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From the bench
Real repairs, start to finish.
Mamiya 7 43mm Lens: Shutter Blades Not Opening Fully
This Mamiya 7 43mm lens arrived with the complaint of not firing. I did get it to release, but it was erratic. And, in looking at the shutter blades, I…
RB67/RZ67 Lenses: Missing Rear Elements on Online Purchases
If you are buying RB67 or RZ67 lenses, please check them out very carefully for haze,fungus,separation. Especially the three lenses mentioned and shown in…
Mamiya 7 65mm Lens: Shutter Not Latching, Release Magnet Cleaning
This Mamiya 7 65mm lens arrived with the symptom of a non-latching shutter. Whenever the wind lever on the camera was wound, the shutter would release on…
LA Camera Expo in Burbank: October 11 Show Table
It’s time for another camera show this weekend in Burbank, California (I set up at this show every quarter) If you are in the Burbank area this Sunday, Oct…
RB67 Bellows Replacement: Original vs Aftermarket Bellows
I’m doing a bellows replacement today on an RB67 and though that I would pass along some information on the bellows that are available for replacement…
Mamiya 645 Super/Pro: Battery Contacts Bent by New Battery Style
Another post about new style form factors on batteries causing problems for Mamiya cameras, this time the 645 Super/Pro/ProTL. I have done several on the…
RZ67: Mirror Cocking Failures from Worn Wind Shaft Parts
First, let me say that I like the RZ67. This post is not bashing it. Just some technical info: The majority of issues that I see with the RZ relates to the…
Mamiya 645 Super/Pro/Pro TL: Mirror Stop Replacement and Calibration
This is another post on the Mamiya 645 Super/Pro/Pro TL mirror stop repair. I get these cameras in constantly so need to regularly post this info for new…
RZ67: Failing Electrolytic Capacitors
If you are purchasing an RZ67, keep in mind that unless it has been serviced in the last decade (most have not) it will need repairs of some sort maybe…
RZ67 Pro II: Cracked Mirror Replacement
Fairly straightforward repair to this Mamiya RZ67II, replace cracked mirror. Client said the mirror cracked when the tripod fell over. In cases with a…
Mamiya 6: Wind Gear and Wind Shaft Problems
An issue that comes up often with the Mamiya 6 is one regarding the winding mechanism. The wind shaft and wind gear are often the fault. While some parts…
Mamiya 7 80mm Lens: Oval Lens Mount from a Drop
Sometimes, impact damage to a camera or lens may not be perceptible. In this case, this Mamiya 7 80mm lens arrived with the complaint that it did not mount…
Mamiya 6 Dichroic Frame Finder Window Upgrade
This post is on the rarest of Mamiya 6 models: the Mamiya 6 Mark II (not to be be confused with the Mamiya 6MF). As you can see in the first photo, this…
UV Filter Test: K&F Concept vs B+W
This is a tale of two filters. Both are UV filters and one is inexpensive and the other a much more costly choice. Which one will be the higher quality…
RZ67: Broken Dark Slide Safety Switch Allows Release
If your RZ67 will allow shutter release with the dark slide in place, the issue is a broken dark slide safety switch. I have done two of these switch…
RB67: Removing a Stuck Lens from the Body
I’m making this post as a further clarification for the YouTube video that we did some time ago on getting off a Mamiya RB67 lens that is stuck on a body…
Mamiya 6/7: Removing and Replacing Broken Viewfinder Glass
This has been a week of broken viewfinder glass repairs on Mamiya 7 and Mamiya 6. Years ago when Mamiya was in business, the solution to this issue was to…
Dating Mamiya Cameras and Lenses by Two Letter Code
I commonly get asked about dating the year of production on a Mamiya camera. The date of manufacture was important for determining the status of updated…
Mamiya MSX/DSX 35mm Cameras and SX 85mm Lenses
While I no longer service the Mamiya 35mm line of cameras, I seem to have accumulated a large collection of every model over the years. I am doing some…
Mamiya 6: Dead Meter and Shutter from Soldered Main Switch
This Mamiya 6 arrived with the meter and shutter inoperative. On removing the top cover I could see that the main switch flexible contact arm was a bit…
Mamiya 7II: No Flash Sync from Broken Shoe Safety Switch Pin
This Mamiya 7II arrived with a complaint of no flash sync. Looking under the flash shoe after removing the flash shoe spring, I could see that the safety…
RZ67: Rough Winding from Worn Coupler and Sticky Governor
While I am not taking in RZ67 models right now as I work on my backlog of repairs to bring things to a manageable level, I do have some of these in the…
Mamiya 7 80mm Lens: Rangefinder Cam Far Out of Spec
The complaint on this Mamiya 7 w/80mm lens body/lens combination is that the images are not sharp. But, the rangefinder lined up perfectly. A quick exam…
LA Camera Expo in Burbank: July 12 Show Table
It’s time for another camera show this weekend in Burbank, California (I set up at this show every quarter) If you are in the Burbank area this Sunday…