Mark Vaughan
Lifetime Member
I STILL have a pile of Nikons. Considering starting a collection of Ricoh SLRs and RFs.
Posts: 191
|
Post by Mark Vaughan on Jul 5, 2009 21:06:50 GMT -5
Bob -
Let me pull it apart again and photograph the process. I got excited working on it and forgot that I probably should have documented it..! Before I knew it, it was back together. Either way, it's pretty easy and I'll get the info out for all to see.
I found another problem with the ON/OFF switch: mine was moving up and down freely, with no click-resistance to either the ON or OFF positions. I pulled the switch with a spanner (the chome plated bolt in the middle of the switch with two spanner index dots) and found that my plastic switch cover had a broken pole. I am now looking for a junker XE, XE1, XE5, XE7 for parts. I was tempted to take the good one off my XE-5, but that thing is a jewel... will have to wait for a parts camera.
Have a good week, Mark
|
|
Mark Vaughan
Lifetime Member
I STILL have a pile of Nikons. Considering starting a collection of Ricoh SLRs and RFs.
Posts: 191
|
Post by Mark Vaughan on Jul 5, 2009 17:09:58 GMT -5
Bill,
I have acquired a few Soligor's myself, but I don't know much about them - or whether they are TX or T4. One thing they do have in common though is that they are all Minolta MC mounts. Here's what they are:
Soligor Zoom Macro 85-300mm, f5, C/D Soligor Auto Zoom 70-150mm, f3.5 Soligor ZOOM-AUTO 35-70mm, f2.5-3.5 w/Macro
They are all "Two Touch" zooms (one ring for focus, one ring for zoom) and the rubber 'diamond' grips resemble your lower Vivitar TX photo mostly.
Any idea if these are any good / worth keeping around? My first inclination was to list them on Ebay.
Thanks, Mark
|
|
Mark Vaughan
Lifetime Member
I STILL have a pile of Nikons. Considering starting a collection of Ricoh SLRs and RFs.
Posts: 191
|
Post by Mark Vaughan on Jul 5, 2009 16:39:30 GMT -5
Hello All,
I have recently acquired one of the greats - a Minolta XE-7 - and it had the problem with the stuck film advance crank.
I HAVE SOLVED THIS PROBLEM and if you happen to encounter this on any of your Minoltas (XD, XE, or SRT) let me know and I'll be happy to let you know how to fix it. It's much simpler than you may think, but not for anyone with poor eyesight or shaky hands..! It boils down to this:
* Old NITENOL springs in the advance catch mechanism get tired and need to be exercised * There is a catch mechanism that requires a micro spot of oil * Minor disassembly/reassembly required
I will photograph and detail the fix at a later date, but please don't toss out the Minoltas with stuck cranks just yet. Give me an email and I'll get you the fix!
Best regards, Mark
|
|
Mark Vaughan
Lifetime Member
I STILL have a pile of Nikons. Considering starting a collection of Ricoh SLRs and RFs.
Posts: 191
|
Post by Mark Vaughan on Jul 5, 2009 16:30:51 GMT -5
Robert -
Welcome aboard. I have been a member for less than a month but have really enjoyed it. You do have some good stuff there - would love to see some closer pictures of that old Nikon rangefinder.
I collect Nikon and Minolta manual focus mechanical SLRs.
Take care, Mark
|
|
Mark Vaughan
Lifetime Member
I STILL have a pile of Nikons. Considering starting a collection of Ricoh SLRs and RFs.
Posts: 191
|
Post by Mark Vaughan on Jul 2, 2009 15:55:05 GMT -5
I may get a second FE soon and combine these two and make one good one!
|
|
Mark Vaughan
Lifetime Member
I STILL have a pile of Nikons. Considering starting a collection of Ricoh SLRs and RFs.
Posts: 191
|
Post by Mark Vaughan on Jul 2, 2009 10:41:36 GMT -5
I paid $20 for a "fixer" Nikon FE body that will require a new FRE/ASA unit. Otherise, it's mechanically a jewel!
