super appreciate these videos! I got a cheap price on a praktica mtl3 with this lens, mamiya sekor 55mm f1.8. It took me a while to figure out which camera this lens originally belonged with, but thank god for your video! this is my first manual camera, I've only had point & shoots before, and your video definitely helped me understand a little more about the original set up of this lens and how it could be used
Excellent video! Two areas to mention might be light leaks due to rotted foam in old cameras; Also, the owner's manual states that the Spot which is metered is in CENTER of viewfinder, the bottom square only indicates width of the Spot area, I guess about 3% of the view. "Averaging" metering is the whole scene, metered, but you said that! Thanks David!
I had bought a 1000DTL and a whole kit of lenses and macro tubes as well as the manuals in ~2011, which was my first ever SLR, although the meter didn't work, even with new batteries and stopping down the lens the needle was dropped past "-". So I worked pretty hard but I got pretty decent shots. Although learning on that camera and now the lenses I still have have helped now with an adapter for my new D5500 I have gotten awesome shots with those older lenses although still no metering live view helps alot.
You could meter highlights and shadows to see if the scene exceeded your film's latitude,you could also meter in Zone System fashion,placing the spot meter on various portions of the scene and exposing accordingly.
hey hey david, your videos are amazing, eye (I) got this camera in '19 and have been coming back to your videos as a basis 💐. eye was wondering if a battery is placed in the camera but the light meter doesn't move is their something wrong with the battery or the camera and will that negatively impact usage? Always the best x feliz año nuevo 🎉 más abundancia 🌻
Thank you! For the battery, it could mean that the battery is dead or that the meter is dead, or that a wire inside the camera is loose. There area bunch of possibilities. In that case, I'd just use a smartphone light meter app and dial in those settings. Those will be close enough. For the TL and DTL, the DTL replaced the TL models (I think I have a video on one of the TL cameras, too.) It's been a LONG time since I used my DTL, but I think they had a meter improvement, a hot shoe, and a faster minimum shutter speed.
@@DavidHancock bloop eye really appreciate you taking the time out to respond 😭💕x your videos as well as the comments have been very helpful. thank you kindly for sharing, eye shall return with any follow-up questions, you seem like one of the best to be informed by🤷🏾♀️🐥🌻
I won't forget the time I put my SMC Takumar 50mm 1.4 on my Zenit.. I thankfully managed to shim a card in there to get the lens off. I noticed that this pin retracts when set to manual mode, but it can only be set to manual mode when on a camera body with the pin retracted, so it helps you not if it's already stuck on a camera. If you were extremely careful to always put on and take off a SMC Takumar lens while set to Manual stop-down, you may be able to use one on this camera. But don't slip up, or it becomes a fixed lens camera from then on out. You'll need to disassemble your lens while mounted to the camera to get it off. Probably best not to tempt fate.
That would be a very good use, yes. You can also use spot metering in landscapes to get a specific reading from a specific point that you want to be the middle tone in the image. To see what I mean by that, try taking the same image three times in a row but use spot metering on a bright cloud, an area of the scene that's in sun, and then a deep shadow respectively.
@@DavidHancock love it, thank you. So since the spot meter is on the bottom of the view finder, you would pretty much put that “darker” area that’s on the view finder and point that at the desired spot? Let’s say my object is directly in the middle, would I point up, get the spot meter on the object, set shutter speed/iso, then re center the view finder and fire?
First - thanks for the informative videos on this camera. I am a semi-pro photographer (shoot with Nikon D750 and D850) and recently attended an estate sale of a professional photographer. One of the items I purchased was this camera ($6) with the initial thought that it would look good on a shelf in my studio. After researching a little, I became intrigued and now want to shoot some film - like I did way back when :). In the first video you mentioned not to touch the mirror or the shutter. When looking through the view finder, I see several black spots / line (appear to be debris) and want to try and remove. Any suggestions? (FYI - I clean the sensors on my Nikon's using a Carson Sensor Magnifier and full frame sensor cleaning kit). Thanks!
