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Rick11949
Tinkerer
Username: Rick11949
Post Number: 1
Registered: 08-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 09, 2007 - 07:47 am: | 
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Did anyone ever remove a prism from a Nikon FTN finder? I have one with fungus (otherwise mint condition) and am considering buying a second finder for parts and sawpping the prism. Is it an easy swap?
Thanks in advance.
Rick |
Puderse
Tinkerer
Username: Puderse
Post Number: 7
Registered: 09-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 09, 2007 - 08:41 am: |
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I have an FTn finder that looks like fungus but it is actually seperation. I sent it along when I had my primary finder worked on as a parts finder. The technician that did the work said that there was nothing wrong with either finder that he couldn't fix. I now have 2 finders that are calibrated for modern batteries. One is just uglier than the other. |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 336
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 09, 2007 - 03:20 pm: |
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Hi Rick:
I've never replaced the prism, but my notes from working on the meters take you to where it's obvious how it comes out.
The notes that I posted on line are not very pretty but they will get you there: go to http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-40.html and follow the links at the bottom to the three FTN pages. |
Rick11949
Tinkerer
Username: Rick11949
Post Number: 3
Registered: 08-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 05:03 am: |
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Rick,
So your the author of those pages, I found those a few days ago. Thanks for posting those online.
Puderse. I'm surprised the tech didn't offer to replace the prism. I phoned a Nikon repair tech and was quoted $150 to replace the prism. That is what I paid for the whole camera. The camera and finder are mint except for the fungus, which you see everytime you put your eye up to the camera. This is what I'm dealing with:
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c41/EastCoastHucker/For%20sale/DSC_00103.jpg
Thanks for your help. My next step is getting another cheap finder with good glass so I can do a swap. |
Puderse
Tinkerer
Username: Puderse
Post Number: 9
Registered: 09-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 08:13 am: |
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The total bill for the work by a technician in California was $85. He modified both for modern batteries as well as CLA. This was for a FTn head I bought new in '71 and a parts head from a well known internet auction site. |
Rick11949
Tinkerer
Username: Rick11949
Post Number: 4
Registered: 08-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 02:49 pm: |
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Puderse,
Is this tech still in business? Do you have contact info? I need to get more estimates before I get myself into trouble.
I did camera repair many years ago but my eyes are not what they used to be.
Anyone else know anyone?
Thanks |
M_currie
Tinkerer
Username: M_currie
Post Number: 66
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 11, 2007 - 07:57 pm: |
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Of the three FTn heads I now have, two have some separation. I have read somewhere that other Photomic prisms are interchangeable with these. I am not very worried about the separation, because it does not affect exposure, so I'm waiting until I stumble on a dead meter head to experiment on mine, but not looking too hard.
I have had other FTn repairs done by Vermont Camera Works (http://www/vermontcamera.com) and they often seem to be able to scrounge up donor parts, so it might be worth dropping them an email to see what they would charge. The recalibration is pretty easy. |
Puderse
Tinkerer
Username: Puderse
Post Number: 10
Registered: 09-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 18, 2007 - 10:35 am: |
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This is the person who did the work for me. [email protected] |
