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From the bench
Real repairs, start to finish.
645 Super vs Pro: Buying Advice and a Bad DIY Mirror Stop
If you are looking to purchase a 645 Super/Pro/Pro TL, I’d recommend not getting a Super. While these models all look pretty similar externally (and…
Mamiya 645 AF Series: Repair Fixtures and Why to Avoid Buying
This post is about a Mamiya camera that I generally don’t recommend purchasing these days: the Mamiya 645 AF series. Great camera when it works but it has…
RB67 Lenses on RZ67: Lens Throat Diameter and Adapter Ring
This post is a bit of a continuation of my previous one regarding using Mamiya RB67 lenses on the RZ67. The first photo shows the RB67 Pro S body in the…
RB67 Lenses on RZ67: Why Use Post-1978 791 Shutter Lenses
I often receive questions regarding the use of Mamiya RB67 lenses on RZ67 bodies. Hopefully this post will answer these questions. While you can certainly…
RB67 Lens Shutters: 653 vs 791 and Plastic in K/L Lenses
get a lot of questions regarding the use of plastics in RB K/L shutters. Usually, it is someone deciding on making a purchase. Keep in mind that Mamiya…
Mamiya 7II: Broken Plastic Battery Cover Caps
I have had two Mamiya 7II models come into the shop this week with broken plastic battery covers so it looks like time to revisit this topic. Although the…
Mamiya 7 80mm Lens: Reassembling a Client-Disassembled Lens
This Mamiya 7 80mm lens arrived at my shop in pieces. No problem with USPS, the lens had already been disassembled a bit when it was shipped out to me! My…
Camera Repair Photos on the Bench
Camera Repair Photos on the Bench
Mamiya 645 80mm f/1.9: Lens Separated into Two Pieces
This lens, a Mamiya 80mm f/1.9 for the Mamiya 645 series, came into the shop in two pieces as shown in the second photo. This is not unusual for this lens…
Leica M4-P: Rebuilding Worn Back Door Hinge Sockets
While I no longer service Leica, I still have a personal collection of Leicas that needs tending to from time to time. This M4-P has had a rough life…
Marshal Press 6x9: Rangefinder Adjustment and History
This camera being serviced is a bit unusual: a Marshal Press 6x9. While not that hard to find in Japan, there was no U.S. importer and possibly none in…
Mamiya 645 PRO: Three Symptoms of a Broken Mirror Stop
I have three Mamiya 645 PRO models on the bench today with the same issue, a common broken mirror stop. But each one showed up with different symptoms. I…
RB67 90mm NB Lens: Delayed Shutter Firing
This Mamiya RB67 90mm lens came into the shop with the very common issue of a delay firing of the shutter after being released. This normally entails…
UV Filters on Mamiya 7 Lenses: Testing for Parallel Surfaces
This is a tale of two filters and why I feel it is important to get high quality UV filters. When lenses come into the shop with a UV/Sky filter installed…
Mamiya 7 65mm Lens: Shutter Magnet Not Holding
The Mamiya 6/7 lenses are fairly robust but lately I have been seeing a lot of them for service. Maybe age is catching up with them. This 65mm lens came…
Mamiya 7 80mm Lens: Filter Ring Replacement and Rangefinder Cam
This Mamiya 7 80mm lens arrived with two issues: 1.) damaged filter ring 2.) rangefinder calibration off. While I can normally straighten damaged filter…
Mamiya 6 50mm Lens: Bent Cocking Shaft and Shutter Replacement
This Mamiya 6 50mm lens would not release the shutter blades. After disassembly, I found that the cocking shaft in the shutter was binding, slightly bent…
Mamiya C 105mm DS Lens: Slow Speeds and Shutter Release Delay
This lens arrived with typical slow speed issues and shutter release delay. What is interesting is that this lens is the 105mm DS version of the lens for…
Mamiya Shift L 75mm f/4.5 for RB67: Shutter Not Operating
This is a report on the repair of a fairly uncommon lens: Mamiya Shift L 75mm f/4.5 S/L to fit Mamiya RB67. Lens was recently purchased and I believe the…
645 PRO: Broken Mirror Stop and a Screw Jamming the Winder
A Mamiya 645 PRO came into the shop with the typical broken mirror stop. Also, the camera was jammed and would not wind or release. Seeing the broken stop…
Mamiya 7 43mm N Lens: Removing the Rear Element and Name Ring
Servicing a Mamiya 7 43mm N lens. The 43mm has a different build than the 80mm and 65mm especially in the rangefinder mechanism. This is because of the…
Mamiya 7 43mm, 65mm, 150mm, 210mm: Locking Shutters Open
This service involves modification of four Mamiya 7 lenses: 43mm, 65mm, 150mm and 210mm). My client requires that these lenses have the shutter blades…
Nikon AI Lens Conversions: A Bit of History
This post is about Nikon AI lens conversions: Many years ago before I specialized in Mamiya cameras, I serviced many of the popular Japanese brands and of…
Mamiya 7: Replacing a Broken Wind Lever Return Spring
This Mamiya 7 came into the shop with a wind lever that would not return. Not an uncommon issue and is usually caused by a broken wind lever return spring…