Canon Powershot A570 IS, Scratched Screen Repair

Posted on September 1, 2012 by Richard Kraneis

When my Canon Powershot A570 IS drowned in the bottom of a Florida canoe in 1/3 inch of water (even in its case) it pushed me forward on a journey of camera collecting. You can see the damaged Canon A570 below with corrosion in brown towards bottom right of the black display.

Canon Powershot A570 IS – Repair of Display

In brief, here are the instructions.

Visit YouTube and study Canon A570 display screen repairs . Amazing, this German guy never even speaks and it makes perfect sense. Remove the battery first, unscrew bottom, left side, and right side screws (a total of 6 in video).
Purchase tiny, magnetic screwdrivers such as the WIHA screwdrivers at Micro-Tools.

Why purchase them after viewing the YouTube video? The video will convince you that the repair is reasonable and doable.
Begin the repair during the daytime when you’re not tired and you can focus. It’s tempting to do a repair late at night when its quiet but you’re tired. It’s a bad idea. You can’t make good repairs when you’re tired at the end of a long day.
Find a bright well lit work area where you can sit with good posture and begin your repair. I placed a clean dish towel on my kitchen counter to begin the work and “catch” the screws without falling to the floor. Most likely they won’t, the Canon Powershot A570 used magnetic screws and the WIHA screwdrivers are magnetic.
If you’re cannibalizing one camera to fix another camera, work on the donor camera first. Unscrew the donor camera and take the display screen that you want.
Now that you have confidence in taking the donor part, unscrew the recipient camera and swap out the bad display for the good display.
Test the camera and you’re done.

#5 – Working on the Donor Camera

In the photo below you can see that I unscrewed the donor camera. You can see the display screen I want to use.

#7 – Test the Camera

I tested my improved Canon Powershot A570 IS and it worked perfectly fine. It now had the unscratched display screen from my donor camera, an improvement.

Why did I repair a Canon Powershot A570?

I just wanted to replace my Canon Powershot A570 IS. Just nostalgic on my part. Before drowning in the bottom of a canoe in Florida, my Canon A570 had photographed my daughter’s college graduation, a great trip to Hawaii, a scenic trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and parts of Florida. My Canon Powershot A570 was my re-introduction to photography.

Even though I love old film cameras I always have my Canon SD880 with me as backup (just plain common sense). It was always on my to do list to purchase another Canon Powershot A570.

On Craigslist I found a Canon A570 for $20 in Syracuse, New York. After a few emails Sue agreed to a price and to ship the camera to Chicago, IL. I had to smile when I read one of her emails:

And I’m sorry to say, my camera has no good stories. It was a good camera and we had it for quite awhile, but nothing eventful happens to our cameras! (just us. haha)

The Canon A570 arrived (thanks Sue) and it worked just fine. Its display screen was scratched more than my old Canon A570 so that’s why I did the minor display repair.

Pick a Junky Film Camera and Repair It

So why not try to repair an old camera before selling it on Craigslist or eBay? As I said, you will need a few good tools, a bright work table, and the belief that you can make the repair. There’s a pleasure in repairing an old Canon Powershot A570 IS so it still works.

Honestly, if I can make a few small repairs (Yashica Lynx 14, Super Ricohflex, Canon A570) then anyone has a chance to successfully repair a camera. Keep it simple and believe in yourself.

Please leave a comment describing your success or failure with any camera repair you have done. And thanks for visiting What is a Film Camera today.

Super Ricohflex, Super Wife

Posted on August 24, 2012 by Richard Kraneis

Yes, I now have an operational Super Ricohflex twin lens reflex camera thanks to my super wife. (Yes honey, this blog post is for you.)

If you’re lucky, you have a spouse or a significant other who doesn’t throw out your cameras during a house cleaning frenzy. If you’re really lucky, your wife tolerates your cameras and admits to reading your blog.

If you’re incredibly blessed with luck, your wife might actually help you make a minor camera repair.

Last night my wife and I repaired a Super Ricohflex TLR camera together

While my wife and I watched the TV show Anger Management I decided to try to combine two Ricohflex cameras into one operational camera. This seems strangely oxymoronic: repairing a camera with your wife while watching a show about anger management.

I sat in our big mission style chair with a bright end lamp turned on. I took apart two cameras and tried to assemble one camera from two bad ones. As any camera repair person knows, taking things apart is easy. Putting things back together again is the hard part.

Two Marginal Ricohflex Cameras Become One

Super Ricohflex from eBay – $20 Wasted

My first Super Ricohflex came from eBay. The shutter worked for one day and then magically became gummed up the next day. Trying it at any speed, it failed. I think it was $20 plus shipping.

I took the metal lens apart trying to reach the actual lens so I could clean it, more problems. The two geared dials were incredibly stiff and then I misplaced the screws.

The Ricohflex Model IIIB from Elmhurst, IL – Slightly Defective

I purchased a camera lot early in the summer of 2012 for $100 in Elmhurst, IL. I think I’ll break even eventually when I sell most of it. The box of cameras was missing the two TLRs I had seen in the Craigslist photo.

Weren’t their two twin lens reflex cameras in the box? They were in the Craigslist photo.

The owner sheepishly admitted she had set aside the two TLRs that were in the box. I encouraged her to include them in the sale, after all she had advertised their photos. She agreed.

The Elmhurst Ricohflex Model IIIB is peeling a bit but the shutter and aperture action seem accurate. Too bad the back of the camera was missing a piece about the size of the dime. What am I supposed to do, tape black duct tape over the missing piece?

