The wife told me this morning that she was going out shopping with her sister. Nothing sinister in that, in fact it means two things really. One, I’m going to be a bit lighter in pocket and two, I’m going to have to occupy myself for a while. I have work later this afternoon, so with a couple of hours spare what better time to get out for a walk and to take a 48 year old camera with you that needs testing. This one to be precise: Canon AE1 35mm SLR
I dashed down to take a film out of the fridge, left it sitting for an hour and loaded the camera up, stage one achieved and everything as expected.
Today’s walking companion
Film successfully loaded
Now the film I have been given is one of 8 rolls I have been gifted that are all out of date. This one is a mere 20 years out of date expiring in 2005. This roll of film is older than 21.8% of the Uk population according to the office of national statistics 2024. It’s that old.
Today’s film is a Kodak Gold 200ASA film. There is a general rule of thumb out there that for every ten years the film is out of date you should over expose the film by one stop. So on this film, as it is a further 10 years past that, and if I follow that recommendation then I have to over expose this film by 2 stops. This means in theory that this 200ASA film should be exposed at 50ASA that equates to two stops of overexposure.
I’m not going to do that, I’m going to experiment here. I don’t know how this film has been stored over the years, I don’t even know that it will work at all, it could be fogged or just so deteriorated that it just doesn’t work.
It’s a 36 exposure film so here’s the plan. Exposures 1-12 at std setting of 200ASA. Exposures 13-24 at 100ASA setting and finally the last 12 exposures at 50ASA. Here I cover all bases and should hopefully get a reference roll for the other seven that I have in cold storage at present.
Needless to say I’m not going to be too fussy with what I photograph, scenery, shades, over and under exposure and bright colours, everything that can be used as a reference to check saturation, contrast, grain and film deterioration.
Let’s go.
Off we go
So as stated, I’ve exposed and over exposed equally throughout the roll, so this should cover all bases.
12 exposures of each
Right from the start I have thoroughly enjoyed this little exercise, I spoke to two elder gents who were quite excited at what I was doing and shared their own experiences with traditional film with me, it was lovely, i was even offered an old camera but i politely declined as the wife wouldn’t have been happy with that. I walked 3 miles, I went through some of the less salubrious areas, but these areas had some of the best subject matter.
3 joyous miles of walking
When you are using an old camera, you seem to scan the area more intensely, you see stuff you haven’t seen or noticed before, it’s amazing what you pass and ignore. I think you are less selective with phones and digital media, with film, you are limited so have to be picky.
I bloody loved it. I’d forgot just how good it is to get out there and use good old fashioned equipment.
And that camera behaved just beautifully, everything worked as it should, it is as good as it has ever been, I’m so pleased with how it has behaved so far. See the results here: 20yr old Kodak Gold
I guess the proof is in the pudding as they say. Time to get it processed and to check the results. Needless to say I will feed that back on this blog as soon as it becomes available.
Don’t give up on the past, there is a lot of good tunes played on an old fiddle.
The EOS1 N with the well documented BC fault. Can I repair it?
The EOS1 N was a professional 35mm camera from 1994, it is currently 31 years old. This model is basically the EOS1 N with the E1 drive booster/winder earning it the HS suffix.
Canon EOS1 N HS
These are beautiful analogue cameras and over the years I’ve had a fair few of these pass through my hands, I have not however owned one with the E1 booster/winder before. I’ve recently had a number of cameras passed on to me by a good friend and that post can be found here: Cameras…i need more!
This is one of those cameras that he passed onto me and it carries the well known BC fault. We’ll come on to that later, in the meantime here is a little history lesson, of the evolution of this camera.
The EOS-1N is a 35mm single lens reflex (SLR) camera body produced by Canon. It was announced by Canon in 1994, and was the professional model in the range, superseding the original Canon EOS-1.The camera was itself superseded by the EOS-1V in 2000.
The original EOS-1 had been launched in 1989, two years after the company had introduced their new EOS autofocus system. It was the company’s first professional-level EOS camera and was aimed at the same photographers who had used Canon’s highly regarded, manual focus professional FD mount SLRs, such as the Canon New F-1 and the Canon T90.On a physical level the EOS-1 resembled the T90, which had been designed for Canon by Luigi Colani. The EOS-1N was a revision of the EOS-1, with five autofocus points spread across the frame rather than a single centrally mounted autofocus point, plus more effective weather sealing, a wider exposure range, and numerous other improvements. In common with the EOS-1, the 1N used Canon’s A-TTL automatic flash system, and does not support the more modern E-TTL.
Assessment:
Right, let’s get on to the problem. The BC fault is a blanket fault, covering a multitude of issues, predominantly electrical, even addressed in the accompanying instruction manual as a potential battery issue. However the issue that it is more associated with the fault is the failing shutter mirror magnets. See the video below.
BC error repair
The video above gives a very good insight to the issues, and what to look for and how to get the shutter operational again. It’s not a permanent fix, sometimes the magnets haven’t been used for such a long time that they just seize up. They can be de magnetised, they can just be dirty, either way it’s worth having a look at, to try and restore what is in all aspects a very good camera. It seems to be an issue that an open or close signal is sent, however the magnets for some reason do not react, dirt can be a contributing factor. Below I have put together a very short video of my own camera, the early part shows me trying to get it working and showing the BC indication, the second part shows the mirror “sort of” working after I have tapped in the area just above the top screw on the left side of the lens mount under which the magnets are situated.
