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Common Camera Repairs for Specific Cameras, Lenses etc.
Camera repair hobbyists have created thousands of photo-illustrated guides for making common repairs to specific cameras, lenses, electronic flashes and more. We've selected some of the best presentations. If you have a non-commercial link you believe belongs here, contact us with the details. No attachments please.
Canon A1 Shutter Squeak
Well-known problem which develops in most Canon A1 cameras. Discussion and different approaches to lubricating the source of the squeak, which is not the shutter.
The author discusses how to fix a design defect in early EOS cameras. The 600 series, the 10/10s, Elan/100 and other Canon EOS cameras manufactured in the late 1980s to early 1990s. The internal foam bumper for the shutter curtain deteriorates with time, breaking down into an oily black tar. The tar oozes onto the shutter blades, causing them to stick. This results in the shutter either failing to open altogether or opening too slowly, resulting in blank or unexposed photographs.
How to install a split-image manual focus screen into Canon autofocus SLRs which don't have them. List of EOS models which will accept the EF-M screen. Useful for photographers who take a lot of low light and night photographs and need precise manual focus capability.
Photographer Conrad Erb shows how to tighten the Canon 20D flash shoe, and how to replace the flash switch on the Canon 20D flash hot shoe. Excellent macro photo-illustrations.
Discusses common problems found with the vintage Canonet QL19 and the Canonet GIII QL 35mm rangefinder cameras. How to replace deteriorated foam light seals, clean cloudy rangefinder glass and sticky shutter blades. Cleaning up mercury battery leakage and surrounding corrosion. If the selenium cell light meter is dead, it's not repairable.
Jay Javier's detailed information and photos for using and maintaining early models of FED and Zorki cameras, Soviet copies of the Leica II camera, first manufactured in the USSR starting in the mid 1930s and continuing for nearly two decades. Proper film loading, focus calibration, and shutter adjustment require solutions which are quite unique to these cameras’ design. Topics include fixing common camera bugs, rangefinder and lens flange adjustments, camera disassembly for shutter adjustment, repair and replacement, Industar lens disassembly and more. Restore an old FED or Zorki back to working specifications.
Illustrated step-by-step tutorial on replacing a shutter curtain in the Russian Fed-2 camera. Stephen Castello demonstrates why overhauling a focal-plane shutter is time-consuming. Learn the nomenclature of shutter parts.
Excellent step-by-step disassembly, cleaning, repair and reassembly of a manual focus Carl Zeiss Flektagon f.4 50mm lens. Macro photographs of each step are excellent learning tools.
Camera Stores
The author uses readily available surface mount linear voltage regulators to replace the two PX-625 mercury batteries (no longer available) with two LP66 cells (3.1 volts) and convert it to a stable 2.70 volts. Requires soldering skills and some electronic knowledge.
Independent repair facilities for Leica cameras and accessories. This list of Leica repair shops come from LHSA members who have had positive repair experience with these businesses. The list identifies which shops can repair screwmount cameras, Leica enlargers, M Model cameras, Leicaflex cameras, Leica lenses, lightmeters, the Automatic Reflex camera and Leica restoration specialists.
Excellent photo illustrated tutorial on removing and replacing foam light seals on older 35mm cameras with numerous step-by-step photographs. Tutorial demonstrates installing new light seals on the classic Canon F1n. I own three Canon F1n's, all need new foam seals. Thanks for showing me exactly how to do it. Also read Jon Goodman's light seal replacement instructions immediately below for additional suggestions.
Jon Goodman's photo-illustrated tutorials for replacing foam light seals on more than two dozen 35mm camera models and generic replacement instructions for mirror dampers and small seals. John Goodman has some additional suggestions which are missing from the Canon F1n light seal replacement tutorial ( see above.)
Robert Monaghan's writing and compilation of hundreds of articles on medium format cameras. Extensive reports on camera repair and restoration, including arcane topics such as bellows restoration, fixing Bronica focus problems, cementing lenses, flash synch field tests, mirror cleaning tips, inexpensive shutter speed testers, and scores more. Repair articles are listed near the bottom of the page. Editor's Note: web site apparently has a limit on the amount of traffic permitted. If bandwidth has been exceeded you will get a 404 error message saying "file not found." For instant gratification use the Wayback Machine at archive.org or visit another day.
