| Author |
Message |
    
Roy Randall
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 14, 2006 - 10:02 am: | 
|
I've got an Exa 500 with the mirror stuck half way up/down and the the film advance likewise.
After many hours slaving over a hot computer I have been unable to find a site that answers my problem, how do I get the top cover off! Alternatively, do I need to take the top cover off, or do I remove the lens panel as on most other cameras I've dealt with?
Any help would be appreciated. |
Peter Wallage
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 14, 2006 - 10:51 am: |
|
Hi Roy,
I have a good first generation copy (NOT Oldtimer Cameras) of the factory repair manual (Reparaturanweisung) covering the Exa, Exa I, Exa Ia, Exa II, Exa IIa, Exa IIb and Exa 500, but it's in German. I can just about struggle through it for my own use but my technical German isn't good enough for me translate accurately the bits you may need. Unfortunately my photocopier has gone on the blink, but if you can read German, or know someone that can, and are willing to pay for the cost of photocopying and postage, I will get it copied and send it to you after the Bank Holiday. It runs to about 40 or so sides of A4, and you would need them all as it refers back from time to time. The illustrations are all line drawings so they should copy OK.
Peter |
Roy Randall
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 14, 2006 - 12:40 pm: |
|
Hi Peter.
Thanks for taking the time to reply. Back in my student days I had the great pleasure? of slogging my way through reams and reams of paperwork from the German WWII research station at Peenamunde. I always hoped that might come in useful one day, but I'm not sure how relevant German rocket development might be in trying to translate camera info. They do love long words don't they?
Where abouts are you? The reason I ask is the cost of postage for what will be quite a weighty tome. I'm a UK pensioner you see.
Thanks for your time and I look forward to your reply.
Regards,
Roy. |
Steve Sheppard
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 14, 2006 - 04:04 pm: |
|
Just to help you get started, Roy, here's how to get into the Exa, as far as I remember it: I took an Exa IIb to pieces not so long ago (with some help from other contributors to the Classic Camera Repair Forum!), which I think is the same camera apart from the top speed. I didn't make proper notes at the time but it goes roughly like this: -
On the wind side, prise up the black ring with the frame-counter index mark. Find some way of locking the frame-counter scale without damaging it. Then, if you are VERY lucky you may be able to unscrew the centre screw with a friction tool, but don't bet on it! I had to remove the black leatherette disc and make a tool to unscrew it using the off-centre hole. Once these are off you can get the wind lever off (a circlip and 3 screws, I think).
Fold out the rewind lever, remove the screw underneath and the lever. Unscrew the knob (hold the film rewind dog in the film compartment), and remove the spindle from below (there is a spring, a spacer and a shim). To get the shutter speed control off you have to remove a very strong wire circlip. You need a pair of small-pointed external circlip pliers.
Pull out the shutter-lock lever, and you can now remove the top cover (4 screws). Then remove 4 screws inside the film compartment and the whole mechanism comes out from the top.
There are probably some details I've forgotten, but if you can get the centre screw out of the frame-counter/wind-lever, and the circlip out of the shutter-speed control, the rest of the job is pretty easy.
As for actually fixing the thing, Peter's manual should be just the job.
Best of luck!
Steve. |
Roy Randall
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 08:16 am: |
|
Hi Steve.
Thanks for the reply. The daft thing is I'm fairly confident I can fix the problem, hope! hope! having quite a few repairs behind me, I just could not figure out how to remove the advance lever!
Reading your notes with the camera in my hand they are not the same camera, but I had figured all of it out as being pretty standard except I did not want to force anything on the film advance side, and that part appears to be exactly as you describe.
I'm also awaiting the delivery of an Exa II with a similar problem, (I know, I'm a nut, but I'm happy,)so I think I'll wait till that arrives and follow your steps then fall back on the 500, as one thing I've come to understand over the past few months is that being familiar with a particular make is a great help.
Thanks for your help it's greatly appreciated.
Roy. |
Peter Wallage
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 09:02 am: |
|
Hi Roy,
I'm a pensioner too, even though I still keep my own small business ticking over, so I know how tight spare money for hobbies can get.
As several people have asked off forum for copies of the Exa manual I think I'll scan the thing in and run off some copies on my big laser printer. I don't charge labour to forum members, and I'm also in the UK, so the total cost including paper, envelope and postage shouldn't come to more that about £1.50-£2. If you like you can reimburse the cost in UK first class stamps.
Peter |
Roy Randall
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 11:45 am: |
|
Hi Peter,
Thanks for the mail.
Fine, you can't have too much information, and I've just found out that the wife of a friend of mine is Swiss and speaks German, so if I do get stuck I should be able to get help.
I'll pay as you suggest or by Pay Pal if you prefer.
I gave up my business a few years back, I'd supported Harold Wilson's smoking and Maggie Thatcher's battleships long enough. Long live retirement!
Look forward to hearing from you.
Roy, |
Doug Wilson
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 10:24 pm: |
|
This site may be of some use:
http://babelfish.altavista.com/translate.dyn |
Roy Randall
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, April 17, 2006 - 07:53 am: |
|
Thanks Doug,
Up until the last few months I'd only used a computer for writing, as yet unpublished, and I'm still learning my way around the Web and so on. Didn't know about that site.
Roy. |
|
