Posted on May 18, 2026May 31, 2026 by Mel — 2 Comments

Olympus OM-1 Review – Giant Killer

The land before the OM-1

Olympus OM-1 Review – Giant Killer: – As 1972 arrived the four giants of the Japanese film camera business were doubtless feeling rather smug. Nikon, Canon, Pentax and Minolta were probably rubbing their hands with glee and dreaming of the sound of the soft rustle of money falling into their bank accounts. Nikon after all had just released their F2 in 1971 and had upped the ante from their world beating Nikon F. They were probably feeling rather pleased with themselves. Canon likewise had unveiled their F1 with which they hoped to capture the pros away from Nikon. Minolta were on the cusp of releasing their all electronic marvel the X1 and likewise were hoping to drag some pros away from Nikon. Pentax were probably looking a bit glum to be fair with not much to show beyond a rehash of their venerable Spotmatic the Spotmatic IIa, but then Pentax had been steadily losing ground almost from the moment they perfected the 35mm SLR concept. The other three though were doubtless felling rather chuffed as they chomped into their breakfasts and lunches and calculated on a good few years of nice fat profits from their latest offerings.

But, over in a dark corner, out of sight, a newcomer was lurking in the shadows. It would be small but deadly! In a few short years it would kill off some camera developments entirely, redefine what a 35mm SLR should be and change the market for a long while to come. Developed by one of the most inventive of designers and launched from a company hitherto almost unknown in the world of professional photography it would change everything – Cry havoc and let slip the Olympus OM-1!

The OM-1 arrives

Technically it was the M1 that arrived. Olympus originally called it the M1 and it launched at the Photokina Show in Cologne in 1972. Leica were most unhappy as their cameras were always called ‘M Something’ and after a bit of corporate wheeler dealing Olympus agreed to change the name to OM-1. Leica were somewhat mollified when Olympus agreed that the M1 designated units would not be sold outside of Japan. M1 units accounted for around 52,00 units and while collectible are not in fact the best of the Olympus OM-1 series as Olympus made quite a few changes after early production.

Leica were no more than a nuisance as Olympus would go on to sell around 1.3 million OM-1s where Leica would be hard pressed to sell 50,000 of anything in the same time frame.

So what made the camera so upsetting and unsettling to the industry? In a word size – but it also had some other attributes too.

The biggest shock to the market was how small the OM-1 was, in an age of cameras that had steadily bloated in size the OM-1 looked positively toy like. Its diminutive size gave many pause for thought fearing such a small camera may well be unreliable but the OM-1 had been well designed, why would you expect less from Yoshihisa Maitani a true design genius. The OM-1 handled superbly and it featured an exceptionally wide field of view through its viewfinder which was also exceptionally bright. The camera was released with a massive selection of lenses and accessories which grew over time to create one of the most complete SLR camera systems.

Olympus OM-1 size comparison with Nikon F — Olympus OM-1 Review:- *An Olympus OM-1 sizes up to a Nikon F typical for a pro camera in the 1970s.*

The small size was the result of Maitani-san reconsidering the internal layout of the camera to create a 35mm SLR that was closer in size to a Rangefinder type. This radically different layout though had some downsides as you’ll see later.

Strangely for all the radical reduction in size the OM-1 is quite basic as a camera. There are few techno twirls, the camera is a fully manual system using batteries only for its light meter. Beyond its small size it is a relatively simple mechanical beast albeit one with very nice handling. Simple and straightforward to work with and in many ways maybe the best mechanical camera of its day for the working photographer and much used by David Bailey among others.

Refining the OM-1

On release the OM-1 could not support a motor drive. Olympus finally added a motor drive capability with the OM-1 MD which also included other manufacturing tweaks to get the camera ‘right’ internally and get over problems which had appeared in the earlier version. This is why I said that the M1 model while collectable is probably not the best example to shoot with.

In 1979 Olympus further refined the camera with the release of the OM-1n which featured further internal improvements plus a flash ready indicator and automatic X sync flash when used with its Flash Shoe 4 fitting. One of the interesting design choices with the OM-1 camera was the fact that it had a removable flash shoe. Modern shooters find these break with monotonous regularity. They were fragile even back in the 1970s and the plastic hasn’t gotten any stronger since.

Camera snobs will always claim the earlier version was the best. I have shot both the OM-1 MD and the OM-1n and found absolutely no difference in them at all.

Olympus OM-1n showing its MD metal plate. — Olympus OM-1 Review:- *One of my very battered OM-1n bodies showing the MD plate. The OM-1n was the final iteration of the OM-1 model and maybe the best.*

The OM-1 Lens Mount — *Olympus OM-1 Review*:- The cavernous OM mount throat. Actually it’s smaller than a Canon FD mount but the small body small size gives the mount a much larger look.

Using the OM-1 back then…

I graduated to the OM-1 MD via a trusty Pentax Spotmatic. I managed to bag one after a shot I got paid handsomely for allowed me to buy a more upmarket camera. The OM-1 was greatly desired in its day especially by younger photographers like me who kind of liked the kick to the pants that Olympus had delivered to more established makers and young people back then, just as now, could be somewhat swayed by the new and fashionable. In any event Nikon pricing for its F and F2 models pushed those cameras firmly out of the reach of any but professionals and people happy to live on cat food as the price of owning one. As soon as the cheque from my Pulitzer prize winning photo arrived (It wasn’t really a Pulitzer winner but the local paper was happy to pay over the odds for it) I was off to my local camera shop as fast as my kitten heels could carry me and the money swiftly transferred from my sweaty palms into the camera shops bank account. I walked out with a black OM-1, 55mm f1.2 lens and a very smug look on my face.

The camera was all I had hoped for – in fact the OM-1 was a revelation especially the view through the viewfinder which, after the Spotmatic, seemed incredibly bright and so expansive it was almost frightening. Even today the OM-1 viewfinder is not bettered for its widescreen like view although cameras like the Minolta XD can beat it on brightness.

The OM1 Viewfinder — *The OM-1s minimalistic viewfinder. Just a simple meter needle and a very wide view.*

Over time I acquired more lenses and a second body and did a lot of shooting with the OM-1. It was always solid and reliable and most other people back then who owned one found the same and its reliability was perfect despite many peoples fears over its small size.

I owned the OM-1 for a long time and it took thousands of pictures without fault. I grew to love its simple metering and even the oddity of its shutter speed control being wrapped around the lens worked well for me. Some people are still moaning about this unusual feature 50 years after the camera ceased production.

Olympus OM-1 Review:- The OM-1 shutter speed control is a ring around the base of the lens mount. Still annoying people 50 years later!

OM-1 Top deck — Olympus OM-1 Review:- *Clean and simple top deck. The rotary control is for ASA setting. Simple on/off switch for the meter to the left.*

One of the things I most loved with the OM-1 was its simplistic approach to stuff. As I pulled the camera to my eye I got used to flipping the meter on via its switch on the top cover, pulling the camera to my eye while getting my left hand gripping the shutter speed control so the camera would fall into my hands ready for shooting in seconds. The other oddity with the OM-1 was its depth of field stop down was managed via the lens rather than the camera body. The positioning of the stop down button on the lenses though was good and made for easy handling as it falls under your middle finger when gripping a lens. I was though always less keen on the lens f stop ring being towards the front of the lens which could create the odd fumble and again its something some people found annoying back then and still do today.

There’s no shutter safety on the OM-1. The design was based for pros and a pro would rather lose a frame than miss a shot! This can irk the amateur shooter in the modern day especially if they have a scrooge like approach to film.

Using the OM-1 now…

Time has not been kind to the OM-1. When I restarted film photography my first choice was another OM-1 to relive my salad days. A friend of mine who had two OM-1s out of use at her observatory where they had been used for many years for astro-imaging passed me two black OM-1n bodies in exchange for some of my home made jam (jam making is my other big hobby).

Olympus OM1 cameras — Olympus OM-1 Review:- *My two OM-1n models rescued and serviced ready for shooting.*

Sadly time has been even less kind to the OM-1 than it has been to me. While the camera still has a place in my heart some of the design and production choices have come home to roost. The biggest issue the OM-1 can have these days is decaying prisms caused by the foam Olympus installed on the prism top. This is probably the single biggest killer of OM-1 bodies but it’s not the sole issue though it’s usually the easiest to fix at least as far as removing the foam is concerned, a ruined prism can only be solved with a spare prism.

Many OM-1s suffer advance issues due to a spring in the base of the camera weakening and this is a more serious issue. There are no spares short of a donor camera and a weakened spring will cause the camera to keep jamming as you wind on. The final issue that afflicts the OM-1 is the decision by the design team to place the cameras high speed escapement in the base of the camera below the mirror box. This was the big change that allowed the size reduction but it has consequences. The high speed cams need to be clean and placing them in the lowest part of the camera where they are subject to dust and dirt ingress is the cause of many OM-1s having poor shutter performance today..

The weak spring — *The cause of many OM camera jams – the very weak spring located under the gear indicated.*

One of the weakest parts of the design even back in its day, although mine never suffered from it, is the hinge side light seal. The camera is known as a leaky camera from this seal today and old school techs tell me it were ever so with the OM-1. To get the seal right requires a relatively complex seal – this is covered in the light seal guide I wrote some time ago along with the very tricky mirror bumpers.

Both of my OM-1ns were serviced as both were suffering the advance jamming issue mentioned on arrival. After servicing they shot well and I have used them extensively over the past few years. I still think the OM-1 viewfinder is marvellous and personally always think the metering system of having a simple needle indicator is the best and simplest and doesn’t impinge on the view of the subject as much as many metering systems. It’s simple and clear and allows you to gauge exposure with the least fuss.

Sample Shot 1 — Negative Space, Kos – Olympus OM-1, 50mm f1.8 lens with deep red filter and Ilford FP4

Sample Shot 2 — Ancient Theatre,Kos – Olympus OM-1, 50mm f1.8 lens with yellow filter and Ilford FP4

Sample Shot 3 — Street Performers,Monschau – Olympus OM-1, 38-100 Tamron Zoom with Agfa APX400

Sample Shot 4 — Abandoned Factory,Solingen – Olympus OM-1, 28mm f2.8 lens using Kosmo Films Agent Shadow 400

I still love the OM-1 as an overall experience but have decided, reluctantly, to part with my two in favour of other cameras. In part this was down to lens choices. Olympus glass is good but relatively expensive for the top end glass. I chose to use my Minolta XDs which provide a similar size but are significantly more advanced than the OM-1 and Minolta glass, in my opinion, aces Olympus glass and it’s a lot less expensive even for exotic lenses.

What Olympus did next…

The OM-1 spawned a whole generation of OM cameras. Few would achieve the success of the original OM-1 design though.

In 1975 Olympus released the OM-2 in response to the rise of automatic exposure cameras pioneered by other manufacturers notably Minolta. The OM-2 operates just like an OM-1 with the addition of aperture priority automatic mode and a more sophisticated metering system which measured light off the film itself.

In 1983 Olympus reengineered the camera again and released the OM-4 with multi spot metering and an electronically controlled shutter. This was the high point of the OM camera evolution and the most sophisticated OM of them all but by 1984 Olympus were losing traction. Subsequent OM bodies were pitched towards an increasingly smaller market like the later OM-4Ti released in 1997 which was aimed at the upmarket shooter with a healthy bank balance. Essentially an OM-4 with titanium top and bottom plates. I owned one when new based on a desire to own another OM (I was at that time still besotted by the OM-1). It was a horror for reliability, constant transport failures and metering issues. In the end it went back for a refund and any brand loyalty I felt for Olympus was quashed forever.

The OM-3 and OM-2 Spot Program appeared in 1984. The OM-2 SP was basically a reengineered OM-4 to get the price of the OM-4 down while the OM-3 was basically an OM-1 with spot metering capability but retaining an all mechanical shutter so the camera could operate without batteries if required. These cameras had a very short production life of a few years. The OM-3 for instance was in production for a scant 3 years. Buyers preferred the less expensive OM-1 which was still in production.

The final true OM camera was the OM-3Ti released in 1995 – basically an OM-3 with titanium top and bottom plates, effectively a re-release of the OM-3. The OM-3Ti came with a very hefty price tag (circa £2,000 in 1999) aimed at the retro photographer, who being tired by the gimmickry then extant in the market just wanted a simple, solid, mechanical camera.

The OM-3Ti would duke it out with other exotic cameras taking the same approach like Contax and Leica – expensive cameras for the well heeled (you can read about these cameras from the 1990s here).

This fall from volume was a consequence of Olympus being forced into smaller and smaller market spaces for old school photographers due to the lack of any developments in Autofocus. The later OMs sold in very small quantities, the OM-3Ti was the last of the OM family on the shelf and production stopped in 2002 after a few thousand units.

This is the end…

The OM-1 was a fine camera in its day, it radically altered the camera market and forced rival manufacturers into different directions and place a premium on size and handling. It was a giant killer both in the effect it had on other companies but more so in it killing off a great many camera designs. Minoltas XE series for instance was a casualty. In time other companies fought back hard. Canon took a different approach entirely and went for low cost with their AE-1, Nikon eventually responded with the FM, Minolta punched back hard with the XD (almost the same size as an OM-1 but brimming with features) and Pentax would play Olympus at their own game of a small , wholly mechanical SLR in their marvellous MX.

Olympus had redefined the market but seemed unable to fully capitalise on it in much the same way as Pentax had created the 35mm SLR market and were then outflanked and outdistanced by others.

Looking back its quite surprising that the OM-1 had such an effect. It is at heart a relatively simple all mechanical camera with no gimmicks and that had a great appeal to many professionals in its day and continues to appeal to many modern film shooters. However it’s not a technical marvel and was, as things happened, rapidly outplayed by the other manufacturers.

What killed the OM system was the rise of Autofocus. Once AF appeared the writing was on the wall for manual focus systems. Olympus struggled on with no AF SLRs and found some small appeal with their fully mechanical cameras but the camera marketplace is no country for old men and old cameras.

Like the cameras it had helped kill the OM would find its own nemesis – strangely at the hands of Minolta whose XE series had been killed by the OM-1 – the OM series would be killed by Minoltas 7000 AF system and that really is a dictionary definition of Nemesis (a rightful infliction of retribution manifested by an appropriate agent).

For all of that history it’s still a nice camera to shoot with and I still have happy memories using one. I just don’t have shelf space for another camera system.

Minolta Maxxum 7000 Review – It’s Like Magic

Minolta Maxxum 7000 Review – It’s Like Magic: In 1985 Minolta launched a camera which would truly revolutionise the 35mm SLR cameras. Others had done similar stuff in the past; Pentax defined the 35mm SLR, Nikon refined it.

Olympus shrunk the size and Canon had made it cheap but none had launched a camera that would completely alter the landscape in the way that the Minolta 7000 did…

That was then…

Through the 1970s camera makers had duked it out to develop new technologies to aid photographers – starting in the late 1960s developments had included self returning mirrors, automatic stop down and through the lens (TTL) metering.

Through the early and 1970s the holy grail had been automatic exposure so that the photographer only needed to set the aperture and the camera would decide on the shutter speed or vice versa. Finally Program mode where the camera would choose both aperture and shutter speed to take the 35mm SLR into the hands of the non-expert photographer. The final challenge to deal with was automatic focus (AF).

AF would prove to be a very tough nut to crack and both Pentax and Nikon struggled mightily along with Chinon to get this to work.

Pentax were first in the pool to release a commercially available product in the Pentax ME-F in 1981 but it was very far from perfect. Its AF was limited to a single 35mm-70mm zoom lens mated to an adapted ME Super body. In the Pentax approach all of the smarts were in the lens, the rangefinder system, the motors and the battery. The AF performance was poor under anything but absolutely ideal conditions and even under ideal conditions it was slow and the price was shockingly high at double the price for the ME-F that you would pay for the non-AF ME Super. The high price combined with the very poor performance consigned the ME-F to a production span of around 18 months. One of the shortest of any camera from one of the major players in 35mm SLR.

Next to jump in the pool were Chinon with their CE-5 in 1982. Chinon were very much a second tier company. They had been one of the third parties using the Pentax ‘K’ mount and they, like Pentax, opted for a similar approach of having all the smarts, motors and batteries in the lens while the camera body simply provided a focus confirmation relayed from the lens.

Chinon produced only two lenses for the CE-5, a 50mm and a 35-70 zoom. Both were large, heavy, expensive and now extremely rare. Like Pentax ,Chinon found price a problem and few takers for the CE-5 equipped with an AF lens and as a result most CE-5s were sold with a standard 50mm manual focus.

The final people to jump in the pool were Nikon with the F3AF which was really a specialised prism finder for the Nikon F3 mated to two lenses only. An 80mm and a 200mm. It was not successful but the idea of having the motors in the lenses and the smarts in the camera body would later bear fruit.

