| Author |
Message |
    
Pixelmatrix
Tinkerer
Username: Pixelmatrix
Post Number: 1
Registered: 11-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 03, 2009 - 12:40 am: | 
|
Hey all, I'm new here, although i've been reading topics here for a while.
I've got 2 Yamato Pax cameras that i've purchased recently. One is a Pax Ruby with a messed up film advance lever (beyond my level of repair I think–seems stripped).
The other is a Pax M3 that I just got in the mail today. After cleaning the camera thoroughly I noticed a lot of fungus on the lens. Big disappointment.
My question is, does anyone have some tips on removing the lens element from the camera?
Pic of M3:
http://pixelmatrixdesign.com/m3.jpg
Pic of Ruby:
http://pixelmatrixdesign.com/ruby.jpg
I'd like to try cleaning the fungus first, it seems to be on the front element, does that mean I can clean the front glass, or do I still need to clean the front glass from the inside? Which side does it usually grow on?
If that doesn't work I'm wondering if it would be possible or worth it to replace the M3's lens (Luminor Anistigmat) with the lens from the Ruby (Color Luna). Both look to be about the same size. The cameras look almost identical to each other except for the markings.
Anyone had any experience with this?
Any help would be much appreciated! |
Scott
Tinkerer
Username: Scott
Post Number: 55
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 03, 2009 - 08:48 am: |
|
The lens elements are not hard to remove. Just look for the notches in the rings, and using the right tool (a lens spanner) makes the job much easier. If there's no notches, then use friction (like a rubber tool) after a dripping a couple of drops of penetrating oil in the threads.
Pure vinager cleans the fungus. Some use 50-50 mix of vinager and hydrogen peroxide. |
Pixelmatrix
Tinkerer
Username: Pixelmatrix
Post Number: 3
Registered: 11-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 03, 2009 - 10:09 am: |
|
Hey Scott,
Thanks so much for the information. Can you be a little more detailed about the process? I'm really new to repairs such as this, and really have no idea what i'm doing.
It appears there are tiny tiny screws in the lens, are these the notches you are referring to?
I started to disassemble from the front, and got all the way to the shutter before getting freaked out. I don't want to mess with the shutter too much as i've already messed one up before by poking around.
Which ring should I start with, and is there a way to avoid touching the shutter?
The funny thing is, this fungus I saw doesn't look foggy anymore after looking this morning. I'm going to try a test roll through the camera to see how much it messes with the lens. Weird huh?
Thanks again |
Scott
Tinkerer
Username: Scott
Post Number: 56
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 03, 2009 - 01:54 pm: |
|
There are no screws in the lens. I think you are referring to the shutter.
The lens elements are not held by screws-- they are simply threaded into the shutter, and can be un-screwed-- "normal" right-hand threads, un-screwed counter-clockwise.
You don't have to remove or open the shutter, if all you want to do is remove the lens elements. On the Yamato cameras, I think one or more of the lens elements has to remoived from the back of the shutter.
Be gentle when wiping the lenses. It doesn't take much pressure to wipe the fungus away, and trying to buff the glass will just put more 'cleaning marks' into the lens. |
Pixelmatrix
Tinkerer
Username: Pixelmatrix
Post Number: 4
Registered: 11-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 03, 2009 - 03:49 pm: |
|
Hey Scott,
I created an album of a few photos of what i'm looking at:
http://embr.it/01
I can try unscrewing it, but I'm not sure which way to turn, and at what point? Should I try to focus past infinity, or past 3 ft? Or is it along the aperture wheel?
There's 3 screws along the focusing wheel, and 1 screw on the bottom of the camera between the focus and the aperture wheels.
Once taking the lens apart, would I need to recalibrate the focus?
Thanks Scott, this is really helping. |
Scott
Tinkerer
Username: Scott
Post Number: 57
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 03, 2009 - 07:43 pm: |
|
I looked at the photos. I see you got your shutter open. However, I'm pretty sure that the shutter does not have to be opened to get the lenses out.
That brass-colored metal you see immediately around the lens glass is the lens casing of the outer-most lens element. The casing is threaded into the shutter. Usually, the glass lens itself is held in the casing with a thin threaded ring, which also has two notches.
In the outer rim of the casing, there should be two notches. You put a tool into those notches to unscrew it. If there are no notches, then find a way to grip it and unscrew it (rubber gloves works for me sometimes) without touching the lens glass, if possible. That metal is kind of soft, so use pliers or clamps only as the last resort. Maybe with the shutter opened, you might get a slightly larger area to grip, but I don't know.
With the front element out, you'll see the middle element, which is also held in with a threaded ring (with notches). If you remove the middle element, try to keep track which side is which, because if you put it back in upside-down, you will not be able to focus. No big deal, really, because it will be obvious when you see your photos (or check the image at the focal plane), then you just know to take it out and flip it.
The rear element is held in the same way as the other elements. Screw all of the lens elements back in to the bottom of their threads (snugly, but NOT tight). Your camera is unit-focused, so you don't have to re-calibrate the focus unless you have loosened or moved the focus ring (with the distance markings) or had the helical apart.
Good thing you have the original lens hood. I find it makes a big difference in the image quality. |
Pixelmatrix
Tinkerer
Username: Pixelmatrix
Post Number: 5
Registered: 11-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 03, 2009 - 10:05 pm: |
|
Hey Scott,
After much searching I think I may have found the notches, but I'm not positive.
I was expecting them to be on the outer area of the threaded brass, but instead it's on the inside of the brass, on the black area surrounding the glass.
Here's a picture:
http://embr.it/03
Is this the right area to turn, or am I still supposed to be turning the brass element? I tried to twist it myself but it did not turn at all. I have some penetrating oil that I could use, but I don't want to be focused on the wrong area.
If it's the black area I need to focus on, then i'll definitely need a spanner. It's about 2 mm from the glass, and I can't even touch the notches without getting close to the glass. The notches are about 1mm thick.
As always, thanks for all the advice |
Scott
Tinkerer
Username: Scott
Post Number: 58
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 03, 2009 - 11:24 pm: |
|
I have overhauled several of these Yamato cameras. One was front-lens focused, and one was unit-focused like yours. It could be that yours is built differently from the ones I fixed, but I sort of doubt it.
Those notches in the rings are quite obvious. If itˇ¦s like mine, you can see two pairs of notches: one pair in the lens casing, and one pair in the ring holding the glass in the lens casing.
You can usually unscrew them using a pair of tiny screwdrivers if you don't have a lens spanner. If they don't budge, then I would drip a SMALL amount (like less than a whole drop...apply it with a toothpick) of lubricant so it goes into the threads between the lens casing and the shutter. But be careful, because if the least bit of lubricant gets INTO the shutter, then you've caused another problem.
So using the notches, unscrew that piece. I think it will be the casing holding the front element. Might be only the front element itself.
|
Pixelmatrix
Tinkerer
Username: Pixelmatrix
Post Number: 6
Registered: 11-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, November 04, 2009 - 04:29 pm: |
|
Good news - Got the pics back from the lab today, and it appears that whatever is in the lens is not affecting the picture quality at all. The pictures were sharp and contrasty, and no visible interference was noticed.
Guess I don't need to do this transplant. Wish I could fix the winder on the Ruby. Last time I pulled off the lever I had an awful time getting the helical spring back in place. |
|
