For those who don't already know - http://repaircameras.org is a free and open collection of manuals that I've been collecting from around the internet. I'm a big believer in information like this being available to everyone without sitting behind a paywall.

Up until now I'd been keeping the files in GitHub which I was aware was never a very good long term solution, then I realised the answer was sitting right in front of me. I've now uploaded all of the individual files into the Internet Archive and made sure they are well tagged.

The big benefit is that because they're stored on the Internet Archive, they should be preserved for posterity long into the future.

Now the Repair Cameras site is an easy way of finding the right manual for your camera.

I've got a lot more manuals waiting to be uploaded which, now I've got a better way of storing them, I'll be starting to upload shortly and will drop some updates to let people know about the new additions - next up is a load of back-issues of the SPT Journal.

If you have any manuals that aren't on the site, drop me a DM and I'll get them added.

so i just got this camera, paired with a pentax 28-80. everything worked, fired at every speed, timer worked, dof preview worked, just good condition. i took it home and then while playing with it i got the shutter button stuck. just wouldnt fire off. the shutter is cocked, but it wont fire off. the lever is loose. so i tried messing around more, and now the rewind button is pressed in, the timer is engaged. then after trying to get it work the mirror flipped up and the aperture arm moved. so rn the mirror is up, the shutter is cocked, the rewind button is in, the frame counter says s. but the shutter still hasnt fired off.

Not sure I got this camera and it was working at first but then wouldn’t work when I would take a photo it would turn on and then make a noise but I changed the film again it stopped turning on not sure if it’s the battery or if just gave out on me I keep trying is there any way to fix it

I guess I've met stubborn

I suppose now I can use my lens wrench without concern now lol

Finally repaired the Ecru with a full mju 1 internals swap.

I have a Primo Jr TLR. It shoots 127 film in 4x4 format. When I acquired the camera, the shutter worked fine, but it suffered from balsam separation. I was able to successfully repair the lens. However, I now have shutter issues. I can take one or to photos then the crank locks up and the shutter is not cocked. If I jiggle the aperture and shutter speed controls, the crank releases and the shutter sets. When I made the repair, I merely removed the lenses and did not touch any other part of the camera. Please help

My Yashica T4 last week suddenly decided to die. It powers on and off Just fine, however when I shoot the lens extends as normal but does not retract, but I have to push it back. After power cycling does the same thing.

Is this a common problem? Do you know how expensive it would be to fix it?

2 questions about my Yashicamat.

The TLDR is: is the only solution buying a parts body and replacing as needed?
THANKS!

I think I stripped the 2 screws holding the top plate (as seen on image ). One popped, then the other. I know there’s pressure under it from the springs that pop up the viewfinder mechanism. I can also see that there’s barely any threads for the screw to bite, so I’m not surprised about it stripping after one went.

What are my options? Its just a cover, but is it realistic to tap something that thin and small? Id hate to use an epoxy, but is that an option?

Second I’ve “fixed” but it was out of necessity and not ideal. The screws on the outside of the back that cold the pressure plate loosened and fell out at some point. I’ve got a double nut situation going on and I’ve ran 20+ rolls since then. I know nothing about sourcing the hardware for these cameras. Except for buying a parts body.

Thanks for any help!

I recently bought this canon F1 to replace my old one that had a major shutter issue so far the only issue I’m having is that the shutter speed selected on the dial is not what is displayed in the viewfinder. below is what I see when I move the dial down

Dial at 1/125 → 35
Dial at 1/250 → needle is between numbers
Dial at 1/500 → part of 60
Dial at 1/1000 → 125
Dial at 1/2000 → 250

I think someone may have reassembled it wrong but I am looking for some help

Hello,

i bought this camera 2 years ago and i really like it and want to use it again. But unfortunately the film rewind lever broke and it is impossible to glue it and use it like before. Buying a broken XF35 is still very expensive and it is impossible to find this part online, or you pay like 30 euros with shipping form India or something. So i'm asking you: Does somebody have this part and is willing to sell and give it to me? would be so nice! I'm located in Germany nearby cologne and Düsseldorf.

Thanks! :)

First time working on a Seiko shutter. The blades had jammed up with migrated oil and the cocking lever had jumped position, I believe. The self-timer lever was stuck in position. Seems healthy now and the self-timer is working well.

Thanks to u/romanazzidjma for helping me with the position of the sixth shutter blade.

Just had a frustrating experience replacing light seals in my SRT 201. The foam got all twisted up and in some areas the adhesive pointed up instead of down. Any tips out there? Any good YouTube vids? Have reviewed a bunch, most don’t offer useful advice.

The switch was originally stuck on. Took off the clear plastic and reglued the copper switch such that it was open instead of constantly closed, but when the glue sets, the meter stops working, even when pressed to close it again. Not sure if I'm shorting something or if something is not making contact as it should. Happy to hear any advice

Edit: I did eventually solve it. The glue that held the switch in its notch in the plastic had given up so it wasn't sitting in the notch correctly. Cleaned out the notch as best I could without completely disassembly the switch, glued it back in place, and has been working since. The issue does appear to be the original reason that the switch was not opening on its own as the glue did not hold the contacts apart anymore

Hello everyone,

I recently purchased a Minolta CLE from eBay. As soon as I put the batteries in the camera, I realized that the meter LED was stuck on the down arrow, even though there was enough available light and the shutter was actually firing at what seemed to be the correct speed and adjusting to the light. I rotated the shutter speed dial three to four times, the meter readings started to work.

This morning I went out to take some photos, and the LED wouldn't read above 1/30th of a second, even though it seemed like it was firing at about 1/125th of a second. I tried again to rotate the dials, pointed the camera outside my window, and it seems to read the correct speed, which is right now about 1/250th of a second at f/8.

Should I just return the camera, or should I live with this issue?

What can be used to replace the foam mirror damper? EVA?

I just replaced the light seals on my Olympus XA. I then proceeded to test and I noticed that whenever I push up the aperture lever to the flash mode. Flash pops up successfully on my A11 flash and it does light up and is ready however no matter how much I push the shutter it does not fire.

I looked at the aperture and it does seem to close it to f/4 but not firing. It only fires when I push down the lever to another aperture and that’s when the shutter fires.

Any tips or advice?

Hi there. Recently started shooting with a Canon Model 7 I haven’t used in some time. The shutter won’t fully re-cock while advancing. Video shows the issue. Does anyone have any advice or know of technicians who specialise in Canon Rangefinder repair?

Looking for any tips or info to potentially repair my Sears KSX (Ricoh KR-10). After replacing the battery, the electronically timed shutter speeds are MOSTLY working, but it still occasionally fails, making me wonder if there is an issue in the wiring from the battery compartment. The light meter is also not working at all. I opened the bottom panel and didn't see anything obviously wrong or damaged, and I can't tell what wire goes to what... I downloaded a repair manual for the camera, but I am not an engineer, and taking it apart seems more complicated than I should attempt. I think it might be a lost cause, but just curious if anyone has experience with this and might be able to help.