The Ricohflex Solution

I realized that if I could remove the back of the eBay Ricohflex and swap it onto the Elmhurst Ricohflex, it would work. I also realized I could swap out the viewfinders, they seemed to be the same size. The only disadvantage is the Elmhurst Ricohflex has a top speed of 1/100. The old eBay Ricohflex I am cannibalizing had a 1/300 top shutter speed. But if you can’t clean the aperture blades, you have no top speed at all. The combined Ricohflex will have a top shutter speed of 1/100th of a second.

In the snapshot below you can see the defective parts.

eBay’s Super Ricohflex defective body. The two geared wheels were gummed up with dried green grease. Likewise, the aperture blades were gummed up with oil. They rarely worked.
Elmhurst’s Ricohflex Model IIIB defective back. A hole almost as big as your little finger was missing from the back of the camera.
Elmhurst’s Ricohflex Model IIIB viewfinder. It wasn’t defective, the eBay Super Ricohflex viewfinder or top seemed better.

Famous Last Camera Repair Words

I just need to unscrew 4 screws on the eBay Ricohflex and 4 screws on the Elmhurst Ricohflex. Then I just need to screw in 4 screws on the repaired camera.

My Wife’s Camera Repair Intervention

Using a large popcorn bowl I placed the eBay Ricohflex into it. If I lost a screw it would fall into the popcorn bowl. (Yes, some readers are laughing even as they read this foolish technique.) I sat in my big chair next to the sofa and turned on the incredibly bright end table lamp. I unscrewed four screws. So far so good.

I then unscrewed the same 4 screws from the Elmhurst Ricohflex. So far so good.

My hands are too big for the tiny screws. Taking a tweezers, I held the tiny screw, placed it into one of the holes, and tried to tighten it with my eyeglass repair kit screwdriver. As you can see, these screw/bolts and their holes are rather tiny. On the right side of the camera you can see two of the four screws. I theorized that removing those four screws would allow me to swap out the defective back piece and attach a better viewfinder. I was correct.

After my tenth failure my wife said:

Are you still having trouble with that screw?

She left the sofa, bent over the camera, took the first screw in her hands, and screwed it in as cleanly as a Japanese repairman from 50 years ago.

“You need better light.”

My wife was absolutely right. Anger Management the show was over so we moved our camera repair onto the kitchen table with its bright light.

Sit up straight when you do your camera repairs

Actually my wife didn’t say that. My back was already hurting from unnaturally bending over to work on a camera screw. Sitting properly in the kitchen was a better idea.

I give up, I’m going upstairs to read

For some reason my wife’s magical repair touch left her. She became frustrated, said good luck, and went upstairs to read. I persevered.

I took two slightly larger screws from our screw jar (everyone has a screw jar underneath the sink, don’t they?) and screwed them into two of the remaining slots on top of the Elmhurst Ricohflex. This seemed to align the holes better which had been my plan.

I gave up on the tweezer technique and placed a screw near the tiny hole. Then I nudged it into place with my hands and my tiny screwdriver. When it seemed to be in alignment I surprised myself that it screwed in properly.

I screwed in the third and fourth tiny screws (really, they’re more like tiny bolts) with relative ease.

The eBay Ricohflex and the Elmhurst Ricohflex gave up their parts to become Richard’s Repaired Super Ricohflex.

Basic Advice on Camera Repairs

Don’t try repairs when you’re tired, working in bad lighting, or are in a bad mood. Good posture, an organized work area and using decent tools would help also. A camera repair is a reflective task whether you are a beginner or an expert.

And if you’re lucky, you’ll have a sympathetic spouse to help you with your camera repair without laughing. After all, fixing a $20 sixty year old camera might seem a bit funny to most people. Richard’s repaired Ricohflex is shown below.

Thanks for reading about my Super Ricohflex, Super Wife today. (I smile knowing that nobody on the Internet will be competing for the keywords Super Ricohflex, Super Wife.) Thanks for visiting What is a Film Camera today.

Craigslist Lubitel 166B

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Richard Kraneis

Yes, I found my Lubitel 166B on Craigslist.

A Craigslist Picture is better than a Thousand Words

I passed on this original Craigslist ad about two weeks ago. I originally emailed the owner and I still didn’t see the magic word “Lubitel” in his response. Silly me. Most people can’t read Russian (I learned a bit 35 years ago). The camera’s name was written in Cyrillic script, not Roman script (English).

Then the owner re-posted his ad on Craigslist with photos and I saw that a Lubitel 166B was being sold with 3 other cameras for $15. I emailed and phoned the owner immediately.

Does the Lubitel 166B Work?

I phoned the owner immediately and asked if the Lubitel 166B worked. I expected some double-talk but instead the older gentleman said:

Yes, it works. I used it last year.

I believed him and made arrangements to pick up his four cameras early next week. I sealed the deal by sending him an email with my full name and phone.

A Lubitel 166B for under Five Dollars?

As I spoke with the owner Mat a second time, it became clear this man knew his cameras. After all, he owned a Leica. I re-confirmed on the phone:

So, I am purchasing all 4 cameras for $15 ?

He said “yes”.

His initial Craigslist ad had no nibbles. But when he posted a photo I knew he had a Lubitel 166B and some other fun cameras. Not expensive cameras, but fun cameras worth a roll of film.

Mat did say he was given all 4 cameras by the “cheapest son-of-a-bitch” he ever knew. After doing tons of carpentry work for someone, they “gave” him these 4 cameras. For some reason, Mat decided I would get these cameras. Thanks Mat.

Visiting Mat and Purchasing his Craigslist Lubitel 166

I drove 45 minutes to Mat’s home to purchase his Lubitel 166B, Smena, Holga, and old Kodak camera. He invited me into his home, showed me how the cameras worked, and we discussed cameras.

Mat is into his 70’s I’d say and was a carpenter (still is when his arm doesn’t hurt). His wife Kathleen looked on approvingly as she walked to and from the kitchen. This is why I love cameras. You get to purchase old cameras and meet the people who owned them.

