← Blog

All posts

From the bench ·

Copal 3 Shutter: Cleaning and Adjusting Speeds by Swedging

Copal 3 shutter repair. This Copal needed typical cleaning and lubrication. Also, some of the shutter speeds were not within specs. For leaf shutters such…

Shutters · Calibration · Cleaning

From the bench ·

Mamiya CS 50mm f/1.4 Lens: Oil on the Front Element

This Mamiya CS 50mm f/1.4 lens had a bit of oil residue on the back of the front element as seen in photo two. Repair was straightforward, remove and clean…

Lenses · Cleaning · Focus

From the bench ·

Mamiya 7 150mm Lens: Rangefinder Cam Repair

Repairing the rangefinder cam mechanism on a Mamiya 7 150mm lens. This lens came into the shop with a Mamiya 7 body that also needed rangefinder…

Mamiya 7 · Rangefinder · Lenses · Calibration

From the bench ·

Mamiya 645: Water Damage and Battery Drain, Not Worth Repairing

A Mamiya 645 came into the shop with a list of issues: shutter stuck open, battery drain, finder not fitting properly, light seals deteriorated. On…

645 · Electronics · Testing

From the bench ·

RB67 Pro S 120 Back: Broken Release Plate Spring

Repairing a Mamiya RB67 120 ProS back. A bit of rust needed to be cleaned from some parts and the release plate spring was broken. To access the spring…

RB67 · Universal Press · Film backs · Parts

From the bench ·

RZ67 Pro II: Checking a Complaint of Unsharp Photos

This Mamiya RZ67II came into the shop with a complaint of unsharp photos. When I receive a camera with this type of problem mentioned, I do a visual check…

RZ67 · Focus · Testing

From the bench ·

Mamiya 7II: Rangefinder Adjustment and 7 vs 7II Rangefinders

Mamiya 7II repair. Needed a rangefinder adjustment, repair to back latch and replacing damaged bottom cover. I am often asked about the difference in the…

Mamiya 7 · Rangefinder · Calibration · Buying advice

From the bench ·

Mamiya RB67: Light Trap Stuck Halfway After a Fall

This Mamiya RB67 had impact damage. I was told it fell in a sand dune, but fortunately, I noticed no sand damage. The light trap was only going up halfway…

RB67 · Light seals

From the bench ·

Mamiya 80mm f/2.8 S C Lens: Swapping a Shutter Missing Parts

A Mamiya TLR 80mm f/2.8 S lens came into the shop for routine cleaning. On opening the shutter I discovered that someone had "borrowed" several parts from…

C Series TLR · Shutters · Focus · Lenses

From the bench ·

RZ67 Pro II: Rough Winding and Mirror Governor Rebuild

This RZ67II came into the repair shop with a rough winding issue. Problem was gears needing cleaning/relubrication and the mirror governor needed to be…

RZ67 · Winding & transport · Cleaning

From the bench ·

RZ67 Pro II 120 Back: Impact Damage and Dried Lubrication

Mamiya RZ67 Pro II 120 Back. Impact damage to the back and also some dried lubrication required disassembly to remove and clean the gear coupler (the part…

RZ67 · Film backs · Cleaning · Parts

From the bench ·

RZ67 Pro II: Straightening a Bent Focus Shaft

This RZ67II had impact damage to the left focus knob. The knob was slightly damaged (needed to be replaced) and the focus shaft was bent. The first video…

RZ67 · Focus · Parts

From the bench ·

Pentax 6x7 105mm f/2.4 Lens: Fixing Barrel Wobble

Servicing a Pentax 6x7 105mm f/2.4 lens. This lens had a bit of a wobble to the lens assembly. Not an uncommon issue, it is caused by the loosening of…

Pentax · Lenses

From the bench ·

RB67 Pro S: Lens Stuck on Body After Impact Damage

This RB67 Pro S came into the shop with the complaint that the lens could not be removed. Body and lens working fine, but the lens lock ring would not…

RB67 · Lenses · Parts

From the bench ·

Kodak Supermatic Shutter: Damaged Blades and Diaphragm Pivots

Repairing a Kodak Supermatic shutter. This particular shutter needed the usual cleaning to get the shutter to operate properly but also needed the blades…

Shutters · Parts · Cleaning

From the bench ·

Mamiya 645 Super: Shutter Service and Mirror Stop Replacement

Shutter service and mirror stop replacement on Mamiya 645 Super. This camera came into the shop with the shutter locked open and a broken mirror stop. It…

645 · Shutters · Calibration · Parts

From the bench ·

Mamiya 55mm C Lens in Seiko SLV Shutter: Oil Contamination Repair

Repairing a Mamiya TLR 55mm C lens. At least in the U.S., these lenses mounted in a Seiko SLV shutter are not common. This shutter had several issues…

C Series TLR · Shutters · Cleaning

From the bench ·

Mamiya 7II 80mm Lens: Testing the Flex Cable for Meter Problems

A Mamiya 7II w/80mm lens came into the shop with a complaint of the light meter not working properly. First thing I check is the lens as they often have…

Mamiya 7 · Viewfinders & meters · Electronics · Testing

From the bench ·

Mamiya NC1000S: Shutter and Meter Service, New Parts

Repairing this Mamiya NC1000s today. Needed a shutter/meter service in addition to replacing the front apron, bottom plate and battery cover. Fortunately I…

Shutters · Viewfinders & meters · Calibration · Parts

From the bench ·

Mamiya Press 127mm Lens: Shutter Mechanism Cleaning

This Mamiya 127mm Press lens, while in very clean condition externally, is in need of some disassembly and cleaning of the shutter mechanism. The second…

Universal Press · Super 23 · Shutters · Cleaning

From the bench ·

Seiko #0 Shutter: Rebuilding the Speeds Escapement

The speeds escapement that controls shutter speeds in the Seiko 0 shutters used in Mamiya C series TLR lenses and the Press series can develop issues such…

C Series TLR · Universal Press · Shutters · Parts

From the bench ·

Minolta X-370: Light Baffle Replacement

Minolta X-370 Light Baffle Replacement. The first photo shows what happens when you try to insert a Minolta lens upside down (180 degrees off) on a Minolta…

Parts

From the bench ·

RZ67: Shutter Not Fully Cocking, Broken Cocking Gear Assembly

Mamiya RZ67 repair. Symptom of this camera was that the shutter would cock but not completely and so the lens would appear to work on mechanical mode but…

RZ67 · Shutters · Parts

From the bench ·

Mamiya Production Date Codes: How to Date a Camera or Lens

Mamiya Production Date Codes. I am often asked about how to date a Mamiya camera or lens. Long post but here is the info from my website: Mamiya used a…

Mamiya 7 · RB67 · 645 · C Series TLR