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Smi
Tinkerer
Username: Smi
Post Number: 1
Registered: 06-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 29, 2012 - 05:03 pm: | 
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Hi all,
Hopefully this is ok and in the right place.
I just picked up an MTL5 for a song on eBay, and it's all in good nick - looks like it's had a ding or two on the bottom of the lens mount but it's a tiny dent. Everything seems to work fine! Lucky really - the description was very vague.
Anyway, my question is twofold: (if you would be so kind as to help!)
1. The eyepiece/plastic viewfinder bit on the back is loose, and it appears that the clips or whatever holds it on at the right are either not there or have broken. Is this easily fixed? I wonder if it would be simpler to remove it completely and then glue it in place (if the plastic is broken underneath?)
2. I also have a screw that presumably holds the top cover in place missing - just one, on the right of the viewfinder. Are these easy to source? I must confess I wouldn't know where to start looking.
3. Okay, so not twofold - I'd quite like to give it a clean. What's a good thing to clean cameras with? I'm guessing cotton buds, a tiny bit of water and patience. There is someone's postcode on the inside in permanent marker/UV pen - will using alcohol or similiar to clean this off damage anything? I'm guessing I need to be careful cleaning the mirror and/or focus screen too, so any advice you could give a complete bumbling novice would be greatly appreciated.
Apologies for asking so many questions out of the door, but any help you could give me would be hugely appreciated. I'm just recently getting (back) into analogue photography after a long digital hiatus, and I'm loving the manual cameras. I've aquired three in the last month! So any advice would be hugely appreciated.
Thanks so much,
Mark |
Prasanna
Tinkerer
Username: Prasanna
Post Number: 72
Registered: 10-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 01, 2012 - 04:44 am: |
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Hi!Mark! Regarding (1) the eyepiece in the L-series is held by two screws that fasten triangular flanges on either side of the plastic eyepiece-frame inside the top plate. To reach these you may have to remove the top plate. You may want to check with Steve Shepherd's essay on disassembling the Praktica L-series. You may also check with Moris' post in the archives here. It is not a very difficult task; but it needs patience and undisturbed time.
Regarding (2) you may try some camera repair shop; they may be able to help from their spares or from an older junk.
Regarding (3) you could use simple soap water to clean with a soft tooth brush, baby size. Then clean with plain water and use a blower to dry. Alcohol or xylene/xylol would clean the magic marker ink But be careful not to use Xylene on painted surfaces or plastics. Some plastics dissolve in petroleum products. And xylene removes paint. Best, subbarayan prasanna |
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