Mat took me into his basement and showed me his basic photography set-up. Then he showed me photos he had taken 50 years ago. He served in the U.S. Army, took photos of Irish-American events in the 60’s around Chicago, and dabbled in sports photography. He even showed me a photo of his friends with protest posters from Ireland when he was a young man. I only wish I could have asked for a copy or two of those photos.

Then he even told a dirty photography story from when he was in the army. Sorry, I can’t mention it here…

We returned to his front room, discussed life and religion a bit (his choice, not mine), and parted as photographic friends. As I left Mat said:

The next time you come over I’ll show you more.

I still wonder if I’ll meet this Irish-American carpenter again at the Fotorama camera meet in Schaumburg, IL, one day. Mat’s a good reason to collect old cameras and meet the people who used those cameras 50 years ago.

Two Russian Cameras, a Chinese Camera, and an American Camera Walk into a Bar

It’s almost like the beginning of some joke.

The Lubitel 166B is Russian and so’s the Smena 3 in the photo. The Holga is actually a Chinese camera. And the owner said he used the Kodak 30 years ago (still don’t know how old it is). Apparently the Kodak is a Kodak Vigilant Junior Six – 20. So there should be some cameras to experiment with once I make the purchase.

I purchased Mat’s cameras in August 2012. So thanks to Mat, I now have a Craigslist Lubitel 166B for less than five dollars. Thanks for reading about my Craigslist Lubitel 166B today and visiting What is a Film Camera today.

eBay Camera Surprises

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Richard Kraneis

Yes, I find eBay camera bargains and some of them are a pleasant surprise.

Guilty eBay Sellers and Bonus Cameras

Recently I purchased a Sears TLS camera from an eBay seller (in the last 5 seconds as always). Then I purchased a Chinon SLR that he was selling for $5. Total was $15 dollars plus $10 shipping. I expected to receive two SLR camera bodies for M42 lenses.

Mike, if you’re reading this, thanks for the surprise camera goodies. All my readers should be lucky to buy cameras from you on eBay.

The eBay seller was tardy in making his shipment. I kept saying the USPS seemed slow and finally he admitted in an email that he waited 7-10 days to ship the package.

He was feeling guilty so he included some extra camera items to make up for his tardiness. I’m sure he wanted a good eBay review (and I gave him one). So I paid for two SLR M42 bodies and received 3 SLR bodies, one light meter, and one 50mm lens. And they all seem to work.

Sears TLS Body

This is what drew me to this eBay auction. The eBay ad said the Sears TLS body had new seals, shutter speeds seemed good, and the light meter worked. My previous Sears TLS body from the Salvation Army had a shutter problem. This Sears TLS body worked as advertised right out of the box.

I took this camera out today shooting parts of downtown Chicago. I even took my funLentar light meter.

Chinon CS

The eBay seller had a Cosina CS for auction and after it expired I offered $5 for it. I somehow liked it and tossed in a $5 offer for the camera which the owner accepted.

I received it and it too is in fine shape: new seals, good shutter speeds, clear viewfinder. Heavier than most rocks its size. No lens included.

Read CE Nelson’s fine photos and writeup on his Chinon CS.

GAF L-ES my Bonus Camera

Quick, name any aperture preferred SLR that works with all m42 screw mount lenses.

The answer I have learned is the GAF L-ES camera. This is the free camera the eBay seller gave me. I really like it.

Last year I wanted a GAF identical to this but the antique dealer wanted about $50 for it. No thanks. So when this eBay shipment arrived, I ended up with a free GAF L-ES.

The GAF L-ES is really a re-badged Chinon CE-2 Memotron. Cameraquest has a nice write-up on aperture priority screw mount cameras, kind of like an Olympus OM-1 for screw mount cameras from the same period.

I thought there was something wrong with my new-old GAF L-ES. Without a battery the shutter speeds all were the same. That was odd. Many cameras work manually and only need the battery for metering. Without a battery, this camera had the same shutter speed for all dialed speeds. A visit to Mr. Butkus website said this camera had an “electronic shutter”.

The phrase electronic shutter stuck in my memory for half a day.

I found a battery lying around in my house that would work taken from a Canon AE-1. Tossed the battery into the camera and amazingly all the speeds worked correctly. The GAF L-ES needs a battery for light metering AND its shutter speeds. Cool, it should work. Again, it had new seals.

So the GAF L-ES is an aperture priority SLR body for all M42 lenses. This should be a fun one to test.

Since my Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL doesn’t work too well, I took its 55mm 1.8 aperture lens and attached it to the GAF L-ES. (This lens was used to photograph Muhammad Ali about 40 years ago.)

Lentar EE-201 Light Meter

The “guilty” eBay seller also included an unmarked 50mm m42 lens and some LR44 batteries.

But he also tossed in a Lentar light meter. It reminds me of a Christmas tree. It has two red lights when your metering is off and a green light when the meter is set correctly for your ASA film speed. In the photo below you can see the green light is lit. Next, you just look at your shutter speed and aperture combinations to select what you want for your camera settings.

In bright daylight the red and green lights are hard to see. I am using it with my Sears TLS camera currently.

Sometimes when eBay Sellers are Guilty, You Get Lucky

So every now and then you might be lucky to get eBay camera surprises with your next eBay purchase. Thanks for reading What is a Film Camera today.

Kowa H Camera – Saved from the Garbage Can

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Richard Kraneis

I recently saved a Kowa H camera from an Elmhurst, IL garbage can.

I found an ad for a camera lot for sale in Elmhurst, drove to Elmhurst, and purchased 20 to 30 cameras ranging from good to bad, from 1880 to 1980, from rangefinder to SLR to point and shoot.