It must have seemed in 1983 with the failure of Pentax and surprisingly, some thought, Nikon to come up with the goods that the AF lark was probably never going to work out and certainly not at a price that would entice people to part with their hard earned money.

Minolta were almost a back number at that period who appeared to be more focused (pardon the pun) on the prosumer market after the failure of their high end gear to draw in the pros were noticeable by their absence in the AF debate raging on. Looking back that should have raised suspicions, after all Minolta were always the most pioneering of the big 5 manufacturers.

As things happened Minolta had been very quiet but also very busy and by 1985 they were ready to stun the world of photography…

Enter the Maxxum 7000

Minolta 7000 35mm SLR — Minolta Maxxum 7000 Review: Wholly plastic but it set the trend for what came next…

Minolta 7000 AF camera — Minolta Maxxum 7000 Review: The rear view showing the shooters eye view of the 7000.

As 1985 rolled in Minolta released their killer product. The Maxxum 7000. The first commercially viable auto focus camera. But it was so much more than that. A camera with a reliable auto focus system that could operate under almost any conditions. An AF which was fast and reliable plus an integrated motor drive. The 7000 supported full manual, aperture priority and shutter priority exposure plus 6 zone metering, auto loading and a nice bright focus screen. In short it was everything anyone could want AND at a price point which made it a viable option. Pricing was slightly higher than most non-AF cameras but it was still in the right ballpark being around 50% more expensive than similar top of the range non-AF cameras and remember you were getting the motor drive thrown in.

The most shocking thing about the 7000 back then though was the fact that everything was managed by buttons and an LCD display. All of the traditional layouts so beloved of generations of 35mm SLR users was dispensed with. Almost the entire camera was made of plastic to get the price down and production speed up.

Electric camera — Minolta Maxxum 7000 Review: *Push button operation – no more knobs and levers!*

The 7000 LCD Display — *Minolta Maxxum 7000 Review*: *Full information LCD display and more buttons. Scary stuff in 1985!*

The secret of the 7000 was its very fast AF system combined with a whole range of lenses which were available from the start. Minolta chose to put ALL of the smarts in the camera body and drive the lens focus system from the body. This became known later on as Motor in Body (MIB). The huge array of lenses available right at the start coupled with lower cost lenses due to the lens not needing its own AF system, motors, electronics etc made the camera an almost instant hit. Right at release there were a huge array of lenses, flashes and accessories for the 7000. This had been the pitfall of every other manufacturer who had released an AF system – few lenses available.

The 7000 was so revolutionary it was scary looking but the fact it had come from Minolta was also quite shocking to many people not least Minoltas big 4 competitors (Pentax, Nikon, Canon and Olympus). After the 7000 nothing would ever be the same again. You can get a feel for the shock the 7000 created from this magazine cutting from its release.

In part Minoltas lead was recognising that they simply had to ditch their SR mount in favour of the new ‘A’ mount needed for AF. Pentax and Nikon both tried to make AF work using their respective ‘K’ and ‘F’ mount systems which had hampered development. Minolta boldly just ditched compatibility and started from scratch. Canon would eventually do the same with their EoS system 2 years later recognising that their FD mount was never going to work for them with AF now on the table.

Minolta 'A' Series Lens Rear — *Minolta ‘A’ mount – you can see the drive wheel for the focus at the base of the picture.*

Minolta Camera 'A' mount — *The Minolta ‘A’ Mount – you can see the drive wheel for the focus on the lens mount at 5-o-clock.*

Why I hated the 7000 (and still do)…

When the 7000 arrived I had a natural aversion to it. I hated the press button options, found it clumsy and slow to manage and I hated the LCD display arrangement preferring the feel of metal and rotary controls that clicked. On top of that I hated the plastic feel of the whole camera and while I had a good look at one in a shop at the time I just rejected it out of hand.

One of my Uncles bought one when they were new and as he was a very skilled wildlife photographer I can remember feeling shocked when he told me he had invested in the 7000. Something like the shock you may feel if a relative told you he was going to South America to fight with Marxist rebels in the jungle or maybe the shock you would feel if a relative told you that they were a serial killer and had been burying bodies in your backyard.

My Uncle back then let me play around with his Maxxum and some of its lenses but I have to say the whole thing left me cold so I retreated back to my world of cameras made from metal and just passed it off as something that was interesting but definitely not my cup of tea.

And so I passed by the whole AF thing until years later when I used a Canon EoS for a while.

Recently though I came across a 7000 in a junk shop that looked like it might be a runner so I picked it up for cheap. I was curious to see if the intervening 40 years would have changed my mind. The camera turned out to be a full runner after a few minor repairs and I felt for £10 it would be an interesting thing to see how I felt about it today – I did the same thing with another camera I hated back then – the Canon AE-1.

To be honest I still found the 7000 cumbersome, fiddly, awkward to use, uncomfortable in the hand as it was back then and of course it’s still made of plastic and looks just as horrible now as it did then. Back then its weird angular styling made it look futuristic, today the same blocky styling looks dated and very much 1980s. For me cameras have to look beautiful as well as function perfectly.

In fairness to it the short ‘A’ series lenses in 50mm and 28mm still focus VERY fast. So fast in fact it’s easy to think the camera has ignored you when you press the button, it’s a near instant response. Its AF and Program mode still delivered and the camera does function well but it just feels like a toy in the hands. For all those reasons I still reject it though I can certainly see its appeal to many folk both today and of course back then in the used to be when it was frankly amazing from a technology standpoint.

Buying one today…

I cant say with any great surety what the issues arising from old 7000s are today as I don’t work on them. As ever light seals are an issue and the two lenses I acquired both had haze caused by vapouring lubricants which was easy to clean.

The most common faults I see online are the internal lithium battery failing which is easy to replace. I did it on the one I had. There is a small metal plate in the battery compartment. This can be removed to get to the standard sized lithium coin cell behind it.

Beyond that the most commonly failing issue are the LCD displays which can bleed from age. If anything much more than that is wrong the camera is seldom economic to repair.

Being first is no guarantee of success…

Minolta were all set to most likely dominate the camera market for a few years but the 7000 proved to be a legal minefield. First off Exxon sued Minolta over the Maxxum Logo. The double ‘XX’ was considered an infringement of Exxons logo. Minolta agreed to change the logo and then got sued by Honeywell who claimed a patent infringement on the phase detection AF system used by the 7000. This patent battle ended with Minolta having to pay the largest ever legal settlement up to then to Honeywell. The huge bill pretty much caused Minolta to collapse.

In truth the technology used in the 7000 had a fatal weakness which was eventually exposed. Minoltas idea of having the motors in the body (MiB) while smart to keep the price of lenses down would prove problematic when large lenses were used. The relatively small motor in the camera body just couldn’t make a long heavy lens focus quickly enough. Nikon found the same issues later. Eventually the market would shift to Motor in Lens (MiL) technology as Canon perfected the small but powerful motors needed and would reduce the costs of the lenses. The final outcome would be the smarts in the camera but the motors in the lens.

The 7000 turned out to be something like Samson smashing down the temple – The AF revolution created and perfected by Minolta would bury many manufacturers, create huge set-backs for others but would also be the root cause of the demise of Minolta.

As so often happens it’s the pioneers who get the arrows in their back and as I have opined before being first is easy, staying in front is much harder.

Olympus Trip 35 Review – Pocket Rocket

The Olympus Trip 35 Review :- More commonly known as just the Olympus Trip debuted in 1967 and Olympus carried on bashing them out right up until 1984. A 17 year production life which is something of a record for any camera and doubly so when you’re talking about a point and shoot, happy snappy for the masses.

As I have pointed out before in previous articles the 35mm SLR business was always a secondary consideration to most camera makers and the volume (and cash) was always in the point and shoot market. Olympus hammered out over ten million Trips (some sources mark that down to 7.5 Million units). To put that into perspective the professional class Olympus OM-1 sold around 1.3 Million units, the iconic Nikon F did around 1 million units and even Canons AE-1, low cost 35mm SLR for everyman with a massive marketing push behind it could only achieve 6 million units sold.

In the early 1970s most people never owned a camera much beyond a Kodak Instamatic but Olympus pushed a fair few into the Trip with its advertising featuring David Bailey (an OM-1 user). There was a great appeal back then for a simple, reliable camera that could deliver 35mm quality at a reasonable price and the Trip fitted the bill nicely.

Olympus Trip Advert from 1970 — *“David Bailey? Who’s he? ” One the best known adverts in the UK in the 1970s. The advert really pushed the Trip.*

As someone shooting professional cameras at the time the Trip was far below my needs but a recent find in a charity shop has turned me on to what a great little camera the Trip is.

Designed by the legendary designer Yoshihisa Maitani the Trip is a near perfect camera for its intended user. Like all of Maitani-sans designs the Trip is perfectly well balanced against user requirements and even 41 years after the last one was produced its very hard to find anything to criticise with the design decisions or the quality of the product. Simple, robust, no batteries required and with a sharp lens. The camera does all the work for you. The biggest challenge the average user would face was loading the film.

So lets take a close up look at the Trip…

The Technical Bit…

First thing to notice is the Zuiko 40mm f/2.8 lens renowned for its sharpness and clarity. The camera’s automatic exposure system would use either 1/40^th or 1/200^th to capture shots depending on the available light and a lens aperture from f2.8 to f22. The camera is fully automatic when placed in the ‘A’ mode selected by the ring around the lens. Now some people will wonder about such a slow speed at 1/40^th especially if they have had previous exposure to other cameras and will have been led to believe you shouldn’t shoot slower than 1/60^th but that is based on a 50mm lens. Generally speaking you should never have a shutter speed slower than the focal length of the lens in use. For a camera with a 40mm lens 1/40^th is good enough. The camera will lock up the shutter if the light level is too low so it really does do all the thinking for you.

The Olympus Trip controls — The Olympus Trip 35 Review: Not much to worry about with the Olympus Trip… Set the film speed on the front of the lens housing, select ‘A’ and then pick your subject from the simple icons. The Trip thoughtfully has distance scales on the the opposite side of the lens if you are uncertain what to use.

The camera also has f stops around the lens. These are not a manual override or a form of aperture priority they are there solely for flash use. You would use a flash guns computer wheel to tell you what f stop you need and would then have to dial that in to the camera to obtain perfect exposure with flash.

The lens also has a ring around it to decide on focus with both simple pictograms and distance scales on the opposite side of the lens.

The Trips viewfinder is bright and clear (assuming it’s a clean copy) with Bright-Lines in the viewfinder to show you what’s going to be in the final picture complete with marking for close in photography and a small sub-window that shows what the lens is set to (for instance ‘A’ mode and Distant objects as indicated by mountain peaks). There’s even a handy red flag that pops into view if the camera deems the light not good enough which will also lock up the shutter. The Trip with its relatively slow shutter speed and fairly fast aperture can pull a shot indoors under decent lighting.

Olympus Trip Viewfinder — The Olympus Trip 35 Review: *The Trips viewfinder, simple and clear just a few bright-lines to show you what’s in the picture.*

Low light warning — The Olympus Trip 35 Review: *If there’s not enough light the Trip will give you a warning flag and lock the shutter – Simples.*

It’s as simple as an Instamatic but with the benefit of higher quality 35mm film and of course a much sharper lens. The only down side to the Trip, unlikely to bother the sorts of people who were buying it back in its day, is the film speed limit of ASA 400. To be fair when the Trip came out 400 speed films were not common.

Buying into the Trip today…

The Trip was much favoured in its 1970s heyday by travellers who needed a good quality, lightweight, reliable and robust camera and it’s still a good choice today for the modern film aficionado on their travels or perhaps even doing street photography.

If you fancy buying one there are a number of shops selling refurbished Trips for a reasonable price.

Things to watch out for: –

Cloudy viewfinders – they can be cleaned quite easily by removing the top cover but be very careful doing this. The Bright-Lines can be scrubbed away if you use chemicals or are too rough. Breath and a gentle application of a cotton bud is all that’s needed.

Dead selenium cells – it’s the cell behind glass around the lens. These can fail from age but there are a number of speciality shops who can repair/replace these.

Stuck aperture leaves in the lens – usually indicated by the red flag not coming up in the viewfinder when light is too low. It’s fixable but unless you have the skills it’s best to leave this to a pro as getting the lens into correct focus again can be a trial.

You can bag up a trip for a very reasonable price. Mine cost £10 from a charity shop. It needed some cleaning up of the viewfinder but in all other respects was near perfect. If you don’t trust yourself with this kind of thing you can buy reconditioned ones from around the £175 mark.

If you can find one the earlier version made up until 1978 is the most collectible. It’s easily spotted by the shutter button being a chromed metal. The later version has a black plastic button instead.

Shooting the Trip Today…

It’s a nifty little pocket rocket of a camera. Fuss free, pretty much you just have to set the ASA rating on the camera and then wind on and shoot. Winding on is via a small thumbwheel on the rear of the camera body, it’s light to turn and helps keep the camera compact and snag free. Keep an eye out to make sure it stays on the ‘A’ setting and of course be mindful of your focus ring that it’s set correctly for your target focus.

I bashed out just a few pictures on some expired Fuji Superia 200 just to make sure mine was running ok and to see what the camera could do under a range of conditions. These are some sample shots from the test shoot and notes with the pictures to give you an idea of just how good the Trip can be.

Picture of a Church — *Church – Shot in bright sunlight with deep shadows. The lens performs well and is sharp enough even with expired Fuji 200.*

Back Street film test — *Bright sunlight this was just to see how well the lens rendered on near and far objects.*

Indoor shot — *Even at ASA 200 the Trip can pull an inside shot with half decent lighting. It is at wide open aperture though so the focus depth is quite shallow.*

Windmill — *Whoops forgot to set the camera to ‘A’ and set the focus so even with an idiot in charge it still got a half decent shot. My pro gear would be less forgiving!*

Church with HP5 at 400 — *Church taken with HP5 at 400. The Trips lens renders nice detail and calls exposure about right.*

Black Country Museum with HP5 — *With HP5 at 400. The Trips lens can be overwhelmed by a bright sky causing fringe ghosting.*

As I said in the intro – it’s as perfect camera as you will find for the non-expert or occasional film photographer and just as well suited for the expert user looking for an uncomplicated point and shoot for travel or fun. Compact, light, simple to use and robust. I’d be hard put to think of another camera that has the simple charms of the Trip and is as well made and it’s no surprise Olympus sold so many of them back when I was shooting OM-1s.

I recently enjoyed the fuss free shooting of the Konica Pop – the Olympus gives the same freedom but in a much better made package which is a lot nicer to use and coupled with a vastly better lens.

Bugger off now and shoot some film….

Pentax ME Super Review – How do I love thee?

The Pentax ME Super Review – how much do I love it? For those with a short attention span there’s an answer at the bottom of the page but before I get on to that lets have a look at its history…

The 1970s were a fast moving period of the camera industry. In 1972 Olympus unveiled the Olympus OM-1 whose dinky size redefined what a 35mm SLR should look like. Prior to the OM-1 cameras had bloated in size. The OM-1 forced manufacturers to look at redesigning their gear into smaller physical dimensions. Many fine cameras fell victim to this. A second theme was also running through the 1970s though – along with the size reduction there had been a push to automation to provide the camera with some ‘smarts’ to help the less technically minded people.

In 1976 Canon dropped the ground-breaking Canon AE-1. It wasn’t a great camera in terms of technical performance but it was the first in the market with affordable automation in the form of shutter priority to try and reduce the complications for the less than technically accomplished photographer while retaining full manual control, Canon sold millions of them and of course the other manufacturers were forced to respond.

Pentax were quick out of the blocks with the ‘M’ Series cameras starting with the Pentax ME the same year as the AE-1 debuted. The ME would offer aperture priority but had no manual mode beyond a simple mechanical back up speed of 125^th. The ME went on to become a much liked camera for the less than technically minded shooter but it was fundamentally a point and shoot 35mm SLR camera. It had no manual mode offering only a fixed 100^th manual back up in case of battery failure and an exposure compensation control to slant the automatic exposure system by up to 2 stops. The ME was a nice camera in many ways, simple and reliable, using a reliable Seiko vertical metal shutter AND it also had a dinky size like an Olympus OM1.

Most likely Pentax were beavering away on this prior to the Canon AE-1 launching as it launched the same year as the Canon AE-1 and its Pentax running mate the fully mechanical Pentax MX which was the more direct competitor to the Olympus OM-1.

The MX featured a dinky size (smaller even than the OM-1) and a near identical specification to the Olympus giant killer but shares nothing with the ME or ME Super other than the letter ‘M’.

The MX was undoubtedly aimed at the old school photographer more used to full mechanical operation and no aids where the ME was designed with the novice in mind. The ME would achieve some success and push on and sell an estimated 1.6 Million units. Small fry compared to Canons AE-1 which would rack up a million in its first year and go on to see over 6 million units cranked out thanks to a million dollar marketing campaign.

