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Peter
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 11:18 pm: | 
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Hi learned people,
This is a call for help...
I love old cameras and until now external cosmetic cleaning was as far as my repairs have gone... I have read the warnings about DIY, but just couldn't help myself! Now I think I have gone and done it!!!
I picked up a nice Nikkormat FT + 35mm 1:2 & 105mm 1:2.5 this weekend and was a little bummed when I got home to find that the meter didn't work (who carries around 625's in their pocket?)
Anyway, I swallowed the meter problem and started a test roll using a hand-held meter... I recently read in an e-bay listing that camera meters were for wimps anyway!!! I don't agree to any extent, but I really want to learn about proper exposure through manual settings, so I thought 'here is a good opportunity'... Sorry, I'm rambling.
I was on frame 18... I had hoped that the film was winding on correctly (not sure about that yet) and the shutter just didn't fire. Now, I'm not sure why this happened, but the lens mount had started to get noticeably wobblier (is that even a word?) especially since I had been switching lenses every 2-3 shots (now I see why zooms were invented!).
Anyway, to my DIY: I was suspicious that the aperture arm had something to do with the problem because with some wiggling of the depth-of-field preview button I could get the shutter to fire. After finding this, I also found that the shutter would fire, but only if the lens was set to f2. I guessed that the wobbly mount was catching the aperture arm and causing some hang-up somehow?
I took off the first ring of the lens mount... no problems there until the little spring thing for the ASA setting shot across the room. After recovering the spring I noticed that the black screws holding the inner lens mount ring to the camera body were loose. Eureaka, I had found the source for the wobbly mount!
Camera repair lesson #1 here learned... fix what looks to be the problem, then put it all straight back together again!!!!!
Stupidly I removed the black screws and the inner ring to see the innards of the lens mount (curiosity killed the cat!). Einstein here thought the meter issue may be revealed, but all he got was grey hairs trying to line up the shutter speed ring with the right speed again. Luckily I found B and got that sorted.
This unnecessary tinkering, I think, is what caused my big disaster as the little pin that locks in the lens to the mount also fell out of position (while Einstein was shaking out the 4th black screw that fell somewhere behind the mirror!)
Once I got the lens mount all back together again (and triumphed that the shutter was working at all speeds again!) I was a little unsure about the locking pin, but it did seem to lower some when I pushed in the lens release button, so I screwed on the lens.
Again I did a dance in triumph that the shutter fired at all speeds and over the whole aperture range... The big disaster is that now the lens will not screw off the mount... I assume that the little locking pin is not going down like it is supposed to (because I didn't put it back properly!)...
If anyone out there knows what I can do to remove the lens without hurting the lens mount or more importantly the lens itself... I would be very much appreciative.
Peter |
doug
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 09:43 am: |
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Hello Peter
A short time back I bought a Nikormat,very cheap only to find it had the same problem with the locking pin that you have.
The only way I found of solving the problem was to drill a very small hole in the side of the lens and use a needle to force the locking pin down, not easy and very hard on the fingers. The locking pin was not seated correctly in the little fork,in the lens mount.
I know that you do not want to damage the lens, but that is the only way I found of doing it.
Hope to hear if someone else has any ideas.
Doug |
Peter
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 03:00 pm: |
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Hi Doug,
Thanks for your advice... I am going to give a number of things a try before I get out the drill. I have a couple of fixed lens rangefinders, so my Nikkormat may just join them.
Here is some advice given from the Yahoo Nikon Collectors group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NikonCollecting/
"Peter:
Looks like you own a fixed lens Nikon now. I'm not really sure of what to say
because there is really no way to get between the body and lens without
sacrificing one or the other in this situation.
But there may be a way with some luck and patience. I would set the camera on
its back and press down on the lens release button while gently trying to wiggle
the lens. This may allow the pin locking the lens to drop back into the body
and permit you to turn the lens. Although WD40 is almost always not the
lubricant of choice fro camera repair, you might even try a drop or two in the
area where the pin is. Others may frown on this last suggestion but you might
also "gently" slam the camera on a somewhat hard surface while holding the
release button down in hopes that the force may dislodge the pin. This sounds
drastic but remember that you're dealing with a Nikon and not a wimpy camera
make. Ultimately, it is likely that another body will be cheap so if I had to
chose between saving the body or lens I'd pick the lens.
RCB"
"Yes this really is one to do trial and error
If the pin wont come back on its own then holding down the release
and banging or shaking does seem the only option, suddenly the pin
might fall down enough to allow the lens to release. It must
be 'almost' there I would think?
Its a rotten situation though. Im not sure I agree that lens is
worth more than body , here in the uk non AI/AF nikkors are very
cheap indeed
N"
"Nick:
You may be right. I guess it really depends on the lens in question as to its
worth and should it be saved. But certainly here in the States an FT is pretty
cheap. If it were an FT2 or FT3 I think I'd save the body.
RCB" |
Dorian
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 25, 2005 - 07:28 pm: |
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Could you not use a powerful magnet to move the pin? Granted it might fry the meter. |
Peter
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 28, 2005 - 04:21 pm: |
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Hey Dorian,
Thanks for the idea!!! I had not thought of that one and it hasn't been suggested so far...
The meter on my body is fried already... Well, I think so anyway, so I'm not concerned about that...
Where do you think I could get a magnet that would be strong enough?
Thanks
Peter |
Conrad
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 01, 2005 - 10:41 pm: |
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Old message, but if it's still stuck, remember that the rear of the mount is spring loaded. Try pulling the lens forward. You should be able to separate the two by part of a millimeter, then push the button and maybe get the lens off. |
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