Nikon SP focal length selector dial stuck?

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azenis

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First post... haha, have been a long time lurker here.

Anyway, so I was given a Nikon SP recently and I noticed that the FL frame selector dial is stuck solid... to a point where it seemed like something mechanical is preventing it from moving since it's shut solid.

I remember when I first used a Nikon SP as a kid, that selector dial would turn almost freely without much of an effort... for a 8yrs old kid.

Thus, is the camera broken or there's something that's locking the dial?

I looked up online for the user manual and didn't find anything.

Assuming it's broken, is it a big repair to get it back working?
 
There should nothing be locking up the dial, no. There is no mechanism for that.
However I've seen several SPs including mine with hard-to turn dials. It moves - just not as freely as it should.

I reckon that is because the dial sits on the corner and thus is subject to impacts which will distort it. The mechanism below the dial isn't very complex and shouldn't seize up that much.
 
There is probably some congealed grime (with, maybe, some corrosion too) underneath, with nothing broken. Your camera just needs a good cleaning. When perfectly in order, the dial doesn't move freely anyway, there are some click-stops and some noticeable friction so that it doesn't move by itself, it's the human operator who decides to have it move.
 
splitimageview said:
I tend to agree with @Highway 61, the selector dial is easy to remove, if you're handy and have the tools, here is a reference for cleaning, scroll down a bit:

https://richardhaw.com/2018/01/04/repair-nikon-sp-2-3/
Click to expand...

Thanks for everyone's comments

I was going to follow the guide to open it up. Before proceeding to dismantle it, I used a plier to give a bit of twist to see if I can free it with a bit more tension.

I was able to free the dial, now it moves smoothly between 5-10.5. If I want to go further, it feels that there's a little bump whenever I turn it with the plier or give enough grip, but I am able to turn the dial now. That's the good news.

The bad news though, is that it doesn't seem to change anything when the dial is turned. The orange highlighted line is stuck at the narrowest one (13.5) regardless of the selection. Come to think of it, it has been that case before I turned the dial. So when it was stuck at 5, it was still the 13.5 being highlighted.

So, before I proceed to open this up, am I looking at a more severe problem that'd be out of reach for a beginner DIY fix? I tried to google it, but didn't find anything relevant.
 
The dial rotates a stepped ring underneath that moves a spring-loaded pin horizontally to change the bright frames. If you are stuck on the 135 setting, either the pin is jammed, or the ring underneath is stuck. Remove the rewind crank, then the dial and take a look inside. You should be able to see and move the ring and pin underneath and determine what's holding up the movement.
 
azenis said:
I was going to follow the guide to open it up. Before proceeding to dismantle it, I used a plier to give a bit of twist to see if I can free it with a bit more tension.
Click to expand...

Whatever the problem is, using the pliers to loosen the ring likely just made it worse. My advice is to send it to a qualified repair tech before attempting any more "repairs".
 
azenis said:
(...) I used a plier to give a bit of twist to see if I can free it with a bit more tension (...)
Click to expand...

Now you've very probably broken something, which is confirmed by what you wrote further re. the dial now turning but the frames in the viewfinder not changing.

Buy an Instamatic and be happy.
 
There must be an adage in there somewhere about not learning from good teachers, and only being able to learn by making mistakes.
 
Highway 61 said:
Now you've very probably broken something, which is confirmed by what you wrote further re. the dial now turning but the frames in the viewfinder not changing.

Buy an Instamatic and be happy.
Click to expand...

I was already twisting a bit and it wiggled a bit and the feel to it changed from stuck onto something to being held by something.

Oh well, if something internal breaks, I'd just leave it as vintage decoration on my shelves. ;)

Either way, I am leaving the camera as is for now as I don't have the tools like the A/R ring opener to carry out a full scale. I have some experience dealing with RC cars when I was younger so I believe it'd be a fun project to carry out. :D

Thanks all for the suggestions. I'd come up for an update once I open it up and find what's wrong with it.
 
azenis said:
Either way, I am leaving the camera as is for now as I don't have the tools like the A/R ring opener to carry out a full scale.
Click to expand...

The A/R opening tool is made by customizing a pair of splinters removing pliers you will buy at the pharmacy. You will smoothen the ends of the pliers with some sandgrit paper and twist them so that they are U-shaped not V-shaped.
 
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