Do they still make/supply these parts or do you think I will have to part-out a user camera for what I need? I hear that you can use the electronics out of an old EL or EL2 as well - is that so?
I just thought I would post this in case any of you knew of a fix-it for this seemingly common problem with the FE.
Take care, and happy 4th!
Regards, Mark
|
|
Mark Vaughan
Lifetime Member
I STILL have a pile of Nikons. Considering starting a collection of Ricoh SLRs and RFs.
Posts: 191
|
Post by Mark Vaughan on Jun 25, 2009 22:15:48 GMT -5
Uh, I think I'm guilty here too, Peter. Thanks for the heads-up.
Mark
|
|
Mark Vaughan
Lifetime Member
I STILL have a pile of Nikons. Considering starting a collection of Ricoh SLRs and RFs.
Posts: 191
|
Post by Mark Vaughan on Jun 25, 2009 22:00:14 GMT -5
There's a time for everything...
I put little thought into what digital equipment I "pick up" - we always keep a Canon Digital Elph and a Nikon Coolpix 5700 around for birthday parties, ebay photos, and the occasional UFO sighting (we're in Texas). We, half-asleep, plug the camera into the charger/download cable at the end of the day and yawn through 400 different views of the kids opening ever more Polly Pocket dolls and blowing out candles from nine different angles. Those pictures get saved forever. And like another member stated - it leaves you feeling uneasy, unfulfilled. They sure are sharp though, for as little work that was put into getting them.
BUT - tell me if you don't feel the same sense of outright excitement when that one or two rolls of film from the same party shot by that one dad (myself) who lurked about focusing, looking for the best light, telling the kids "...hold right there - no - smile again, wait...got it...!" makes its way back from the lab. EVERYONE is crowded around the kitchen counter to sift through 36 prints, analysing, ooohing, ahhhing, saying things like "...oh, I want that one in a frame for my desk at work" or "...rats - your hair was in your face!". Funny thing is that those pictures also never get discarded. Rather, treasured!
I'm glad to have a hobby with real-world, family-inclusive, value added benefits.
It's the same reason I work on and drive a vintage Porsche 911 with no A/C in Texas. I'm a nut. No, really, I just enjoy the way things were and the feeling you get when you take the time to really work for something - you can't delete and try again - too costly. It must be done right the first time. The tactile 'cha-clunk' of the shutter, the ball-bearings rolling when you wind to the next frame - or the gnarly rip of an old Motor Drive. Nostalgia is a lot of fun - and it's as though the results are simply appreciated that much more.
I like digital for what it is. I carry one around for work. But I have a fancy new mini van with automatic side opening doors and a GPS too. And one thing's for sure: you wont see me bombing around town in that thing on Saturday night. I'm taking the Porshe (197,000K miles) with the Nikkormat or the old SRT in the glove box!
Oh, and the bulge in my pocket on Saturday night doesn't mean I'm happy to see you. That's my digital Elph.
Mark
|
|
Mark Vaughan
Lifetime Member
I STILL have a pile of Nikons. Considering starting a collection of Ricoh SLRs and RFs.
Posts: 191
|
Post by Mark Vaughan on Jun 25, 2009 21:37:06 GMT -5
Ken,
Thanks for the info and for sharing your webpage. It jogged my memory: several years ago my wife's late Grandfather was "throwing out" old cameras and I was able to rescue, among others, a Model 80A and an Automatic 100. Both were in pretty good shape - everything working. They've been on a bookshelf since then until I found your website. I just dusted them off and exercised the bellows units. They're still holding up.
As it turns out, these are not national treasures yet and I wont be quitting my job.
Father-in-law just gave me two early Maxxums (7000 & 5000) and a Spotmatic though... so things are looking up!
Mark
|
|
Mark Vaughan
Lifetime Member
I STILL have a pile of Nikons. Considering starting a collection of Ricoh SLRs and RFs.
