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Laggerbomber
Tinkerer
Username: Laggerbomber
Post Number: 1
Registered: 01-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 02, 2010 - 04:35 am: | 
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I just recently acquired the fujica stx-1n from my parents who are no longer in need of the camera. I became intrigued as soon as i received it, i examined it this way and that and i was ecstatic to say the least.
But most happy endings doesn't last and it is the same with this story. Upon careful inspection of the camera and it's lens, i found dust inside the lens and wanted to remove it. I then, being the inquiring mind that i am, took the lens out and attempted to take apart the lens.
I separated the lens into three parts and realized that a ball bearing had fallen out. I didn't think it would matter that much but upon putting it back together, I realized that the aperture setting doesn't work anymore.
Can anybody help or am i screwed before i even got to use the camera? |
Laggerbomber
Tinkerer
Username: Laggerbomber
Post Number: 2
Registered: 01-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 02, 2010 - 04:44 am: |
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Above: The smaller of the two, the other one is in position as shown below.
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David_nebenzahl
Tinkerer
Username: David_nebenzahl
Post Number: 37
Registered: 12-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 02, 2010 - 01:21 pm: |
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I've never seen that camera or lens, but I can assure you that it's probably fairly simple to figure out where that little ball came from and put it back. Look for a detent (round depression) somewhere on the edge of one of the parts, and also look for a "track", signs of where the ball would have ridden against the metal and left a shiny spot.
To get it to go back together, you might have to resort to a trick to get the ball to stay in place. You can use a little dab of grease (any kind of lubricating grease is OK; kitchen grease is not) to get the ball to stick where it's supposed to go. |
Laggerbomber
Tinkerer
Username: Laggerbomber
Post Number: 3
Registered: 01-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 02, 2010 - 05:48 pm: |
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yea, the thing is that i've tried that and i can't find any indentation or track where it might work. all the indentations/track that i've tried the little ball on is a failure... |
Fox852
Tinkerer
Username: Fox852
Post Number: 1
Registered: 04-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 - 12:17 am: |
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The little ball is for the fixing position of the aperture ring when you turn it. |
Mareklew
Tinkerer
Username: Mareklew
Post Number: 61
Registered: 03-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 - 01:14 am: |
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You need bigger photos.
That ring with a V-ended protrusion will have to catch the aperture control pin (look for a slidable pin) or aperture won't move with the ring. The ball has to sit on some spring in some hole and press against detents on the ring (or sit in the ring and press into detents on the lens barrel, less likely though)
BTW: dust in lenses doesn't come out on photos unless it's big enough to obstruct view completely.
Marek |
David_nebenzahl
Tinkerer
Username: David_nebenzahl
Post Number: 283
Registered: 12-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 - 01:54 am: |
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Regarding that last about dust in lenses: it's true that dust won't "come out" in your photographs, but enough dust can reduce contrast appreciably. |
Mareklew
Tinkerer
Username: Mareklew
Post Number: 62
Registered: 03-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 - 04:16 am: |
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David, while what you say is true in general terms, it is extremely seldom that a lens will accumulate on its own more dust, than a hobbyist dis- and reassembly will *introduce*. Most cleaning attempts are made in the quest of perfect glass and aim at removing the last three dots from the optical surface.
Also, the amount of dust needed to affect contrast noticeably is so tremendous, that I am yet to see a lens that would *really* suffer from this. Many a complaint about old dusty lens having low contrast is due to the 'old' and not 'dusty' part.
As long, as one can observe specks of dust (as opposed to uniform layer of it), and it IS dust (and not some shiny crystalline powder like shards of chipped lens or graphite spray etc), one better shall leave the lens in one piece and go take photos.
Marek |
Mareklew
Tinkerer
Username: Mareklew
Post Number: 63
Registered: 03-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 - 04:20 am: |
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One more thing: there circulates an advice about not buying lenses with dust in them etc.
This advice is generally good, but it is not the DUST that the concern is about, but TINKERING. Lens that has dust and dirt in it is more likely to have been taken apart by an amateur.
Marek |
David_nebenzahl
Tinkerer
Username: David_nebenzahl
Post Number: 284
Registered: 12-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 - 11:53 am: |
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Depends on the amateur, in which category I place myself (technically speaking, since I am not a professional, meaning someone who derives their income from repairing cameras). I've opened up and cleaned up plenty of old camera lenses, with the end result alway being a cleaner lens that what I started out with. Care and patience are the keys, as well as proper cleaning methodology.
It ain't rocket surgery. |
Mareklew
Tinkerer
Username: Mareklew
Post Number: 64
Registered: 03-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 - 02:29 pm: |
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Don't split hairs over whether I shall use amateur as 'lover' or amateur as 'new fool', you know what I meant.
Anyway, a person experienced enough to know, how to get a lens real clean, usually does not puzzle over where does a detent ball go. Exceptions happen, but don't try to make a rule of them...
Marek |
Olympusrf
Tinkerer
Username: Olympusrf
Post Number: 7
Registered: 11-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 - 06:38 pm: |
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i have the same camera, what about the lens?
what lens do you have?
Maybe i could open it to help you, since i got my camera not working... |
