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vlad
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 06, 2005 - 11:29 am: | 
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I damaged (myself while trying to clean) the focusing screen on Mamiya 1000 DTL (the same as Sears TLS 1000 MX).
Wanted to know if a) it is replaceable with some work and b) if there are any comparable focusing screens that might fit.
Thanks in advance |
Winfried
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 07, 2005 - 06:55 am: |
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It seems as if the 1000DTL is one of the many bodies with the famous Copal square shutters. Most, if not all, of these bodies seem to be made by Cosina and share a similar design. So probably any of the focussing screens of these early SLRs will fit.
However, replacement is not easy. You have to remove the top cover, prism holding springs and prism, and then disassemble the focussing screen frame. You will have to readjust the focussing screen after this procedure, and don't expect your viewfinder to be free from dust any more once you disassembled it.
Depending on the type of focussing screen you will have to readjust the meter slightly since it measures light on the focussing screen. |
Gary Turner
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 07, 2005 - 11:37 am: |
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Winfried,
My guess is that Vlad has an actual Mamiya built (Sears badged) SLR with cloth focal plane shutter. I base that on a cross reference with an Internet website (Sears 1000 TLS MX = Mamiya MSX 1000). The various and similar Mamiya models do get confusing; DTL, TL, MSX, DSX, etc. As we all know, Sears sourced cameras from many manufacturers to include Ricoh, Pentax, Mamiya, etc. Many of Sears SLRs did feature the Copal metal shutter but no Mamiya SLR designs used Copal to my knowledge unless you include the Nikkorex, an early Mamiya SLR Prismat NP design - also shared with 1st Singlex, Sears SLII, etc.
The MSX series Mamiya fortunately has a interchangeable screen feature so the top plate need not be removed to clean or replace its fresnel/ground glass. Earlier DTL, TL lacked that feature.
I hope we will hear from Vlad with regard to the exact features his camera has and what progress he makes. |
Roland F. Harriston
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 07, 2005 - 02:12 pm: |
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The Mamiya 1000DTL is a particularly frustrating camera to work on. Many professional techs don't like to bother with them because of the unorthodox (read: weird and comvoluted) tensioned chain drive between the ASA/Speed dial and the meter movement.
You might do better by just picking up another camera body from Ebay or elsewhere. They are not very expensive and it is highly possible that you can find one in good operating condition.
If you would like to have more details, photos on the complex task of removing the top plate, etc., I can send them to you via private mail.
Roland F. Harriston |
Steve
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 07, 2005 - 07:54 pm: |
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I scratched mine while cleaning it. I swapped out a focusing screen from a junk donor camera. While it is tedious, I was able to do it with success. You just have to go slow and be very careful, especially with reverse-thread screws and such. In the process, I was able to clean the pentaprism, which gave me about another stop of light transmission. The most tedious part for me was getting the old screen out. You do have to be careful that you don't bend the meter needle and the A/S pointer. |
Steve
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 07, 2005 - 08:01 pm: |
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Forgot to mention, this is a really informative site. Ron Herron knows all about Mamiya, and there's a good forum for tech and stuff.
http://herron.50megs.com/index.htm |
Roland F. Harriston
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 07, 2005 - 09:12 pm: |
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If there is a method for removing and replacing the
focus screen without getting involved in removing the top plate, shutter speed/ASA speed selector dial and the screwy chainlinked ASA dial/meter movement linkage, then by all means have a go at it. This arrangement is used on the 500TL, 500DTL,
1000TL and the 1000DTL. Later model Mamiya SLR's may different (simpler) configurations.
Roland F. Harriston |
Steve
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 07, 2005 - 10:14 pm: |
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Sadly, the focus screen is only accessible through the top cover. Ya gotta take the pentaprism off, which is held in by a wire clip. Under that is a lens sitting on top of the focus screen, which is all held in by a frame and screws. |
Winfried
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 12:04 am: |
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Concerning the ASA-meter coupling, I found a very similar (if not identical) mechanism in two Cosina SLRs (Hi-Lite 402 and another one rebranded by german reseller Photo-Porst). Usually you don't have to bother with that mechanism too much, the prism comes off without taking off the guide track for that wire. Only problem is to get the ASA/speed dial back into place but there is only one position that works. I think this mechanism is not too hard to cope with as long as you do not disassemble the gears which link the winding shaft of the ASA coupling wire to the speed dial. |
vlad
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 14, 2005 - 10:04 pm: |
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Hi, I posted a follow up, but it did not show up somehow, so let me try again...
I followed Gary T's instructions and indeed I have a removable focusing screen (there are two screwes right up from the mirror foam). I took it out, and now looking for a donor camera to get the screen (My sears is the same as Mamiya MXS 1000)
Thanks for all the suggestions |