My own EOS1 N showing the BC fault
It still doesn’t work properly though and is extremely intermittent, but it’s a start, it proves the fault. I have also used a strong magnet to fool the internal magnets, this works for a couple of firings but that’s it. This also adds credibility to confirm the magnet issue.
I haven’t yet taken the fascia off to access the magnets, I’ve just tapped in their general area, or probed with a strong magnet, this was enough to allow the shutter to intermittently fire, and it is now quite apparent that this is the issue I have with this unit.
You can see exactly where the magnets are located under the fascia
I’ve done some further checks to confirm the fault. If you turn the camera on and open the small door to the right on the rear of the camera, there are a number of buttons inside that allow you to check battery levels and to do resets, and so forth.
The battery check button
By pushing both the clear button and the battery check button together, you can get a fault code to appear on the screen on the top of the camera.
Battery full and Fault code 6
Here as you can see, I have fault code number 6. If you look at the chart below supplied by Canon you will see it refers to a mirror fault, more specifically the mirror is up, but didn’t switch back to on from off, as I mentioned in the above paragraph.
Fault codes
As you can also see above, fault codes 6,7 & 9 refer to the mirror operation issue.
I’ve done all I can really on the outside of the unit, and I think I have conclusively proved the area of the fault. Before we look at replacement of the part, I am going to give it a good clean to see if that will clear the issue. I’ll worry about spare parts later if required. Let’s get the fascia off and have a closer look.
Repair:
I’ve been a right stubborn sod with this one. I really didn’t want to dismantle this camera at all. Something inside was telling me it was unnecessary so I decided to persist with what I had been doing earlier. If only I could get the magnets to fire for a few exposures at a time, it would be just like a coughing car engine clearing out its system and kicking in to life, once it bites you can accelerate it a little more until it starts ticking over. Old motors and cameras are a strange but similar comparison, the longer they are left unused the more inclined they become to not partake in doing what they were made to do, whether powering a car or taking photos. Stop using them and they do just that. Stop.
Well, that’s what I think anyway, My world is as simple as that. And I think it might just work.
So I have persisted….
And purchased a much stronger magnet a “Rare earth” one to be precise. These are the sort of magnets they use for magnet fishing, however this one is small and despite having credentials behind it saying it has 19kg of pulling power I’d suggest that is a lie. Probably a maximum of 3kg if you’re lucky, but either way more than sufficient for me wanting to kick start a tiny electro magnet in a camera.
The most surprising issue around this magnet is the absolute ridiculous size of the packaging that it came in.
This tiny magnet, came in this massive box. Good old Amazon
So I persisted with the magnet, around the lens ring. I reset again and again. Nothing. I used my knuckle to tap the area near the magnet, a single cough, good. More resets, single coughs, more taps two coughs….this is good. I set the camera to high speed wind, kept the exposure button depressed and continued tapping, five or six coughs then stop. It’s an improvement. The magnet is starting to pick up. More tapping then I’m getting about 20 coughs with an obvious delay on one or two activations… we are now getting somewhere.
I put the rare earth magnets near the camera magnet and then switch off and reset. I turn back on again and then get a good 15 seconds or so of rapid fire, the internal magnets are clearing. I remove the rare earth magnet, reset again and the old girl fires into life for about 30 seconds continuously with only the occasional “misfire” the internal magnets are sparking back into life.
You get the idea.
Once you get these magnets operational, the best thing you can do is continually fire them, until they fire smoothly. This camera has not fired up for years, and these components inside are made to be used, and just like someone trying to keep fit, similar to a muscle, if you don’t use it you’ll lose it, it’s the same with these cameras, they need to be used on a fairly regular basis.
I did a 3 minute firing and I’m pleased to say she is now chugging away beautifully with no coughs and splutters. I’m sure glad I persisted with my hunch. I was right. And believe it or not. The battery levels are still good.
I’ve put together a little video here showing it working before and after.
My EOS 1N shutter magnet issue
Well what more can I say. It appears to be working.
Result:
To say I’m chuffed with this repair is an understatement. Sometimes you don’t have to dive in and start dismantling to get results. Do your research and make your own plan of attack with the information you have at your disposal. You will find equal amounts of good and bad advice out there, you’ll soon become aware of the differences, just follow your feelings and do what you think is right, if it’s wrong, well you’ve learned a lesson.
She’s ready to go – what a beauty
I am so looking forward to getting a day out with this camera and really letting her loose. I just love the sound of these clunking old machines, I don’t understand why anyone dislikes them. I loved visiting air shows when you had the big old really noisy aircraft that shook your soul from head to toe, they then sanitised that with super quiet aircraft…so boring. They’ve done that to cameras as well that nowadays make no noise. I love these old cameras, every click, clunk and whir brings back superb memories to me. I just love old cameras. I like to think I’m helping a few last just a little bit longer.
Many thanks for passing by, it’s always very much appreciated.
What shall I do with all these expired rolls of 35mm film? I know, let’s take some pictures
I’ve recently inherited 8 rolls of life expired 35mm film. In other hands I guess these would just be discarded, and thrown away, however this is me writing, you know, that fool who collects old knackered cameras. That’s me that is.
Well I’m going to use them.
What could possibly go wrong.
8 rolls of film 20 years old
A number of things to be precise, let me enlighten you. As these rolls of films all expired back in 2005 this means they expired 20 years ago, that’s a third of my life span, phew! Film loses its sensitivity over time and we will have to compensate for that when we get to use the film. Colours and dyes fade, and the finished product (if there is one) is likely to look washed out. Add to that the issue of not knowing how the film has been stored over the last 20 years, and this could be the difference between there being an image and just being blank film. If the film has been kept cool, and in a darker environment, there is more of a chance of getting a result than one that has been stored in light and heat. You get the picture….or not.
