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Hello It is a long, complicated process that would require making an hour long video tutorial. I plan making one someday, but not at this time. I am trying to catch up on my camera repairs at the moment. I'm running behind by several months. Search Google and TH-cam. Someone may have already made a focusing video for rangefinders.

Thanks.

You are probably right. I don't fact-check my videos for all models of a brand. I repair cameras full time during the day, and make these vlog videos usually in the evenings, so I don't spend much time on them to get all the facts correct.

Hello Thank you for the comment. I've worked on thousands of electronic film cameras, but slowly the electronic parts for these cameras stopped being available. Now I have to buy non-working junkers off eBay and rob them of electronic parts to use on the cameras I am repairing. You can find schematics for these cameras in publications like Camera Craftsman and SPT on eBay, although it sometimes takes time to find them. I am sure there are PDF files also, on websites that sell them for these cameras. I enjoy trouble shooting electronic problems on cameras using schematcs, but I am not very good at it. I usually try, fail, and replace the entire circuit.

Hello George I purchased many of my camera testers back in the 80's. My first ones were the low-end models. I would upgrade my testers when I could afford the better units. Around the early 2000's I started buying used testers on eBay that had been out of my reach in the 80's. I don't know what testers show up on eBay these days, because I am not searchng for them. I would suggest you setup a Search where eBay emails you when a used camera shutter tester or exposure tester appears. It may take weeks or months, but there will be testers forsale over time. There are many brands from the 80's ranging from cheap low-end models to the most expsnsive. I can't advise you on which brands to buy. You can learn about this with a little research. Anyway, that iis how I would buy camera testing equipment, if I were in the market. I hope this helps.

@@FilmCamera_Vlog Thanks you so much for the detailed response ! I’ll try ebay more from now, with luck i’ll find one ! I love having to diy a lot of my tools and equipment in this job… but i feel it’s not enough anymore for the quality i hope to offer, that why i really try to push myself to find more professional and decent equipment. Anyway, thanks a lot for that ! I will keep following your great videos and you patreon !

@@georgeabitbol4180 I don't know if you've read it, but I talk about repair tools in this article. Where to Buy Camera Tools| Article #006 Those shutter and exposure testers are out there, it's just hard to find them because the sellers don't list them because of poor demand. I've waited months to find some item on eBay I've wanted. It takes time and patience.

@@FilmCamera_Vlog No i have not seen it but I’m going too check that ! Thank you ! But i mean yeah i guess that is something to expect when working on a ‘medium’ that is not produced anymore, we have to find things that are not everyday tools anymore…

I had a look at your website and I saw that you have different offers for repairs andhelp etc. I think it would be really cool if you were to make a video guide on camera maintenance. Showing a bit the basics that need to be done for people like me that are learning to work on old cameras. I would definitely pay for a nice video course and I am sure others would too. There's not that many people around that have the knowledge you have and a lot of information that there is out there is aimed at people who are experienced technicians already. Either that or there's simply bad knowledge from people who don't seem to know a lot about mechanics. Anyway thanks for sharing the things you know with us.

I'm happy to hear you enjoyed my video and found it useful. EV 12 is the middle range for exposure settings. It will work, but you should pick up an LED panel and set your cameras again for EV15. Or at least test them to make sure they are exposing properly in bright settings.

@@nenemydog I would enjoy making camera maintenance videos, but I don't have the extra time since I operate a camera repair service. Even the few videos I make for TH-cam takes up too much of my time, and costs me repair time in my shop. Or something like that. (LOL) If my Patreon ever gives me enough monthly support, I will make those maintenance videos, and it will be fun.

@@FilmCamera_Vlog I would love to get an LED panel but i'm a bit on a budget right now so I have to make do with the things that I have lying around. Ideally i can gather more information and by the time I get better tools I can use those to apply the gathered knowledge. I really hope you can find the time to eventually make those videos. It is really complicated to find reliable information on camera repair and maintenance. And it gets buried between all the misinformation. Anyway thanks for taking your time to read my comment and Thanks for the videos!

Hello RR That is a hard question to answer. Yes, I suppose you could wash the timer with naphtha using a needle squeeze bottle of some type, from the top, and let it drain out the bottom. But, I would then test it to see if the timer is working properly after it dried out. If it is, leave it alone. Do not add oil. But, if it still is not working properly, you don’t want to bath the timer in oil of any type. The best way to oil it is to add a few drops of oil to a bottle of naphtha and apply the naphtha-oil, mix to the timer and lubricate it that way. The danger is too much oil. Less oil is better. The proper way to oil the timer is to remove the timer and put oil only on the moving parts.