Posts: 191
|
Post by Mark Vaughan on Jun 25, 2009 19:41:34 GMT -5
I'm a little late here, but wanted to comment on APS. My wife bought a little Canon Elph APS (Advantix) that just never worked out for us. Never was sure if it was the quality of the camera or the quality of the film. We eventually stopped using it and she went digital - I bought her a Nikon Coolpix 5700 - a whole other boatload of issues with that beast... not for here... Our only other digital has since replaced the 5700: A camera not unlike the Canon Elph APS - a Digital Elph. Thing takes WONDERFUL photos (macro included - good for ebay and posting) which leads me to think the original problem was with the APS format.
Mark
|
|
Mark Vaughan
Lifetime Member
I STILL have a pile of Nikons. Considering starting a collection of Ricoh SLRs and RFs.
Posts: 191
|
Post by Mark Vaughan on Jun 25, 2009 10:58:19 GMT -5
I own a nice XE-5, but haven't found that "deal" on an XE-7 yet. I agree - the XE-7 is one of the best heavy metal automatics of all time. Plenty around for sale (including XE and XE-1 models) but they're pricey!
On another note, I just put a new PX-28L cell in the EL2 and the meter needle is "jumpy". I have heard that this can be fixed with a thorough cleaning. EL2 repair manual is on its way.
Mark
|
|
Mark Vaughan
Lifetime Member
I STILL have a pile of Nikons. Considering starting a collection of Ricoh SLRs and RFs.
Posts: 191
|
Post by Mark Vaughan on Jun 24, 2009 21:00:17 GMT -5
It wasn't an Ebay find - Craigslist rather. I'd been looking for a a few of these "one year only" Nikons (such as the FT3, FG-20, and this EL2) for the collection. This one is far from mint, but serves as a good example. The Nikkor has had it - blemish on the lens face where some muckity-muck rubbed the coating off... that, and the focus action is loose. EL2s don't pop up every day, so I grabbed this one. It is my prime restoration candidate. The seller through in a Soligor 300mm telephoto as well as a 28mm - both with Minolta MD mounts! Hey, I like Minoltas too, so no worries. Regards, Mark
|
|
Mark Vaughan
Lifetime Member
I STILL have a pile of Nikons. Considering starting a collection of Ricoh SLRs and RFs.
Posts: 191
|
Post by Mark Vaughan on Jun 21, 2009 11:04:58 GMT -5
Peter - Thank you for sharing your excellent story about your son, John. I hope to pass on a similar legacy to my daughter. She's 7 and just completed the first grade so, to celebrate, I gave her a Minolta X-700 (! - my, have times changed...) and a few rolls of Fuji film and we headed out to our town square. I brought along my F2AS and, as she photographed birds, lizards, flowers, and buildings, I simply photographed her. She REALLY got into it (I was near tears..!). Here she is: Ilford XP-2, 400 ISO B&W Print scanned on a HP flatbed. Happy Father's Day! Mark
|
|
Mark Vaughan
Lifetime Member
I STILL have a pile of Nikons. Considering starting a collection of Ricoh SLRs and RFs.
Posts: 191
|
Post by Mark Vaughan on Jun 21, 2009 10:26:20 GMT -5
Randy,
I keep seeing these custom leatherette covered bodies - great stuff. I have a few candidate bodies for this kind of work and have plenty of leather, but what are you using for adhesive? Are there any tips or how-to links on this?
The L-17 looks great.
Mark
|
|
Mark Vaughan
Lifetime Member
I STILL have a pile of Nikons. Considering starting a collection of Ricoh SLRs and RFs.
Posts: 191
|
Post by Mark Vaughan on Jun 20, 2009 16:52:48 GMT -5
As a new collector, I am forming my own opinions about what is to become valuable or collectible. However, it seems like black camera bodies garner a bit more respect and price than the chrome versions, but - call me mad - I REALLY like the chrome ones!
What do you think?
Best, Mark
|
|