These rolls are colour negative film all using the C41 chemical development process. And for this type of film and process, the line drawn in the sand says that it’s wise to overexpose the film by 1 stop, for every 10 years (Decade) of expiry. Since the rolls i have are now twenty years out of date, following these guidelines I would be advised to overexpose these films by 2 stops.
Black and white film is more forgiving and might not require adjusting at all, whilst transparency film is totally unforgiving, and personally i wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole.
The higher the ASA setting on the film, means that it requires less light, a lower settings means that more light is required. Therefore, as an example, if these films were originally rated at 400 asa i would now be advised to expose them at 100 asa therefore allowing more light in to expose the deteriorating film accordingly. But remember, when you process the films they must be processed at standard normal development times, if you push or pull the development times you will not achieve the result you require. Develop as normal.
The unknown factor here really is how the film was stored. Chances are that if it was stored in perfect conditions, then we could probably get away with using its original asa setting. But we just don’t know and will just have to suck it and see as they say. We won’t really know how things are going to turnout until we’ve developed the film.
Old film is good for experimental purposes, you don’t really want to trust old film to a photo shoot as you could be wasting time and money. Unless you really want that old washed out retro 70s look.
The film stock I have is listed below:
I have 4 rolls of Kodak Gold 200ASA colour film.
Gold 200 ASA
I also have 4 rolls of Kodak Gold Ultra 400ASA film.
Gold Ultra 400 ASA
All expiry dates are circa 2005, so they are exactly 20 years out of date. I’ve put them all in to cold storage for now but it could well be 20 years too late. Typical for me, always late to the party!
As an aside to these films, I’ve also found a Canon EOS 30 body that I have also been given to get working again, it just so happens to have a partially exposed film inside it. Now this roll I will have to expose as per normal as it has a dx code reader inside, and I can’t override it from what I can tell initially. It will be interesting to see what it returns.
So. When I get around to exposing these films, the 400ASA will be exposed at 100ASA and the 200ASA ones will be exposed at 50ASA. To be honest, I will probably expose half a roll of each at the original setting and then half at the modified setting. It will be good to see the difference, the deterioration and the grain quality. I have a number of old 35mm cameras still to test, so these rolls will be a welcome opportunity to test and experiment, and you don’t often get the opportunity to do this, so I’m going to make the most of it and have some fun.
I say more cameras, my wife begs to differ.. my friends agree with me.
Well, my wife would probably disagree with the above comment.
However, i have some very good friends who are quite happy to ignore my wife and her protestations. Some would say they are very brave…others would even say they are foolish. Time will tell.
A couple of beauties – you wouldn’t understand
Jon, is a friend and former work colleague that i have known for many years. We both worked at the same Kodak plant in Harrow, me on the graphics art film production track and Jon was in the training and development area. We rarely met there as the plant was so huge that our paths crossed quite infrequently. However Jon has also been the mainstay and life blood of a local football team since the early 70s, and it’s true to say he is a local legend and pillar of the community. This is how i really met Jon, and we have always discussed issues of photography, he is very much involved with promoting the armed forces and has been fortunate in the subject matter he has been asked to photograph. Needless to say, he has a lot of redundant equipment, and when he became aware of my blog site and the repairs i attempt to do, he very kindly donated a number of items for me to write posts about, and to be quite honest it will keep me busy for quite a long time.
A few items to keep me busy
The majority of the items probably just need a little service and a test session, a couple have some battery corrosion issues, but in general cosmetically, they are in good condition. We have a number of old lenses, but as you’d expect from someone who looks after their equipment, there isn’t a sign of haze or fungus in them. They just need a clean up, and very little else.
Here’s a list of what i have received, and observed after a very quick look at the items.
8 cameras:
1 Canon AE1 film camera and user manual, mirror was stuck, now freed up and firing ok but requiring a check over.
1 Canon EOS 30 film camera, a bad case of sticky body.
1 Canon EOS 10 film camera, issues unknown
2 Canon EOS 500N film cameras, issues unknown
1 Canon EOS 3000 film camera, issues unknown
Canon EOS 1N film cameras with E1 power drive, beautiful camera, issues unknown.
Canon EOS 7D digital camera with BG-E7 battery grip, stunning camera, issues unknown.
7 lenses: all Canon fit
2 x Canon FD 50mm 1:1.8
Tokina 300mm 1:5.6
Tokina 135mm 1:2.8
Tokina 35mm 1:2.8
Canon 75-300mm 1:4-5.6
Canon 28-80mm 1:3.5-5.6
There is a separate lens that i have been asked to look at and repair for him as it’s his third go to lens, that is a Canon EF 28-200 1:3.5-5.6 USM lens. It doesn’t focus in auto, i notice it has lens wobble and a lens washer appears to be exposed in the zoom section of the lens. It needs investigation.
Other items:
Canon Power winder-A. Part of the AE1 camera, you can smell its issue as you hold it, battery corrosion. Batteries inside have seriously corroded, however i believe the issue is salvageable.
Canon speedlite 199A flash gun, untested.
Metz 45 CT-1 flash, again there is corrosion in the battery pack, you can smell it. Again this should be salvageable.
Sangamo Euro master light meter and invercone. In excellent condition, could be that the selenium light cell is dead. Needs investigating.
