Lynx 5000 Beamsplitter

[lueej]

Would anyone happen to know how I could clean the viewfinder/beamsplitter in the Lynx 5000? Or if anyone happens to know of a donor body... 🙄

The shutter and aperture work fine, meter reads well with a battery, etc. just no bright spot or anything whatsoever in the viewfinder. Unless someone wants to take it off of my hands, I plan on fixing it, running a roll or two through, and deciding whether or not it's for me. I'm currently in love with my Oly SP and RC though.

here is a photo of the camera and one of the gunked up viewfinder.

 

[Frontman]

Cleaning is quite easy, but it looks as though the reflective coating on the beam splitter is bad. I sometimes have to replace the beam splitting mirror in cameras, I usually salvage mirrors from later Canonets, which are more resistant to deterioration, and cut them to size. I also have used mirrors from the Olympus OM40, which is semi-silvered in a gold tone. It works pretty well, but once again, it needs to cut to fit. I use a Dremel tool with a diamond wheel.

 

[lueej]

Cleaning is quite easy, but it looks as though the reflective coating on the beam splitter is bad. I sometimes have to replace the beam splitting mirror in cameras, I usually salvage mirrors from later Canonets, which are more resistant to deterioration, and cut them to size. I also have used mirrors from the Olympus OM40, which is semi-silvered in a gold tone. It works pretty well, but once again, it needs to cut to fit. I use a Dremel tool with a diamond wheel.

Thanks for the tip, I'll try to find one of the above thrifting or something!

 

[Frontman]

Thanks for the tip, I'll try to find one of the above thrifting or something!

If you are going to try to salvage a mirror from another rangefinder camera, like a Canonet, be careful not to break it when removing it from the rangefinder. The mirrors are glued into place. I soak the glue with paint thinner to make it soft, and rather than try to pull on the mirror to remove it, I break away the metal frame around the mirror with needle-nose pliers. The metal is cast aluminum, and is not strong.

 

[Bill58]

Frontman:

You should be enshrined into the RFF "Hall of Fame" (if there was one) for all your useful/ expert advice to members.

Bill

 

[Spicy]

Hey Bill! How have you been? I sent you a few emails but never heard anything back...