Repair Mamiya TLR Lenses
Recently my mamiya tlr 65mm lens got problem – the shutter blade won’t open at whatever speeds. I did some internet search and found some very useful information regarding repairing or fixing mamiya tlr lenses.
below is a summary of these information from various sources:
the first set of pictures are from flickr: Jones_Industries
Mamiya Service Manual 65mm Lenses
Scans from the Mamiya Service Manual, courtesy of the very kind Jack Fisher from photo.net
Mamiya 65mm f/3.5 exploded view
Scans from the Mamiya Service Manual, courtesy of the very kind Jack Fisher from photo.net
some detailed information regarding how to service / repair mamiya tlr or lenses can be found in a french blog site: http://tlr-mamiya-c.blogspot.sg/
of course, you can use google translate to make it to english
and lastly, an enlightening post on dpreview: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/thread/2944339
Lessons learned from restoring old Mamiya TLR lensesJan 23, 2011
For the older photographers in our forum, that use or plan to use Mamiya TLR cameras and lenses. Here are my lessons learned from repairing a couple of used “chrome” Mamiya TLR lenses. The usual disclaimer, use the lessons learned at your own risk.
Zero, before you start handling the lenses wash your hands. Use a clean white towel on a well lighted table as your work area. Should a part or screw fall out it will not go far and can be seen.
First, do not remove the lens from the back plane frame, there is no need to access the lens from that side. Front and rear optical assemblies unscrew. There is no need to use a spanner wrench on the retaining clamps that secure the lens to the supporting frame.
Second, if the shutter will not cock the chances are a single screw has come loose within the shutter assembly that can be restored. This screw is located at the two O’clock position viewing the exposed taking lens shutter assembly straight on with upper rings and cam plate removed, viewing lens at 12 o’clock.
Third, if the shutter cocks but does not operate the blades when released a different screw is loose or has fallen out, that can be restored. This is located just south of the release lever mechanism. Check all screws for tightness.
Fourth, never use oil on any part of the shutter mechanism or ring assemblies or aperture assemblies.
Fifth, if the aperture blades mechanism is stuck or sticky, this can be cured using small amounts of 91% isopropyl rubbing alcohol applied with a damp Q-tip. To access the aperture internal assembly, This will require unscrewing the rear optical assembly. Work the mechanism manually using the aperture selector arm, do not touch the blades with your fingers and use another Q-tip to remove excess and any grime. Do not use oil. Be sure to remove any lint left behind by the Q-tips prior to reassembly.
Sixth, if the shutter ring is sticky or the clicks indents are not “sharp”, disassemble the two rings and clean them with isopropyl alcohol. Slightly bend the metal finger on the cam plate that engages the indents on the shutter selection ring.
Seventh, screws are tiny, and can be lost in a flash. For most repairs I have done only one screw has to be removed.
Eighth, acquire the proper tools, i.e. jewelers screwdrivers, needle nose tweezers, etc. A spanner wrench designed for lenses is required (see lesson 10) to remove the optical retaining rings that hold the individual elements. If you do this be sure to note on paper which side is up, in or out facing. Do not rely on your memory.
Ninth, use ROR per the instructions to clean the optics, and do not use canned air.
Tenth, use rubbing alcohol mentioned above with your finger tips (no fingernails, just skin) in a circular motion to remove fungus clouds from optical surfaces. It may require several times to completely remove the fungus. Do not allow excess to drip anywhere. Clean with a lint free, chemical free (no anti static chemicals used in the dryer), white cotton t-shirt. Then use ROR with a t-shirt to remove any residues.
So far, I have restored two Mamiya TLR chrome shutter lenses and both are working fine now. They were a lost cause when I started. They are simple in design and easy to restore.
If you have any second thoughts I recommend taking your lens to a repair facility. But if you are a risk taker and have some common mechanical sense, my lessons learned may prove useful. Search the web for other information sources, and photographs of the lens assembly.
Good luck,
d2f
Lens Fungus Cleaning
It’s a safe bet that most of you never heard of lens fungus, but it’s a reality that you have to deal with in humid climates. Lens fungus will rear its ugly head when moisture gets trapped inside the lens. What lens fungus does is cause cloudy patterns to form on the lens. Fungus first starts growing in the lens barrel feeding off all the accumulated dust particles. The best way to avoid dust and lens fungus is to keep your camera and lenses cleaned and in airtight containers with bags of silica gel, which absorbs moisture. You’ll want to periodically clean the outside of your lenses – the glass and the lens barrel – to remove any dust deposits and to remove any grease deposits (this is food for the fungi).
Store in a Dry Place
Avoid lens fungus by always storing your photo equipment in a cool, dry place. If you live in a humid area, then store your equipment in airtight containers with small bags of moisture-absorbing silica gel (those white bags that were packed with your lens when you bought it). You may need to buy some at your local camera shop. Remember to periodically change the silica, as it loses effectiveness as it becomes full of moisture over time. Some types of silica gels packs are re-useable after drying in a low oven. With the camera and lenses packed airtight with moisture-absorbing gel, they should be safe. Remember that it’s important to let your equipment dry out as much as possible prior to sealing it all up. Fungus will grow on your lens in less than a week if you expose it to damp, dark, and warm conditions, so please avoid these at all costs.