8 rolls of film, expiry date 2005, may still work..who knows.
3 x 6v lithium batteries, all tested and working.
Add to that the two camera bags and a hard case that they all came in and I’m sure that you will agree that it was a pretty nice package to receive.
I’m extremely confident i can get these all into a good working condition, any cameras that i will not be keeping will either be sold on to benefit charities supported by Jon or donated to local charities for their benefit. Either way nothing will be heading to waste, that is a promise i have made to Jon and thats just how it will be, i do not break promises.
Thanks for passing by, and i will be posting articles on all these products in the coming months. As I already have 13 projects already in draft awaiting a time when i can back to repairing them, you can plainly see I’m going to be very busy for quite a while and should be able to supply quite a regular feed to this blog.
This lot is being sold for PARTS / REPAIRS, it is currently NOT in a working condition
Olympus Trip 35 w/ D. Zuiko 40mm F/2.8 Lens & Original Lens Cap
EBay
Olympus trip 35
I brought this item along with a Canon A1 as a job lot. The full detail of what was in the auction and how it progressed can be found here: Not the lottery, but for me – just as good
The page regarding the repair of the A1 can be found here: (Still in draft – coming soon)
Meanwhile here is a little history about the Olympus trip:
The Olympus Trip 35 is a 35mmcompact camera, manufactured by Olympus. It was introduced in 1967 and discontinued, after a lengthy production run, in 1984. The Trip name is a reference to its intended market—people who wanted a compact, functional camera for holidays. During the 1970s, it was the subject of an advertising campaign that featured popular British photographer David Bailey. Over ten million units were sold.
The Trip 35 was a point and shoot model with a 40 mm ƒ/2.8 lens, solar-powered selenium light meter, and just two shutter speeds. In ‘A’ mode, the camera operates as a Program automatic, choosing either 1/40 s or 1/200 s. The camera could also sync with flash, and has a range of aperture settings, from ƒ/2.8 to ƒ/22. In flash sync mode, the shutter is set at 1/40 s. Apart from a simple four-position zone focus system, and an ISO setting from 25 to 400,[2]the camera has no other photographic controls. The camera has a Prontor-Compur sync connector and a hot shoe. Its lens was a coated Zuiko 40 mm ƒ/2.8, with four elements in three groups.
The camera has an ISO range of 25–400, as films faster than 400 were uncommon at the time and delivered reduced image quality. 25 speed allowed the use of Kodachrome, while 400 speed allowed use of Kodak Tri-X and similar fast materials under low light. Earlier models, from the first few years of production, have a maximum ISO speed of 200.
The use of a selenium photocell to select the shutter speeds and aperture let novices use the camera as a “point & shoot”. No batteries are needed to power the camera.
The lack of more than two shutter speeds was not a problem. At 1/200 s and ƒ/22 with 400-speed film, the camera could deliver correct exposure in full sunlight, while at 1/40 s and ƒ/2.8, correct exposure could be obtained under bright fluorescent light, without a flash.
Wikipedia
And who could ever forget the series of star studded television adverts, featuring the photographer David Bailey, put together to promote this camera.
David Bailey
I never really got to use one, I admired one from a distance instead. My brother in law, Jim had one around about the mid to late 70s and he took some fantastic snaps with it. I wasn’t into photography at that time as I was still more interested in LEGO and Tonka trucks. However he did let me try it a couple of times, it really was that easy to use.
I’m not really sure what the problem is with this one, as the listing was not really clear on its issues. I just really wish sellers would just take a few seconds to describe the problems, it really could be an instant decision for the buyer – is it repairable or not? I’ll just have to wait until it’s arrived, and then i can do an assessment of its condition.
Assessment:
Well, it’s arrived and cosmetically it looks fine. However, zoom in a tad and the issues become apparent. It’s been dropped at some time, the lens has a little bit of wobble and you can see the outer ring of the lens has an obvious dent in it.
Drop damage
It does wind so that’s a bonus. The exposure button works and it clicks as it should, and the old selenium exposure meter appears to be responding, the red flag appears in low light and thus the exposure button will not depress. This is good.
Exposure indicator in viewfinder
When you half press the exposure button you would expect to see the relevant shutter leaf aperture close down, to the corresponding f- stop reading, this occasionally happens. If you move the lens barrel slightly it does have an effect, but it looks as if there is also some contamination on one of the shutter leafs, all of this is probably as a result of that tumble that has occurred sometime in the past.
Obvious lens wobble
I will definitely have to remove the whole lens housing from the camera to see if I can do anything regarding that wobble. This is going to be quite some task, and I’m not confident I will succeed, but who knows.
Let’s attempt to get inside.
Repair:
To get into the lens there are three tiny screws on the inner turret bezel that have to be removed that sit around the edge of it. This then pulls out and the lens optics can then be unscrewed.
Here are then two more screws that allow you to remove the selenium light sensor. Below this are three brass screws that hold the body to the lens. One of these screws were loose, hence the wobbly lens, this must have occurred when it was dropped.
Removing the sensorThe three brass body screws
I’ve pretty much had a cleanup here, applied a tiny drop of camera grease to the ring mechanisms, and tightened all these screws, and now the turret is nice and tight. I’ve just given the shutter blades a wipe with a soft brush and that is all it really needs. I’ve reassessed the camera, and tested its operation and it’s all good, working just as expected.
Result:
The dent in the ring remains as it’s causing no issues and is a subtle reminder of its past. The lens issue and its movement has been repaired and this in turn has cured the issue with the sticky aperture blades.
