Mamiya 7II: Cracked Double Exposure Lever
Originally posted on Instagram. Notes from the repair bench, kept here as a searchable archive. View the original on Instagram
The Mamiya 7II has two issues with parts on the top cover that can cause problems with the camera. The first, a broken self timer button, I have covered in a few different posts. This post is about the double exposure lever and how it can be easily broken.
Photo two shows how many of these plastic sliding levers are found these days: cracked. Looking carefully at the lever, the crack is seen running from top to bottom. When I have the top cover off the camera for a service and see this issue, I will put a very small amount of epoxy on the lever to stabilize it. While it would be better to replace the lever, they are no longer available.
The other symptom of a cracked lever is that it becomes hard to slide due to the cracked bushing (not visible from the outside).
Photo four is a close up of the installed lever looking from inside the top cover. Photo five shows all the parts that make up the double exposure lever: plastic slide, spring plate, button and attaching screw with spacer. When the slide breaks, it is possible for the attaching screw and spacer to fall into the camera and cause mischief. In the center of photo six is a small lever that interacts with the slide lever to disengage the wind mechanism from the film spool.
So, another plastic part that is decomposing with age to worry about. I would recommend watching the lever, especially if it is cracked or hard to slide to make sure it is still intact.
