the Mamiya waist-level finder, and properly separated the doublet in the Mamiya prism, giving the elements a good clean. When the Canada balsam I've ordered arrives, I'll recement it - in the meantime it's working okay enough to use.</p>

<p>So after all this, I've shot two rolls of Provia 100 with the Mamiya, and like what I see very much. The images are wonderfully sharp and contrasty. Having disassembled the Bronica lenses to clean them, I'm not as impressed - I think most of the elements in the Bronica have only fairly basic coatings.</p>

<p>What I do like about the Bronica though is it's solid feel. It feels tough when you wind it, and has a metal body. The prism and back seat very positively. The Mamiya feels quite delicate in comparison. The Bronica's leaf shutter is much cooler than the Mamiya, too.</p>

<p>I actually can't pick between them at this point. My plan is to get both cameras into as good a condition as I'm able, play with them both for a while, and then sell the one I don't use.</p>

<p>The cause has eluded me so far. I've done a careful inspection of the wiring and circuitry under a microscope and have found no wiring damage. The shutter button contacts work as well, so it's not quite that simple.</p>

<p>One other symptom is that when I put a metered prism on, the prism is powered up and displaying stuff all the time, as though the shutter is permanently half pressed.</p>

<p>I guess the next step, lacking a schematic, is to disassemble both the working and non working body and inspect them side-by-side, and measure voltages at different points to try to work out where the various signals are.</p>

<p>Thanks for the tips about the shutter solenoid - I hope the fault isn't that deep!</p>

<p>Done! The stumbling block was a pair of plastic tabs between the sides and front, that had to be disengaged.</p>

<p>I've put annotated pictures on my flickr stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/suzy_j/sets/72157623143778286/</p>

<p>Hope they're useful to someone.</p>

<p>Thanks Peter, I've posted the question up there.</p>

<p>Cheers,</p>

<p>Suzy</p>

<p>Hi,<br>

I recently bought a Mamiya 645 super, and received with it a second body for spares. The first body is working very well (after a thorough clean, and replacement of the mirror bump foam). The spare body needs some love. The shutter works in manual mode, at 1/60th second, but other than that it won't fire. The battery check works (with a fresh battery), so I'd guess there's a broken wire or similar on the shutter release. The mechanism for the aperture control is also sticky, so the aperture coupling pops out of the prong.<br>

I'm pretty good at camera repair, having done quite a bit of work on mainly Nikon FE series cameras, plus a CLA on a Bronica (easy, as everything is so lovely and large), so am quite confident of fixing it.<br>

The only problem is that I can't find my way in. I can pull the lower cover, which has obvious screws holding it on, but the side covers are more stubborn - they appear to be held in place by the mirror up knob on the left and the shutter speed dial on the right, neither of which appear to be removeable.<br>

So does anyone have any tips? I'd greatly appreciate some pointers.<br>

Cheers,<br>

Suzy</p>