(I once wrote incredibly long camera posts describing everything possible about a camera. But now I write shorter blog posts that are more fun for me to write, and hopefully more fun for you to read.)

Is this Kowa H camera worth much?

These cameras aren’t worth much on eBay or anywhere else. Currently this camera is selling on eBay with an asking price ranging from $10 to $29 (plus shipping). But this camera is worth something to me and here’s why:

Saved from garbage. Saved from Elmhurst, IL garbage collection (no doubt it’s next stop would be the garbage can).
I repaired it. This is one of the few cameras I’ve “fixed”. Saying I repaired this camera would be to claim too much success. Let’s just say I fidgeted with it at 2 AM once listening to music and was able to persuade it to work.

The Kowa H Exposure Cycle of Doom

In plain English, the Kowa H has a very complex method for taking one exposure, one shot. To quote the excellent write-up by Rick Drawbridge discussing the curious Kowa:

The shutter blades close
The aperture closes to selected size
The mirror swings up
The film door swings up
The shutter opens, stays open for the selected time, and closes.
The film door swings down
The mirror swings down
The aperture opens to full aperture
The shutter blades open

I thought I had “fixed” my Kowa H one early morning. But I came to learn the Kowa H was only temporarily working. Beware the Kowa H exposure cycle of doom.

My first roll of Kowa H photos was mainly doomed to bad photos such as this one. Double exposures? Trouble with film advance? Perhaps my readers can explain what happened with a comment or two.

Where has this Kowa H camera Traveled?

This camera came from someone’s uncle in Elmhurst, IL. He didn’t keep his cameras in very good shape from what I can see.

Kowa H Camera at Wrigley Field

But every camera you shoot with has traveled somewhere. This 49 year old camera has now traveled with me to a Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals ball game on July 29, 2012. The Cubs won on a 10th inning opposite field home run by Anthony Rizzo. My friends and I sat in the upper deck down the first base line. They love baseball while I enjoyed the baseball game shooting a few photos with my Kowa H camera.

Kowa H at Portage Park, Chicago, IL

My wife and I decided to take a stroll at Portage Park on Chicago’s northwest side. We live closer to Kilbourn Park but I wanted to see something different this evening.

Unless you’re from a big city it’s probably hard to imagine hundreds if not a thousand or so people playing soccer, tennis, football, baseball, walking their dogs, barbequing in the park, or just letting their kids run in the grass. The breezes last night were wonderful on July 31, 2012.

I took some photographs of some peewee football players. I know the photograph isn’t impressive. Most of my photographs from the Kowa H were horrible. This photo was actually one of the good photos.

A dad asked me:

Are you from CNN?

I smiled and said no. Just an amateur photographer. Why he thought I was from CNN using a 49 year old Kowa H camera I’ll never know. But a nice night to be strolling with my wife and taking photos of Portage Park, Chicago, IL.

How Does the Kowa H Feel?

Well, sometimes fun, sometimes not. 49 years ago it probably was fun. The selenium meter “seemed” to work based on my photos.

You never know if any on board light meter works for a camera until you test a roll of film. The Kowa H uses a selenium meter. So it’s battery free. The light meter did respond to light and changed based upon light ability. Here’s a decent photo of the light meter on top of the camera.

But the Kowa H is known for problems with its complex shutter. And I can personally vouch for the camera back trying to spring open its door, even with duct tape keeping it closed.

Horrible Kowa H Photos

Yes, some photos were horrible. Double exposures were caused by an undependable film advance system. This 49 year old camera has not survived 5 decades in good shape. Here’s a giant mission chair sitting in Wrigley Field’s outfield.

Is the Kowa H Camera Dependable?

When you shoot a roll of film, even before you develop it, you get a “feeling” about a camera. You develop a like or a dislike for a camera that amounts to dependability.

At this point after shooting my first roll of film with the Kowa H, it will most likely be my last roll. If the developed roll of film for the Kowa H is amazing, only then would I consider picking it up again.

Kowa H Shutter Problems

As mentioned earlier, Kowa H cameras may suffer from the exposure cycle of doom.

Does the Kowa H like the Chicago Cubs?

In the 2nd or 3rd inning I pulled out the Kowa H and tried to take a photo. I had pre-loaded it with fresh ASA 100 film hoping for a great day at Wrigley Field. Immediately, the shutter problem returned. I pressed the button but the shutter didn’t work.

I yanked out the film, tossed it into the garbage, and inserted some ASA 400 color print film of dubious, expired vintage. I started taking photos.

Deep into the game (Cubs won 4-2 in 10th inning) the back of the camera sprung open a little bit but I caught it with my thumb. How much film was exposed I won’t know until its developed.

Kowa H Duct Tape Repair

After the Cubs game I put white duct tape on the back of the camera so it wouldn’t spring open unexpectedly.

Inevitably, a few days later I was taking a photo with the Kowa H when I realized the back of the camera felt funny. The back of the camera had “sprung” and was pulling against the white duct tape.

I closed the film back as best I could re-setting the film latch. The roll of film is completed.

Kowa H Performance Anxiety

So here I sit wondering if any of my Kowa H photos will come out decently. Even if the photos are extraordinary for some reason, the camera is not. It’s undependable.

Kowa H Camera Summary

After shooting a roll of film with a troublesome camera, you know whether or not you will shoot with that same camera. I love the old selenium meter on this camera. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t.

A friend once said you have to watch bad movies to appreciate good movies. Perhaps that’s the same with camera collecting. I won’t say that Kowa H cameras are bad. I will say that my Kowa H is undependable.

At least this Kowa H gave me a few good photos. Here are two Cardinal fans at Wrigley field, July 29, 2012. The Cubs won in the 10th inning 4-2 with a Rizzo walk off 2 run homer.