Thread on photo.net describes where the internal lithium battery is concealed and how to replace it. In this thread, replacing the internal battery did not bring a Maxxum camera back to life. One of the idiosyncrasies of the Maxxum was an internal battery with an estimated lifespan of five years. When the battery died, the camera failed. In Europe the Minolta Maxxum 7000 was known as the Minolta Dynax.
Thread on photozone.de describes where the internal lithium battery is located and gives instructions on accessing and replacing the battery. In this thread, replacing the battery restored Maxxum cameras to working order. The Minolta Maxxum 7000 was sold as the Minolta Dynax in Europe.
Camcorder &
Camera Repair
For Miranda camera enthusiasts around the world. Photo-illustrated information on disassembly and assembly of Miranda viewfinder screens for cleaning and repair. Also provides a replacement battery list for all camera models and titles of out-of-print reference books and service manuals. Miranda manufactured quality 35mm SLRs from 1953 to 1978. This is also the web home for the Miranda Historical Society.
Exploded views of the Nikon AF28mm2.8D lens. All the parts with corresponding part numbers. So many parts it's both fascinating and scary.
Current list (August 2008) of Nikon authorized repair facilties for servicing Nikon Coolpix digital cameras and Nikon AFS lenses. No links to repair shops.
Robert Decker professionally repairs Nikon F and F2 Photomic light meters. Decker discusses in considerable detail why these light meters fail and how he repairs them. Also he answers the question "which battery works best in the Nikon F?"
Step-by step procedure for removing the bottom plate and top of a Nimslo 3D camera. Applicable only to model made in Japan. No illustrations. Apparently a Nimslo shutter is battery dependent and the author suggests two possible explanations for completely unexposed film, however the author fails to suggest checking for dead batteries. sheesh....
Karen Nakamura gives instructions on how to adjust the rangefinder on the Canon P, FED 3, Kiev 4, Zorki 4K, Leica M7, and Kodak Retina IIa.
Illustrated step-by-step description covers conditioning the old dry leather surfaces and seams with mink oil, tips on removing the old stitching and re-stitching the case using nylon carpet thread or waxed linen and tapestry needles. Bill Davis, author.
John Wilton's Photo Site. Topics include Voigtlander Bessa I viewfinder cleanup, Kodak Retina I and Ib viewfinder cleaning, Kodak Retina IIa rangefinder adjustment, Rolleicord III focus blockage repair, how to make Rolleiflex mirrors, Rolleiflex, Rolleicord service and instruction manuals. Much more.
Entrance to the Kiev Report for those interested in Russian, Soviet and Ukrainian cameras, "the best forum about the worst cameras in the world." Extensive information about camera operation, repair tips and procedures, camera maintenance, discuss the strong and weak points of camera models, ask and answer questions on general photography, and more. Hosted by Delphi Forums and maintained by Rick Denney.
Procedures for three repairs on the most common models of Stereo Realist cameras. This information is not applicable for repairing a Stereo Realist model 45. Topics covered include how to replace Realist lens covers, offers four solutions for eliminating light leaks, and the film advance clutch spring replacement. Not illustrated.
Photo-illustrated step-by-step process for removing an old lens from its mount, using heat to liquefy deteriorated Canada Balsam glue before separating the lens elements, then acetone to dissolve the residue. Reassembly of lens in a dust-free, static-free environment. Detailed explanation of lens centering and re-cementing lens elements with modern UV light curing cement. S.K. Grimes specializes in repair services for large format photographers.
Thread on repairing the Vivitar 283 electronic flash, with appropriate warnings to the risks of dangerous electric shock from the internal capacitor. Readers are advised early models of the Vivitar 283 have a trigger voltage of several hundred volts and can destroy the circuitry in modern all-electronic film cameras and digital cameras. Later models of the Vivitar 283 flash have a trigger voltage of 9 to 12 volts. Best way to determine true trigger voltage is with a digital multimeter.
Cees de Groot's Camera Repair Mailing List for the exchange of tips, tricks, techniques in repairing Yashica, Contax and other cameras.
This is the most common repair for the Yashica FR 1 camera. Oliver Friedman explains how to repair a broken exposure meter counter. Neglecting to fix a broken nylon sprocket wheel which drives the exposure counter can eventually cause further damage to the film advance transport.
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Revised October 10, 2008