I haven’t touched the inner workings in the top of the camera such as the light metering, as it’s working fine and what’s the point in fixing what’s not damaged?
All repaired and looking good
I’ve still to run a film through it, and this will be done shortly as I have quite a backlog of film cameras to be tested. As soon as I have photos available I will link through this posting.
Really pleased with how this has gone, a nice easy fix but I can’t believe just how small those screws are around the lens bezel. I need my eyes testing that’s for sure.
Thanks for passing by, as always it’s very much appreciated.
Mamiya M point and shoot camera. It’s in fantastic original condition and is cosmetically excellent with original case and lens cap included. The lens appears to be bright and clear from the front. HOWEVER…when batteries are inserted the shutter does not fire and I suspect it is jammed somewhere. The lights come on and it goes “click” but the aperture does not open, nor does the film winding do anything. For spares or repairs only, I’m sure somebody with the know how could get it up and running again. Priced super low as I want it shifted and can’t bring myself to bin it! No returns please
EBay
A well made 80s point and shoot 35mm camera
Here’s a little bit about it:
The Mamiya M is a 35mm autofocus compact from 1982. It has a boxy plastic shape, with a fixed Mamiya Sekor 38mm f/2.8 lens. The lens is four elements in three groups. Exposure is fully automatic, based on the film speed, where the ISO is selected via a dial around the lens. Film speed available is 25 – 800 ISO.
The metering cell is located just under the lens, but within the lens ring. This allows for the metering to take into account any 46mm filter screwed onto the lens. That is assuming it is not a graduated filter. Fastest shutter speed is 1/500thsecond with the slowest at 1/8th. The camera is always on, except when fitted with a specially designed lens cap, which triggers the off state. There is a strategically placed switch it pushes against on the right side of the lens. Most of these caps are lost, including mine.
Photothinking.com
I don’t know what attracted me to this camera, but the fact the seller just wanted rid of it at a cheap price was a starting point. It was advertised as £4:36 GBP and £2:45 delivery, a total of £6:81GBP. I bartered a bit and got it all in for £5:44GBP so I got it a little bit cheaper, a bargain if you like.
Mamiya has a great reputation for building high quality lenses. They were only in the 35mm autofocus point and shoot sector for a short while before immersing themselves totally into the medium format camera market. This 35mm camera was only in production for about a year or so, even though quite a few were produced, we are looking at the low hundreds of thousands, not the many millions, so the camera itself was not a major mass produced and marketed unit. It is a plastic preformed body unit. Known in polite society back in the day as “A plastic fantastic”.
If a Mamiya camera had a blue ring around the lens, specifically on its other models, it denoted a higher quality lens type, it was never confirmed this was the case with these small autofocus 35mm cameras, though many believe it is still the case. Photo quality with these little units was generally of a very high quality.
Lens caps with these cameras are very rare, this one has one and it is the original, and i suspect (from what I see in the picture) that there may be a small crack on the side of this one, but that is not an issue. This lens cap is integral to this cameras operation, as when it is placed over the lens, it turns off the camera, without it the camera remains live at all times, and would soon lose its power. It is an early power conserving device if you like. The camera looks to be in overall good condition, probably down to being stored in its original case.
You can view a lot more than I could ever tell you, just by watching this review by Mr.50mm that was posted earlier this year.
Excellent recent review
Since reading up a little on these cameras it appears that I may well have bagged a bargain, if it ever works. And I also believe the seller may well again be unaware of the operation of this camera and it may in fact be working just fine? Who knows? I have my suspicions but we will just have to wait until it gets here for assessment.
Below are some sale prices relative to this camera model that are currently selling on EBay, some extremely high prices compared to what I have paid today:
Current selling prices for this model
It’s plastic and so 80’s. And people obviously loved it. I’d like to be able to get this camera working again, and would love to run a roll of film through it to give it a test run. But first I have to assess it and see just what is wrong with it. I have a roll of old film available to test its “faulty” rewind system, and I have all my tools ready to crack it open and get inside, if I have to. So let’s get at it….
Assessment:
It’s arrived and I must say it is in an excellent cosmetic condition, probably down to being kept in its original Mamiya soft case. The lens cap I thought had a crack in, is actually broken, probably beyond reasonable repair, but at the moment that is not important. Let’s put that to one side for now.
Nice condition Lens cover damage
The actual camera is partially alive. When batteries are installed there is a red light that appears on the right rear side of the camera, this is the film transport light and should extinguish when transport is complete. The flash switch sticks a little, and when the flash is clicked into position the distance sensor light on the lens activates however the flash does not charge. The winding system is inoperative and does not auto wind at all. The shutter does not operate, despite the shutter leaves being able to move when gently coaxed.
Shutter not firingTransport light in top right cornerFocus light illuminates on front
There seems to be partial electricity throughout, this could very well be the issue. There just doesn’t seem to be a uniform continuity throughout the camera. This will need to be looked at. Something very weird is going on inside.
Repair:
I’m really annoyed, closer inspection shows there are 6 screws missing and someone has been inside this camera prior to me. Again I think I’ve been stung by the EBay curse of “Spares and repairs- no returns” will I ever learn?
I’ve removed the remaining screws, and had to peel off the rubber grip to access and expose the motor and associated component board in this area. There will need to be a lot of cleaning here before gluing it all back in place.
