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Daniirwan
Tinkerer
Username: Daniirwan
Post Number: 4
Registered: 10-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 03, 2009 - 08:44 am: | 
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Recently a black-bodied Fujica ST801 came to me in the mail, courtesy of an ebay seller from the UK. It has a marked focusing screen. No biggie, as the seller fully disclosed this to me in her auction listing. However, it's bugging me..since the primary reason I wanted an ST801 was the big & bright VF, but with a marked focusing screen, it's not much good. Looking into the VF of mine, there appears to be dark smudges and spots and streak all over. It's not THAT bad, but it's bugging the heck out of me. I'm sure most of you will be familiar with this sort of feeling, when something's not quite right with your precious beauties. :D
Well, on to my question...can the focusing screen be cleaned? Or should I just replace it with another focusing screen from another Fujica? In that regard, is the focusing screen in all Fujicas interchangeable, i.e do they have the same size and errmm..do they have the same brightness? I'm not too familiar with this, so kindly bear with me. As for cleaning, how should I go about doing it and what solvent do I use?
Looking at the focusing screen from the front of the camera with the lens off (I'm assuming the focusing screen is the reflective surface above the mirror (with the microprism collar & split image focusing aid clearly visible), I can see there's definitely some marks on it. Can't tell if they correspond to the ones I see in the VF though.
Would appreciate any help/feedback given greatly...thanks in advance!
-Dani-
KL, Malaysia |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 715
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 03, 2009 - 12:55 pm: |
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Firstly - NO SOLVENTS. If you do clean the screen, wash very gently in cold water that has a few drops of washing up detergent added to it. I use a microfibre lens cloth to gently wipe the surfaces, then rinse in clean water and allow to dry. You should also note that I have removed grease/oil marks by gently wiping with a solvent naphtha soaked microfibre cloth. I hesitate to recommend this solvent method - I know that here in the UK the naphtha I use is pure and contains no other solvents that could attack the plastic screen, this is not always true with solvent supplies that originate from reclaimed stock.
Now all this washing assumes that one has removed the screen, never having worked on the ST801 I am unable to help in this matter.
You should also make sure that it is just dirt on the screen, not problems with the prism silvering and dirt on the viewfinder lens(es) before you start stripping the camera. To do this remove the lens and point the open mirror box at a bright light, then look through the viewfinder with your eye approximately 6'' from the viewfinder lens. By moving the camera about you will be able to detect dirt/damage on the prism surfaces, dirt on the inner surface of the finder lens will also be apparent. Obviously if by doing this you find dirt/marks that are on the prism or finder lens, just removing the screen via the mirror box (if possible) will not allow you to remove all the dirt you see.
The only way to completely clean the whole system is to remove the camera top plate; however, if the prism silvering is damaged there is nothing that you can do - only professional re-silvering or a prism swop will solve that problem.
As to the the swapability of ST series screens - I have no idea; but no doubt a more knowledgeable member will soon come up with the information. |
Daniirwan
Tinkerer
Username: Daniirwan
Post Number: 6
Registered: 10-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, November 04, 2009 - 12:09 am: |
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Glenn, thanks for the feedback..much appreciated. I'll try out what u suggested..i.e eyeballing the VF to see if it's prism de-silvering or dirt on the VF glass. I've asked on photo.net and a member there also said it could be prism de-silvering, not a marked focusing screen. Thing is, when I look at the focusing screen from the mirror box, I can clearly see some marks there, although I can't be sure they're the same marks that I see thru the VF. Also, I have no idea how to remove the focusing screen...neither the prism. I haven't done it before. Hmmm, this is beginning to sound complicated. Do you have any idea if the prisms from other Fujica ST series cameras are swappable into the ST801? |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 716
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, November 04, 2009 - 07:51 am: |
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Sorry I cannot help with specific Fujica ST information. |
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