Camera Repair Horrors: These are the models that give repairmen agita.
A rogue’s gallery of cameras that are tough to put back in working order.
By Jason Schneider
Not all cameras are created equal when it comes to repairing and servicing them. Some models are blissfully straightforward and accessible, others are devilishly complex and require extensive disassembly just to get to the problem area, and most fall somewhere in between. We asked three experienced camera repair experts (two men and one woman) which cameras they dreaded repairing. Here’s an overview based on their hands-on experiences.
In general, cameras that are idiosyncratic and mechanically complex are the most time consuming and challenging to repair. A classic example is the Kodak Ektra of the 1940s, the Rochester NY-based company’s first and last attempt to build world class rangefinder 35 system. While the Ektra had its good points—a full line of superb breech-mount Ektar lenses, interchangeable film magazines, and a long base, mil spec coupled rangefinder—its horizonal focal plane shutter was inordinately complicated. Rather than using a traditional timing mechanism with the first and second shutter curtains wound (tensioned) simultaneously (as in, say, a Leica), in the Ektra shutter the first shutter curtain is wound over a longer distance than the second one to set the slit width that determines the shutter speed. Supposedly this provides superior accuracy, but the Ektra shutter was notoriously unreliable and difficult to adjust and was the main reason that the Ektra, first announced in 1941, was phased out in 1948.
Kodak Ektra of 1941 to 1948 was Amerca's fist and last attempt to build the world's most advanced rangefinder 35. It was done in by its unreliable shutter.
Early Bronica 6 x 6cm SLRs, namely the original model Z of 1959, the tweaked and marginally more reliable model D of 1960, and the stripped down and simplified Bronica S of 1961, are all considered hard- to -repair compared to a typical medium format SLR like a Hasselblad or a Pentax. All have idiosyncratic shutter and mirror mechanisms that are tough to repair and adjust. Each employs an unconventional instant-return mirror that flips down before flipping back up to viewing position and has an extra curtain that moves in place over the flipped-down mirror to prevent light reflected from the finder from fogging the film.
Bronica DeLuxe model Z of 1959 was an audacious attempt to outdo the Hasselblad, but it was complex, delicate, and not very reliable.
The Bronica S of 1961 was a simplified, much more reliable successor to the Bronica Z and D, but its complex mirror and shutter mechanisms are hard to repair.
Late model Alpa 35mm SLRs, including the Alpa 9d, 10d and 11-series models, also fall into the hard-to-repair category. Having such unique design features as a front to back wind lever and a front-mounted shutter release, it’s often harder to access and repair certain components. Also, these cameras were bench assembled in small quantities and some repair components, especially electronics, are no longer available. Surprisingly, early Alpa 35mm SLRs and their progenitor the Bolsey Reflex, are not as bad as later models when it comes to repairing them and adjusting them to spec.
The Bolsey Reflex, progenitor of the Alpa 35mm SLR line, was designed by Jacques Bolsey (aka Bolski) in the '40s. It's fairly easy repair, unlike later Alpas.
Early Alpa 35mm SLR of the late '40s, early '50s. Conceptually complex, it was easier to repair than later models with built-in metering.
Alpa 10d of 1968 had an integrated pentaprism housing and a second meter needle in a window in the accessory shoe, Like the 9d and 11e, it's tough to repair.
Leaf shutter 35mm SLRs such as the Kodak Retina Reflex, Voigtlander Bessamatic, and Contaflex (all models from their respective makers) are challenging to repair due to their complex mechanisms with tight tolerances and potential for lubrication problems such as oil contaminating the shutter blades. Leaf shutters are inherently more complex than focal plane shutters, and they have many small intricate parts that can be easily damaged if not handled properly. Also, fewer specialized repair technicians are now available to work on leaf shutter SLRs and finding spare parts can be problematic.
Original Kodak Retina Reflex Type 025 of 1957 had component interchangeable lenses. It's well made and competent but a bear to repair.