The line is a worrying sign. That could be prism degradation. If so, then the prism is shot and needs to be replaced. The dots could be the same thing, too, but it's hard to tell. They could also just be dirt that's between the prism and focusing screen. Either way, these need a professional repair to fix that.
I can say for sure that shouldn't be the case. Check with the Fix Old Cameras channel. He knows more about Mamiya cameras than anyone on TH-cam and whether that's an easy fix.
Hi David,Thank you very much for making this comprehensive video. I just bought this camera and have loaded new battery (76S) and film, but the little stick in the light meter isn't moving form its sleeping spot way below the negative end. It doesn't change whether I have it in Spot or Area metering mode. Is it broken, or do I have to "turn something on"?
+teah dora Thank you! These cameras have slightly counter-intuitive, at first, light meters. Make sure that when you use your light meter that the film advance lever is away from the camera body. If it's hugged up against the camera, then the light meter is off. The top of the film advance lever is a button that hugs the lever against the body. So if you push that and the lever goes inward, then the light meter was on. If you push it and nothing happens, then the light meter was off. Also, make sure you do your testing outside. If you're testing indoors, there may not be enough light for the camera's light meter to return a reading. Let me know if those suggestions help.
Hi David, Thank you for your reply and suggestions. I didn't know about the button on top of the lever before. Tried again and seems like my light meter should've been on all along, and it's not moving. I guess that means it's broken :( Will see if can get it fixed. Thanks!
Hello David. Will the light meter function if there is no film in the camera? I'm experiencing the same problem as teah dora after inserteing new battery. If the meter is inoperative, is it worth having repaired? How much should that type of repair cost? I'm debating if I should get a new camera if repair equals or exceeds cost of new camera. Thanks.
Hi, I'm 19, I just got this camera at a flea market and I'm super excited to use it but I have basically zero experience with cameras. My shutter button seems to be jammed? I can't press it down, what am I doing wrong? I changed the battery and had my mom help me load the film but it's not clicking, please help!
The shutter will only fire after the from is advanced. Try to advance the film, even if there's none in the camera because that action arms the shutter, too. If that doesn't work let me know and we'll see if there's anything else that I can do.
I got one recently which looks mint. I found that the rewind button only lets you go one frame unless you hold it down. Is there a way to keep it down?
Hi David, thank you very much for making such a good video. I bought this camera a few months ago and now I have time to shoot a few photos. Last week i bough a s76 battery and I don't know if it's ok for the camera. How can I know if the battery is working? And how can I know if the meter is working? I played a bit with the camera and the meter moves when I change ASA/Shutter speed but I don't if it's alright.
Thank you! The S76 provides too much voltage for this camera's light meter and will cause it to underexpose by about two stops. You can either increase the ASA by two stops, buy a voltage-adapting S76 adapter (about USD $40), or modify the circuitry to accept modern batteries. The Fix Old Cameras channel has a video showing how to do this on a Canon (FTb, maybe?) or Olympus OM-1, I forget which, but the process should be functionally the same. That requires a soldering iron, solder, and a $3 electronics piece.
IIRC Fuji were almost as late coming out of the M42 era; the difference is that the Fujinon lenses offered open-aperture metering on the appropriate bodies and this made them every bit as user-friendly as (say) a Pentax K camera. The bodies were also not particularly large; I have an ST705 and it's just smaller enough than a Spotmatic all round to be noticeable in my hands. The DTL1000 looks solid, though; the sort of camera you could smash someone's head in with and then use to take photographs of the victim (writers of crime dramas set in the 70's, please note).
LOL. Yeah, the old Mamiyas weren't designs to be small or light. The Fujis are interesting. I had a 605 for a bit and it was a nice camera. I'm not entirely sure why they didn't catch on as much as other makes. Maybe just because they weren't as nicely trimmed in the styling department. Or it could be a marketing failure. The Fuji lenses are, I'm told, exceptional performers with great sharpness and color.
