Who are we?  Featured Cameras  Articles  Instruction Manuals  Repair Manuals  The Classic Camera Repair Forum  Books  View/Sign Guestbook
Favorite Classics Camera & Repair Articles Notes about Praktica MTL-3

NOTES ABOUT PRAKTICA MTL-3
by Rafael Alday

1.-TOP COVER DISASSEMBLING

1.1.- WINDING LEVER

STEP 1: Remove the cover of the winding lever. Use a rubber tool or a gauge as recommended by Tomosy in his book (danger! The cover can be marked)..
STEP 2: You will find 2 small washers. The first one has the typical “E” form.
STEP 3: Remove the screw (counter clock-wise).
STEP 4: Remove the winding lever. Under the winding lever you will find two more washers.

1.2.- SPEED AND ASA DIAL

STEP 1: Set speed 1/500 and 100 ASA (not shown in the picture). The cover of the dial is glued. Remove it with an screwdriver.
STEP 2: Remove the central screw. The slot is very thin. So, you have to sharpen an screwdriver. This screw is removed counter clock-wise.
STEP 3: These are (ordered left to right) the pieces you will find in the dial.

 


1.3.- REWIND LEVER

STEP 1: Remove the rewind lever as usual.
STEP 2: Under the rewind lever you will find an screw. You have to remove it counter clock-wise (May be very tight). Use the appropriate tool. Remove the black plastic disk.

 

1.4.- HOT SHOE

STEP 1: Remove 3 screws from the hot shoe.
STEP 2: You will find a plastic “U”shape washer. Desolder the blue wire.		  

1.5.- SCREWS FROM THE TOP COVER

1.6.- TOP COVER REMOVED

The lightmeter is fixed by 2 screws. Furthermore is glued but it is easily removed.

The prism and focus screen are also glued (Don`t try to disassemble). This block is fixed by 3 screws (see picture). If you remove it, be careful! There is a small lever coupled to the mirror mechanism. It is the lever you see through the viewer indicating if the shutter is cocked or not.


2.-BOTTOM COVER DISASSEMBLING

Remove 4 screws.
You will see the variable resistor (left side) fixed by 3 screws.


3.- FRONT DISASSEMBLING

Peel off the front of the camera and remove 4 screws. You will be able to remove the mirror cage in one block. Be careful. Several wires come from the lightmeter board (sited in the bottom) and may become unsoldered.

Be careful too with the wire coming from the synchro of the lateral part to a small plate sited venid the prism and lightmeter (see picture). It is better to unsolder it.