Kodak Retina Reflex IV of 1964 to 1967 has an aperture display window on the pentaprism housing and fully interchangeable lenses, but it's still a bear to repair.
Contaflex Super B of 1963 had shutter-priority AE and interchangeable film backs, It's a nice camera, but like ill leaf shutter SLRs it's female dog to repair.
Zeiss Contarexes: All models, even the meter-less Contarex Spezial, are mechanically extremely complex. For example, the original Bull’s-Eye Contarex includes nearly 1100 parts, with seven principal alloy castings and additional stamped cover plates just to complete the basic structure. It’s rugged all right, and the aperture mechanism uses durable roller bearings (!), but repairs require a specialist, and 43 parts must be dismantled just to remove the top plate to gain internal access!
Zeiss Bull's-Eye Contarex of 1959 to 1966 with 50mm f/2 Carl Zeiss Planar lens. This ponderous hulk of camera is beautifully made but has 1100 parts!
The Contarex Spezial, launched in 1960 has no meter and requires no batteries, but its mechanical complexity puts in on the hard to repair list.
The ultimate repairman's nightmare? A good candidate is the twin lens Contaflex unveiled in 1935. It may well be the most complex camera Zeiss ever offered.
Limited production specialty cameras. By their very nature these are idiosyncratic designs, and many are mechanically complex and offer unique features. Few repairmen have experience working on them, many are unwilling to take a chance on trying to repair them, and repair manuals and parts are often unobtainable, all of which make them challenging to repair. There are literally dozens of cameras that fall into this category but herewith the details on three classics:
The Compass of 1937 is an exquisitely made, super-compact 35mm camera (2-3/4x2-1/8x 1-1/4 inches, 7-3/4 ounces) camera designed by Englishman Noel Pemberton-Billings and made by the famed Swiss watch company Jaeger-LeCoultre. It takes tiny 24x36mm glass plates, has a rangefinder and ground glass focusing, a 35mm f/3.5 Tessar-formula lens made by Kern, shutter speeds 4-1/2 to 1/500 sec, and a built-in extinction-type meter. Though highly idiosyncratic and not very practical, the Compass is the ultimate compact 35mm camera of all time. Fewer than 5000 were made, so it’s relatively rare and quite pricey. Average, about $4000, though pristine examples and complete outfits have fetched much more.
Compass Camera made by Jaeger-Le Coultre watch company. Introduced in 1937 it may be the most exquisitely complex 35s ever made, and is a bear to repair.
The Tessina is an ultraminiature twin lens reflex camera made in Switzerland by Sigrist that was distributed by Concava S. A. for about four decades starting around 1960. It uses 35mm film in special cassettes, providing a 17 x 21mm format, and has spring motor film advance. There were three models, the 35, 35 Auto and 35L. The L model had the lens mounted on the top, in place of the finder, perhaps intended for covert picture taking. All models feature a Tessinon 25mm f2.8 lens, have shutter speeds of 1/2-1/500 sec, and a metal body with rounded ends measuring about 2½x2¼x1 inches. There’s a two-frame flip-up viewfinder on top and beneath it is a reflex, waist-level finder. The elegant Tessina (any model) is a coveted collector’s item that currently sells for about $400-$600,
The Tessina is an ultra-miniature twin lens reflex camera made in Switzerland. It has spring motor wind, uses special cassettes, and is tough to service and fix.
The Kodak Bantam Special that debuted in 1936 is an art deco masterpiece designed by Walter Dorwin Teague, The Bantam Special was the top-of-the-line Kodak camera based on the 828 format; basically an 8-exposure roll of paper-backed 35mm roll film without the usual perforations that provided a 28 x 40mm format. A beautifully made folding rangefinder camera, the posh original Special had an uncoated 50mm f/2 Kodak Anastigmat lens in a Compur-Rapid shutter, and the prized 1941 model had a coated (!) 50mm f/2 Ektar and Kodak’s own Supermatic No 0 shutter with speeds of 1-1/400 sec plus B and T. Despite its impressive specs, its front standard is not a paragon of rigidity, and lens sharpness at wide apertures was so-so. A collector’s heartthrob (either version) it goes for $250-$550 depending on model and condition. BTW, while 828 film is long out of production, fresh custom-rolled 828 is available for about $20 in black and white and $26 per roll in color negative.