Hello David. Your videos are amazing! I just recovered my father's 1000dtl but the lenses are missing. Do you have any recommendation for which can I buy as substitute for the camera? I can’t find the ones that came with the camera on my country (or at least not in good shape) and I wanted to know which brands to avoid (was about to buy a SMC Takumar) just in case. Thanks in advance and again, your videos on this camera are amazing!
Test the light meter. A good way to do this is outside in full sun with the sun to your back. On something like a sidewalk, tree, or other mid-toned thing the shutter speed should be close to your film speed with the lens at f/16. Alternately, indoors in a well-lit room, at 400 ISO and 1/60th of a second, anything from f/4 to f/8 (depends on lighting) would be close to accurate.
I just purchased this camera and found your videos, they've been a huge help. Thanks!
Thank you!
super appreciate these videos! I got a cheap price on a praktica mtl3 with this lens, mamiya sekor 55mm f1.8. It took me a while to figure out which camera this lens originally belonged with, but thank god for your video! this is my first manual camera, I've only had point & shoots before, and your video definitely helped me understand a little more about the original set up of this lens and how it could be used
Thank you and great camera!
Excellent video! Two areas to mention might be light leaks due to rotted foam in old cameras;
Also, the owner's manual states that the Spot which is metered is in CENTER of viewfinder, the bottom square only indicates width of the Spot area, I guess about 3% of the view.
"Averaging" metering is the whole scene, metered, but you said that! Thanks David!
Thank you!
best Mamiya/Sekor Video ever!
Thank you!
I had bought a 1000DTL and a whole kit of lenses and macro tubes as well as the manuals in ~2011, which was my first ever SLR, although the meter didn't work, even with new batteries and stopping down the lens the needle was dropped past "-". So I worked pretty hard but I got pretty decent shots. Although learning on that camera and now the lenses I still have have helped now with an adapter for my new D5500 I have gotten awesome shots with those older lenses although still no metering live view helps alot.
Nice!
And it's great to be able to use a camera and still take photos even when the batteries are useless. :D
You could meter highlights and shadows to see if the scene exceeded your film's latitude,you could also meter in Zone System fashion,placing the spot meter on various portions of the scene and exposing accordingly.
hey hey david, your videos are amazing, eye (I) got this camera in '19 and have been coming back to your videos as a basis 💐.
eye was wondering if a battery is placed in the camera but the light meter doesn't move is their something wrong with the battery or the camera and will that negatively impact usage?
Always the best x feliz año nuevo 🎉 más abundancia 🌻
also this may sound silly but are the tl and dtls the same or completely different?
Thank you!
For the battery, it could mean that the battery is dead or that the meter is dead, or that a wire inside the camera is loose. There area bunch of possibilities. In that case, I'd just use a smartphone light meter app and dial in those settings. Those will be close enough.
For the TL and DTL, the DTL replaced the TL models (I think I have a video on one of the TL cameras, too.) It's been a LONG time since I used my DTL, but I think they had a meter improvement, a hot shoe, and a faster minimum shutter speed.
@@DavidHancock bloop eye really appreciate you taking the time out to respond 😭💕x your videos as well as the comments have been very helpful. thank you kindly for sharing, eye shall return with any follow-up questions, you seem like one of the best to be informed by🤷🏾♀️🐥🌻
I won't forget the time I put my SMC Takumar 50mm 1.4 on my Zenit.. I thankfully managed to shim a card in there to get the lens off.
I noticed that this pin retracts when set to manual mode, but it can only be set to manual mode when on a camera body with the pin retracted, so it helps you not if it's already stuck on a camera.
If you were extremely careful to always put on and take off a SMC Takumar lens while set to Manual stop-down, you may be able to use one on this camera. But don't slip up, or it becomes a fixed lens camera from then on out. You'll need to disassemble your lens while mounted to the camera to get it off.
Probably best not to tempt fate.
Thank you! I didn't know that was a problem.
What a great help. Thank you!!
Would you use spot metering for portraits and average for landscapes ? I’m just confused about that.