That glueMotor exposed The grip gently peeled away
I’ve managed to get the flash charging light illuminated, and a current of 214v in the flash confirms that the Flash capacitor is holding a charge and more importantly, receiving a charge from the battery circuit. But I cannot get it to fire. There seems to be an issue with the shutter mechanism and the related electrical circuit in this area. The motor is not working, it’s either dead or not receiving power. I need to look in this area a little more thoroughly.
Front fascia removed
I’ve now removed the front fascia and now have a good view of the overall workings inside the camera.
Flash circuit board- tested okLens and leaf shutter removed
Ive taken out the lens and the leaf shutter, these seem ok and are working freely when operated. To me it looks as if the mechanism that triggers the leaf shutter is either seized or the variable capacitance system located at the top of the camera, that is basically just a needle on a circuit board connected to the focus light, could be at fault, it does not freely move on each camera actuation as it should, and this is not a readily available part.
That faulty part of the board
Misfiring- faulty
It seems the deeper I delve into this camera that I am finding more issues, and I’ve just found two parts that are incorrectly installed that are on a cog system connected to the motor. I’m fighting a losing battle as it appears the person who has been here before has probably added to the issues of this camera in their attempt to fix the original issue.
On top of the missing screws I’ve now found a missing capstan cog related to the leaf mechanism that would help explain a certain lack of movement in areas. The motor is dead, I’ve taken it out and used the bench power supply and it is non responsive. Even after spraying with some contact cleaning fluid and sitting there spinning the axis to get the solution absorbed, there is still no response. It’s totally dead and will require replacement.
Result:
Well. Once again I have been mislead by incorrect descriptions on the auction sites. It’s a shame really as this is a lovely camera and if it had not been tampered with inside, I’d probably be posting a different review today, one that would be more positive. With screws, cams and cogs missing I was pretty much set up to fail here.
Reassembled Back in its case
I’ve reassembled the camera and it is now back in its pouch. The positives are that I have learned a lot about how this camera operates, and just dismantling and reassembling the camera allows you to learn a lot about it, and the technology used during that period in time. All the screws that I removed have gone back into place with none leftover, yet another positive.
So it’s a failure I’m afraid, but it will be kept and either used as spares or I will obtain a suitable donor to get this one up and running, it will not be disposed of in any way. It will be reused. I’ve only paid a small amount for this, it’s worth it for the spares alone.
I have already set up a notification on the auction sites for when another suitable camera becomes available. I will update this post or post a new one that incorporates either the repair of this unit or its use as a spare parts donor, when that time comes.
Fujifilm Instax 100 Instant Film Camera – Faulty Untested See Lens Shutter
Otherwise clean,
battery compartment is clean,
unable to test so selling for spares or repair considering the lens shutter
EBay
Instax 100 Instant film camera
I’m a tad annoyed at myself here as I had arranged a good price with the seller but because I was too eager I pushed the wrong button and purchased at the original advertised price. The seller must think I am a right plum, and I’d be inclined to agree with him. That said I’ve secured this for a good all in price, and it will be a nice addition to my collection. It’s a 26 year old camera, and i’ve been looking for one of these particular cameras that use the wider format of Instax film for quite a while, but even the damaged ones command hefty prices. I’ve paid an all in price of £28:55GBP here when I should have paid £23:55GBP. Never mind, lesson learned and don’t be so hasty in the future. They can command a good price as can be seen in the photo below:
Some recent sale prices
Here’s some info about this camera:
The Fujifilm Instax 100 was released on May 1st, 1999. It has been replaced by the newer Instax 200, which is very similar except the flash is on one side rather than directly above the lens.
Focusing: Motor-driven 2-range switching (0.9 to 3m/3m to infinity)
Power supply: 4 LR6/AA-size 1.5V alkaline batteries for around 10 film packs.
Dimensions: 171.5 x 91.5 x 119.5 mm
Weight: 650 gr (without batteries, strap and film pack).
Camera-wiki.org
Now this one is being sold with what looks like only one fault that the seller is concerned with and that being a shutter problem. From experience and as can be seen in this recent post of mine: Another Fujifilm Instax mini 8 I know that this is not a “Lens” issue it is in fact an issue with the iris that protects the lens, and is probably as a result of a small spring being disturbed in that area. It’s quite a simple fix and if it is the only fault then that would be quite some result. However, this is EBay that we are talking about and there could be a number of further faults we haven’t been informed of. Now I will just have to be patient until it arrives, there is no other choice.
Assessment:
It’s a big one. Compared to the other Instax mini cameras this one is very big. It’s probably 1.5 times bigger than your standard SLR. It’s big. And weighty!
It’s clean…ish. And there seems to be a strip of plastic, a gate as such missing from the top of the camera near the exit slot. This wasn’t mentioned and I’m quite annoyed about that. When batteries are put inside it makes all the noises, but the action isn’t smooth in the lens extension range. This probably ties in with the advertised issue of the lens iris operation. I’m thinking I paid well over the odds for this particular camera, I’ve been conned here, lesson learned.
There could well be multiple problems here, and if that missing piece on the top is anything to do with light proofing, then we could have an issue. Anyway we will cross that bridge when we come to it. Initially I’m going to stick with the original fault, so let’s attack that and worry about any other issues if and when they crop up.
Repair:
The more I get into this camera the more I find wrong with it. The main issue of the faulty lens iris is a fiddly one. You prise off the last section of the lens turret and the iris mechanism comes away fairly easy.