Kodak Bantam Special of 1936 to 1940 with 45mm f/2 Ektar lens in Compur-Rapid shutter. An exquisite art deco camera, it took 828 film, is difficult to fix
Are some cameras relatively easy to repair? Thankfully, yes, say the repairmen we spoke with, although all can present challenges, and not every broken camera is worth repairing. Here’s a short list of “easy to repair” cameras suggested by our trio of camera repair experts:
Pentax SLRs, e.g. the Spotmatic and Spotmatic F
Asahi Pentax Spotmatic with 55mm f/1.8 Super-Takumar lens. It's simple, straightforward, gorgeous, and east to repair, a great combo!
Nikon F and F2
Nikon F Photomic T with 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor-S lens. This classic F will probably outlast its owner and its straightforward design makes it easy to repair.
Nikon FM2 (but not the early FM that used “fishing line” to control the shutter dial!)
Leica M series: easy to work on despite their range/viewfinders, which are complex, but straightforward and easy to adjust.
Yashica 35mm SLRS
The fact that some cameras are such a bear to repair while others are commendably straightforward and far less labor intensive raises an interesting question: Should camera repair experts be included in the camera designing process? It sounds like a great idea, but if they were brought in too early, could they stifle the open-ended creativity of the design engineers? Perhaps a camera repair person should be present through the entire camera design procedure so he or she could sound the alarm when complexity overtakes common sense. One alternative: since all cameras must eventually be serviced and repaired, perhaps camera manufacturers should make it a priority to educate their designers and production engineers to be cognizant of the needs of the hapless technicians that will have to work on their masterpieces when they need attention.
A rogue’s gallery of cameras that are tough to put back in working order.
By Jason Schneider
Not all cameras are created equal when it comes to repairing and servicing them. Some models are blissfully straightforward and accessible, others are devilishly complex and require extensive disassembly just to get to the problem area, and most fall somewhere in between. We asked three experienced camera repair experts (two men and one woman) which cameras they dreaded repairing. Here’s an overview based on their hands-on experiences.
In general, cameras that are idiosyncratic and mechanically complex are the most time consuming and challenging to repair. A classic example is the Kodak Ektra of the 1940s, the Rochester NY-based company’s first and last attempt to build world class rangefinder 35 system. While the Ektra had its good points—a full line of superb breech-mount Ektar lenses, interchangeable film magazines, and a long base, mil spec coupled rangefinder—its horizonal focal plane shutter was inordinately complicated. Rather than using a traditional timing mechanism with the first and second shutter curtains wound (tensioned) simultaneously (as in, say, a Leica), in the Ektra shutter the first shutter curtain is wound over a longer distance than the second one to set the slit width that determines the shutter speed. Supposedly this provides superior accuracy, but the Ektra shutter was notoriously unreliable and difficult to adjust and was the main reason that the Ektra, first announced in 1941, was phased out in 1948.
Kodak Ektra of 1941 to 1948 was Amerca's fist and last attempt to build the world's most advanced rangefinder 35. It was done in by its unreliable shutter.
Early Bronica 6 x 6cm SLRs, namely the original model Z of 1959, the tweaked and marginally more reliable model D of 1960, and the stripped down and simplified Bronica S of 1961, are all considered hard- to -repair compared to a typical medium format SLR like a Hasselblad or a Pentax. All have idiosyncratic shutter and mirror mechanisms that are tough to repair and adjust. Each employs an unconventional instant-return mirror that flips down before flipping back up to viewing position and has an extra curtain that moves in place over the flipped-down mirror to prevent light reflected from the finder from fogging the film.