But ultimately, I cannot depend on this Kowa H camera for future use.

Thanks for visiting What is a Film Camera today and reading my Kowa H review.

Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL Review

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Richard Kraneis

Muhammad Ali and my Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL

In the summer of 2011 I found a Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL at a Wilmette, IL, garage sale.

Greg the owner had a Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL. I didn’t know much about it but I knew it was a heavy, metal SLR from about 40 years ago. Perhaps I would make an offer on it.

And then Greg showed me a photograph he took of Muhammad Ali during the early 1970’s at a civil rights rally in Kansas City. Muhammad Ali was surrounded by huge African-American men (security guards?) and Greg was within that circle as he took his photo. So here’s my question for Gregg, the previous owner of this Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL:

Gregg, can you scan your Muhammad Ali photos from 40 years ago and send them to me? Can you give me a date and location for the photos? Perhaps a little background information? I certainly won’t share your name on this website. Thanks Gregg.

That was it for me, I had to buy this Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL that had photographed Muhammad Ali in the early 1970’s.

Provenance or History

This camera photographed Muhammad Ali at a civil rights rally. It’s a wonderful photo. I hope the past owner will share that photo with me for this blog post.

My Repairs for the Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL, Broken Light Meter

Bad light meter

Bad light meters are a way of life for old cameras. This camera is 40-45 years old (manufactured (1968-1973). That’s why I carry a light meter with me at all time.

I don’t know of any way to repair a bad light meter on a 40 year old camera. Sometimes its just better to accept the limitations of an old camera and just shoot with it as best you can.

Missing part on film advance

The shutter was missing a top piece when I purchased it. The shutter advance on the left is missing a top piece. I constantly had to hand tighten the visible spherical part of the shutter advance counter-clockwise so it wouldn’t fall off the camera.

The owner said that wasn’t a problem. He was kind of right. I was able to take photos with my light meter. But I’ll never know if that missing part from the shutter re-wind somehow controlled the light meter.

How does the Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL feel?

It feels heavy and awkward. But that’s just one person’s opinion.

Nice features of the Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL?

This camera photographed Muhammad Ali during a civil rights rally in the early 1970’s. For me, it’s history is its best feature.

Problems? Yes.

Light meter. Even with a fresh battery, the light meter refused to operate properly. I used my light meter for everything.
Missing part on film advance. As mentioned earlier, this part was missing.

Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL Sample Photos

Let’s just say this camera had 3 strikes against it during its test roll.

On board light meter didn’t work.
My light meter was 30 years old (but has worked just fine in the past).
Expired film. I used my 5-10 year old expired film.

This may have been my best photo of the roll. A quirky shot taken on a rainy day from the inside of my car going eastbound on Chicago Avenue just as you cross Halsted (Chicago, IL). Once again I was using my hand held meter.

MamiyaSekor 1000 DTL, Chicago from the Backseat of my Car

These are some town homes on one of my walks in the neighborhood. It’s not a great photo but it’s decent. If you purchase a 40 year old camera that works manually, you hope to take decent photos with your light meter.

Teenagers Boxing on a Chicago Street

I wish I had the photo, I should have been bolder and took a photo.

Bicycling around Kilbourn Park on Chicago’s northwest side I passed two teenagers sparring on the street. Not a real fight but two friends flicking jabs at each other as kids do in my neighborhood.

I wanted to take their photos but I doubted they had ever heard of Muhammad Ali, or had they? But while testing all my old cameras, the only time I ever saw two kids boxing on the street was with a camera that had photographed Muhammad Ali.

Perhaps that would put a smile on Muhammad Ali’s face in his retirement.

My Favorite Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL Photo – My Wife

I know my wife reads my blog posts. She’ll say:

I read your blog today. It’s a little long but it’s OK.

She may not think this photo is a pretty one but I do. Using a 40 year old camera, hand held light meter, and expired film, she looks wonderful with one of her passions: cooking.

Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL – Summary

I had high hopes for this camera. After all, it had photographed Muhammad Ali. (I am still grateful for the purchase and this camera’s fine story.) But perhaps, for some cameras, their best times are behind them.

In practice, this camera and I didn’t get along too well. The light meter was dead, It was unbalanced, and I didn’t like how the viewfinder went dark whenever I set the aperture to F16. I’ve tested other cameras that had dead light meters, somehow I wanted to enjoy this camera greatly but it didn’t work out. My test photos were OK but they certainly couldn’t compare with Gregg’s photo of Muhammad Ali from 40 years ago.

Thanks for reading my Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL review today. Although I was a bit disappointed in this camera as of 2012, it created happy memories for its previous owner in the early 1970’s. Gregg, thanks for your Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL and its Muhammad Ali story.

Thanks for visiting What is a Film Camera today.

Camera Bargains on Craigslist

Posted on July 24, 2012 by Richard Kraneis

Honestly, I believe you can find camera bargains on Craigslist every day. Having said that, it doesn’t mean you’ll make a living doing it. But it does mean you can expand your camera collection and collect nice stories in the process.

A few days ago I found Ric on Craigslist and today (July 22, 2012) I visited him near Ashland and Wilson in Chicago. I prefer Craigslist to eBay because I can meet people, test cameras, and sometimes make a purchase at a good price.

For $35 I purchased four cameras, a light meter, a tripod, and a Jon Goodman light seal kit. After negotiating hard I gave Ric an extra $5 for an even $40.

Canon QL17 – Shutter Has Oil

Honestly, I now have four of these cameras. Two in excellent condition and two that need repairs.

Ric asked me how much I thought the Canon QL17 was worth and I told him. A Canon QL17 with crumbling light seals and a shutter that won’t open (probably too oily) but with a good meter might bring $20 on eBay. I told Ric I had purchased a similar camera for $10 (bad light seals) and that it would cost $60 to repair his camera before selling for full price. I also told Ric his camera might go for $100 when repaired.