Pentax ME Super and Canon AE-1 — The Pentax ME Super and its direct competitor the Canon AE-1. The Pentax was a fine camera but even with manual control added it just couldn’t compete with Canon’s multi-million dollar advertising campaign.

To up the ante and get a camera that would have broader appeal Pentax went on and developed the ME Super which released in 1979. Using the base of an ME the Super added full manual control of the camera with a manual back up speed of 125th in case your batteries died. Most would probably spend their lives in Auto mode but the manual control allowed a more experienced photographer to have better creative control of the camera and this is where I came into the party.

Shutter controls — *The Pentax ME Super – Manual control via press buttons.*

The ME Super – My part in its history….

I bought the ME Super way back when they were still churning them out around 1980. I bought it as a lightweight camera for holidays as my Nikon Fs were a heavy old beast to lug around and I wasn’t too keen on exposing them to risks in places like the beach – the beach is always a potential killer for cameras with all that sand and salt water around not to mention the kids kicking sand in your face.

I had already tried new fangled electronic cameras like the AE-1 and didn’t much like it. It was, and still is as far as I am concerned, the worlds worst camera for ergonomics and has a cheap and nasty feel.

I had grown up with Spotmatics and had a kind of on/off love affair with Pentax at the time and had in fact set off to the camera shop to buy myself a nice lightweight camera. I had an MX in mind. However, once in the shop I was persuaded to buy an ME Super – the promise of automation with manual override seemed nice and the camera handled well in the shop, it was lightweight, slick and after agonising over the ME-Super versus the MX I decided that cheaper was better as the camera would pretty much only be used for holiday snapshotting. I’d eventually get to shoot the Pentax MX 40 years later!

The MX was around the £199 price from memory and the ME Super was being blown out for around the £149 price so it was about 25% less expensive. That doesn’t sound so much today but in 1979 £25 was worth quite a bit more – the average Joe was only taking home around £75 a week in pay and had to cough up for keeping a roof over his head and food on the table out of that. The 1970s and early 1980s were a finance companies wet dream for consumer credit and cameras were one of the expensive luxuries they were making their commissions on.

Me Super Top Deck — *Pentax ME Super – The top deck, clean, well laid out and functional.*

As things turned out the ME Super was only used on a single holiday. It was a nice snap shooter and returned reliable results but use out in the field and outside the cosy confines of a camera shop soon showed up its weaknesses.

The manual control of the shutter is achieved by two buttons which cycle the shutter speed control through the range of shutter speeds either up or down. To know what speed you have selected you have to have your eye to the camera and watch the LEDs shifting to know what you have set. In bright light the LEDs were faint and hard to see plus if changing shutter speeds from a fast 500^th to a slow 1/60^th you had to be pressing the shutter speed plus or minus buttons a fair few times. It was slower and more finicky than simply having a rotary control on the top of the camera. With a more conventional control layout you could quickly look at the top of the camera and spin the shutter speed control to the setting you wanted. With the ME Super you had to put the camera to you eye, fumble for the up/down buttons and press 4 times to move from 500^th to 1/60^th while keeping an eye out that the camera had followed each press of the button. Now to be fair most people would use the camera in full auto and just control the exposure via the exposure compensation but for a photographer more used to fully manual control, just like the AE-1, I found the ME Super a pain in the thermal exhaust port. As a snapshot/swinger type 35mm SLR camera though it was probably without equal and mine called exposures mostly perfectly. The camera controls on the whole, despite me grouching about the somewhat fiddly up/down buttons, were well laid out with a good feel and the advance feel was superb, very smooth. Like many other Pentax cameras from this period the camera has a ‘shutter armed’ indicator to show that the camera has wound on and is ready to shoot. It’s a small red dot that shows on the top deck near the tip of the advance lever. Like most prosumer cameras there is also a shutter lock button.

Things I liked with it were its very compact size, the very smooth film advance and its very smooth but positive shutter release and a film transport indicator to show film is being taken up which is quite reassuring as the film take up spool I found was also a bit fiddly.

The viewfinder was also rather good being very bright with a finely ground matte field plus the split image focus ring allowing for easy and precise focusing. The ME-Super did have a noticeable amount of mirror slap though despite the use of an air piston. Pentax used multiple rubber stops inside the camera plus an air piston to reduce slap and noise which is often a problem in small light weight camera bodies. Its not super bad on the ME Super and I have certainly shot cameras with far with worse issues than a small amount of mirror slap.

The shutter on the ME Super was a Seiko vertical metal shutter under electronic control and testing on serviced unit today shows it runs very well with very accurate shutter times. On the whole I found it a sweet camera to shoot with back in the day and certainly nicer than the Canon AE-1 especially for use as a fuss free snapshot type camera.

Viewfinder — Pentax ME Super – The viewfinder with its coloured LED meter readout.

Pentax ME Super – Exposure compensation and film speed ring.

Pentax ME Super - Seiko Shutter — Pentax ME Super – Seiko shutter and film transport indicator.

The viewfinder as mentioned is nice and bright and has a simple to read display at the side of the view showing a range of LEDs which indicate the speed the camera will shoot at if in auto or what it wants you to shoot at if in manual. In manual mode you can set aperture and then nudge the speed buttons until the camera shows a green LED on the speed display or you can choose to set your shutter speed and then twist the aperture on the lens until you get a solid green LED on the speed you selected. It’s quite simple and intuitive I just wish they had made the LEDs a bit brighter. There are also red warning LEDs to alert you to over and under exposure and exposure compensation being used plus slow speeds are lit in orange to indicate it’s too slow for hand holding the camera. As a package It was really well thought out for the novice.

Reliability back in the day, at least for mine, was good with no issues albeit mine had little use but I did run into a Pentax salesman sometime after I sold mine who told me reliability with the ME Super had been an issue and many dealers were either hosing them out cheap or refusing to stock them due to returns issues. I found that strange at the time as it seemed a well made piece of gear. But experience with them recently on a repair bench has shown the possible weaknesses in the camera which may well have been present back in its day.

The ME Super today…

The biggest headache with old ME and ME Supers today is the vast amount of internal foam inside them which decays and causes problems plus the various rubber stops and bumpers which, like light seals, decay into gloop and gunge and jam the camera up – you can read more on this in an article here.

To keep the racket down when shooting Pentax used three rubber washers on the mirror box assembly to act as cushions and very often the ME and ME Super will fail as these turn to glue and start to jam the cameras internal mechanisms resulting in either complete shutter jams or the cursed ‘endless wind on issue’ where the camera will just allow you to keep winding on without ever being able to release the shutter. In addition there is a rubber washer inside the air piston which degrades and slows the mirror down causing the camera to stall between shots. This presents as a condition rather similar to the Canons AE-1 famous ‘cough’ where the mirror becomes slow to return.

Pentax ME Super - The Mirror Box Washers — *Pentax ME Super – The nasty mirror box stops which decay – this one has had new ones fitted.*

Pentax ME Super - The air piston — *Pentax ME Super – The Mirror Air Piston also contains a washer which breaks down and causes jams!*

The shutter stops — *Pentax ME Super – Decaying rubber stops deep inside the shutter mechanism!*

There is further bad news inside the ME and ME Super where the Seiko shutter also used small rubber stops. Like the rest of the rubber inside the camera these start to perish and eventually jam or slow down the shutter.

Even if the camera runs the focus screens are often dirty from decaying foam falling into the top part of the screen. The ME and ME Super use quite a complex layout of foams around the focus screen and prism and one of the worst offenders is the light seal foam around the LED array – as it decays it scatters dried out pieces of foam onto the top of the focus screen and the only solution is a near total disassembly of the camera to get it out. Pentax in fact provided a small blow hole so that an air compressor could be used to blow out dust from the top of the screen but it wont help remove sticky nasty foam seal crud and removing the cover for the blow hole nearly always ruins it and there are of course no replacements available today.

Pentax ME Super - Under the hood — Pentax ME Super – The very fragile flexboard is located close to the top cover – a bang on the top of the prism housing can easily damage the board. The ceramic sub-board on early ones is also at risk.

The third big fault that ME Supers suffer is damage to the very fragile flexible circuit board. Thanks to its plastic top cover it is possible for a bad bump on the top cover to damage the very fine flex tracks and result in electronics issues. As part of the general cost cutting going on the industry when the ME Super was released its top cover was made of a quite thin and flexible plastic making it somewhat less durable than its forebear the ME which was more solidly made with a metal cover.

The cost of servicing an ME Super today is rather high due to the very large amount of work that has to be done to rid the camera of its very many foam seals and rubber bumpers and replace these with fresh parts. The ME Super is probably the worse for foam as it requires multiple thicknesses of 1mm, 1.5mm and 2mm foams plus the hand made rubber bumpers and air piston seal.

On the bench the ME Super and the ME show really excellent production engineering, the internal layout is extremely good and the camera was clearly designed with ease of production and repair in mind. There are things like a large edge connector to cut down on end to end wiring (when you see inside a Canon AE-1 or a Minolta X-500 the difference is chalk and cheese with both of these having birds nest looking wiring). I suspect back in the day when Pentax were doing repairs the camera was designed to be highly modular allowing for fast replacement of whole units sub-assemblies like the shutter, mirror box, flexboard etc quickly and easily.

Pentax ME Super - Nice production engineering — *Pentax ME Super – Nice production engineering with a connector block to the main circuit board rather than the usual spaghetti found inside many electronic cameras from the 1970s.*

Pentax ME Super - The internal foams — Pentax ME Super – This is one under servicing – you get a glimpse of how much foam they use inside (lots!) and much of it is close to the shutter – one bit of muck in the shutter and its a problem.

Like almost any electronic camera if electronic issues arise it can be very hard to diagnose issues and it’s further hindered by almost no information from Pentax service manuals. With that said the ME Supers ICs seems to fare better than some other cameras and on the whole its electronics seem reliable.

I have serviced a few of these and even created a service guide for them and when fully serviced they are sweet to shoot with. Really rather nice in fact. The shutter speed control push buttons seem less of an issue to me now than they did in back in the 1980s. Maybe that’s just me being happier with the push button world my generation has created or it maybe I am less fussy (age does that to you). I used one of the serviced units for some test shoots and found myself rather enjoying the cameras fuss free approach and it might very well suit some of today’s younger film fans.

In a nutshell it’s a sweet camera when running and quite delightful to work with. Whether yours keeps running or not depends on what you want to spend.

The camera was originally sold with the ‘M’ series 50mm f1.7 which is a nice lens but like the camera this particular model of lens has often not fared well due to age. Many of them suffer an internal hazing on one of their cemented rear lenses. These are impossible to repair. The 50mm f1.7 though, when in good order, is a really nice lens – It’s sharp and renders colours very well.

Beyond the ME Super…

The ME Super went on to sell an estimated 2.3 million units before it was discontinued in 1987. A respectable number and roughly equivalent to all of the non-Chinese made K1000s. Unlike the K1000 I suspect a lot less are around today given the cost of repairs to them. Many have probably found their way to landfill due to the internal rubbers failing which is a shame really.

Pentax pressed on with other developments like the lower cost MV and MG variants and the ME Super became the base for the first Pentax auto-focus system the ill-fated ME-F. This was a dogs dinner of a camera and sold only an estimated 80,000 units. You can read up on the disaster that was the ME-F here. This is a camera that is near unrepairable today and a friend of mine who majors on Pentax repairs told me if you ever see one of these then unless you want a shelf queen for a collection the best thing to do is run away.

The ME Supers basic design as used in the Super A although Pentax learned their lesson about the shutter rubbers and these were removed in the Pentax Super A but the A can still suffer a range of maladies caused by its internal foams.

By the end of the ME Supers production run Pentax were on the ropes and by 1997 it would all be over anyway with the emergence of digital cameras.

The ME Super – So how much do I love it?

Not enough to keep one after 30+ hours work to repair and service it but… it was close. In its day it was a nice swinger camera, lightweight, fuss free and quite pleasant to use. An easy to use aperture priority camera with the capability to go fully manual should it be required. Back in the good old days I was somewhat less than happy with it but I’d be happy enough with one today if its been fully serviced and its foams and mirror bumpers replaced and theres the rub.

Working on these is a nightmare. It’s not the worlds easiest camera to work on and just cleaning all the old foam and rubber washers out can consume a great deal of time and effort. I did toy with the idea of keeping one of the fully serviced ones for my own use but in the end rejected it. Why? Well, simply because I have more capable cameras already but, like the MX which I also agonised over before selling it, I did give it serious consideration.

It’s a sweet shooter when fully working and I still toy occasionally with the idea of getting another one for myself. That has to tell you something about the camera when an old ex-pro kind of hankers for one.

If you really want one then expect to pay around the £175 mark for a fully serviced body with all new foams and rubbers and buy only from a trusted source. Anything else will be playing lotto with precious memories and £14 a time rolls of film.

Repair Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 NAI Lens

A short guide on how to Repair Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 Lens.

Nikon has been making the 135mm f3.5 lens since around 1959. The first version was around from 1959 to 1969 and was called the Nikkor-Q. The original lens had 4 elements in 3 groups and is easily recognised as its focal length on the beauty ring is in cm rather than mm and reads 13.5cm. The mount type was Nikon F Non-AI.

The slightly revised version ran from 1969 to 1979 using the same 4 elements in 3 groups design and is easily identified by its focal length being in mm as shown on its beauty ring. Mount types for these was Nikon F and non-AI but some versions would have been converted to AI either by the factory or aftermarket technicians.

Nikon produced many different versions of this lens but across its lifespan there were only 3 optical variations although coating techniques were improved over time and the lens was produced with two different diaphragm mechanisms – one with 6 blades (this one) and a later version with 7 blades. This guide covers and early version believed to be from the 1959-1969 version as it carried the Nippon Kogaku name rather than Nikon but all early versions will be nearly identical. Nikon dropped the NK name around 1966 but some lenses continued to be badges as NK as late as 1970.

It should be noted that Nikon struggled with 35mm SLR lenses in the early period and lenses from this era can show a lot of internal messing about with additional holes, slots and scriber markings all done by the factory as Nikon tried to get to grips with the design and production issues.

This lens was acquired is very poor condition and had a very loose focus due to the focus helicoils having dried out, vaporised grease in parts its shouldn’t be and a poor feel to its aperture control ring which was spongy and lacking in ‘click’.

NOTES ON WORKING ON THE NIKKOR-Q 135mm f3.5
The Nikkor-Q 135mm is a relatively easy lens to work on for the most part but like many vintage lenses it has its foibles. It is absolutely critical with this lens that you mark the helicoils for infinity focus and separation points. Failure to do so will result in a lot of issues during reassembly.

The internal construction is very solid but it does have its oddities compared to some other manufacturers evidence of the struggle Nikon were having adapting to 35mm SLRs.

You will absolutely need a good set of screwdrivers for this lens that are correctly sized. Attempting this repair with amateur tools will result in problems. I would recommend the pro-set of screw drivers from Polar Bear Camera together with the special Nikon driver for removing Nikon slotted screws on the lens mount if the lens has slotted screws.

Screws on Nikon lenses are typically hard to deal with, Nikon used a lot of thread lock and lacquer on the screws. You will need Isoprop and Acetone to remove these or use the tip of a soldering iron to head the screw head which will weaken the thread lock.

Be careful when tightening screws. Much of the lens is composed of a light alloy and threads can be stripped easily. You should apply no more than hand tight when holding the screwdriver between thumb and forefinger.

Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 NAI Lens – Stripping Down

Set the lens to infinity. As you work on the lens at the initial stages make sure that the infinity position is retained. Like many old lenses you will most likely find the lens comes to infinity just at the start of the infinity mark and focuses slightly past infinity.

This is quite common as the manufacturers built in an allowance for glass expansion.

Nikkor-Q - 135mm f2.8 Lens Removing the focus barrel

Remove the 3 small screws from around the lens focus barrel. These can be very well stuck down. Try to avoid using acetone for these as it will remove the painted finish. Dab with Isoprop and give the Isoprop at least 15 minutes to get to work.

A correctly sized screwdriver will help you avoid damaging the screw heads. With the screws removed simply pull the focus barrel free.

Nikkor-Q - 135mm f2.8 Lens Removing the filter ring

Remove the small grub screw from the filter ring and then unscrew the filter ring.

With the filter ring removed note the small hole that the grub screw fitted into. This is critical on this lens as the only thing holding all of the optical assembly in place is the filter ring which in turn is reliant on this grub screw.

Some versions of the lens will have two additional screws which retain the optical assembly which need to be removed. They were not present on this version.

Nikkor-Q - 135mm f2.8 Marking the helicoil position for infinity

This was taken as the optical assembly was removed – you can see the helicoils have been marked for their infinity position with a scribe mark.

On lenses of this vintage this is absolutely critical and is generally good practice with any lens.

Nikkor-Q - 135mm f2.8 removing the optical assembly

With the filter ring removed, and the two small retaining screws if present, removed the entire optical assembly will now pull free from the lens body.