Bronica DeLuxe model Z of 1959 was an audacious attempt to outdo the Hasselblad, but it was complex, delicate, and not very reliable.
The Bronica S of 1961 was a simplified, much more reliable successor to the Bronica Z and D, but its complex mirror and shutter mechanisms are hard to repair.
Late model Alpa 35mm SLRs, including the Alpa 9d, 10d and 11-series models, also fall into the hard-to-repair category. Having such unique design features as a front to back wind lever and a front-mounted shutter release, it’s often harder to access and repair certain components. Also, these cameras were bench assembled in small quantities and some repair components, especially electronics, are no longer available. Surprisingly, early Alpa 35mm SLRs and their progenitor the Bolsey Reflex, are not as bad as later models when it comes to repairing them and adjusting them to spec.
The Bolsey Reflex, progenitor of the Alpa 35mm SLR line, was designed by Jacques Bolsey (aka Bolski) in the '40s. It's fairly easy repair, unlike later Alpas.
Early Alpa 35mm SLR of the late '40s, early '50s. Conceptually complex, it was easier to repair than later models with built-in metering.
Alpa 10d of 1968 had an integrated pentaprism housing and a second meter needle in a window in the accessory shoe, Like the 9d and 11e, it's tough to repair.
Leaf shutter 35mm SLRs such as the Kodak Retina Reflex, Voigtlander Bessamatic, and Contaflex (all models from their respective makers) are challenging to repair due to their complex mechanisms with tight tolerances and potential for lubrication problems such as oil contaminating the shutter blades. Leaf shutters are inherently more complex than focal plane shutters, and they have many small intricate parts that can be easily damaged if not handled properly. Also, fewer specialized repair technicians are now available to work on leaf shutter SLRs and finding spare parts can be problematic.
Original Kodak Retina Reflex Type 025 of 1957 had component interchangeable lenses. It's well made and competent but a bear to repair.
Kodak Retina Reflex IV of 1964 to 1967 has an aperture display window on the pentaprism housing and fully interchangeable lenses, but it's still a bear to repair.
Contaflex Super B of 1963 had shutter-priority AE and interchangeable film backs, It's a nice camera, but like ill leaf shutter SLRs it's female dog to repair.
Zeiss Contarexes: All models, even the meter-less Contarex Spezial, are mechanically extremely complex. For example, the original Bull’s-Eye Contarex includes nearly 1100 parts, with seven principal alloy castings and additional stamped cover plates just to complete the basic structure. It’s rugged all right, and the aperture mechanism uses durable roller bearings (!), but repairs require a specialist, and 43 parts must be dismantled just to remove the top plate to gain internal access!
Zeiss Bull's-Eye Contarex of 1959 to 1966 with 50mm f/2 Carl Zeiss Planar lens. This ponderous hulk of camera is beautifully made but has 1100 parts!
The Contarex Spezial, launched in 1960 has no meter and requires no batteries, but its mechanical complexity puts in on the hard to repair list.
The ultimate repairman's nightmare? A good candidate is the twin lens Contaflex unveiled in 1935. It may well be the most complex camera Zeiss ever offered.
Limited production specialty cameras. By their very nature these are idiosyncratic designs, and many are mechanically complex and offer unique features. Few repairmen have experience working on them, many are unwilling to take a chance on trying to repair them, and repair manuals and parts are often unobtainable, all of which make them challenging to repair. There are literally dozens of cameras that fall into this category but herewith the details on three classics:
The Compass of 1937 is an exquisitely made, super-compact 35mm camera (2-3/4x2-1/8x 1-1/4 inches, 7-3/4 ounces) camera designed by Englishman Noel Pemberton-Billings and made by the famed Swiss watch company Jaeger-LeCoultre. It takes tiny 24x36mm glass plates, has a rangefinder and ground glass focusing, a 35mm f/3.5 Tessar-formula lens made by Kern, shutter speeds 4-1/2 to 1/500 sec, and a built-in extinction-type meter. Though highly idiosyncratic and not very practical, the Compass is the ultimate compact 35mm camera of all time. Fewer than 5000 were made, so it’s relatively rare and quite pricey. Average, about $4000, though pristine examples and complete outfits have fetched much more.