Mechanism removed from lens turret3 tiny springs all disconnected from the mechanism
But then three tiny springs just fall out and this is why the iris didn’t work. Trying to get them in place is a puzzle itself, as no sooner do you have one connected then another drops off. It’s a fine balancing act to get them all back into place. When they are all reconnected it’s a very delicate operation to get them back into place. And even then you have to go to the inside of the camera to ensure that the lever inside that operates the iris, is aligned to the iris mechanism that is being installed back in the lens turret. It’s a fiddly time consuming job.
All springs attachedThe lever on the inside that has to be in the correct position when the iris is attached
Iris now working
At this point the rear fascia and associated ribbon cable need to be removed to facilitate this repair. That’s when a piece of broken plastic falls out, it just so happens that one of the posts putting tension on the print rollers has broken. Great. Another problem. I’ve quickly fixed this by using some wire to act as a retention point. Bodge? Yes, but there really is nothing else that can be done here as the plastic case is thin and brittle. I have used some silicone grease to lubricate the cogs and the whole movement is now a lot smoother. It Will work. of that I am confident.
Broken plastic post, spring out.Wire bodge, spring now back giving tension
Result:
Well it works but it remains one of my most disappointing fixes due to the dishonesty of the seller. I know, if you buy off auctions it’s Caveat Emptor as they say, I preach it enough but this time I was caught off guard. Lesson learned. But I remain disappointed. Multiple faults, sold as just the one when in fact it also had bits missing that were not declared, very misleading in my opinion. Maybe in future I need to look deeply into these purchases before I give any feedback, i need to change my operation as I was truly shafted here.
Polishes up nice
It does everything that it should, the motor and transport system work, the iris now works, shutter is good, and flash operates. I’m confident that the camera is working fine but I haven’t tried any film through it yet as it uses a bigger format film and is quite expensive, and I’m not forking out for any just yet. Maybe when I get another wider format model to look at I will pay out. Just not yet though. When I do get some film through it I will amend this post accordingly.
I’m off to calm down a bit now, thanks for passing by, I really do appreciate it. Have a great day.
I’ve had this camera sitting around since March 2023, when I first wrote about its purchase along with a couple of other cameras here: New old stock 📸
Barnet Ensign Ful-Vue II
I’m not sure what I paid for these cameras but it wouldn’t have been a great deal. I love the Ful-Vue due to its looks and the kind of Art Nouveau feel it has about it. It’s a very basic mass produced camera of its time and It is an old 120 film camera, and the bonus is that this film type is still readily available, in fact I still have a few rolls in my fridge at home today.
The shutter is an all mechanical, spring loaded system which swings a piece of metal over a hole to create the exposure. The approximate timing is 1/30th of a second and that’s slow. It is understandable when taking in to account that ISO 400 wasn’t that common in the 50s and would have produced very noisy results. It was far more common to use ISO 50-100 film and that would’ve required a slower shutter speed at the approximate f11 of the lens of this unit.
I obviously want to get it back into full working order. And want to do as sympathetic a restoration as possible. It’s a 120 roll film camera with a 6cm x 6cm frame inside, it was a cheap and cheerful camera of its day, sold as, “Easy, even for a child to use.”
In the meantime, here’s some history about this little camera:
Barnet Ensign Ross Ful-Vue II
Originally released in its initial form in 1939, this version was introduced in 1950 after further improvements were made. The new flash synchronised shutter, the turn-able lens barrel allowing three different distance settings instead of two, an all-plastic front panel, and an optional flashgun. The improved version was called Ful-Vue II. Pictures were 6×6cm on 120 film. It has been stated that colored models (red, white and blue) were sold in 1952-3, to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II; However, no other evidence for these cameras has been seen: in particular, the Ful-Vue is not mentioned in a coronation advertising supplement to the BJP Almanac of 1953. Colored Ful-Vues were advertised as ‘Ful-Vue à la Mode’ in late 1952. Examples of the regular Ful-Vue II, repainted and presented as the colored model, have been seen in online auctions.
Camera wiki.org
So I estimate this camera to have been produced sometime between 1950-54 when this particular model had its production run, just prior to yet another version becoming available. Making this particular camera approx 70+ years old. Let’s have a look at the unit that I am now in possession of.
Assessment:
The case is leather and is very dry and brittle, it’s complete, so I may well look at revitalising this one just as I did to an old Kodak camera in this old post: Kodak Brownie reflex. If I do, I will cover its repair in the following section.
The old leather case, very dry and brittle
The camera itself is in quite a good condition cosmetically, it has chips off the paint and a little wear and tear that will require some attention. There appears to be a screw missing on the front plate, this will be replaced.
A little wear and tear, nothing too worrying
The mirror inside the viewfinder seems to have moved and will need reseating, all glass and mirrors appear quite foggy and need a good clean, all workings within the camera inside appear ok. Light seals appear ok but may well need replacing purely due to their age.
Glass dirty and mirror has movedInternals all okNo issues on the winding mechanism
The lens barrel and shutter mechanism will be checked over to check correct operation, however at first glance, all seems to be ok. There is a little red window on the rear panel where you can see the film exposure numbers. A little thumbscrew can be turned to blacken this window out, this will be very handy for when we try to install a colour film to prevent any fogging issues.
Repair:
I want this to be a sympathetic restoration, so I will endeavour to keep the look and feel of the unit as original as possible.
The case:
I’m starting with the case as this is probably going to be the most time consuming and will require numerous periods of drying and moisturising, it’s probably about 70 years old now and to be honest has probably had no care taken of it during that time.