Nikkor-Q - 135mm Lens the optical assembly

The ‘core’ of the lens is the optical assembly which includes both front and rear optical blocks plus the diaphragm mechanism. On this lens the core element was dirty on the outside only – internally the optics were pristine with no dirt or fungus present.

Its never smart to start messing with optics that are already perfect so this will just have an external wipe down to remove dust and dirt.

135mm Nikon f3.5 - Removing the sleeve screws

Remove the three sleeve retaining screws around the sleeve.

Slip the sleeve off of the lens body.

Nikon 135 Q Series lens - removing the aperture ring

Scribe a line where the aperture ring ends – this will aid in re-assembly later. Then remove the aperture ring screw.

This screw activates the inner aperture control ring which you will see later.

Unscrew the aperture ring.

You can see in this picture the scribe mark indicating where the ring fitted.

Remove the screws securing the mount ring. For dealing with Nikon screws apply either some Isoprop or Acetone to soften the thread-lock OR use the tip of a soldering iron to heat the screws up.

The special Nikon driver bit sold by Polar Bear Camera will make this a lot easier and avoid chewing the screw heads.

The mount plate simply lifts off. There are no mechanics to it at all as all of the aperture functions are controlled by the lens body and the core assembly. Note though the slot for the aperture stop down lever.

From this point on exercise mindfulness – its very easy to sit the lens down on its base and apply pressure and break the aperture stop down lever.

Nikon 135mm f3.5 Lens - the aperture spring

Due to the heavy oil contamination inside the lens body the interior of this lens will need a lot of cleaning so I am going to take out the aperture control ring.

To make this easier I will remove this small spring for the stop down lever. The spring is tricky to remove and even tricker to get back on so be warned.

Nikon 135mm f3.5 Lens - The helicoil key

To release the helicoils you need to remove the helicoil key. This is secured by two screws. These are often thread-locked so you will need to use some heat or Isoprop. The key itself is plastic so be careful with heat and avoid Acetone.

Make a note of the helicoil key orientation they are sometimes different. The 135mm is opposite to the 35mm in one of the other guides.

Nikon 135mm f3.5 Lens - Removing the outer helicoil

With the helicoil key out the outer helicoil can now be slowly turned out of the lens body.

The helicoil key can be recovered once you have some space with the helicoils wound out.

It is absolutely critical you mark the separation point so you can find the correct thread entry point later.

Nikon 135mm f3.5 Lens - Removing the inner helicoil

Now remove the inner helicoil and make sure you mark the separation point. In some ways on this lens it was easier to know the thread entry point.

With the correct thread entry point the lens stop block would meet the stop screw at infinity if the thread entry point was correct but its always wiser to mark the helicoils.

Inside the lens body you will see the two aperture control forks. The one with the larger gap is the stop down lever, the one with the smaller gap is the aperture control lever.
The aperture control lever has a small tab on its base with a slot for the screw you removed from the aperture ring earlier. Examine the aperture control fork and note its relationship to the slot on the lens body.

Make a note or mark up where the aperture control ring and fork are and then this can be unscrewed from inside the lens.

This is tricky to replace but on this lens the dried grease inside left no choice but to remove it for cleaning.

Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 NAI Lens – Cleaning

The Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 Non-AI lens stripped down for servicing

With the lens mechanics disassembled its time to clean all of the barrel parts. For this lens the optics were as clean as they could be so there was little point disassembling the optics. Richard Haws has a guide if you want to go that far into the lens. Generally unless you have fungus or issues to deal with its best to leave sealed optical assemblies alone.

For cleaning you will need a soft toothbrush, cotton wool balls and Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) and a lot of patience. I generally clean down with hot soapy water first and then soak the helicoils in IPA for a few hours before wiping down with cotton wool. The threads on the helicoils are extremely fine and the smallest piece of grit or dried grease will cause problems later on. Usually the threads are chased out with a fine needle and/or a cocktail stick before cleaning again.

The aperture stop down ring in this lens is semi sealed into the lens body. There is no real reason to remove it. It contains a great many ball bearings and is awkward to get out. To clean the grease out I simply immersed the whole body unit in hot soapy water, scrubbed out the threads for the inner aperture control ring and then flushed the whole assembly with clean water and then used a hairdryer to dry it. The threads for the aperture control ring, filter ring and aperture ring were brushed clean with isoprop, a soft toothbrush and cotton wool until no old grease was seen.

All threaded parts were similarly cleaned and the silver anodised rings cleaned with some ‘Bar Keepers Friend’ which is excellent for removing small scratches, staines etc but be careful on painted surfaces it is quite acidic and somewhat abrasive. The dirty lettering was cleaned with a soft toothbrush and toothpaste to get the lettering nice and bright.

My own view on cleaning is to get the parts absolutely spotless prior to reassembly to give the lens the longest life before any further servicing is needed.

Normally when I rebuild a lens I will strip and clean EVERYTHING – it makes sense to get everything as perfect as possible to avoid future issues.

General note on lubrication: Normally on lenses I use Helimax XP as a general purpose helicoil grease. Helimax XP is readily available and works well for most lenses. On this lens though I am using Polar Bear BC-13A which is a substitute for Nikons own grease which is no longer available. Getting the dosing right for lenses is often hit and miss so you are advised to get a feel as you re-assemble the lens at each step. To get a feel you really need the focus barrel back in place and this can be readily refitted when the helicoils are assembled to check for feel. Too much grease will make the lens focus throw very stiff. Too little with make the lens focus throw feel too light.

Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 NAI Lens – Replacing the Aperture Ring Assembly

Nikkor-Q lubricating the aperture control ring

The inner aperture ring is given a light lubrication using Polar Bear Camera Grease Type BC-13A.

Lubrication needs to be very light here.

Note the small tab on the ring with the slot in it. The slot is for the outer aperture control ring screw.

Nikkor 135mm f3.5 - Replacing the inner aperture control ring

And now the internal aperture control ring is replaced. Positioning of this ring is critical and the following images will show you how this needs to be aligned.

This can be tricky to get back in place but its easier with the small spring removed from the stop down lever. Be careful not to cross thread this – the threads are very fine.

Aligning the inner aperture control ring

The inner aperture control ring needs to be aligned such that the slot on the small tab comes into view through the slot in the lens body. This is what the outer aperture control ring screw fits into.

Centre the slot in the aperture ring as shown.

Make a note of where the forks of the aperture control ring are located inside the barrel.

Lightly grease the aperture ring threads on the lens body using the BC-13A grease. And apply a light dose also to the aperture ring threads.

The small metal tab that provides the aperture click stops can be slightly bent upwards to provide a firmer click to the aperture ring if need be.

The aperture ring can now be threaded back on to the lens body. You will need to press the smal metal tab down a little to get the aperture ring on.

It’s easiest to start the thread with the aperture ring detents opposite the the metal tab – otherwise the sprung tab will interfere with finding the thread entry points for the aperture ring.

Screw the aperture ring down to the scribe mark you made during the strip down. This will position the aperture ring to its original position.

You can see the scribe mark on the lens barrel in the picture.

With the aperture ring in place its quite impossible to see the slot on the inner aperture ring tab. If you marked this up earlier is should align roughly to the middle f stop but I have found the orientation can shift slightly.
I use a thin probe to feel for the slot on the inner tab in order to orientate the aperture ring screw position.

Once the slot on the inner aperture ring is located correctly replace the aperture ring screw and then test that all is well by moving the aperture ring back and forth and checking that the inner aperture ring is moving correctly both backwards and forwards.

Once you are happy remove the screw and replace with a small dab of thread-lock.

Replace the stop down lever spring. This can be very awkward to exercise patience here.

Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 NAI Lens – Replacing the Focus Helicoils

Apply BC-13A grease to the inner helicoil and also to the outer helicoils inner threads, Wipe off any excess.

Using the thread entry point marks you made when removing the inner helicoil replace the inner helicoil into the outer helicoil. You can be sure that the inner helicoil is correct when the inner helicoil is blocked by the stop block (see next picture) with the two marks for infinity on the inner and outer helicoil aligned.

You can see in the picture the infinity mark for both helicoils is aligned.

The inner helicoil will be correct when the stop block on the helicoil is blocked by the set screw on the outer helicoil.

The inner helicoil will only fit on one thread entry point where this is possible.

Apply BC-13A grease to the outer helicoil and also with its recieving thread on the lens body.

The inner helicoil is now replaced using the same approach as the outer helicoil – eg using the thread entry point marks and a mark to indicate infinity. These dont show well in this picture.

You can see here that the outer helicoil, using the prevuiously marked thread entry point is back to its infinity marks.

On this lens it will be obvious if it is correct. If the wrong thread entry points have been selected the gap between the outer helicoil and the body will be either too large or impossible to achieve

Now unwind the helicoils enough so that you can insert the helicol locking key.

So long as both helicoils are aligned for their respective infinity points you cannot misalign them one to the other.

Insert the helicoil locking key.

Be careful of its orientation. On this lens the ledge is towards the back of the lens.

With the key inserted wind both helicoils back to their infinity position which will trap the key in place.

If all is aligned correctly at infinity the fixing holes for the key will be perfectly positioned.

Fix the locking key in place using the two screws. Be careful not to over-tighten. The inner helicoil threads are in quite a soft alloy which can strip easily if too much force is applied.

Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 NAI Lens – Replacing the Lens Sleeve

Replace the sleeve onto the lens body making sure it aligns with the aperture ring f stop markings.

Fix the sleeve in position with the three small screws around it. I usually use a medium strength thread-lock for these.

Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 NAI Lens – Replacing the Optical/Diaphragm Assembly

Looking down the lens you will observe the two aperture control forks. The stop down fork has a wide slot. The aperture ring fork has a narrow slot…

The optical assembly has a small screw which must locate between the narrow slot of the aperture ring fork.

The optical assembly aperture stop down control

The tab on the opposite side of the optical assembly must locate into the stop down fork slot.

Replace the optical unit in the lens body

Looking from the back of the lens will help you locate the positioning to ensure both of the aperture control levers are correctly aligned but it still relies on a fair amount of ‘poke and hope’ as visibility is not great. You should be able to feel for when the optical assembly is correctly located though.

Once the aperture control forks are correct you may need to twist the optical unit slightly to get its locating lug to fit into the slot on the inner helicoil.

With the optical unit in place you need to fix the filter ring in position. It’s the filter ring which retains the optical assembly and its threaded into the inner helicoil.

You need to tighten the filter ring down until the small holes for the grub screw aligns with the indent on the inner helicoil. This may be quite a tight fit

Replace the small grub screw with a dab of thread-lock.

Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 NAI Lens – Replacing the Focus Ring and Lens Mount

Nikkor-Q - 135mm f3.5 Lens Removing the focus barrel

Align the infinity point on the focus barrel and replace the barrel into the lens. Locate the three screw-holes and replace the three small fixing screws.

I normally only apply a single screw until I am happy the lens is working as expected. Once happy replace all screws with a small dab of thread-lock.

Replace the lens mount and its screws.

Mount the lens on a camera and check the infinity focus is correct and that the aperture control and stop down function as expected.

Check all external screws are replaced and use a small dab of thread-lock on each screw before refitting.

Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 NAI Lens – Outcome

Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 NAI Lens after rebuild.

After rebuilding the lens operated perfectly well. The aperture click was somewhat softer than I had hoped. I generally prefer a very ‘clicky’ feel but many older Nikon lenses do suffer a softer than normal click due to wear. The lens is perfectly usable and now able to return to actual use with me for use on my own Nikon F.

This particular version of the lens is well regarded by Nikon users despite its relatively humble specification and I will be looking forward to using it in the near future.

I hope you will find this article of use in your own lens repair and servicing.

While waiting for Isoprop to release the nasty Nikon threadlock why not have a read of our review of the Nikon F

Mel

Mel is one of the driving forces behind High 5 Cameras and writes all our articles.

www.high5cameras.com

Posted on June 28, 2025September 20, 2025 by Mel — 2 Comments

Minolta SR-T 101 Review – Mechanical Marvel

Minolta SR-T 101 Review: – So much has been written about the SRT-101 the world scarcely needs another article on it BUT – it happens to be one of my favourite cameras so I am going to dive in and hope to bring something new to the party. (Q: Seriously Mel you’re going to write about what most be the most written about camera on the Internet? A: Yes I am because it’s so good, deserving of us much time as you can devote to it).

Where to start though – I could blather on about its ground breaking approach (it took Nikon almost 10 years catch up with its auto indexing feature), I could ramble on about its mechanics and how it’s almost bombproof and I could cover how long it stayed around thanks to its solid design and its many virtues – and I will cover a lot of that but lets start at the beginning.

Minolta SR-T 101 Review – A time and a place…

Before looking at the SRT series it’s important to place it in its time. It’s very hard to understand how an artefact from a bygone time is the way it is unless you understand the times it was created in. The Minolta SRT series started with the SRT-101 which was released to the public in 1966. Given the relatively slow pace of camera development at the time it would be safe to assume the camera was in development for at least 5 years (it took 10 to develop the later X1).

So let’s take a beat and consider the state of the world and its technology in the early 1960s.
Computing technology was a world away from today – the IBM 1400 Series started shipping and had a whopping memory of around 16k. These were the first truly modern computers as someone today would understand computing. They were slow, the electronics were something fearful and the whole system would be occupy the space of a squash court.

Analog and Electronic Computers — *Minolta SR-T 101 Review – The state of computing in the 1960s. Analog Military Computer for Torpedo Targeting and an IBM-1401 Digital Computer.*

For fast processing and compact design the world relied on analog computers. These used a series of gears and motors to solve complex trigonometry and differential equation type problems required for real time applications like anti-aircraft weapons, bomb sights, torpedo targeting etc. (you get a glimpse of some of these in the films ‘Run Silent Run Deep’ and ‘When Worlds Collide’)

The micro-chip was not yet in production and processor chips were almost two decades away.

In camera technology the things we take for granted today like automatically returning mirrors and automatic lens stop down had only emerged around 1958 – scarcely 10 years before the SRT series started shipping and then only for the premium end of camera gear. Some cameras were using manual stop down as late as 1974! Through the lens metering (TTL) wasn’t available until 1963 and only then on the extremely expensive Topcon Super. It was followed by the almost as expensive Nikon F in 1965.

If you want to get a feel for the 1960s watch the movies ‘Alfie’ or ‘The Ipcress file’ it will give you the flavour of the times. The relatively low tech world of the 1960s was very different to today. I included this section for younger readers to maybe give them a feel for the times from which emerged one of Minolta’s most wonderful achievements – the SRT Series.

The Road to the SRT Series…

In 1958 Minolta launched the SR-2, One of the first cameras ever to have an automatically returning mirror, automatic stop down AND a bayonet mount (Nikon would go wth a bayonet mount 12 months later – Pentax would take another 10 years!) – this would be the SR mount though its usually incorrectly referred to as an MC mount which would stay common on all Minolta cameras until Minolta launched the first practical Auto Focus camera in 1985, giving the SR mount a life time of 30 years! It was however an expensive camera so Minolta followed up with the quixotically named SR-1 which cut a few things down to get the price right. Over the next few years Minolta progressively released newer versions in the SR series. Some of these were stylistic changes to the cameras looks and some were to introduce improved handling and build quality. The SR series would culminate in 1962 with the SR-7 model – the first camera to incorporate a built in CdS meter cell – although not through the lens.

In 1966 the SR series would be withdrawn to clear the way for the most advanced Minolta camera of the time with a raft of features that would make it Minoltas most successful camera for the next decade.

Minolta SR-T 101 Review - Early Version of the Minolta SRT-101 — Minolta SR-T 101 Review – An early version of the SRT-101 dating from 1968 with the black shutter speed control. The SRT-101 would be changed slightly a few years later but its basic mechanics would stay the same for the next 15 years.

Minolta SR-T 101 Review – The SR-T 101

The SRT-101 launched in 1966 and was a huge leap forward over the SR series. Although superficially resembling an SR series camera the SRT is entirely different inside. The SRT-101 featured through the lens metering (TTL) and critically open aperture metering. Other manufacturers could do TTL but often only with the lens stopped down. You had to stop the lens down, take a meter reading, make suitable changes to the f-stop and shutter speed and then open the lens up for focusing and shooting. Minolta swept all that away- Now you could meter, compose and shoot with the lens fully open which made things easier and faster. Now Nikon could do this the year before (for a lot more money) but Minolta added auto-indexing to the whole system.
As soon as a lens was fitted the camera would know what f stop you had set on the lens and adjust its meter accordingly. With Nikons system, assuming you could afford it, you had to ‘program’ the meter by turning the lens aperture ring all the way to the lowest f stop to synchronise the meter to the lens and turn the lens to its highest f stop number to remove the lens. None of this with the Minolta approach – you just pressed the lens release button and twisted the lens off. Minoltas system was known as Meter Coupled (MC) and they released a whole series of lenses, mostly adapted from the SR series cameras Auto-Rokkor (AR) lenses.By simply adding a small tab to the aperture ring the basic lens could stay with the same optical design– this gave Minolta a very definite edge. Automatic meter coupling, simpler lens release and a complete set of lenses straight out of the bag on launch date. Over time many of the AR series of lenses were redeveloped with improved optical formulas to become some of the best lenses ever made.
The Meter Coupling system used by Minolta would eventually be copied by Nikon 10 years later with their Automatic Indexing System (AIS). That kind of shows how far out in front Minolta were.

