Episode 89: Camera Cleaning, Maintenance, and Repairs

A topic that we've lightly touched upon in previous episode, but never dared devote an entire episode to is the taboo subject of repairing your own cameras.  There are those who firmly believe all repairs should be left to the capable hands of professionals, but there are others who have no problem with opening their own cameras and trying it out themselves.

If you're in the latter group and are interested to hear some tips and tricks from those of us who have been brave/foolish enough to try it, Episode 89 is all about repairing your own cameras.  Joining Paul, Stephen, Theo, and Mike are returning callers A.J. Gentile, Alyssa Micha, Andrew Reynolds, Christopher Wells, John Michael Mendizza, Keir Frei, Larry Effler, Pat Casey, Rafael Espinoza, Ray Nason, Wayne Scheipers, and Will Pinkham who all share their own experiences.

We cover a wide range of topics, starting with what you can and cannot repair on a Kodak Medalist and whether you can still send your Leicas to the factory in Wetzlar to get repaired.  Hear who we think makes a good set of JIS screwdrivers, lens spanners, and Mike recommends a rubber grippy tool.  We share our recommendations for cleaning cameras, getting sticky residue off film doors, replacing mirror bumpers and foam light seals, how not to clean a reflex mirror, what works on lenses and what not to use.  We even cover the taboo topic of washing your camera in the dishwasher!

Although there is very little GAS in this episode, we do get into a few model specific camera repairs.  Alyssa Micha shares with us her beautiful 1903 Kodak camera which had moldy bellows and what she needed to do to replace them.  We talk about how to and how not to fix the infamous Canon Squeal of the Canon AE-1 and A-1 cameras, along with how to deal with the sticky backs of the Nikon N80 and N90, Mike talks about a product he used to mold a custom hand grip for his Minolta 650si.

We talk about various cleaners, when and when not to use lighter fluid, acetone, glass cleaner, and for the love of God, please never use WD-40 on any camera!  Although this whole episode is about home repairs and cleaning, we end the show talking about how best to take care of your camera to minimize its chances of never needing to be repaired, how to deal with humidity, and whether or not to store your cameras in their original leather cases.

Meet Anthony, Paul, and Mike: If you are in the vicinity of Cincinnati, Ohio on Saturday, March 22nd, come to the Ohio Camera Swap at the Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/West Chester and say hi to us.  Who knows, maybe even some other Camerosity Podcast regulars will show up as well.  While you’re there, maybe you can buy something from us!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you!  Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show.  We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

Our next episode will be number 90, and like we've done for episodes 70 and 80, we will be devoting the show to cameras of that decade.  For Episode 90, we will discuss cameras of the 1990s (or 1890s for that matter)!  Finally, Theo will get a chance to talk about his beloved Mamiya 7, but in addition to that there were many other terrific cameras from that decade like the Nikon N90s and the premium 28Ti and 35Ti point and shoots, the Contax AX, and the Olympus µ[mju:]-II.  In addition to terrific film cameras, the 1990s was the first decade with a large number of digital cameras like the Minolta RD-175 and Nikon D1.  We will record Episode 90 on Monday, March 24th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.

(Note that Daylight Savings Time started in North America on Sunday, March 9th, so be sure to check your local time if you plan on joining the show!)

In This Episode

• Disclaimer: A Proper CLA is Always the Best Way to Get Your Camera Working / Technicians for Some Models Are Retiring
• You Don't Have to Use The Most Popular Technicians to Repair Leicas / Does Leitz in Wetzlar Still CLA Cameras?
• Larry Wants to Repair His Kodak Medalist / Mike Offers Tips on Cleaning the Medalist Rangefinder
• Rerolling 620 / Larry Reload 828 Film Using Unperforated 35mm Film
• 3D Printing Battery Holders for Nikon SLRs / 3D Printing for Analog Photography Facebook Group
• Cleaning Corroded Battery Compartments / Removing Stuck Pentax Spotmatic Battery Compartment Covers
• Eyeglass Screwdrivers Are Not Good Enough / Japanese Cameras Use JIS Screws
• Get Good Spanners / SK Grimes Spanners Are Very Good / Micro-Tools
• Mike Recommends Getting a Set of Rubber Grips for Removing Lens Rings
• How to Remove Stuck Filters Due to a Damaged Filter Ring
• How Do You Know Whether You Should Fix It or Live With It?
• Beware of Sellers Claiming a Camera Was CLAd If They Did It Themselves
• Repairing the Canon AE-1 / Canon Squeaky Shutters / Never Use WD-40!
• Using Ronsonol and Lighter Fluid / Naphtha Oil
• Use Caution When Cleaning a Reflex Mirror / What is a Front Surface Mirror? / ROR Solution
• Replacing Light Seals is a Good DIY Repair / Mirror Bumpers
• Do Not Shoot a Camera with Compromised Light Seals / Cleaning the Old Stuff Out First
• Are PEC Pads Recommended for Cleaning Cameras? / Kimwipes and Baby Wipes
• A Old Toothbrush and a Tiny Drop of Soap is Good for Cleaning Crevasses and other Tight Spots
• Cleaning and Conditioning Rubber Grips on Lenses / Shrinking Rubber Grips
• Cleaning Sticky Rubber Surfaces / The Nikon N80 and N90 Have Horribly Sticky Backs
• Making a Hand Grip for a Minolta 650si Using Sugru
• How Do You Know When a Shutter Needs to Be Serviced?
• Beware of Self-Timers on Old Cameras / What does "V" Mean on German Shutters?
• Tips for Keeping Your Camera Working / Use It / Remove the Batteries
• Controlling Humidity / Using Silica Gel Packets and Desiccants / Damp Rid
• Getting Rid of Ever Ready Cases / Are There Any Cases Worth Saving?
• An Easier to Remember Join Link - join.camerositypodcast.com

Links

The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/