@@FilmCamera_Vlog Got it! thank you. By the way the acetone worked to remove the cap. I used a hypodermic needle to feed it into the edges and then would draw it out back into the needle and feed it in again so I was pumping it into the threads, It only took about .5ml of acetone using this pumping action which greatly reduced the risk of damaging the leatherette cover. Also, as you said, a cone stopper was useless but I found it helped to use a gripper rubber glove to turn the cap with my thumb. Thanks again for the quick reply and the suggestion of the naphtha oil mix.

@@mosinmeister25 Blow out the naphtha-oil mix with an airgun or debris will stick to the oil and cause problems. As little oil as possible is best. If a little oil will not fix it, a lot of oil will not make it work either.

@@FilmCamera_Vlog Update! The naphtha with a needle worked and the shutter speeds are all freed up and working correctly. I also replaced the eyepiece and meter window light seals. I was surprised when I opened it that there was the diode modification already done so I can run it on 625 batteries. Next I will replace the light seals and mirror bumper. I now have a fully functional Nikkormat FTn! Not too bad for a $37 thrift store find!

@@mosinmeister25 Glad to hear about your success. The main goal is to have fun with your DIY. As for the diod, I don't know. You might start out using a 1.55 volt battery and run some exposure tests. Anyway, glad to hear speeds are working again.

I'm always glad to help DIYer people service their film cameras. The meter adjustment on the OM-1 is a bit tricky, and not as simple as some other cameras, but if you play with it a bit, you will start to understand how it works. It never hurts to try.

Hello Taylor Thanks for the compliment and support. I only have a few manual camera meters to go. The Pentax Spotmatic and Konica. I’m not sure about the Nikon FM, since it has no needle. And then there is the Nikkormat, which really has no adjustment, which is strange. I might do a whole video on the Nikkormat meter adjustment.

I am surprised and glad to hear my video was helpful. Did you use an EV 15 light source to set the meter?

@@FilmCamera_Vlog I used my Cinestill CS-Lite light source (I use it to DSLR scan my negatives). I first tried the light source with my OM-2, which gives reliable negatives 99% of the time. Then I compared with my repaired OM-1 and adjusted adequately. Maybe not the most accurate and professional way of doing it, but it seems to work. I've checked several other film cameras with the light source and they all agreed +/- 0.5 EV. I'm just an amateur doing it for fun, and for friends, so that's good enough for me :) On the diode subject, a friend gave me a 3D printed adapter in which you can place a diode and a SR44 battery. It gives 1.35V and doesn't require any mod on the camera. And it's hugely cheaper than buying the MR-9 adapter online. I've modded a few cameras with diode placed directly in the electronic circuitry. But only when I needed to disassemble for big repairs.

​@@stratocactus have a link for that STL perhaps? Im using 1.35v zinc air batteries, but would love to give options to anyone I gift one of my OM-1s

Glad to hear you enjoyed the video. I used to work on the Canon F-1 cameras, but stopped because they are complex. Simply put, not fun to work on. LOL

Thanks David As I was making it, it didn't seem like a very interesting video. I was making it for a viewer who needed to re-string his OM-1 meter. Normal repair work on cameras makes for boring videos. Anyway, so many TH-cam videos are fake that I probably surprised you by being a 'real person' on video and complaining. LOL There was a time in the past when TH-cam had real people making videos, not like today where most are commercial, fake, and always smiling, like they are on drugs. LOL.

@@FilmCamera_Vlog i watch a guy who lives in Canaries and he is salt of the earth, a real genuine guy its electronics but he has grown it to be a fantastic site mainly because of him. Learn Electronics its called but he worked on computers and things back in the 80s and as i say take a look at him. And keep doing what you do best, no one was born with a life manual.

Give me time to see if I have a Konica T3 in storage. The video T3 was a customer unit and was returned.

Thanks!

Many of the rangefinder cameras have this problem, and I have fixed hundreds of them. It's a hard fix if done right. Anyone can just clean it from the front, but to be done right the mech has to be removed and taken apart and cleaned.

Sorry, I don't know what is wrong with your XG-M. It's neaerly impossible to fix cameras through comments. I have to see the camera and test it to understand the problem.

I still have a few more to add. I can only make videos on the cameras I own, or customer units, so there are many I don't have for videos.

Thanks. I'm making a few more this evening. It will take time to make enough videos to cover most cameras.

Hello. I am not sure what you are asking, but the exposure adjustment is the bottom right pot, as seen in the video. Go down and to the right. Be sure and mark all pots before you start changing them, so if you get into trouble you can change them back to default. But, I would leave them as they are. Only adjust the one on the bottom right.

@@FilmCamera_Vlog thank you for your response. i hope i can do it. have a good day

This is true. One gran of sand is enough to lock the cogwheel. I have seen it happen. I always tell people to only take point-and-shoot throw away camreas to the beach.

If you do get a working setup, post your results on your camera's exposure meter.