It didn’t stop there though with just auto indexing and ease of use – the SRT also supported stop down metering for earlier Auto-Rokkor (AR) lenses and any other lenses that might lack the meter coupling tab. Inside the camera a system known known as the ‘AV Safety’ very neatly made sure that you would not take a stopped down meter reading and apply it to a wide open lens by accident. The meter will switch off entirely if you enter stop down mode with a an MC coupled lens and will likewise switch off if a non-MC lens is being used in open aperture. Through a simple series of switches the camera always presents the true metering situation to avoid user errors. This was deleted on later models as the need to stay 100% compatible with lenses made a decade earlier was less of a demand.

The SRT also added what Minolta called Contrast Light Compensation (CLC). A simple kind of matrix metering. The camera would adjust the metering based on the scene. This really only works in landscape shots but basically there are two meter cells. One reads the top half of the scene and the other reads the lower half. This was designed so that the sky (usually the brightest part of a landscape picture) would be compensated out to provide more even exposure for the whole image.

In addition to all of this good stuff the SRT featured a very large mirror so there would be no image cut off even with very long telephotos lenses a shutter speed display in the viewfinder and they topped it off with a camera that felt ‘right’ with good ergonomics and great handling.

Minolta had, with the SRT-101, made a giant leap forward. There was no motor drive connection but back in 1966 no one was much worried about that. Minolta did though create the SR-M which was basically an SRT with no meter and a permanently fixed motor drive – it was never successful as a seller. The SRT-101 though would become the biggest seller for Minolta in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

So why all of the stuff at the start about analog computers? Well simply this. When the SRT-101 launched microprocessors were 30 years away. The big task was how to get a meter to respond to varying light levels and to correctly calculate the exposure values for f stops and film and shutter speeds. The answer is under the hood. The SRT uses a match needle driven by a simple two input mechanical computer composed of strings and pulleys to ‘solve’ the exposure ‘problem’ this is a borrowed technology from military analog computers of the period. I say it’s simple, in terms of how it works, it is, but I’d have hated to be doing the math to calculate the various pulleys and string lengths which must have been something dreadful to calculate. The whole system is held in tension by a single large spring. It’s simple, ingenious and it works! Nikon did it with the Nikon F metered head by using a huge wheel with a resistor strip. It’s bulky, complicated and almost impossible to repair. Minoltas simple solution has proven to be far more reliable.

The Minolta SRT metering system — Minolta SR-T 101 Review – The SRT metering system. Two pulleys are designed to work against each other – both connected by cords. One to the aperture follower and one to the shutter speed control. The pulleys counter rotate and act on a pointer – when the pointer is matched to the meter needle you have correct exposure. It’s brilliantly simple but the math to calculate the system must have been horrific!

The SRT swept all before it in its day (well apart from the Nikon crowd – who would though eventually succumb to Canon’s EOS almost 2 decades later) and it became the best ever seller for Minolta. The SRT would carry on until it was progressively phased out starting around 1977 but it would be 1983 before the SRT was eclipsed in sales volume by the X-700 which was microprocessor driven and made of plastic.
By the time of its retirement the SRT had been in production for 15 years. Few cameras ever had such a long production life.

So tell us about the camera…

Well the SRT spanned a fair chunk of time. From the very first SRT-101 to the last model being sold (the SRT-100X) is a span of 15 years. Across that time period many changes were made to the camera. Later models often featured extra features and some of the very late models started cutting down on features as the SRT was progressively downgraded to an entry level product. For the purposes of this article I’ll only talk about the SRT series in general terms. If you want specific information about each model then ‘The Rokkor Files’ is the best source on individual models.

So on to the SRT. It’s an extremely fine camera to work with and handles ‘right’. As mentioned it has open aperture metering so long as it has an MC or the later MD lens on it and it can of course use non-MC lenses in stop down metering. Its viewfinder is not up there with cameras made over a decade later but it’s perfectly good enough and better than most with a fine matte screen, an unobtrusive meter and a good field of view.

The SRT is of course, apart from its light meter, wholly mechanical and extremely reliable. Almost the entire camera is made of metal apart from one small gear wheel (the mirror kick gear) which is almost never a problem with the camera. It’s quite a heavy lump compared to later cameras bit it’s very solid and tough.

Minolta SRT with its top cover removed — Minolta SR-T 101 Review – An SRT with its top cover removed, almost entirely made of metal – its simple and tough.
This one has the earlier un-sculpted advance lever seen on later models.

The focus screens are rather good in them giving a bright and clear view but early ones do not have a split image viewfinder and rely on a micro-prism dot for focusing. Almost all models support shutter speeds from 1 second to 1000^th plus ‘B’ with the exception of an early budget model – the SRT-100.

The viewfinder in the original SRT-101 includes a shutter speed display, Minolta later added an aperture display to some models. Some very late models deleted both viewfinder displays.

As production moved on across 15 years numerous small changes were made. The most obvious from the outside is the loss of the FP synch for flash bulbs but later the AV Safety system was removed so the camera would meter constantly whether in stop down or open aperture – by the time these models launched there was less demand for backwards compatibility with older lenses. On the early versions the stop down/depth of field preview button locks into place which makes sense for convenience when metering. On later models with no AV safety the stop down/DoF is simply sprung.

SRT VF — *An SRT-101 Viewfinder. You match the circle with the meter needle and you’re good to go.*

SRT advance lever — *The later more sculpted advance lever. Many SRTs lose the tip due to rough handling.*

SRT film safe indicator — *The SRT-303b film safe indicator. It moves as you advance film so you know that the film is loaded correctly.*

As time marched on Minolta added a split focus finder and features like a film safe indicator on the 303b version which shows that film is transporting and also that the camera is loaded with film.

You could consider the SRT series to be the perfect all mechanical camera. There is not much to go wrong, almost any good repair tech can fix them and the camera can do pretty much everything you would ever want and of course it’s compatible with almost every single manual focus lens Minolta ever made.

Minolta made a dizzying number of model names for these and the same basic model might have three different names depending on its intended market. I’ll focus on a narrow selection of the more common SRT models though because a full listing would be a very long read indeed…

A quick word on the camera mount as this is often a source of confusion. The SR series used a bayonet mount known as the SR mount. The Minolta SRT refined this with the addition of the aperture indexing ring. The much later Minolta XD refined this further with a an additional lever which tells the camera what the lens minimum f stop is and this is referred to as an MD mount but the basic mechanics are all identical. The Minolta mount is often stated generically as an MC/MD mount. In fact they are all SR mounts and are all cross compatible though you dont get the advantage of extra features when using a plain SR mount lens on an MD equipped camera. The physical connection though remains identical in almost all cases. I say ‘almost’ there was a very early version of the SR mount on some SR2s which is not compatible but these are extremely rare.

SRT-101 – The Original (1966-1975)

The earliest SRT-101 has a slightly different trim to later ones. The most obvious difference is the very early ones have a black shutter speed dial. Later ones have a taller and easier to grip silver shutter speed dial. Internally they are near identical with only minor manufacturing changes. The SRT-101 had both Depth of Field (DoF) Preview and Mirror Lock Up (MLU) and supported both X and FP Synch for flash. The flash connection was by PC cord as the SRT-101 had only a cold shoe.
Very early SRT-101s had a significant bias to the CLC metering system. This was progressively softened after and around 1969. The downside of the original CLC system bias is when shooting in portrait mode one side of the frame can unduly influence the overall metering. To counter this Minolta reduced the bias factor.

The SRT-101 was most famously used by Eugene Smith to document the Minamata mercury poisoning industrial disaster and when you see the incredible work that he turned out there you come to see that you probably don’t need much more than an SRT-101.

The SRT-101 would be replaced by the SRT-101b which added a hot-shoe and a film memo holder together with a more refined and sculpted film advance lever.

Minolta SR-T 101 Review - Minolta SRT-101 — *Minolta SR-T 101 Review – A late model SRT-101 in black with its 58mm f1.4 MCII lens. The camera isn’t dressed without the 58mm f1.4 on it!*

SRT-303 – First Premium Version (1972-1975)

The SRT-303 is mechanically identical to the SRT-101 in almost all respects but added an aperture read-out to the viewfinder, a hot shoe and a split image viewfinder in most models – some early models of the 303 lack this. The SRT-303 also provide a multiple exposure facility whereby the film spool was locked in place which provided better registration of the film frames. It’s beautifully simple. When you press the rewind release the film take up spool is locked into position meaning the film stays where it was when the last shot was taken. When you rewind the film it doesn’t cause problems thanks to a simple clutch mechanism.

The film advance lever was also changed to be more ergonomic and this was carried over onto other cameras in the SRT line up over time.

The SRT-303 would be replaced by the SRT-303b model.

Minolta SR-T 101 Review - Minolta SRT-303 — Minolta SR-T 101 Review – An early version SRT-303. Some later ones omitted the Mirror Lock Up and some early ones omitted the split focus screen.
By the time of the SRT-303 the MC-X Series lenses had replaced the earlier MCII versions.

SRT-303b – Second Premium Version (1976-1977)

My personal favourite – the SRT-303b like the other SRTs is mechanically identical in most respects to the SRT-101 and the SRT-303 but removed the Mirror Lock Up. The SRT-303b added a film safe indicator which showed that film was transporting correctly and also acted as a warning that the camera was loaded. In addition the rear door was changed to hold a film memo holder.

As a note the SRT-303b sometimes DID have a mirror lock up fitted – this was probably down to Minolta using existing stock parts when the were changing over to the 303b. When dealing with the 303 and 303b models you really have to be sure what the camera has as there is some variance. Also the 303b is usually stated as appearing around 1976 but I have seen an authentic one that has a factory date of January 1975. Like most manufacturers Minolta may have been using part built 303s to fulfil the 303b orders. It wouldn’t be impossible as the internals of both cameras are near enough identical.

The ‘b’ versions of the 303 and the 101 started using plastic aperture rings around 1976 rather than the metal rings seen on earlier cameras. They are quite durable though and I have never seen a broken one yet. They do have an advantage over the metal versions which is they are more resistant to gumming up with dirt and grease than the earlier all metal rings.

Minolta SR-T 101 Review - Minolta SRT-303b — *Minolta SR-T 101 Review – The peak of the SRT Series – the SRT-303b this one with the MC-X Series 50mm f1.4 – one of the best 50mms from any manufacturer.*

SRT-100X – The Last One (1977-1981)

The final iteration of the SRT series was the budget level SRT-100X. Minolta removed the self timer, Mirror Lock Up, FP Synch, the shutter speed displays and the self timer BUT for all that it’s still a very capable camera and indeed some serious photographers prefer it for its uncluttered display and simplicity. Internally it’s still metal through and through but with a lot less of the internal foams which is a blessing (see later). Very late on, almost at the end of production, Minolta removed the twin meter cells and the CLC logo on the front of the camera disappeared, the twin cells were replaced with a single meter cell with an averaged meter pattern.

Minolta SR-T 101 Review - Minolta SRT-100X — Minolta SR-T 101 Review – End of the line, the somewhat stripped down SRT-100X but still a great camera to use. This one with an MDII lens which was standard when these were introduced – the MDII lenses were built for the top end Minolta XD.

Buying an SRT today – what’s the risks?

Well any of the SRTs are probably the last bargain on the classic film counter shelf. More capable and less expensive than the Pentax K1000 and most of its contemporaries and they are generally solid performers but – their reputation for reliability is something of a two-edged sword. The SRT contains a great many internal foams and these are almost always decaying into a poor state inside the camera. Left untreated these will eventually cause problems. I created an article that shows what happens inside an SRT a few months back HERE but it’s worth showing some pics again. The hazard is people will often claim the camera is mint and runs ok, externally it might well look clean, wind on and go click but internally things can look very different. Likewise its performance can be suspect unless tested on a shutter tester although to be fair thats common with almost any old camera.

Decaying foam inside an SRT Camera — *Minolta SR-T 101 Review – The curse of most SRT models, decaying interior foam – the SRT has many foam pads inside – as these rot they can (and do) gum stuff up as well as acid etch parts.*

Rotting foam inside an SRT — Minolta SR-T 101 Review – More rotting foam in an SRT – to get this out requires a strip down. You can see it’s breaking up and spreading all over the mirror. Left alone it will do damage eventually.

The other hazard of the SRT are its meter cells. Even back in the day these could be troublesome but to be fair the SRT is no bigger a risk in this respect than almost any other classic camera using CdS cells. Replacements are impossible as the cells required have been out of production for many years. Very late SRT models like the SRT-100X tend to suffer less from this as the cells are potentially 10-15 years younger. As the cells die the meter will be less and less reliable in low light situations. Typically they will start to fail below EV8 which is quite dim but they will get progressively worse.

As mentioned most SRTs will run slow on their shutters unless serviced but that’s no different to almost any classic camera most of which will exhibit less than optimal performance unless serviced. With an SRT the surest sign of the lubrication failing is when the mirror fails to return to its down position at slow shutter speeds.

Most copies are nowhere near as smooth as they should be when purchased from places like eBay. The SRT is more reliant than some cameras on lubrication and few copies will have been properly serviced. This translates as a crunchy and cranky advance feel and a slow shutter. I have seen them as slow as 4 stops adrift due to poor lubrication. Lack of servicing affects almost all old cameras and even electronic cameras can suffer issues related to lubrication of their shutter systems.

On the plus side almost all of the major mechanics in the SRT series were interchangeable. The basic guts of the camera remained the same from the beginning to the end of production and given the long production life it means spares are relatively easy to find and most spares are interchangeable between different models. From a servicing point of view they are easy cameras to deal with and the fact that so many of them are running at all is a testament to the quality of the construction. The SRT series was built to a quality thats unimaginable today. The most common external fault is that the early ones have a relatively weak plastic tip on their advance levers. These can easily be sheared off by improper or overly rough handling.

The SRT was designed to run on mercury cells – these are no longer available. The easiest way to power them today is vis a zinc air hearing aid battery (Type 675) using an adaptor. You can’t simply use a 1.5 volt battery and adjust for error as the meter performance is logarithmic not linear. People do promote a modification using a diode but this also will cause meter readings to be in error thanks to the SRT’s non linear response. Frankly with 675 batteries being cheap as chips it seems pointless to seek more complex and expensive solutions.

Minolta SR-T 101 Review – In a nutshell…

The SRT is a genuine classic from the golden age of film cameras. Ground breaking and a marvel in its day (Minolta sold millions of them) and still an incredibly good camera to use today when in a serviced condition. The SR mount gives the SRT series access to almost every Minolta lens ever made and Minolta were among the top tier of lens makers – some of their glass is the best of its kind.

Sample Picture from an SRT-303 — *The Pigeon Man – Shot with a Minolta SRT-303b and 35mm f2.8 MC-X lens using Ilford HP5.*

Sample pictures — *Medieval Bridge – shot with an SRT-101 and 28mm MD Rokkor with yellow filter and using Ilford FP4.*

The SRT models are relatively inexpensive to buy and have serviced and are solidly made. A fully serviced one from High 5 Cameras can be had for just under £200 with a beautiful lens – not so much money really for a good as new camera that will easily last another 20-30 years.

It’s an easy to live with, robust and a faithful friend in your photographic endeavours. As mentioned earlier Eugene Smith used an SRT-101 for his work at Minamata and when you have seen his pics you realise just what an SRT-101 can do in the hands of a skilled photographer but it will also perform well from a technical standpoint in the hands of almost anyone. Simple and endearing its a camera which does what it says on the tin and gets the job done with no fuss. If you get an SRT the most impressive lens, and no SRT is truly dressed without one, is the 58mm f1.4 PF. It’s a lens with a character all of its own. A good one will render superbly in black and white. If colour is your thing get the later MC-X 50mmf 1.4 PG for it’s superb sharpness and beautiful warm colors.

I have shot a great range of cameras and have owned many of them including Nikon, Canon, Olympus and Pentax. I have chosen to keep 2x SRTs as my main shooters. That should tell you something. They just work – and I am never so happy as when using one for the simplicity and reliability.

Repair Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8 Non AI Lens

Repair Nikkor-S 35mm :- A short guide to servicing the Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8 Lens.

Nikon has been making the 35mm f2.8 lens since around 1959. The first version was around from 1959 to 1962 and was called the Nikkor-S. The original lens had 7 elements in 5 groups and is easily recognised as its focal length on the beauty ring is in cm rather than mm and reads 3.5cm. The mount type is Nikon F Non-AI.