That would be a very good use, yes. You can also use spot metering in landscapes to get a specific reading from a specific point that you want to be the middle tone in the image. To see what I mean by that, try taking the same image three times in a row but use spot metering on a bright cloud, an area of the scene that's in sun, and then a deep shadow respectively.
@@DavidHancock love it, thank you. So since the spot meter is on the bottom of the view finder, you would pretty much put that “darker” area that’s on the view finder and point that at the desired spot? Let’s say my object is directly in the middle, would I point up, get the spot meter on the object, set shutter speed/iso, then re center the view finder and fire?
@@kevinclifton7911 Spot on! (See what I did there?) But yes, you've got it.
@@DavidHancock thanks so much! And thank you for taking the time to make these informative videos and replying to comments! Helps a lot !
First - thanks for the informative videos on this camera. I am a semi-pro photographer (shoot with Nikon D750 and D850) and recently attended an estate sale of a professional photographer. One of the items I purchased was this camera ($6) with the initial thought that it would look good on a shelf in my studio. After researching a little, I became intrigued and now want to shoot some film - like I did way back when :). In the first video you mentioned not to touch the mirror or the shutter. When looking through the view finder, I see several black spots / line (appear to be debris) and want to try and remove. Any suggestions? (FYI - I clean the sensors on my Nikon's using a Carson Sensor Magnifier and full frame sensor cleaning kit). Thanks!
The line is a worrying sign. That could be prism degradation. If so, then the prism is shot and needs to be replaced. The dots could be the same thing, too, but it's hard to tell. They could also just be dirt that's between the prism and focusing screen. Either way, these need a professional repair to fix that.
Hey do you know why my film advance lever won't move unless I press the rewind release button ?
I can say for sure that shouldn't be the case. Check with the Fix Old Cameras channel. He knows more about Mamiya cameras than anyone on TH-cam and whether that's an easy fix.
@@DavidHancock darn okay thank you for the quick response
Hi David,Thank you very much for making this comprehensive video. I just bought this camera and have loaded new battery (76S) and film, but the little stick in the light meter isn't moving form its sleeping spot way below the negative end. It doesn't change whether I have it in Spot or Area metering mode. Is it broken, or do I have to "turn something on"?
+teah dora Thank you!
These cameras have slightly counter-intuitive, at first, light meters. Make sure that when you use your light meter that the film advance lever is away from the camera body. If it's hugged up against the camera, then the light meter is off. The top of the film advance lever is a button that hugs the lever against the body. So if you push that and the lever goes inward, then the light meter was on. If you push it and nothing happens, then the light meter was off.
Also, make sure you do your testing outside. If you're testing indoors, there may not be enough light for the camera's light meter to return a reading.
Let me know if those suggestions help.
Hi David, Thank you for your reply and suggestions. I didn't know about the button on top of the lever before. Tried again and seems like my light meter should've been on all along, and it's not moving. I guess that means it's broken :( Will see if can get it fixed. Thanks!
Hello David. Will the light meter function if there is no film in the camera? I'm experiencing the same problem as teah dora after inserteing new battery. If the meter is inoperative, is it worth having repaired? How much should that type of repair cost? I'm debating if I should get a new camera if repair equals or exceeds cost of new camera. Thanks.
Hi, I'm 19, I just got this camera at a flea market and I'm super excited to use it but I have basically zero experience with cameras. My shutter button seems to be jammed? I can't press it down, what am I doing wrong? I changed the battery and had my mom help me load the film but it's not clicking, please help!
The shutter will only fire after the from is advanced. Try to advance the film, even if there's none in the camera because that action arms the shutter, too. If that doesn't work let me know and we'll see if there's anything else that I can do.
@@DavidHancock I’m having this same issue. I’ve advanced the film and it still doesn’t work
@@OverAnalyzer. Most likely it needs to be repaired. A gear or cam is probably jammed or misaligned.
I got one recently which looks mint. I found that the rewind button only lets you go one frame unless you hold it down. Is there a way to keep it down?