But buying a Canon QL17 with a defective shutter is a risk. I don’t know if it will work even with a repair. But Ric tossed in the flash for the camera so I eventually bought it.

Canon AE-1 – Beware of Defective Battery Covers

It’s always a risk purchasing these cameras that only work with a battery. The camera may not work at all. Although the battery cover on this camera is a little chipped (Canon made them poorly) I popped in a battery at home and the light meter began working right away. There are two vertical lines in the viewfinder so its not perfect.

I’ll sell it on eBay, hopefully for more than $10. We’ll see.

Chinon 35 EE

This is a quirky little rangefinder that reminded me of my Mamiya 135 EE. If it works as well as my Mamiya 135 EE it’ll be fun to shoot a roll of film with it.

It’s light meter “woke up” just fine with an LR44 battery when I arrived at home.

Ricoh KR-5 – Reminds me of a Sears TLS

At Ric my eyes kept looking at his Ricoh KR-5. I thought it was related to my old Rich XR-10 that needs a battery to work. At Ric’s I tested the camera but the shutter didn’t work.

Upon getting it home I learned that the camera can be used with or without a battery (two LR44 batteries). So it’s a manual camera. When I inserted the batteries its match needle metering worked just fine. Hurray.

I like Ricoh cameras. They just feel solid and dependable without being bulky. I don’t plan on selling this Ricoh KR-5 with its Vivitar 55mm auto macro lens. In build and quality it reminds me of the Sears TLS SLR camera I’ve never been able to find.

Sunpak Tripod

I also acquired a Sunpak Tripod from Ric. It’s a short but very sturdy tripod ready for use. You can never have too many tripods.

Honeywell Pentax Light Meter

It’s real name is Honeywell Pentax 1/21 Spot Meter. It seems very clean and responds to light well.

I was already to make an offer on Ric’s stuff (4 items for $20) when I saw the spot meter sitting on the shelf. I remembered it from my Internet readings as something valuable, I saw that it responded to light, and decided to purchase it.

Always Ask – Do you have More Cameras

That’s what I have learned and that what I ask people.

Do you have any other cameras you might sell?

Wow, talk about getting results.

Ric brought out a Pentax 645 medium format camera with three lenses in its own camera bag.

Ric, if you’re reading this blog post I’d like to buy it. It’ll just take a while. Let’s stay in touch.

As I said, always ask people what cameras they have to sell.

Ric, thanks again for selling me your cameras and showing me your Pentax 645.

Maybe I’m a Camera Archivist?

My final visit this Saturday was to the Independence Park neighborhood where I met Tony.

Tony planted the idea that perhaps I’m a camera archivist. I need to think that one over. I like camera collecting, shooting photographs, and telling camera stories. Is that a camera archivist?

You can find camera bargains on Craigslist. I hope you enjoyed my garage sales story for July 21, 2012. Thanks for visiting What is a Film Camera today.

How To Become a Better Photographer

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Richard Kraneis

Do you want to become a better photographer?

A visit with my friend Paula became a lesson on becoming a better photographer. I visited her home and she took out her cameras to show me. She had two Rolleiflexes that looked pristine, and 35 other cameras.

Wikipedia – Rolleiflex

Tennis and Photography

First a discussion on tennis and photography. When I was a kid I thought I was good at tennis. I was good. I normally beat my opponents at Camp Mount Morris or the tennis courts of Skokie. But I never had instruction or played competition better than me. So the talented ten year old tennis player became the decent teenage tennis player.

Chess was the same thing. I was good, not great.

Now I enjoy photography and would like to become good at it. Very good, not world class good but very good.

If you putz around with cameras without instruction, without criticism, without education, and without shooting thousands of photos, the odds are you will be a slightly above average photographer the rest of your life.

Autodidact Photographers – Can you learn photography alone?

I love the word autodidact (it means self taught). Are you as good as Jack London, a famous writer who may have been just as good as a photographer? Around 1900 Jack London began taking photographs. Here’s one amazing photograph where Jack London photographed lepers celebrating the 4th of July on the Hawaiian island of Molokai in 1907.

Sonoma.Edu – Jack London, Leper’s Celebrating 4th of July on Molokai

Most of us aren’t Jack London. We need help learning photography.

Three Techniques to becoming a Better Photographer

Take a Photography Class from a Well Qualified Instructor

Take a photography class, but not just any class. Find a school and/or instructor who’s qualified to teach the subject. My friend Paula has been taking photography classes for 20 years or so.

The instructor will be an obvious source of learning for you. But your fellow students will also become a source of criticism and analysis for your photographs. And if you apply yourself in a photography class, your photographic eye will evolve, mature, and advance.

Purchase Photoshop Elements

My friend Paula was a big fan of Photoshop Elements software. She’s moved away from film into digital. Perhaps I’ll have a physical darkroom one day for developing my film. But I definitely want Photoshop Elements for the improvement of my photos, both film and digital.

If you can think of similar or better software to purchase, please leave a comment.

Shoot More Photographs

Paula was showing me her artistic photos and then she paused and said:

Shoot more photographs.

Having beautiful cameras in your basement isn’t enough. Taking photography classes and editing photos with software isn’t enough. Take more photographs.

How do you become a better photographer?

Buying books, cameras, going to photography schools, developing your own film, learning photo editing software, it’s all a good thing.

Ultimately, take more photographs. And think about the quality of your work before, during, and after you take the photo.

Please add comment of your own to this blog post. How did you become a better photographer? And thanks for visiting What is a Film Camera today and reading How to Become a Better Photographer.