The slightly revised version from 1962 to 1974 has 7 elements in 6 groups and is easily identified by its focal length being in mm as shown on its beauty ring. Mount types for these are Nikon F and non-AI but some versions would have been converted to AI either by the factory or aftermarket technicians.

Nikon produced many different versions of this lens but across its lifespan there are only 4 optical variations. This guide covers the 1962-1974 versions but the earlier version will be nearly identical. This particular lens bears the Nippon Kogaku name rather than Nikons and thats a reasonable indication that the lens is a very early version and probably dates from 1962-1964. Nikon dropped the Nippon Kogaku name around 1966 although some lenses still bore the NK markings until the 1970s. This lens proved out to be somewhat different to the lens shown in Richard Haws guide to this model of lens.

It should be noted that Nikon struggled with 35mm SLR lenses in the early period and lenses from this era can show a lot of internal messing about with additional holes, slots and scriber markings all done by the factory as Nikon tried to get to grips with the design and production.

The lens was acquired in very poor condition and had a very loose focus due to the focus helicoils having dried and vaporised grease but a very tight aperture control ring due to old grease going solid.

NOTES:- REPAIR NIKKOR-S 35mm f2.8
The Nikkor-S 35mm is a relatively easy lens to work on for the most part but like many vintage lenses it has its foibles. It is absolutely critical with this lens that you mark the helicoils for infinity focus and separation points. Failure to do so will result in a lot of issues during reassembly.

The internal construction is very solid but it does have its oddities compared to some other manufacturers. Some of this no doubt as result of Nikon struggling with the demands of early 35mm SLR cameras.

You will absolutely need a good set of screwdrivers for this lens that are correctly sized. Attempting this repair with amateur tools will result in problems. I would recommend the pro-set of screw drivers from Polar Bear Camera together with the special Nikon driver for removing Nikon slotted screws on the lens mount if the lens has slotted screws.

Screws on Nikon lenses are typically hard to deal with, Nikon used a lot of thread lock and lacquer on the screws. You will need Isoprop and Acetone to remove these or use the tip of a soldering iron to head the screw head which will weaken the thread lock.

Bear in mind also that this lens is composed of a lot of quite soft alloys. When refitting screws apply no more force than you can exert between thumb and forefinger on the screwdriver and replace using thread-lock. Right let’s repair Nikkor-S 35mm lenses.

Nikkor-S 35mm NAI Lens – Stripping Down

Set the lens to infinity. As you work on the lens at the initial stages make sure that the infinity position is retained. Like many old lenses you will most likely find the lens comes to infinity just at the start of the infinity mark and focuses slightly past infinity.

This is quite common – the manufacturers built in an allowance for glass expansion.

Nikkor-S 35mm lens repair - the focus barrel

The focus barrel will now pull free from the lens. It may need a little twist to remove it. This particular lens had hardened dried grease behind the focus barrel making it harder than expected to extract.

If you twist it try to reestablish where infinity focus was by aligning the screw holes in the focus barrel with the main body of the lens.

Nikkor-S 35mm lens repair - the front optic

Use a lens spanner to remove the front optical unit. This will have slots to extract this.

Here is the front optical group removed from the lens.

Nikkor-S 35mm lens repair - the front barrel

Remove this set-screw from the front barrel/filter ring.

The front barrel unscrews from the lens. This is one of the unusual features of this lens. Almost all parts are screwed together rather than simple press fit with retaining screws.

Make a note as you unscrew the barrel that there will be a dimple which the set-screw was located to.

The front barrel/filter ring has now been removed. You can see the location of the small dimple as indicated where the front barrel set screw located.

Nikkor-S 35mm lens repair - removing the mount plate

Remove the screws at the rear of the lens thats secure the mount plate. These are almost always hard to extract. Nikon will have used a lot of thread-lock here but you can use acetone CAREFULLY or the top if a soldering iron on these screws. A correctly sized screwdriver is essential here – we strongly recommend the specialised driver tip sold by Polar Bear Cameras to avoid chewing the screw heads up.

As the mount plate comes away take note of the forks on the rear of the mount plate and how they locate to the small tab on the lens diaphragm assembly.

There is no value in disassembling the mount assembly. If you are forced to do it for any reason beware – there are an awful lot of ball bearings which provide the aperture stop down mechanism with a frictionless feel.

Nikkor 35mm f2.8 - Removing the lens core

Depending on the lens there may be screws retaining the core of the lens comprising the diaphragm and rear group assembly. It is possible these are absent. Older Nikon lenses are quite often slightly different internally and often show signs of extra drilling or cutting done by the factory.

If screws are present to retain the lens core assembly remove them.

This lens lacked the retaining screws and instead simply had a locating screw that aligned with a slot. The lens core can simple be pulled free.

The whole assembly is simply held in place by the front optical unit on this lens.

Here is the core part of the lens removed. It shows no grub screw fixing points so I imagine the factory had simply not fitted them for some reason.

The core part contains the diaphragm assembly and the rear optical group.

Nikkor 35mm f2.8 - Removing the barrel trim

Measure the gap between the index barrel and the aperture control ring. I normally use the tip of a screwdriver to gauge the distance and make a note.

Remove this screw from the index barrel and remove.

The index barrel will simply pull free from the lens body. It may be a bit stiff due to dirt being trapped underneath.

Scribe a small mark as to where the aperture ring is fitted. This will be useful later to establish its position.

Nikkor S 35mm - removing the aperture ring

Remove this screw from the aperture ring. This screw locates to the aperture ring inside the lens which controls the aperture. You will see this in the next few steps.

The aperture ring unscrews from the lens body, unlike many lenses it does not simply pull free. You may find it is very stiff in its threads.

With the lens still at infinity from the start of the work. The inner helicoil is scribed along the stop plate to indicate its infinity position – the red dotted line indicates where to mark as the scribe mark doesn’t show well on a photograph.
Also create a mark on both the inner and helicoil to show where infinity was reached.

Marking the infinity position is really critical.

Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8 NAI -measuring the helicoil gaps

With the inner helicoil marked the outer helicoil position has to be checked. You can do this by marking the barrel and the inner helicoil with a mark indicating infinity. Also measure the gap between the outer helicoil and the lens body.

NOTE THE ORIENTATION OF THE HELICOIL KEY

With the focusing helicoils marked up and measured its time to remove them from the lens. You will need to remove the two screws that retain the helicoil key.

These can be very tough to extract and usually you will need to be able to apply some heat using the tip of a soldering iron. You need to be careful as the key itself is sometimes plastic.

With the helicoil key retaining screws removed wind the lens focus out using the outer helicoil and extract the key from inside the lens body.

With the helicoil key removed simply unscrew the outer helicoil but make sure you mark the point at which the helicoil separates.
I usually mark each helicoil with a > and < to indicate the point at which the thread separated. It’s essential with this lens to get the right thread entry points to avoid headaches during rebuild.

Nikkor 35mm f2.8 NAI focus helicoil seperation

With the outer helicoil out of the body remove the stop plate on top of the outer helicoil.

With the stop plate removed the inner helicoil can be unscrewed. Once again make sure you mark the helicoils with the separation point.

Nikkor 35mm f2.8 NAI aperture inner ring removal

The internal aperture control actuator is retained by a thread.

Mark the internal aperture ring position inside the lens body

This ring can now be unscrewed and its threads cleaned.

Nikkor 35mm f2.8 NAI aperture inner ring

Heres the aperture control actuator now removed from the lens body.

Repair Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8 NAI Lens – Cleaning

Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8 NAI Lens disassembled

With the lens disassembled it’s time to clean all of the barrel parts. For this lens the optics were as clean as they could be so there was little point disassembling the optics. Richard Haws has a guide if you want to go that far into the lens. Generally unless you have fungus to deal with its best to leave sealed optical assemblies alone.

For cleaning you will need a soft toothbrush, cotton wool balls and Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) and a lot of patience. I generally clean down with hot soapy water first and then soak the helicoils in IPA for a few hours before wiping down with cotton wool. The threads on the helicoils are extremely fine and the smallest piece of grit or dried grease will cause problems later on. Usually these are chased out with a fine needle and/or a cocktail stick before cleaning again.

My own view on cleaning is to get the parts absolutely spotless prior to reassembly to give the lens the longest life before any further servicing is needed.

Normally when I rebuild a lens I will strip and clean EVERYTHING. The lens mount assembly can be flushed with IPA, all of the barrel components such as the aperture control ring, filter ring and focus barrel will be thoroughly cleaned. Index marks with their numbers can be scrubbed with a soft toothbrush to remove dirt and grime.

General note on lubrication: Normally on lenses I use Helimax XP as a general purpose helicoil grease. Helimax XP is readily available and works well for most lenses. On this lens though I am using Polar Bear BC-13A which is a substitute for Nikons own grease which is no longer available. Getting the dosing right for lenses is often hit and miss so you are advised to get a feel as you re-assemble the lens at each step. To get a feel you really need the focus barrel back in place and this can be readily refitted when the helicoils are assembled to check for feel. Too much grease will make the lens focus throw very stiff. Too little with make the lens focus throw feel too light.

Repair Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8 NAI Lens – Replacing the Aperture Ring Assembly

Nikkor S 35mm lens service - replacing the internal aperture ring

The inner aperture ring is given a light lubrication using Polar Bear Camera Grease (Type BC-13A).

Lubrication needs to be very light here.

Nikkor S 35mm Servicing - the internal aperture ring

And now the internal aperture control ring is replaced. Positioning of this ring is critical and the following images will show you how this needs to be aligned.

Apply a light coat of lubricant (this is the same BC-13A lubricant) to the aperture ring threads. Note the small metal tab which provides the click stops for the aperture ring. If the aperture stops are not ‘clicky’ enough you can gently bend the tab out slightly to give a more positive click.

Nikkor S 35mm repair - the aperture ring

Replace the aperture ring after giving the rings threads and detents for the click stops a light dose of lubrication using the BC-13A grease.

This screws on and may be very tight at the start of the thread as the tab which provides the click stops may be pressing against it.

Here the silver barrel ring with the index scale has been applied so that the gap between the aperture ring and the barrel index can be checked and adjusted if need be.

The aperture ring needs to align well with the index ring barrel without too much gap but it also needs to align with the inner ring which will be next to check.

The aperture ring needs to align so that the small screw on the outside of the aperture ring fits between the slot in the body and the small slot on the internal aperture ring.

I use a cocktail stick to get alignment correct.

Replace the screw in the aperture ring. Do not tighten this down just yet. You may need to make changes.

Once you are happy you can tighten but be careful – the threads in the aperture ring are very fine and the ring is a light alloy – you can strip threads easily here so go careful. At the end of the process return and apply some thread-lock to this screw.

With the aperture ring assembly done check that the ring moves easily with the required click as it runs through its stops.

Repair Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8 NAI Lens – Replacing the Focus Helicoils

Replace the helicoil key into position making sure it is orientated correctly.

Nikkor-S 35mm - Outer helicoil lubrication

The outer helicoil is now lubricated using a sable brush to apply some lubricant. For this lens I am using the same BC-13A lubricant which will give a very light feel. If you prefer a stiffer feel then Helimax XP is a suitable alternative.

You should add a very thin layer of grease to the receiving threads on the lens body as well. Wipe off any excess.

The outer helicoil is now replaced. You can see in his picture the thread entry point markings of > and < together with the line which indicates infinity focus position. The gap between the helicoil and the lens body is also checked to confirm positioning is correct.

The inner helicoil is now lubricated using the same BC-13A grease as before. Dont over apply the grease as it will cause the focus to be excessively stiff. Getting the ‘feel’ right can take a bit of time but comes with practice.

Add some grease to the receiving threads in the outer helicoil and wipe off any excess

The inner helicoil is now replaced using the same approach as the outer helicoil – eg using the thread entry point marks and a mark to indicate infinity. These don’t show well in photographs. The scribe mark along the stop plate is checked to confirm positioning.

The helicoil key retaining screws are now replaced. If all of the alignments are correct with respect to the helicoils the screw holes for the key will be in a perfect position.

Replace the stop block onto the outer helicoil. Be careful it has a top and bottom side. The top side has a rebate to allow the screws to be flush.

As a note this is good practice for tightening screws inside lenses. You need no more force than you can apply using thumb and forefinger – this will avoid stripped screws threads which are often in thin and light alloys.

Now you can repair Nikkor-s 35mm lenses it’s time to start remounting the optical parts – Before you do you should quickly test the focus throw by turning the outer helicoil.

If all is correct the lens helicoils will move smoothly and will impact the stop block at infinity AND at minimum focus distance.

Repair Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8 NAI Lens – Replacing the Rear Optical Assembly

Inserting the diaphragm and rear optical unit

Insert the diaphragm and rear optical element core part of the lens – note that the screw at the base of the diaphragm unit must engage with the forks of the inner aperture control ring – see below.

Engaging the lens core with the aperture control forks

You can see in this picture that the small screw on the rear of the diaphragm assembly has located correctly between the forks of the inner aperture control ring.

The screw has located correctly into the aperture control forks but the screw to the top is out of line – thats not an issue – simply rotate the lens core with the diaphragm until it aligns and then push down – see below.

The diaphragm and lens core are now seated correctly.

If the core did have retaining screws (this one didn’t) replace them now.

Repair Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8 NAI Lens – Replacing the Lens Mount, Sleeve and Filter Ring

Replace the lens mount make sure the forks on the lens mount locate over the small tab on the rear of the diaphragm.

A handy tip here is to set the aperture ring to f16 and then rotate the lens mount around, watch the diaphragm as you rotate the lens mount. At the correct position the diaphragm will close to f16 and the screw holes will be correctly located.

Replace the screws but do not over-tighten in case you need to re-do the lens.

Replace the index sleeve and secure with the three small screws. You will need to locate the holes in the lens body.

Normally I only apply a single screw until I am happy that the lens is fully working after a test.

Nikkor S 35mm replacing the filter ring and front barrel

Replace the filter ring barrel, this screws on. Screw it down until the screw-hole is positioned above the small dimple in the inner helicoil.

Replace the small setscrew.

Repair Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8 NAI Lens – Replacing the Front Optical Assembly and Focus Barrel

Replace the front optical unit…

…and tighten down with a lens spanner.

On this lens the only thing holding the entire optical and diaphragm assembly in place is the front optical block. Ensure this is suitably secure but do not over-tighten.

The Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8 lens after servicing

With the lens fully rebuilt check that infinity focus is correct, that the focus throw runs from infinity to minimum distance smoothly and that the aperture control and stop down are all working correctly.

Once you are happy replace any screws – if like me you left a few out pending testing – and then tighten all screws using a small dab of thread-lock .

Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8 NAI Lens – Outcome

After rebuilding the lens and it operated perfectly well. There was a small issue which showed up in the focus throw. This was being caused by the front filter ring being slightly distorted. I suspected a drop at some point in the past. A small amount of pressing out the ring to a more perfect shape resolved this issue.

This version Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8 is quite an old unit as attested to by the Nippon Kogaku name on the front of the lens and as a result its coatings are primitive compared to a modern lens, or even a later Nikon. For shooting with, it will need to be carefully handled and used with a lens hood to avoid ghosting and flare.

I hope you will find this article of use in your own lens repair and servicing. While you are waiting for Isoprop to release the nasty Nikon threadlock why not have a read of our review of the Nikon F

Why Buy From Us

Why buy from us: – Almost all of our cameras are fully serviced. We don’t just give the camera a wipe, and fit new light seals and call it serviced. Each of our premium cameras is completely stripped to remove old foam, any signs of corrosion and replace any worn parts with fresh factory spares. Quite frequently we will replace old leather with factory spares stocks to give the camera a ‘new’ feel.

The cameras are then tested on our professional grade testing gear and retuned to the original factory specification to guarantee a long life and precise performance.

Shutter speed testing on our ZTS V tester — Shutter speeds assessed and tuned using our professional grade ZTS V shutter tester.

Lens collimator — Camera and lens checked for film plane accuracy and lens infinity focus on our professional collimator.

Almost all film cameras from the golden age are now around 50 years old and while the manufacturers did an a amazing job, the fact is, many of these cameras have large amounts of internal foam which is decaying. Plus their lubricants are almost always dried out giving poor performance. In addition, no matter how carefully stored, they can suffer corrosion from either the breakdown of the interior seals or age related corrosion. Lenses, likewise can suffer dried out lubrication making their focus stiff or sloppy. We almost always rebuild lenses to use modern lubricants which will reduce the risk of oil vapour and give the lens a long running life.

Decaying foam inside a classic camera — No matter how shiny on the outside old cameras are usually full of decaying foam.

Camera internal cleaning — Our premium cameras are always fully serviced – which means full disassembly to remove old foam and corrosion.

Camera lubrication — We always clean and re-lubricate the shutter mechanism to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Lens strip, clean and re-lubricate — We strip and rebuild lenses to ensure glass surfaces are clean and the focus helicoils are lubricated to give precise and smooth focus.

