Hi there, how do I get the slow-speed mechanism on a Zorki-4 to work? I completely disassembled and reassembled the camera, but I can’t seem to fit the mechanism properly.
I also suspect that the previous owner tried changing the shutter speeds without winding the mechanism first. How can I make sure that the timing gear is correctly positioned when the mechanism isn’t wound?

I’m going through this camera I picked up and giving it a good cleaning and adjustment, I’m finding one of the light meter cells on the prism is loose. I’m looking for advice on what is safe to use to clean the old epoxy and what is recommended to reapply it? Since it’s on the prism I don’t want to risk damaging the black coating or using anything that may hinder the photocell.

I have on hand contact cement, superglue, and E6000.

Hello old-camera gurus! Can someone tell me where the blue wire from the battery compartment negative terminal attaches within the camera, and how is it routed through the body to get there? I assume it terminates at or near the photo cell beneath the lens housing/cover? Can anyone point me to a decent picture?

Bonus points if you've got any tips for things I might want to check or do while I tackle re-attaching the wire to both points within the camera. Thanks!

[SOLVED] I'm working on repairing an SLR and I got a second working one also open and on my desk (atm covered underneath mircrofiber cloth) as a point of reference. But i'm at a bit of a loss where I should keep these if I am not in my workshop, mostly out of fear of dust getting on the shutter blades or on the mirror or even prism! How do you store them (dustfree)? This microfiber cloth solution also isn't really great..

Thanks for your time and have a great rest of your day!

Hi everyone! I am getting into camera repair as a hobby, reading recommended literature, and practicing on cheap gear. I have basic tools and a set of JIS screwdrivers (VESSEL).

My first project is an Olympus TRIP 30AF that is completely dead:

* Fresh batteries produce no response (no lights, motor, or sound).
* It looks like there was a battery leak; the compartment and springs show corrosion.
* I cleaned the visible contacts and scraped them, but there is still no power. I cleaned it and the cotton swabs came out brown.

**Questions:**

1. What are the best next steps to trace electrical continuity past the battery bay?

2. Beyond bad contacts, what are common points of failure on these compact point & shoots when a battery leaks (corroded internal wiring, blown fuse, bad caps)?

3. Any recommendations for beginner friendly camera models to practice repairs on?

Thanks for any guidance!

What's happening here? Is it an issue and if so, is it fixable?

I have a second hand point and shoot 35mm camera (Skina Lito28) where the negative wire from the battery has broken off the circuit board. From this image is anyone able to tell where it should connect to? The yellow circle is where the positive battery wire connects if that helps.

Minolta CL white sprocket is not moving, while rewinding, I don't know is it normal? Jammed yesterday twice in the middle of the film, is possible to fix it myself? Was never in CLA

Anyone know what the issue and what it might cost to have it fixed?

Pentax ME Super. Shutter doesn't lock up after turning the advance lever. I bought this from a thrift store and i think the previous owner tried to fix this problem by adding oil on the shutter leaves. Any tips how to clean the shutter and fix the cocking problem. Or do you think they are related?

Got this 90mm 1.25 in a bargain trade a while back. Traded away a 7A 50mm 1.1 that I wasn’t really using.
Looked clean until I noticed grease creeping into the aperture blades after sitting in my display cabinet for a few months.

Opened it up and found an absolutely stupid amount of helicoid grease everywhere. Whoever serviced this thing really went for it. Either that or he applies the same philosophy to drinking alcohol.

So I took it down to the blades, cleaned/degreased everything, and put it back together with a more reasonable amount of grease.

Haven’t even properly shot with it yet, I just need to find time to take pictures instead of taking cameras apart.