@@FilmCamera_Vlog of course, I just to get some free time.

Glad to be of help. The light panel is not that important, but a good handheld meter is. I would probably avoid the photovoltaic meters and go with one that used batteries.

@@FilmCamera_Vlog definitely need to acquire a meter. For this and just in general. Thanks for the tip on what to avoid. I'll probably diy an led panel, I think I have what I need out in the shop. NBD, as you say, just a consistent, diffused, and (ideally) adjustable, light source.

Hello @k-panga I can adjust the Canon FT QL for either battery, the 1.5 vold or 1.35 volt battery. Here is a link to an article I wrote on the subject. The article on my Patreon: www.patreon.com/posts/mercury-battery-104336291?Link&

@@FilmCamera_Vlog do you know if there are any service manual pdf that explains how to calibrate this camera available? (only found user manuals or FTb service manuals). I bought one today and i love it, it would be great to be able to have it fully running with its light meter.

Hello @@k-panga I am not sure what you mean by calibrate. You have to own an exposure tester, and adjust the exposure pot on the camera to the correct setting using a light box. The cost of an exposer tester and a light box would cost more than just sending it to a service shop. Service manuals can show you how to make exposure adjustments, but not what to set them for without an exposure tester.

@@FilmCamera_Vlog the thing is that there are no repair shops left where i live, and i like fixing things so i thought this could be fun. Could a modern camera function as a exposure tester and use a lamp with different coverings as a diffuser instead of a light box? i guess that if i am able to set the homemade lightbox to a certain absolute EV i can calibrate the variable resistor of the FT light meter, do you think that would work?

@@k-panga I think I know a way to calibrate your cameras exposure setting that might work. I will write up an article on my method so other photographers can learn how to do it also. Just wait and watch my articles. You subscribed to my channel so you should receive notice. Ii may take a week for me to write the article.

Glad I could help.

Thank you. I try to add those camera service details that I see missing in other TH-cam DIY videos.

Yes, it is painful. I've spent more time than I would like to admit removing those stupid caps over the years. Glad I cound help.

I'm thinking about making this part by CNC, but a real issue here its choosing proper color

@@SergeiPodanev-os1ji There are hundreds of parts that could be made by CNC, but luckily there are plenty of non-working film cameras on eBay one can use for parts. The only part that I would like to see made is an idler gear for the Pentax Spotmatic. The used ones from parts cameras are worn, and a repairman needs new ones for repairs.

​@@FilmCamera_Vlog Method with acetone work with my FT3, but it didn't help with FT, may be because cap its too flat! Thank you! About ebay, why not just restore non-working cameras instead of using them for parts? I think sometimes its really easy

@@SergeiPodanev-os1ji Concerning the FT cap, near the end of the video, I added a section on drilling holes to remove caps which you coud use as a last resort. About eBay, I could restore the cameras, but I need the parts for my repair business.

Yes, I think your method works fine. I also use a microfiber cloth in my work, but mainly to clean condenser lenses and prisms. I wanted to keep my article around 2000 words, so I didn't expand it to cover all my methods for cleaning viewfinders. It was mainly written to teach average photographers how to clean the viewfinder on their camera without covering all the methods or materials I use. I have found that most TH-cam videos on cleaning the viewfinder are too aggressive, by telling photographers to use canned air or paper tissure or too much liquid cleaner. My main concern is to prevent photogaphers from damaging the Fresnel screen. I plan to write a few more articles on the subject. One will be on how to remove mirror bumper foam tar smears from the Fresnel screen, and a second on prism mirror coatings.

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it. Careful of those shutter blades.

Hello IncendiaHL Being 2 stops off is not an adjustment fix. Something is not right with the camera. I can't tell you what it is because it could be one of several things gone wrong. I would probably first check my string and gear timing to make sure everything was correct. Then I would suspect the meter. When a camera goes bad that I've been working on, the first thing I ask myself is what have I taken apart or adjusted. Usually, I caused it by accident.

Hello danc That ball bearing can get lost real easy. I always put it somewhere safe in a tray so I will not lose it. You should always put a little grease on it when reassembling it so the speed ring will turn easier when changing speeds. Yes, the string system on this camera is a pain to reassemble even for me.

Or maybe you can calibrate the OM-1 for the newer batteries without the need for a diode?

@@Mark-mj2ge Normally, I use the meter adjustment to set the OM-1 for whatever battery the customers want. Many customers send a battery with their camera and tell me to adjust the camera for the battery. I don't add diodes to cameras. I just use the camera's adjustments. The Canon F-1 meter is the only camera I ever worked on that needed a diode. Amazon sells different voltage button batteries for these older cameras, and battery holder converters. I never liked the idea of modifying a camera meter circuit, since I didn't feel it was necessary.