The Olympus OM-1 like some other cameras from the golden age of Japanese film cameras were fitted with foam around the prism. The foam was there to protect the prism but paradoxically in the long run the foam has done more damage to old cameras than just about anything else. Cameras susceptible to this include…
Noticeable by it’s Absence Of all the cameras being hyped by today’s uber-trendy wunderkinds on the web like the Canon AE-1, the Minolta X-700 and the Pentax K1000, the FTb is noticeable by its absence. But, it is the forgotten wonder from the days when stuff was built to last. Manufactured from metal hammered out…
This guide will show you how to check for decaying foam in the Canon FTb prism and how to manage its replacement. If you’re considering buying a Canon FTb why not check out our dedicated review Spanning Wrench Isopropyl Alcohol JIS screw driver set The Canon FTb is prone to deteriorating foam on its prism.…
Really? You’re going to do light seals as a subject? Sheesh! This gets asked every week on camera forums. Yep! It does and rather than repeat myself, I wrote this guide to replacing light seals to help beginners out. This saves my fingers and the resulting RSI after typing the same answer out a few…
Tamron Adaptall Issues for Canon FD Mount Back in the used to be Tamron saw a market opportunity. As the camera wars of the 1970s heated up keen photographers often had a dilemma. The true cost of photography is seldom the camera body – more usually it’s the cost of the lenses. A keen amateur…
A film camera batteries dilemma…. For lovers of old cameras, one of the biggest headaches is finding batteries for powering the electronics. Many classic 35mm SLRs were designed to use the very long lasting Mercury type batteries. Mercury type batteries had some very attractive properties for camera manufacturers needing a stable power supply for sensitive…
A step by step guide to repairing the underated Minolta 50mm f1.7 This Minolta MD Lens Repair Guide can also be used for many other short focal length MD series lenses such as the 50mm f2 (which is identical in construction) and the 28mm, 35mm and 45mm MD types. Most short focal length Rokkors…
This Minolta MC Lens Repair guide can also be used for many other short focal length MC series lenses such as the 55mm f1.7. Most short focal length Rokkors share a very similar construction and while there may be minor differences the essentials will be almost identical. For our guide on Minolta MD 50mm f1.7…
Mostly plastic, mainly good was how the Chinon CE-5 camera was described by a review at the time. Here’s my take on it 40 years after it launched. More forgotten then even the Nikon F-301(which I happen to love) the Chinon CE-5 is definitely a last place hero though in fact in its day one…
A stroll through my cameras I started serious photography back in the halcyon days of 1972. Back then, serious cameras cost serious money – my first pro SLR was the Olympus OM-1. To give younger readers an idea of just how expensive this stuff was, my OM-1 cost almost as much as my first car!…