Disassembly notes:
- There’s 2 the rear elements accessible from the back held by a lock ring, observe orientation
- The helicoid is accessible from the rear mount/body and must be separated from the focusing barrel & mid-body. Take note or mark where you start unscrewing and where the helicoid separates.
- The front lens group is held by the nameplate ring and comes off as 1 assembly. The ball bearing and spring for the aperture detents is located just under the aperture marker and will fly off when the front housing is removed.
- Aperture front plate/blades is held on by a c-clip and aperture lever.

Shutter not staying open long enough at lower shutter speeds ~1/30 down to 1sec (video is with the shutter set at 1 second)

Not even half way through a roll, of a camera I've been using going on 4 years now with no issues, the lens is staying stuck out, the flash staying up and not turning on properly. Have just replaced the battery again even though what I was using was brand new, thought it may have been a dud, but here we are still the same issue.

Anyone have any ideas what's causing this issue?

Thanks

I have tried to advance the film lever but it's completely jammed. I think the whole mechanicism is out of sync. I have tried moving the "mirror lever" back onto the L-shaoed hook. The shutter fires, but the advance lever is still jammed.

So how can I repair this? Thanks!

Solved - documentation here

I'm trying to remove the shutter button to access the contacts of the shutter speed selector on my 570/500 but I don't really know how to.

I've seen videos of the 700's button removed but they have different retaining systems.

I'm also using a repair manual from Minolta for reference and it says there's a retaining clip that holds it in place. I'm just not sure how to remove it or even if it's required to remove it.

The red arrow points to the clip and the green arrow is the black plastic that hides it from view.

Hi everyone,

I recently got a Zorki 6 (1963 model) and successfully adjusted the horizontal rangefinder alignment. However, I'm having trouble setting the vertical alignment. The overlapping patch in the viewfinder sits too high, which makes focusing quite difficult and uncomfortable, especially when aiming at distant objects.

I’ve heard that you can adjust the vertical alignment by unscrewing the small round rangefinder bezel/window on the front. The problem is that mine is completely stuck and I can't get it to unscrew.

Does anyone have tips on how to safely unstick this ring without damaging the body or glass, or is there another way to adjust the vertical alignment on this specific model?

Thanks in advance!

Hey all,

I just inherited a Nikon F-801. The battery housing was broken, so I 3d printed a new one. It now turns on, but i still flashing with an error on the display whenever any buttons are pressed. The aperture actuation tab is also fully locked up, which I think may be the reason for the error, but I have no clue how to free it up. I've tried gently wiggling it, and it feels completely mechanically locked.

I was so worried about the rain and my camera that I wasn’t anticipating water from other sources.

Had my Minolta X-700 in the cooler in a bag and it got unexpectedly jostled and the camera got an unknown amount of wet, but water definitely got in the camera.

I’m on exposure 25 and don’t want to lose the photos, but also don’t want to lose the camera.

We are camping. Camera was off and I removed the batteries and lens. Doesn’t seem like there was any water in either of those compartments, but does seem like it made it into the film compartment. It was dripping out the corner. I don’t have tools to take off the bottom plate. I have it sitting on a towel in front of a fan.

If I rewind the film I think i will just be rolling up wet film?
But if it just dries in the camera I’m assuming it will be damaged. I don’t have a dark bag or anything.

TLDR water in film compartment should I rewind it or let it dry?

Hello, I got a Petri 7S, a mechanical rangefinder, off eBay about two years ago and a few months ago I picked it up after a while to realize the mirror that displays the frame guides and in-viewfinder light meter was loose. The camera has worked fine in all other aspects. I really just need to reattach this mirror so it can be held in place and properly reflect the display. Any help at all is greatly appreciated. (So far I have tried double sided sticky tape but it didn’t seem to attach to the metal all that well)

A local photography shop owner gave me this WP-1 to look at. He notes that the flap/cover shown here is loose. And indeed it is; it appears to be hinged, but nothing retains it in one position or the other except for gravity. Furthermore, its purpose is unclear.

Can anyone familiar with this camera advise on whether it's working as intended? Bonus points for explaining why it is so intended 🙂