Old "pro's" never die

[belgiumreporter]

From the "electronic" age onwards cameras didn't inprove in reliability or repairability, they became more and more a product wich when something breaks down or goes wrong you just throw it away and buy the next one.  The digital age didn't inprove things and even if there was nothing wrong with the camera it became quickly obsolete as whithin months the newer version came out with more pixels, faster AF and what not, you just had to buy it if you would take your photography serious (or so we are led to believe).With this post i wanted to bring homage to the pro cameras of a time long gone, tools that refuse to break down, or in the (unlikely) event of mechanical failure can be repaired.

I have to confess i don't use these cameras anymore on a daily basis, but each time i take them from the shelve for a spin they just work.So all hail to the cameras that were considered the ultimate in the days when i was young, they still deliver after half a century and  keep a prominent place in my collection.







Brothers in arms, why choose when you can have both?







My 'blads later got company by the somewhat more affordable mamiya medium format range

[julio1fer]

Those old pro shooters just keep going along. You like them black!

[alanegreen]

Agree totally. I have recently upgraded my Canon F-1 to overcome the mercury battery issue.

Conventional approach is to use a series Schottky diode with a Silver Oxide cell. The diode drop the battery 1.55V to ~1.35V( mercury battery voltage). The trouble is, the diode drop is dependant on current, and hence light level. Also the Silver oxide cell is not as voltage stable over discharge as Mercury was.
I have overcome this by using a 3V Lithium cell (CR1632) and a low dropout low quiescent current voltage regulator to provide exactly 1.35V to the meter. The regulator gives a constant 1.35V right down to the 2V where the battery dies.
I've put the regulator on the 'load' side of the on switch, so no battery drain when the camera is off. This also means that the battery check connects straight to the battery - due to the higher voltage I needed to insert a 10k resistor is series with the battery check.

The circuit is on a small PCB I made, and tucks away under the top plate next to the main switch.

I've made a similar modification to my Canon FTb. Both cameras work a treat and the meters are very accurate.

Would be interested if anyone else would be interested in modifying their cameras in this way - in which case I could supply the necessary circuits?

Alan

[belgiumreporter]

May 11, 2016 5:01:02 GMT -5 alanegreen said:

Agree totally. I have recently upgraded my Canon F-1 to overcome the mercury battery issue.

Conventional approach is to use a series Schottky diode with a Silver Oxide cell. The diode drop the battery 1.55V to ~1.35V( mercury battery voltage). The trouble is, the diode drop is dependant on current, and hence light level. Also the Silver oxide cell is not as voltage stable over discharge as Mercury was.
I have overcome this by using a 3V Lithium cell (CR1632) and a low dropout low quiescent current voltage regulator to provide exactly 1.35V to the meter. The regulator gives a constant 1.35V right down to the 2V where the battery dies.
I've put the regulator on the 'load' side of the on switch, so no battery drain when the camera is off. This also means that the battery check connects straight to the battery - due to the higher voltage I needed to insert a 10k resistor is series with the battery check.

The circuit is on a small PCB I made, and tucks away under the top plate next to the main switch.

I've made a similar modification to my Canon FTb. Both cameras work a treat and the meters are very accurate.

Would be interested if anyone else would be interested in modifying their cameras in this way - in which case I could supply the necessary circuits?

Alan

Alan, thanks for your input, i was just coming tot the point where i was about to say the longlivety of some of these cameras also depends on enthousiast wich help the (classic) camera community by sharing their knowledge and skills.

One of my favourite canons for a number of reasons is the T90. Sadly lots of T90 meet their doom when the dreaded EEEEEEE message appears in the viewfinder,i've got 3 of them 2 have got "it" Now the T90 seems to be fixable enough so you can find several repair shops who are willing to repair it at a reasenable cost, the electronics of the T90 seem to be "primitive" enough to be able to be repaired without factory tools or parts, still after those models with the start of the AF bodies things are getting complicated or just not worth repairing , when you've got something like a nikon 601 with a broken battery door( common problem on those) just get an other good one wich will be much cheaper than any repair.







The best classic canon? it comes with a serious flaw though... 

[mickeyobe]

I purchased my T90 in 1985. I think it represented the apex of 35mm single lens reflex development. I used it until 2005 with one repair by Canon. If there were a way to convert it to digital I would do so today regardless of cost.
For me it was the perfect camera. It was an extension of my mind and arm. It would do anything I asked of it to perfection.
I periodically take it off its shelf and activate it, sans film, for old times sake.
I can not let this old pro just "fade away".
It is still pristine after 20 years use and thousands of pictures.
Mickey

belgiumreporter,

This from a discussion by several members of a group I once belonged to.
I tried it once and it worked for me.

If the old warrior, T90, develops EEEEetc. syndrome it may be voltage hungry.
Make sure the batteries are FULLY charged.
New batteries from a freshly opened package may not have a full charge so check them.
It might work - or not.
I recall some people blamed the lubricant that Canon used getting stiff with age.
Just like me.

Mickey