Fixing old cameras and lenses

abdoujaparov

abdoujaparov

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Keith
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No, I'm not looking for Miles Whitehead's phone number. I was wondering if there's a standard book recommendation, or any other resource, for getting into camera repairs. I wouldn't mind having a go at it, and there's any number of broken cameras on eBay to practise on.
 
I've never looked into specific books but I'm sure there are lots out there if you look. Personally, I think you should just buy a non-worker (look for things like sticky aperture blades to start with), a set of small screwdrivers and some good pliers and go for it. A lot of similar age cameras are built the same way so once you get the hang of one you can generally find your way around another. Also, you're often not the first person to try and fix certain cameras so forums/YouTube are very handy.

Edit - ^^Those Rick Oleson exploded diagrams come in very handy :0)
 
Just a few of the links I've bookmarked over the last few years. They come in handy when people ask questions on here.
 
One piece of advice is to take photos at every stage as you go along (I normally keep my phone to hand). It's amazing how similar every screw/spacer/shim looks the same when you try to re-assemble..
 
a word of warning (unfortunately learnt through experience): if you are trying to undo a cross head screw and it has a dot on the screw head it's not a philips screw it's a jis.
if you try with a philips you will strip the head. :(
 
regfinch said:
a word of warning (unfortunately learnt through experience): if you are trying to undo a cross head screw and it has a dot on the screw head it's not a philips screw it's a jis.
if you try with a philips you will strip the head. :(
Click to expand...
What's a 'jis'?
 
Every days a school day. Top tip guys.(y)
 
I also read somewhere the trick of using egg boxes or ice cube trays to put the bits in, in sequential order. So then you know where everything is as you start at the end and work backwards, reassembling. Apart from that spring that pinged off behind the curtain, of course. And that screw that stuck to your slightly magnetised screwdriver and fell off into the wrong compartment. And...
 
regfinch said:
a word of warning (unfortunately learnt through experience): if you are trying to undo a cross head screw and it has a dot on the screw head it's not a philips screw it's a jis.
if you try with a philips you will strip the head. :(
Click to expand...

This explains why Olympus Trip had to be downgraded to Ornament status! Thanks for the tip.
 
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