We take pains to make sure our cameras will operate perfectly and will most likely last another 50 years though we recommend periodic servicing to maintain the cameras accuracy.

The pictures above show some of our work and below we show a walk through of an average service to show you how much work we put into our cameras to make sure you get the very best.

We want people to enjoy classic film cameras and to have a real pride and joy of ownership with a trouble free camera. Our average is most peoples excellent because we love what we do, maybe that’s why you should buy from us.

Have a look through the servicing we do so you can be sure you really are buying the very best there is – you can’t buy a new film camera today but you can be assured that one of ours is the closest you can come to a new film camera experience.

A TYPICAL SERVICE ROUTINE…

Camera servicing at High5cameras - Top cover comes off — Camera gets it top cover removed for initial checks

Initial shutter speed testing — Camera gets an initial test to assess its shutter.

Camera strip down — Start of a strip down of the camera.

Old internal seals are failing throughout.

Old seals cleaned out and replaced with fresh seals.

Mirror cleaning - this one is filthy — This one had a very dirty mirror – the mirror will come out for cleaning.

Mirror after cleaning — After cleaning the mirror is now perfect.

Shutter rollers are cleaned and re-lubricated.

Shutter charging gear is cleaned and lubricated.

Slow speed escapement cleaned and refitted.

Camera mount ring assembly removed for cleaning.

Focus screen assembly removed for cleaning.

Base of camera cleaned out and charge gear lubricated.

Reassembled for testing — Camera roughly re-assembled for testing.

Shutter test and tuning — Camera shutter is tuned to manufacturer specifications.

Meter check with calibrated light source — Camera meter is tuned using a calibrated light source.

Lens stripped and rebuilt — The supplied lens is stripped , cleaned and rebuilt.

Lens cleaned, checked infinity collimated and ready fo camera. — Lens cleaned, checked ,infinity collimated and ready for camera.

Frame spacing and advance feel checks. — Checking for accurate frame spacing and advance feel.

Viewfinder optical block cleaned and checked.

External hardware cleaned and re-assembled.

Why Buy From Us – Final test and camera is ready for sale.

SERVICING REALLY DOES PAY OFF…

The service pictures are only a very brief overview of what goes on. A typical service for one of our cameras takes around 8-12 hours and we wont ever sell a camera we dont have complete confidence in. If you want to see a complete service from start to finish then we have service guide tutorials available for sale which walk through each step of the servicing.

Here are some before and after pictures – the before pictures were typical of cameras purchased from both eBay and some dealers stated as working. You can see that although these may ‘work’ in the sense that they wind on and go click, the overall experience will be very sub-optimal. What we can’t show in the pictures is the poor overall feel of an unserviced camera…

BEFORE - Crumbly mirror bumper and internal seals around focus screen. — BEFORE – Crumbly mirror bumper and internal seals around focus screen.

AFTER - Internal seals replaced and a fresh mirror bumper plus mirror and prism screen cleaning. — AFTER – Internal seals replaced and a fresh mirror bumper plus mirror and prism screen cleaning.

BEFORE - Focus screen filthy, fragments of old foam, filthy mirror, viewfinder optic, prism and focus screen. — BEFORE – Focus screen filthy, fragments of old foam, filthy mirror, viewfinder optic, prism and focus screen.

AFTER - Full servicing and cleaning of all optical parts. — AFTER – Full servicing and cleaning of all optical parts.

BEFORE - 1000th is verging on the slow end of 500th, curtains show a 7% deviation against a maximum allowable of 5% - The camera will return poor results with an average stop error of 1.5 stops and is inconsistent. — BEFORE – 1000th is verging on the slow end of 500th, curtains show a 7% deviation against a maximum allowable of 5% – The camera will return poor results with an average stop error of 1.5 stops and is inconsistent.

AFTER - After proper lubrication and adjustment the camera now shoots at exactly 1000th as per teh manufacturer specification and consistent. Curtain deviation is at 2% well inside the 5% allowable. — AFTER – After proper lubrication and adjustment the camera now shoots at exactly 1000th as per the manufacturer specification and is consistent. Curtain deviation is at 2% is well inside the 5% allowable.

WE DONT JUST SELL CAMERAS…

We don’t just sell film cameras, we use them too and many of our stock cameras are used by us – that’s how much confidence we have in them! We are happy to use them as our own cameras. That’s why you will see some cameras as film tested – we have actually shot live film in them for our own photography.

Some samples of our photography using cameras we have serviced are below…

SAMPLE SHOT - One of our XG-Ms (now sold) shooting a 50mm and expired Fuji 400 converted to black and white. — SAMPLE SHOT – One of our XG-Ms (now sold) shooting a 50mm and expired Fuji 400 converted to black and white.

SAMPLE SHOT - One of our X-300s (Now Sold) shooting Expired Fuji 400 converted to black and white with a 28mm lens. — SAMPLE SHOT – One of our X-300s (Now Sold) shooting Expired Fuji 400 converted to black and white with a 28mm lens.

SAMPLE SHOT - One of our X-700s (Now Sold) shooting Fuji 400 with a 35mm lens. — SAMPLE SHOT – One of our X-700s (now sold) shooting Fuji 400 with a 35mm lens.

SAMPLE SHOT - One of our SRT-101s (Now Sold) shooting FP4 with a 35mm lens and yellow filter. — SAMPLE SHOT – One of our SRT-101s (now sold) shooting FP4 with a 35mm lens and yellow filter.

SAMPLE SHOT - One of our XD7s (now sold) shooting a 50mm and Ilford HP5 with a red filter. — SAMPLE SHOT – One of our XD7s (now sold) shooting a 50mm and Ilford HP5 with a red filter.

SAMPLE SHOT - One of our MXs (now sold) shooting a 50mm and Ilford XP2 — SAMPLE SHOT – One of our MXs (now sold) shooting a 50mm and Ilford XP2.

Check out our cameras with confidence now

Mel

Mel is one of the driving forces behind High 5 Cameras and writes all our articles.

www.high5cameras.com

Posted on March 29, 2025June 16, 2026 by Mel — Leave a comment

Nikon FTn Finder – Servicing & Foam Removal

The Nikon FTn finder in common with a lot of cameras from the golden age of film cameras contains a fair amount of foam. Like the Olympus OM-1, the Canon FTb and many others the foam around the prism slowly degrades. When it does the foam turns into a toxic goop that will de-silver the prism and ruin it. While other cameras have the same issue the Nikon FtN finder is complicated by the fact that the prism itself is quite a complex piece and spares are hard to find.

In this easy, step by step guide, I’ll show you how to take the FTn finder to pieces and avert disaster with your Nikon – left to itself the internal foam WILL eventually destroy your prism.

Notes on working on the FTn Finder
As ever Nikon have a love affair with thread-lock. You may come across screws that wont shift. As ever a dose of Isoprop will usually get them moving but you also need correctly sized screwdrivers. Be careful of using Acetone during any disassembly work, remember there are optical parts inside that can be damaged easily.

The work is not hard but as ever with any finely engineered optical system you need extreme care. Take your time and exercise patience and care. The parts inside the FTn finder are almost irreplaceable so its as well not to rush in and wreck things.

Nikon FTn Finder – Stripping Down

Remove the leatherette from the Nikon FtN Finder

Make sure when the finder is off the camera the prism face on its base is kept safe. I normally use a soft lint free cloth underneath.

Apply some Isoprop to the edges of the leatherette to weaken the glue, you may need several doses. The leatherette can then be lifted at an edge using a fine scalpel and then slowly pulled back. Be careful not to tear it.

Below the leatherette you will find 4x screws that retain the FTn finder top cover. Remove these and slip the top cover away.

With the top cover removed you will see the variable resistors which trim the battery check and the meter functions.

Note the round cut-out to the side with the wires.

Note: this pic was taken during rebuild and tuning but it will look the same.

Slacken the screws on the finder and release the wires

Slacken the screws that retain the wires, do not remove the screws just loosen them enough to release the wires. Note that the left most screw retains a copper strip, slacken this screw as well and very carefully free the copper strip.

It’s not possible to separate the two halves of the FTn finder until these wires and the copper strip are released.

Remove the face plate screws from the finder.

Be careful as you remove the front plate from the finder not to damage the aperture tab. You may need a little bit of wriggle to free it.

The aperture mechanism on the FtN finder

With the front plate removed you can examine the aperture sensing mechanism of the FTn finder. Be careful not to disturb the small spring.

Often these are caked in grease and dirt. Use a soft brush lightly moistened with Isoprop to clean any debris away.

Turn the finder over and remove the four screws indicated.

Note that the screws at the rear of the finder are a different size to those at the front. The rear screws are slightly smaller in width.

With the screws removed the finder can be separated. Take care that the wires do not snag as you separate the two halves.

The top half contains the mechanics while the lower half contains the prism and electronics.

With the two halves of the finder separated watch out for 4x small washers located at the corners of the lower half. These are usually stuck down and will stay secure but you should be aware of them.

Note: This picture was taken during a later stage of the strip down as the original picture was not good.

Remove the prism retainer tab screw indicated and remove the retainer.

De-solder the brown wire running from the battery case to the circuit board.

Be very careful handling this circuit board. It’s an old school mica board and will crack very easily under any stress.

Remove the screw that retains the sprung metal part which retains the meter cells

Remove the screw indicated that retains the sprung metal part which retains the meter cells and extract the retainer.

Remove the circuit board retaining screw. This is the screw that was holding the copper strip when the wires were released earlier.

It was not removed earlier in case it slipped down inside the finder. Its far safer to remove now.

Removing the circuit board from the FtN finder

The circuit board can now be removed, exercise extreme care.

It is easiest to remove it by gently lifting the meter cells upwards out of their holders.

Watch out for small ND filters immediately under this board. These were used by the factory to balance the meter cells. Make a note of which side they come from as they are often different values.

Remove the second prism retainer screw and extract the retainer.

In this picture you can see the locations of where the ND filters were positioned – the two circular cut outs. None were present on this finder but they are often present and were used to balance the meter cells.

Remove the two screws indicated. These retain the meter cell platform. Once removed pull the platform free and remove it.

You will now be getting your first look at the state of the foam beneath.

The prism itself can now be carefully lifted out of the finder base.

Note that the prism contains various reflectors for the meter and shutter speed read-outs and also has two small prisms glued to its back for the meter cells. Be careful using chemicals around these as the balsam used to cement them may fail if exposed to chemicals like Isoprop.

Nikon FTn Finder – Cleaning and Foam Replacement

With the FTn finder stripped is now time to get to work cleaning and removing old foam. All of the external metal work is cleaned up and the interior blown clean of any old foam fragments which, in this one, had migrated everywhere. Check all parts carefully.

You can see in this finder the foam was in a very poor state. The prism needed serious attention as it was an ace away from the foam eating the silvering. Extreme care is needed as foam breakdown can affect the stability of the external paint on the prism.

Clean the prism carefully with a small amount of Isoprop just dabbed on to the old foam. Give the Isoprop 10-15 minutes and then gently wipe. Be very careful – on this prism the foam had started to degrade the external black paint. Go slowly and carefully.

The meter cell platform can be cleaned with Isoprop but keep chemicals away from the small lenses for the meter cells.

These foam pads around the viewfinder area had also badly disintegrated so needed to be cleaned off. Some Isoprop removed them easily.

To get the right width of the replacement pads I have replaced the meter cell platform and am adding a slight score line so I know where the pads are supposed to end.

Fresh 1.5mm thick foam pads have now been added. These are cut from Japan Hobby Tools stock open cell 1.5mm foam.

The meter cell platform is given a strip of 1.5mm open cell foam. Getting it to run correctly with the twists and turns was a challenge.

I wanted to use felt but the felt stock I had was just not thick enough or compress-able enough when layered. This foam will last another 15-20 years!

Clean the small reflector mirror if needed. DO NOT USE CHEMICALS – like the main mirror this is a front silvered mirror. Use just breath and a gentle wipe with a cotton bud.

The top half of the finder contains the mechanics but also the carbon track which provides the variable resistance for the meter. These are a known source of trouble for the Nikon FtN meter head as the tracks can be worn away and there are no replacements.

Take note of the small brushes with the red dab of paint on them and avoid cleaning anywhere near these. They are very fragile.

The carbon track can be cleaned gently with a cotton bud and dilute Isoprop to remove dirt from the track. Go carefully here, the track can easily be damaged.

To avoid the very fine brushes turning the shutter speed control on the finder will cause the track to move backwards and forwards to allow access to each part of it.

Nikon FTn Finder – Assembly

During disassembly the eyepiece surround can fall out. Replace this in position and make sure it stays in place.

Clean all prism surfaces and replace the prism back into the lower half of the finder. Avoid chemicals especially around the joins for the meter and speed reflectors and the rear mirror for the meter cells.

Make sure it is seated correctly as it has a tendency to get caught and jam on its front against the finder lower part.

Replace the left side prism retainer and its screw. This needs to be held firmly against the prism but not so much pressure you risk damaging the prism.

Replace the meter cell platform using the 2x screws.

Don’t forget to replace the ND filter(s) in their original positions if they were present during strip down.

Replace the circuit board into position, make sure the meter cells locate correctly into their fixing points and then apply the retaining screw – dont tighten the screw – you will need to release it later.

Replace the sprung meter cell retaining part and refit the screw.

Solder the brown wire from the battery case to the circuit board.

Refit the right side prism retainer.

Replace the base to the top of the FtN finder

Replace the base of the finder onto the top half.

Replace the 4x screws – remember the smaller screws go to the rear, larger screws to the front.

Check and replace if necessary the foam pads either side of the viewfinder on the base of the finder.

These are often ok as they are easy to change and sloppy repair techs may change these even when they wont have stripped the finder to get at the foam inside.

These can be removed using a dab of Isoprop and replaced if necessary with 1.5mm open cell foam.

Fresh pads added here. Check the raised part as well for old foam contamination, the camera body has a foam pad which butts up here. Check that this is clean and has no glue residue. If it does make sure to replace the pad on the camera body.

Check the mechanics at the front of the finder are clean and apply a very thin smear of lithium grease to the slide slots as shown. This needs to be no more than a very thin film of grease.

Replace the front plate making sure that the slot for the aperture lever goes over the lever and does not foul on the lever.

Reconnect the wires and the copper strip to their terminals and tighten down. These dont have to be much more than hand tight.
REMEMBER the circuit board is very fragile.

Replace the finder on the camera for setting up the meter.

NOTE: You can be easily thrown here and think the finder is not mounted properly – this is because you are used to seeing the side of the finder fit flat to the camera body. With the top cover removed there is a sizeable gap between the sides of the finder and the camera body.

Nikon have a typically awkward set-up procedure in their service manual for adjustment and few people will have access to a calibrated light source. Generally you will need to compare the meter with a known good camera.

Unless these have been messed about with they will most likely be correct and are best left alone.

See the section at the end for calibration settings.

Replace the top cover and secure with the 4x screws.

Replace the leatherette using a good quality gum rubber or contact cement. Pliobond is the best for this kind of work.

Nikon FTn Finder – Calibration

Nikon advise a rather complicated method for calibrating the meter. In part this is driven by having to set the resistance for each of the CdS cells using an external resistor to balance the cells. While this procedure is useful should you change cells it’s of little value in simply determining the meters readings and adjusting for known light values.
A full technical description is given the Nikon FTn service guide which is available at learncamerarepair.com a simplified approach is given below based on light value.

The examples given are from a known good FtN finder using a 50mm f1.4 lens set at its mid point between f5.6 and f8.

Set the finders film speed at 100 ASA .

Using a calibrated light source the meter needle should centre at the following settings.

BATTERY CHECK – Assuming fresh batteries should be as shown in the picture with the needle to the left of the centre point. When the battery check moves the needle to the right of the centre the battery is exhausted.

Calibrated Source at EV14 – Shutter Speed 500th

Calibrated Source at EV11 – Shutter Speed 1/60th

Calibrated Source at EV8 – Shutter Speed 1/8th

The settings above were done using 2x SR44 1.5v batteries as I wanted the meter calibrated for 1.5v. I suspect the meter when new would have centred the needle at f5.6 exactly which would be the correct speed and aperture for the EV and would accord with other manufacturers specifications. However, I believe the meter cells have weakened somewhat and a small error was introduced by the use of 1.5v batteries rather than Zinc Air batteries of 1.35 volt which would be closer to the original battery specified using mercury cells.
The setting above have been used with live film and the meter was found to give perfect exposures.

If you do not have access to a calibrated light source your only option is to check the meter against a a known good camera over a range of lighting conditions. Most guides will tell you to use a grey card that is 18% percent off-white. I find that sort of advise not useful to most people who lack the facilities for a reliable off-white card and stable light conditions.