Old Town Triangle Garage Sale, Chicago, IL, July 14, 2012

Posted on July 15, 2012 by Richard Kraneis

If you’re from Chicago, keep in mind the Old Town Triangle Garage Sale day sometime in July. It takes place around Bastille Day (the French national holiday for the storming of the Bastille in 1789).

The Old Town Triangle is wealthy now but when my friend Tom grew up in that area in the early 1960’s, it wasn’t so affluent. Today I’m looking for cameras while Tom is looking for everything else (he purchased a ukelele, fabric print, and an atlas today).

Old Town Triangle, Chicago, IL

The people were very nice but there weren’t as many garage sales as I had expected. But I did see some nice cameras today. (I absolutely promise, the next time I do a garage sale post, I’ll take some photos.)

Camera collecting is fun even when you don’t buy cameras

Today at the Old Town Triangle garage sales I had the pleasure of hearing some nice camera stories and seeing some nice cameras. No purchases today. But collecting cameras is a nice excuse to say hello to people, enjoy a sunny day, and talk about cameras and life.

Do you have any film cameras in the house?

Those are the magic words if you’re a camera collector at a garage sale. People forget to place their film cameras out for sale because film cameras have slipped to the back of their memories. They shoot with digital and are shocked when people say they collect cameras.

Do you have any film cameras? Do you have any cameras in the house? No, not digital cameras, film cameras.

After I ask the first question I can sometimes see people recollecting that they own some film cameras. I can see them “remembering” their cameras, their eyes look a bit different.

I also say and mean the phrase:

Even if you don’t want to sell your cameras, I’d love to see them.

My wife thinks that comment is a bit weird. Maybe she’s right. But I just enjoy seeing old cameras, seeing if they work, whether I buy them or not. When I’m lucky, people are willing to sell their cameras.

Do you have any old vinyl records in your house?

My friend Tom is amazed at how just asking to see old cameras “in the house” is working. I think one day he’ll use my same line just to ask if they have old vinyl records in their house.

A Retired Journalist Shows me His Nikons

I met a woman in a garage selling a few items. The “Do you have any cameras in the house?”, question yielded her answer. She’d check with her husband inside.

At first he brought out his digital cameras. I mentioned I was interested in film cameras. Then he brought out his Nikons. He brought out two Nikons in excellent condition: Nikon FG and Nikon N8008.

Nikon FG

This was a beautiful camera. The photo shown below is from Camerapedia’s write-up on the Nikon FG.

Camerapedia – Nikon FG

The garage sale Nikon FG I saw and the photo shown above were the same. It was a beautiful camera with three Nikon lenses (50mm, 28mm, 80-200mm zoom). To be honest, I didn’t memorize the lens sizes because I knew I couldn’t afford this camera. It was cool to the touch from being nicely air-conditioned in its home, the battery worked, and it was gorgeous.

The camera’s story evolved. The owner was a retired journalist for the Chicago Tribune. (Sorry, I’m not mentioning his name.) He was a journalist, not a photographer. But obviously he had great equipment with him as a journalist.

I had to ask, but did so gently.

Do you have any interest in selling one of these cameras?

The owner thought just a moment and said no. He hadn’t thought about selling them and thought he would keep them. If I had a business card I would have given it to him. But I’ll visit him next year to see if he wants to sell those cameras!

The camera seemed familiar. When I researched it at home it all came back to me. I had seen the same type of camera two or three weeks before. It felt familiar in my hands because it was the “son” of my Nikon EM from decades ago.

Nikon N8008

The retired journalist also had a Nikon N8008. Again, it was beautiful, cool to the touch (air conditioned), and had a good battery. It was ready to take photos and had the three “usual” lenses (50mm, 28mm, 80-200 zoom lens). Here’s a photo from Camera-Wiki on the Nikon N8008.

Camera-Wiki – Nikon N8008

It was a pleasure visiting with this retired journalist and seeing his beautiful cameras. Next year I’ll return in hopes of purchasing his Nikon FG. If he doesn’t want to sell it, I”ll understand. It’s beautiful.

The Brother-in-Law’s Lubitel 166

Two hundred paces from the retired journalist’s home I found a Lubitel 166. It looked almost like the one shown below from Wikipedia, except I think the used one I saw was missing the bottom lens ring.

Wikipedia – LOMO_Lubitel-166

Yes, even seeing an old camera is a pleasure. I had never seen a Lubitel 166 and I knew something about them. A decent TLR made in Russia. If it was available for sale I’d make an offer on it.

Would you consider selling it?

The owner said his brother-in-law gave it to him as a gift. I immediately said:

Keep it. Don’t sell it. It was a gift from your brother-in-law.

This turned out to be a wise thing to say since his wife was behind the table watching the entire transaction. It was her brother who gave the camera to the owner.

Two Canons, Not for Sale

Ten feet from the Lubitel 166 I found a Canon AE-1 and Canon EOS Elan 7, possibly for sale.

This is another case where asking, “Do you have any cameras inside your house?”, yielded two cameras for me to inspect.

The Canon AE-1 was in good condition but then you can never really tell unless you have a battery to test them. It had a 50mm lens. The owner clearly planned on keeping the AE-1.

The owner also had a Canon EOS Elan 7. I knew I had one at home (shame on me, as yet untested). So I didn’t need a Canon EOS Elan 7. Again, I’m hesitant to purchase any camera that needs a battery for testing, you should feel the same way.

The owner wanted to keep his Canon AE-1. He would have sold his Canon EOS Elan 7 for the right price. I chose not to make an offer.

A Good Day at the Old Town Triangle Garage Sale

It was a good day. Altogether I saw 7 cameras, but no purchases. I met some nice people and learned more about cameras and how they work.