You'd just need to hold it down. Some cameras are like that, but the placement of these is pretty convenient for doing that.
Hi David,
thank you very much for making such a good video. I bought this camera a few months ago and now I have time to shoot a few photos. Last week i bough a s76 battery and I don't know if it's ok for the camera. How can I know if the battery is working? And how can I know if the meter is working? I played a bit with the camera and the meter moves when I change ASA/Shutter speed but I don't if it's alright.
Thank you!
The S76 provides too much voltage for this camera's light meter and will cause it to underexpose by about two stops. You can either increase the ASA by two stops, buy a voltage-adapting S76 adapter (about USD $40), or modify the circuitry to accept modern batteries. The Fix Old Cameras channel has a video showing how to do this on a Canon (FTb, maybe?) or Olympus OM-1, I forget which, but the process should be functionally the same. That requires a soldering iron, solder, and a $3 electronics piece.
thanks for your video just got this camera. it super helpful
Thank you!
IIRC Fuji were almost as late coming out of the M42 era; the difference is that the Fujinon lenses offered open-aperture metering on the appropriate bodies and this made them every bit as user-friendly as (say) a Pentax K camera. The bodies were also not particularly large; I have an ST705 and it's just smaller enough than a Spotmatic all round to be noticeable in my hands. The DTL1000 looks solid, though; the sort of camera you could smash someone's head in with and then use to take photographs of the victim (writers of crime dramas set in the 70's, please note).
LOL. Yeah, the old Mamiyas weren't designs to be small or light.
The Fujis are interesting. I had a 605 for a bit and it was a nice camera. I'm not entirely sure why they didn't catch on as much as other makes. Maybe just because they weren't as nicely trimmed in the styling department. Or it could be a marketing failure. The Fuji lenses are, I'm told, exceptional performers with great sharpness and color.
Hi David! Can I use this camera without a battery?
Yup. The battery only powers the light meter.
@@DavidHancock cool! thank youuuu
What lens is that and is it good?
Should be the 55mm f/1.8 and it's a very good lens, yes.
Hello David. Your videos are amazing!
I just recovered my father's 1000dtl but the lenses are missing. Do you have any recommendation for which can I buy as substitute for the camera? I can’t find the ones that came with the camera on my country (or at least not in good shape) and I wanted to know which brands to avoid (was about to buy a SMC Takumar) just in case.
Thanks in advance and again, your videos on this camera are amazing!
Thank you!
Any M42 mount lens will work, regardless of maker. The Takumar and Mamiya lenses are especially good, though.
@@DavidHancock DON'T use Takumar Pentax lenses, they'll jam!
How do you test the battery on the camera
Test the light meter. A good way to do this is outside in full sun with the sun to your back. On something like a sidewalk, tree, or other mid-toned thing the shutter speed should be close to your film speed with the lens at f/16. Alternately, indoors in a well-lit room, at 400 ISO and 1/60th of a second, anything from f/4 to f/8 (depends on lighting) would be close to accurate.
Bought the camera thanks to you!
Nice!
Hello, any tutorial on using manual lenses?
In what regard?
David Hancock how to set the focus.
Could i screw a carl Zeiss m42 lens?
Possibly but I can't say for sure.
@@DavidHancock i have a praktica mtl5b and I was hoping using lens on both cameras (1000 DTL), but do not want to damage any of them.
Good video! I am using my old 50mm super-takumar with no problems, though.....
Thank you! Yes, the Takumars should work A-okay on these.
what was the film you use for the camera
Any 35mm film will do.
Alright thanks
What type of battery? I am sorry I could not make out what you said. Thanks for all your videos. I am about to buy this camera from an antique shop.
Vy Chi A76
Thank you very mu
You're very welcome. Take great photos!
the manual says it has to be a silver oxid battery, does other equivalent types of batterys algo work on the camera or just those?
Can I clean the mirror with a q tip
I have a video about that specific subject. I'd recommend checking that out for a good process.