The best assessment is to compare with a known good camera using a similar lens and assess the camera over a range of lighting conditions and scenes. Don’t’t forget different manufacturers used different metering patterns but, so long as the scenes you assess are identical for each camera then you should be able to get close enough. If you find the meter is causing you to underexpose or overexpose then you can adjust later if need be.

Brief History of the Nikon FTn Finder

The Photomic FTN finder was the last finder developed for the Nikon F and launched in 1968. The FTn is considered the best finder for the iconic Nikon F body for it’s better handling and its ability to ‘automatically’ manage adjusting for the lens aperture range, albeit this was a bit of a fuss compared to Minolta. Minolta lenses automatically couple to the meter as soon as the lens is mounted where Nikon required the Nikon ‘Twist’ – Mount the lens then rotate the aperture ring from maximum to minimum to couple the meter.

The metering pattern was the same as the previous TN finder with a 60/40 centre weighted pattern which Nikon continued to use throughout most of their film cameras.

The FTn started shipping at F body serial number 690000 and continued until the end of F production in 1974.

The FTn was the first and last F Photomic to have shutter speeds visible in finder. More securely attached to the camera body than its predecessors, the FTN used a new front latch over the nameplate. It was released by a black plastic tipped lever on the finder’s left side, this was requested by users at the time as they felt the single latch at the rear was insufficient.

Bodies shipped after serial 690000 had a Nikon nameplate with square edges, the later FTn finder required a rounded off edge to allow it to fit. The nameplate is only secured by 2 screws so is easy to change if you can find one.

Nikon FTn advert 1969 — Nikon advert featuring the TN finder circa 1968 – when this advert launched the TN had already been replaced by the FTn!

Film Camera Service – A True Crime Story of What Lies Beneath

Film Camera Service – There exists within the classic film camera fraternity something of a mythology about Japanese cameras being ultra-reliable. They will ‘oohh’ and ‘aahh’ about how their 40-50 year old camera still works. The truth is they are often unaware that, while these things were made to a quality that no manufacturer outside of aerospace or military application would attempt today, they were made with the technology available at the time. Part of this technology included organic lubricants which tend to vaporize and dry out over time and worse they used foam, A LOT!

WARNING! This article is unsuitable for those inclined to suffer camera hypochondria by proxy or have a nervous disposition. Viewer discretion is advised.

Now most film camera folk will be aware that light-seals and mirror bumpers tend to degrade but are usually blissfully ignorant of the fact that very often these cameras contain a lot of foam and rubber seals internally which just like the light-seals decay – this is what lies beneath the skin of many classic cameras and it’s a real problem. The internal seals are often close to precision mechanics – as the inner seals decay they tend to scatter fragments of foam and general goop into mechanisms which should be clean, and indeed, must be clean for the camera to work properly.

Lets take a look at what lies beneath two popular cameras in two cases of real life camera crime.

Pentax ME Super – Femme Fatale

First up is what is probably the worst camera of the lot that I have dealt with which is the Pentax ME Super. Something of a femme fatale – the ME Super is claimed by Pentax fans to be much loved but like any film noir vamp the interior of the ME Super is usually corrupted. Pentax fans claim it’s love but to me it seems more like lust – as soon as issues appear they discard the camera – rather like the private eye will dump the bad girl/temptress in a classic noir movie.

The ME Super contains a lot of internal foam seals plus rubber parts which are almost always in a poor state. Some of these are responsible for the strange case of the endless wind on for the camera – and wind up for its owner.
When I say a lot of foam I mean it – around 18 foam seals not including the mirror bumper or light seals plus an additional six rubber parts which decay. Three of those rubber parts will eventually cause the camera to suffer the famous ‘double wind’ issue where the camera will wind on repeatedly without ever charging the shutter. Two will cause the camera shutter speeds to degrade and slow down and the final one, the air piston buffer, will generally not cause an issue which is of small consolation when the camera fails entirely due to the other five rubber parts failing.

Film Camera Service - Pentax ME Super Mirror Box Washers — The dreaded mirror box rubber washers – you can see the one to the far right is disintegrating. Trouble in store.

Film Camera Service - Pentax ME Super - Rubber stops degrading in the shutter mechanism. — The small rubber stops in the shutter – these degrade and slow the shutter down.

Film Camera Service - Pentax ME Super - Mirror Air Piston — The air piston for the mirror. This one has had a brand new washer fitted.

With the ME Super it’s not just the quantity of the seals it’s the size of the largest one and the proximity of many of these seals to the very sensitive shutter. The ME Super uses a vertical metal bladed shutter and like all vertical shutters it needs to be clean for fast operation. One bit of decayed light seal in the works can really mess things up but the real culprits will usually be the two rubber bumpers inside the shutter which almost always decay into glue. As if that’s not all bad enough the focus screen arrangement on an ME Super uses three seals, all of which are in close proximity to either the focus screen or the prism. Scattered pieces of foam on the top of the screen are impossible to remove without taking the prism out which is no easy job on the Pentax ME and one of the seals is in direct contact with the prism creating a risk of prism de-silvering.

Film Camera Service - Pentax ME Super internal foam block — The really large internal seal. This one was breaking down badly.

Film Camera Service - Pentax ME Super - Seal to the rear of the mirror box — Rear of the mirror box. The seal has almost entirely failed.

Film Camera Service - Pentax ME Super - Seal around focus screen carrier — The focus screen carrier seal busy scattering fragments while eating the brass carrier.

Film Camera Service - Pentax ME Super prism seal — The prism seal/bumper. Its just waiting to eat the prism silvering.

Film Camera Service - Pentax ME Super - seal material on edge of shutter mechanism — It’s not just the big seals – its the small ones too ! This is one of the shutter seals.

Film Camera Service - Pentax ME Super - Internal Seals — The seal over the LED array – spreading dirt onto the focus screen.

Like most cameras which make extensive use of foam the internal seals on the Pentax ME Super require a full on service to replace them which usually involves a near complete strip down of the camera to its major components. The pictures give you some idea what’s happening inside the average Pentax ME Super. The camera may work now but ultimately it will become another victim of foam decay crime. Pentax owners often tell you how much they love the ME Super – few of them seem to love it enough to want to spend money having it serviced or buying one thats had a complete rebuild.

Pentax ME Super undergoing servicing — Film Camera Service – One of our Pentax ME Supers starting its new life. Start of the strip down to get it ready for fresh foam and rubber seals, lubrication and finally testing and calibration to the manufacturers original specification.

Now, its fair to say that a full on service for the Pentax ME Super is never going to be cheap. At least in the mindset of most modern film users. To be fair I had one tell me recently he couldn’t afford to pay for a service manual costing around £3! Less than a cup of coffee. I’d suggest in his case he picks up a cheaper hobby. A full blown service for the Pentax ME is quite a bit of work but its still cheaper than a plumber charged me for fitting some new taps. As ever everyone has to come to their own conclusions about value. I can only show and tell you what’s inside one of these cameras and leave it to you to (hopefully) do the right thing and get it serviced. Pentax wont be making anymore of them anytime soon so it makes sense to preserve what’s left – buying another cheap one is just kicking the can down the road.

Minolta SRT – More sinned against then sinning

Minolta SRT-101 – Another villain for internal foam issues or more of a victim?

Now lets look a camera made a generation earlier than the ME Super and the camera closest to my heart, the Minolta SRT Series. The SRT in its earliest form used around 14 internal foam seals. As production progressed over the next decade and a half Minolta progressively removed foam seals and dampers from inside the camera. The very last production SRT-100X model reduced the count to around 6. While these seldom cause major problems other than crumbly seal material getting on the focus screen the fact that they are failing is usually a sure sign that the camera will be having issues with its shutter speeds.

If the foam is going bad (and it always is) you can bet the lubrication has long gone from the shutter rollers which the camera is dependent on for accurate shutter speeds. Like the Pentax ME Super the Minolta SRT series can be holding a lot of dark secrets inside. Unfortunately SRTs have a reputation for being unbreakable – users will claim the camera still runs perfectly. Experience servicing them tells a different story with shutter performance almost always seriously degraded due to lack of lubrication and dried out old foam getting into stuff. The SRT is less villain and more of a victim of foam ignored by the average user blissfully (or wilfully) ignorant of whats happening inside.

Film Camera Service - Minolta SRT101 - Base of the mirror box — The failing foam in almost all early SRTs. This is the base of the mirror box

Film Camera Service - Minolta SRT-101 Mirror box springs — Minolta removed the foam in the base but added it to the springs shifting the problems elsewhere!

The worst of the internal seals is the bottom seal of the mirror box, absent in later models, which, as it degrades starts to shed foam fragments into the lower curtain rollers. Later ones swapped this problem for a different issue, like all good detective novels there’s a plot twist. Minolta stopped adding this lower seal and replaced it on later models with foam inserts into the springs on the mirror box in a devious plan to change the issues from the curtains to the mirror mechanism. These can lead to the mirror box failing as fragments of old foam get jammed into the various lever pivots and gum the mirror box up. Thankfully SRTs never have degrading foam near the prism but they do use a foam block under the meter galvanometer which is usually responsible for foam being spread over the top of the focus screen.

Minolta SRT101 the secondary bumper — Replacing the mirror bumper is easy – but theres a second bumper which is not!

Minolta SRT101 - Top of the mirror box — Decaying foam seals at the top of the mirror box.

Minolta SRT-101 foam in the base — The spring damper – these can degrade badly and start corroding the spring in the base.

Minolta SRT101 door latch foam — Early SRTs have a foam pad by the door latch – this degrades and starts eating stuff like the meter trimmers.

Minolta SRT pad under galvanometer — The pad under the galvanometer – this is one thats been replaced along with the mirror box foams.

Minolta SRT seal under top cover — The one everyone forgets – the seal under the top cover.

Like the Pentax ME super the only way you can resolve the decaying foam is a complete strip down to the major parts. The secondary mirror bumper for example is almost impossible to resolve without removing the mirror box and removing the sprung light-shield. Shockingly lots of service places will do a halfway house job (on the SRT and a lot of other cameras too). They’ll tighten the shutter rollers and squirt some powdered graphite in to make the camera feel smoother but its not a good way to approach the SRT – or any camera for that matter.

Like the Pentax ME Super a full on service is likely to cost around £120 but done well the camera will perform beautifully and last a lifetime.

Minolta SRT during servicing — Film Camera Service – One of our SRTs during servicing. A complete strip down, cleaning and lubrication, replacement of all the old foams and finally calibrated to Minolta factory specification. The next best thing to a brand new camera!

Other cameras, other service issues…

I have only selected two cameras for this article but almost all cameras from this age will tend to have similar issues. The Olympus OM-1, The Nikon F and the Canon FTb both suffer prism de-silvering due to foam around their prisms degrading and they aren’t the only ones to suffer from these kinds of issues. Thankfully the issues caused be degrading foam are almost always resolvable with a full service. So long as the foams decay is halted before anything is ruined beyond repair.

The biggest killers of old cameras are battery leaks, corrosion and foam decay. Foam contamination is easy to fix usually (so long as its not eaten the prism). Battery leaks (the worst crime to cameras of all) and bad corrosion can be fatal or at least prohibitively expensive to resolve.

Battery Leaks

One of the worst killers of old cameras is the classic battery leak. These can be far more destructive than many buyers and owners often realise. Cleaning the battery chamber is easy but fumes from decaying batteries can cause problems further inside the camera. Even I have been surprised at times. It’s another lesson in just what can be hiding even in cameras which appear fine from the exterior. Here’s a few pictures from the interior of two Minolta SRTs which contained battery leaks. Both would run albeit with some issues but the battery corrosion wont fix itself and left alone will eventually cause problems.

Minolta battery leak — Evidence of a battery leak – you could clean the battery chamber but removing the base reveals worse problems…

Camera battery leak — …in this camera the battery leak had destroyed the shutter safety interlock and caused issues for the mirror gears.

Battery leak issues in cameras — In this camera fumes had migrated upwards damaging the meter pulleys in the top of the camera.

Corrosion

The third of the triumvirate of camera killers is corrosion – this is usually in partnership with decaying foam and/or battery leaks but can be down to just bad storage. Like foam, corrosion can be a hidden killer. Cameras which appear fine from the exterior appearance can often be hiding very severe corrosion internally. The camera may even appear to work, at least in terms of winding on and going click but underneath the skin it can be very different story. Unfortunately most cameras are very intolerant of corrosion. The mechanics inside are akin to a mechanical watch and rely on well regulated and lubricated precision parts and these are not rust resistant.

Corrosion in a camera — …Amazingly it would run but it’s no surprise the shutter was running poorly.

Internal corrosion in camera — From two other cameras – corrosion on the aperture follower and a rusted washer.

The pics above illustrated what can be lurking underneath that shiny exterior. The corrosion in one of these was severe and worse it was firmly entrenched in the shutter mechanism which relies on being clean. Other cameras have shown similar issues at times. Even small parts can be critical to the cameras operation. The small washer pictured above would cause the mirror to fail to reset properly. The corroded aperture follower could cause the meter to misread. A vintage camera is like a fine time piece and needs maintenance and care – few get it.

The Verdict

In many ways the safest cameras with the least foam tend to be very late model electronic cameras like the Minolta X-700 which uses almost no foam internally and none thats critical but late model electronic cameras like the X-700 were often built with plastic gears which are prone to failure, and critically, the electronics tend to be their weak spot. You can almost always clean foam in a service but theres not much to be done if a custom chip has failed or the main circuit board has cracked.

So wheres the crime? Well the crime could be laid squarely at the door of the manufacturers for using a materials which would degrade badly but in fairness I very much doubt whether any manufacturer ever imagined their products still in use 40-50 years after they were sold.

No, the real villains of the piece are todays camera buyers and users- The manufacturers prepared the crime but todays camera users are the ones committing it by failing to accept that these things are old and need servicing.
The most often heard defence against either buying a fully serviced camera or getting your camera serviced is that it’s expensive but it really isn’t that much in the grand scheme of things. As hobbies go classic cameras are relatively cheap. £200 would get you a fully serviced classic camera – less than the price of the cheapest digital you could lay hands on. I would say no one is making film cameras anymore but Pentax are and look at the price they are charging. £500 for a half frame point and shoot! Is it really so much to pay for a full service on your beloved classic?

While mentioning the new Pentax film camera I have read that Pentax have designed it with repairs and servicing in mind rather than designing it like a late model point and shoot which are almost impossible to repair. I just wonder how many of todays shooters will ever bother. Based on experience with classic gear I suspect not many which is a shame. Without viable film cameras then film photography will die – I think that would be a shame – maybe you do too.

I’ll discharge the jury at this point and, if you still wont get a service, I’ll pass sentence on you to expect dud photographs and a life sentence of endlessly complaining on social media that your £30 camera from eBay ‘is perfect apart from…’ I’ll also sentence you to hard labour packing up another dud camera and standing in a post office queue to return it.

The land before the OM-1

The OM-1 arrives

Refining the OM-1

Using the OM-1 back then…

Using the OM-1 now…

What Olympus did next…

This is the end…

Further Reading

Further Reading

Further Reading

Further Reading

Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 NAI Lens – Stripping Down

Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 NAI Lens – Cleaning

Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 NAI Lens – Replacing the Aperture Ring Assembly

Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 NAI Lens – Replacing the Focus Helicoils

Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 NAI Lens – Replacing the Lens Sleeve

Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 NAI Lens – Replacing the Optical/Diaphragm Assembly

Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 NAI Lens – Replacing the Focus Ring and Lens Mount

Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 NAI Lens – Outcome

Minolta SR-T 101 Review – A time and a place…

The Road to the SRT Series…

Minolta SR-T 101 Review – The SR-T 101

So tell us about the camera…

SRT-101 – The Original (1966-1975)

SRT-303 – First Premium Version (1972-1975)

SRT-303b – Second Premium Version (1976-1977)

SRT-100X – The Last One (1977-1981)

Buying an SRT today – what’s the risks?

Minolta SR-T 101 Review – In a nutshell…

Further Reading

Nikkor-S 35mm NAI Lens – Stripping Down

Repair Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8 NAI Lens – Cleaning

Repair Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8 NAI Lens – Replacing the Aperture Ring Assembly

Repair Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8 NAI Lens – Replacing the Focus Helicoils

Repair Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8 NAI Lens – Replacing the Rear Optical Assembly

Repair Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8 NAI Lens – Replacing the Lens Mount, Sleeve and Filter Ring

Repair Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8 NAI Lens – Replacing the Front Optical Assembly and Focus Barrel

Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8 NAI Lens – Outcome

Further Reading

Nikon FTn Finder – Stripping Down

Nikon FTn Finder – Cleaning and Foam Replacement

Nikon FTn Finder – Assembly

Nikon FTn Finder – Calibration

Brief History of the Nikon FTn Finder

Further Reading

Pentax ME Super – Femme Fatale

Minolta SRT – More sinned against then sinning

Other cameras, other service issues…

Battery Leaks

Corrosion

The Verdict

Further Reading

Other Articles of Interest