Thanks for visiting What is a Film Camera today and reading about my visit to the Old Town Triangle Garage Sale in Chicago, IL.

Mamiya 135 EE – Brief Review

Posted on July 6, 2012 by Richard Kraneis

As soon as I purchased my cute little Mamiya 135 EE I popped a roll of ASA 400 expired film into it and started taking photos.

Mamiya 135 EE, Best Photo

I took photos at the Kilbourn Park basketball court, around the house, at the Addison overpass during a community mural painting, at Lake Michigan with fisherman.

I wonder if my other cameras are a little jealous (I know, weird thought). I’m supposed to be shooting out my Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL but this little Mamiya rangefinder is too cute not to use.

On a daily basis my Mamiya 135 EE looks a bit quirky. An old Vivitar lens cover that doesn’t fit and a rubber band to keep it on the camera. If you don’t use a lens cover it runs down the battery constantly. There is no on/off switch.

Mamiya 135 EE, Rubberband Technique

The Mamiya 135 EE is inexpensive, if you can find one

I couldn’t fine one completed listing on eBay with a sold price for the Mamiya 135 EE. I did find one that had not sold for $15 that now was selling for $10. I purchased mine for ten dollars at a Chicago garage sale in June 2012.

I love it when people speak in another language thinking that you don’t know what they’re saying. I speak English and understand some Spanish, German, and Russian. The owners kept saying “quince, quince” to each other. No I told them, I wasn’t paying $15. It was $10 or nothing (but I smiled and was friendly).

I purchased the camera for ten dollars in June 2012.

Where has this Mamiya 135 EE Traveled?

This is another camera without a past.

All I know is that the camera came from an older Hispanic couple living on the 3200 N. Karlov block in Chicago, IL.

“My” Mamiya 135 EE has traveled all around Chicago photographing fishermen, basketball players, and muralists. It’s a fun little shooter.

How Does the Mamiya 135 EE Feel?

It reminds me a lot of the Canon Canonet 28 and the Canon A35F. But not as nice.

Canonet 28 and the Canon A35F have a nicer viewfinder. You can actually see what shutter speed and aperture has been chosen by the camera. I never could tell what shutter speed and aperture the Mamiya 135 EE had chosen because in bright light outside it’s hard to see. And unlike the Canonet 28 or Canon A35F, the Mamiya 135 EE will let you depress the shutter whether or not there’s too little or too much light for the camera.

Mamiya 135 EE Problems

None really.

The Mamiya 135 EE does need a battery for its light meter. Years ago it took the infamous 1.3v PX-675 mercury battery. I used a battery from my Olympus OM-1n. A Rayovac 1.4v hearing aid battery worked just fine. It’s long identifier is L675ZA-8ZM.

The camera’s shutter works without a battery but you have no manual control other than focus. I’d say without a battery the camera is doing a 2.8 f stop at about 1/30th of a second. Just my guess.

Mamiya 135 EE Best Photos

It’s hard choosing a best photo. Out of a 24 exposure roll of film, 20 photos were “keepers”, only 4 bad shots. But here’s three of the best photos from an expired roll of ASA 400 film.

From my bungalow to the basketball courts of Kilbourn Park (Chicago) to an urban mural on Addison Street to Lake Michigan fishermen, these are some happy photos from an untested Mamiya 135 EE with expired ASA 400 color print film.

Mamiya 135 EE – 3400 North Tripp, Chicago, IL

I thought photographing my tall grass with a little bungalow bokeh would be fun. I estimated the distance from camera to grass, set the focus, placed the camera on the sidewalk, tilted the camera a bit, and pressed the shutter.

Mamiya 135 EE, June 2012, Tall Grass on 3400 N. Tripp Street, Chicago, IL

Mamiya 135 EE – Basketball at Kilbourn Park, Chicago, IL

Remarkably, if you ask people to take their photograph they may say “yes”. I watched this basketball game for 5 minutes and then asked to take photos. The shirtless man didn’t speak much English but he said, “Yes.”

I always try to move closer, closer to get the photo. For this photo I was sitting on the edge of the basketball court.

Mamiya 135 EE, June 2012, Kilbourn Park Basketball, Chicago, IL

Mamiya 135 EE – Addison Street Mural, Chicago, IL

One June 2012 day I was driving westbound on Addison Street just past the Kennedy expressway and saw some teenagers painting a mural by the overpass. This was too good an opportunity to pass by. There were lots of nice photos. This is just one of those photos.

I wish I had the name of the Mexican artist supervising this work. Nice to see young people being creative.

Mamiya 135 EE, June 2012, Addison Street Mural, Chicago, IL

Mamiya 135 EE – Montrose Harbor (Lake Michigan), Chicago, IL

This is taken at Montrose Harbor in Chicago, IL, looking south to the high rises on Lake Shore Drive. I used Google’s Picasa to adjust the exposure a bit on this photo. This 1977 camera was a bit overwhelmed with the brightness of the background and the fisherman. Now, Picasa adjusted, the photo looks even better.

Mamiya 135 EE, June 2012, Fisherman and Big Perch 2, Picasa Edited

Mamiya 135 EE Summary

I wouldn’t go out of my way to purchase a Mamiya 135 EE. If a Canonet 28 is a “poor man’s Leica” than the Mamiya 135 EE is a “poor man’s Canonet 28. But if you can pick up a Mamiya 135 EE at a garage sale than go ahead and have some fun.

For ten dollars and using expired ASA 400 film that’s probably 5-10 years old, I think the Mamiya 135 EE gave me some fun photos. There’s nothing fancy about the shot shown below, but it’s a darn good exposure (and a pretty lady).

Mamiya 135 EE, June 2012, Wife on the Phone

Thanks for visiting What is a Film Camera today and reading my Mamiya 135 EE brief review.