Keep a Plastic Bag Handy
It’s raining outside and you want to take advantage of the all the great reflections, so you venture outside and brave the raindrops. The first thing to remember – before you step out the door – is to wrap your camera in a Ziploc bag to avoid moisture from getting inside the camera. If you forget to do this, then you must completely and effectively dry your camera and the lens before safely storing them. One last storage caution – avoid storing your camera in leather bags, where fungi can easily grow and eventually harm the camera.
Removing Lens Fungus
If your camera happens to get infected with fungus, you need to act quickly because some fungi secrete acid that will eat away at your lens’ protective coating; the fungi may even etch the glass and ruin the lens. Luckily for us, this type of fungus is rare. There are few mixtures you can make to clear away fungus. A hydrogen peroxide blend with ammonia is a good method, as is a vinegar and water solution to remedy the fungus problem. Make sure you don’t delay, or you’ll need to have the lens professionally dismantled and cleaned, which will be expensive. If the lens has to be re-coated, then you’re looking at another big charge.
Conclusion
Your camera is an investment – perhaps a major investment, and the regular and proper maintenance of the camera body, the lenses and other equipment will ensure that your investment will last for over a decade. Don’t skimp, because there’s nothing more frustrating than missing that once-in-a-lifetime photo because the camera is not working or is damaged. Treat your camera and equipment with care and respect, and they should provide you with many years of good service, exciting memories and fantastic pictures.
via Lens Fungus Cleaning | Learn How to Clean and Avoid Camera Lens Fungus.
Rolleicord Repair/ CLA Tutorial
I usually don’t write articles, but I thought it would be interesting to share some recent experience I had with this camera. So before you read on, just keep in mind, that I’m not a professional repairman and there may be some real big mistakes in this article….
Anyway, here is the story: I found this lovely rolleicord for 30 euros on a flea-market and couldn’t resist buying it. The camera wasn’t usable when I bought it, as the slow shutter speed were stuck, selecting knob for shutter speed was not fluid anyway, and there was no focusing screen in it! So the rollei landed on my shelf as a decorative camera at first….
Some month later, I thought I would give it a try, and searched the internet for more information.
My first repair consisted of making a focusing screen. I didn’t want to spend too much money on it, as the shutter didn’t work properly anyway. So here is what I came with:
You take a cd jewel case, cut it to the right dimension and file it with sandpaper on both sides. Finished! You have a matte screen as a cheap replacement/alternative. Of course, it turns out to be very very dim, but for now it is just fine. But I think I will look for a real screen in a near future.
Next was the shutter:
This camera is equipped with a compur-rapid sutter and xenar 4.5 lens. I think this kind of shutter is relatively common and can be found on other cameras. I read a lot of times, that cleaning the whole mechanism would usually be sufficient to make slow shutter speed work again. So I began disassembling my rolleicord. Here are the steps:
1. Remove leatherette:
I used a cutter to carefully remove the leather covering, but found out later some people use water to dissolve the glue…. will try this next time….
2. Remove the screws:
Unscrew all the screws you will see (here in yellow, but I forgot some..), and you will be able to take out the lens and shutter:
Pull away the metal cover. This is really tricky because of the shutter button (which needs to be taken apart so you can remove this metal cover).
Now you should only have the frame with lens and shutter:
To remove the lens, just unscrew it.
Now you need to remove this metal ring, to fully access the shutter mechanism. But you will need a specialised camera repair tool to unscrew this little “screw” (see picture below).
Well, to do so I made my own tool…. out of an Iphone sim card ejector!
Just cut it halway, file the border so it fits the tiny holes and bend it to the right size. Finished!
As I said before, use this tool to turn the small screw a quarter turn, and carefully using a screwdriver, you will be able to pop up this metal ring. Leaving the shutter open:
Note that I didn’t play with the mechanism with this ring removed…I don’t really know what could happen….
At this point, the easiest way of cleaning it, is to use the “flood-cleaning” method.Put a generous amount of lighter fluid on the parts you want to clean, let it dissolve oil and dirt, then clean up with paper towel. Repeat if necessary. I let it dry a night long before reassembly just to be sure….The results have turned great so far: All shutter speeds are working again! and they do very smoothly, you can really see the difference before and after cleaning. Of course I also cleaned all the other parts in a lighter fluid bath before reassembling my camera.
The next step I’m planning is realigning my focusing lens ( especially because of my diy focusing screen…). This shouldn’t be too hard, and I will let you know if I succeed in it. For now, I will take some pictures and have fun with my new camera
thanks for reading this and sorry for my bad English 😉
source: http://perudography.tumblr.com/post/7779426376/rolleicord-diy-repair-cla
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