Compass Camera made by Jaeger-Le Coultre watch company. Introduced in 1937 it may be the most exquisitely complex 35s ever made, and is a bear to repair.
The Tessina is an ultraminiature twin lens reflex camera made in Switzerland by Sigrist that was distributed by Concava S. A. for about four decades starting around 1960. It uses 35mm film in special cassettes, providing a 17 x 21mm format, and has spring motor film advance. There were three models, the 35, 35 Auto and 35L. The L model had the lens mounted on the top, in place of the finder, perhaps intended for covert picture taking. All models feature a Tessinon 25mm f2.8 lens, have shutter speeds of 1/2-1/500 sec, and a metal body with rounded ends measuring about 2½x2¼x1 inches. There’s a two-frame flip-up viewfinder on top and beneath it is a reflex, waist-level finder. The elegant Tessina (any model) is a coveted collector’s item that currently sells for about $400-$600,
The Tessina is an ultra-miniature twin lens reflex camera made in Switzerland. It has spring motor wind, uses special cassettes, and is tough to service and fix.
The Kodak Bantam Special that debuted in 1936 is an art deco masterpiece designed by Walter Dorwin Teague, The Bantam Special was the top-of-the-line Kodak camera based on the 828 format; basically an 8-exposure roll of paper-backed 35mm roll film without the usual perforations that provided a 28 x 40mm format. A beautifully made folding rangefinder camera, the posh original Special had an uncoated 50mm f/2 Kodak Anastigmat lens in a Compur-Rapid shutter, and the prized 1941 model had a coated (!) 50mm f/2 Ektar and Kodak’s own Supermatic No 0 shutter with speeds of 1-1/400 sec plus B and T. Despite its impressive specs, its front standard is not a paragon of rigidity, and lens sharpness at wide apertures was so-so. A collector’s heartthrob (either version) it goes for $250-$550 depending on model and condition. BTW, while 828 film is long out of production, fresh custom-rolled 828 is available for about $20 in black and white and $26 per roll in color negative.
Kodak Bantam Special of 1936 to 1940 with 45mm f/2 Ektar lens in Compur-Rapid shutter. An exquisite art deco camera, it took 828 film, is difficult to fix
Are some cameras relatively easy to repair? Thankfully, yes, say the repairmen we spoke with, although all can present challenges, and not every broken camera is worth repairing. Here’s a short list of “easy to repair” cameras suggested by our trio of camera repair experts:
Pentax SLRs, e.g. the Spotmatic and Spotmatic F
Asahi Pentax Spotmatic with 55mm f/1.8 Super-Takumar lens. It's simple, straightforward, gorgeous, and east to repair, a great combo!
Nikon F and F2
Nikon F Photomic T with 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor-S lens. This classic F will probably outlast its owner and its straightforward design makes it easy to repair.
Nikon FM2 (but not the early FM that used “fishing line” to control the shutter dial!)
Leica M series: easy to work on despite their range/viewfinders, which are complex, but straightforward and easy to adjust.
Yashica 35mm SLRS
The fact that some cameras are such a bear to repair while others are commendably straightforward and far less labor intensive raises an interesting question: Should camera repair experts be included in the camera designing process? It sounds like a great idea, but if they were brought in too early, could they stifle the open-ended creativity of the design engineers? Perhaps a camera repair person should be present through the entire camera design procedure so he or she could sound the alarm when complexity overtakes common sense. One alternative: since all cameras must eventually be serviced and repaired, perhaps camera manufacturers should make it a priority to educate their designers and production engineers to be cognizant of the needs of the hapless technicians that will have to work on their masterpieces when they need attention.
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