Mamiya 6: Stuck Counter and Problems with Used Replacement Parts
Originally posted on Instagram. Notes from the repair bench, kept here as a searchable archive. View the original on Instagram
This Mamiya 6 came into the shop with a stuck counter and wind lever and damaged top cover. Since the counter frame window was missing, it is obvious that it came unglued and fell into the wind mechanism. Photo two shows the top cover removed with the offending piece of frame counter window that was recovered from the camera.
My client provided a used replacement top cover to install that he had purchased online. So far, sounds straightforward. But the replacement top cover had impact damage to the cable release socket (that apparently had not been disclosed) so more labor was involved to remove some of the old parts from the original top cover. Photos five and six show the damage to the cable release socket.
This brings up something that I run into from time to time: since the supply of new parts for the Mamiya 6/7 are rapidly drying up, often I have clients who purchase used parts online so that I can install them. If you are going to do this, inspect the purchased parts very closely as the only reason to be parting out a Mamiya 6/7 is because it is not fixable. And this usually means that the camera has had major impact damage or water damage in most cases. And parts may be compromised.
The last photo shows the camera with a calibrated lens mount installed for rangefinder adjustment. This tool does not have glass or parts other than a focus mount and rangefinder cam assembly.