Mild soap sud wash to clean and introduce some moisture – see the dirt on the used cotton pads
Using some mild detergent, but just the soap suds on a cotton pad I have gently wiped all over the case, paying special attention to any old folds in the material. This has had a dual purpose of removing ing a lot of age related dirt (As you can see in the photos above, that show the dirty cotton pads) as well as adding a little bit of moisture but not too much. I want to do this in stages to minimise any more damage. I will now let this dry for 24 hrs and I will then do the same again.
24hrs later I have cleaned the case again, in exactly the same manner. let’s leave it another 24hrs and then apply a little polish to give it back some colour and a little bit more moisture. I’m keeping it as low cost as I can, no doubt a brown shoe polish will suffice for the result I’m looking for.
I’ve treated the leather and polished it twice using a black shoe polish. The third coat I have given is a tan regimental high gloss polish. I’m leaving this for a few hours and then I will buff the case up. I’m not repairing stitching or holes as I want it to retain age and it’s old look. I just want the leather to look healthier, last a while longer and to get some moisture back into what was a very brittle leather case.
Before and after treatment
I have today buffed the case up after all the treatments of the last couple of days. The case feels lovely and soft and much more pliable than when I first started on it. I’m now going to bring this part of the repair to an end as that’s as far as I wish to take it at this time. I want it to still carry its signs of age. Without further a do, let’s move on to the camera.
The camera:
I have decided to totally dismantle the camera and work on it bit by bit. In this case there is not a great deal to dismantle.
Unclip this spring inside the body Off pops the entire mirror and optics headLoosen the spring to release both optics
Firstly I release a retaining clip inside of the main body and this releases the “Viewing head” on top of the camera. This part of the camera contains the mirror that has become detached, and two glass optics that complete the viewer section of the camera. There is a single spring structure that holds both pieces of glass in place, release this and they just fall out. Easy.
All the glass and mirror removed Rear of the mirror, caked in muckRear of mirror has cleaned up nicely
I’ve started by placing the three optical items above in a mild warm detergent soak. I will leave these there for about an hour, in hope that a soak will help in cleaning that muck off the back of the mirror. The two other optics are in great condition and I’m sure the soak and then a final rinse will be all that they require. This treatment worked just fine, and now onto the next part.
Next I’ve removed the shutter mechanism from the camera body.
Front viewRear viewTaken apart The camera has a beautifully simple mechanism that is a work of art to look at
Here is a very small video showing the simplicity of this shutter mechanism
A The mechanism is beautifully simple and is such a lovely piece of work to look at. To think im probably the first person to look in here in the last 70 years is special. All I’m going to do here is very carefully get rid of as much old ingrained dirt as possible and very gently clean the shutter leaf. I will use a minuscule amount of clock oil on the mechanism only, I will use some fine graphite dust on the actual leaf part of the shutter.
Gently does it, in minute quantities
The lens and mechanism have been cleaned now and reassembled, all tested, and working as expected.
The body work is fine apart from some small chips and paint flakiness. I’m going to retouch these missing areas with some enamel paint and a bit of thickener to enable me to obtain the stipple effect of the original paint job. Then I will finish with a nice black polish.
Touching up missing paintwork, mechanism now attached to body
Let’s now get the mirror back in place and the head back on the camera unit.
Mirror and optics all in place
And that’s it. Apart from a little polish we are now done here
Before and after
Result:
I’ve put quite a bit of work into this little camera. Some people will ask why bother as it was only a cheap mass produced camera? Well, I like it, it’s a lovely little camera and it deserves to be displayed. Now, as it’s also working it’s a big bonus. It gives me something to do, and it’s how I relax, as I’ve been shoulders deep in DIY at home recently and doing my shifts at work, so this is a welcome distraction for me.
All done, just needs a polish once the paint is dryIn its 70 year old leather jacket – nice
So that’s another one saved from scrap. This camera will now go into storage where I will vacuum pack it with some silica packets to prevent it from getting damp. I’m surprised just how good this camera “smells” considering its age, there is no mustiness at all compared to some cameras I get from this era.
Many thanks for popping by, you know it is always very much appreciated.
Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Instant Camera Teal Blue Spares & Repairs
Please see photos for condition this will be the item you will be receiving.
The camera will not turn on.
Thank you for looking!
EBay
It’s about time I started to get back to repairing some cameras, I have a mountain of them to get through but they can wait a little longer. These little Fuji units are really popular with the younger generation, and in my view anything that gets youngsters interested in, and involved with photography is a good move. We have some youngsters in our clan, and I have this earmarked for one of them if I can get it working. We had some conversations during our family gathering over Easter, and the subject of photography, and this particular member of our family came out. Seeing this auction today, I acted and purchased as this is a perfect little starter unit for her. My total outlay for this unit was £11:45GBP and considering the current costs are around £30-£40GBP for a working example, this is not too bad an initial outlay.
The Instax Mini 8
Here’s some history on these cameras:
Instax is a brand of instant still cameras and instant films marketed by Fujifilm.
The first camera and accompanying film, the Instax Mini 10 and Instax Mini film, were released on November 10, 1998. The “Wide” film and first accompanying camera were released the following year. The Instax Square film and accompanying camera were released in 2017.
The formats of Instax film give an image size of 46 mm × 62 mm (1.8 in × 2.4 in) for the Mini, 99 mm× 62 mm (3.9 in × 2.4 in) for the Wide and 62 mm× 62 mm (2.4 in × 2.4 in) for the Square. The Instax colour film is available in Mini, Wide, and Square formats and the black and white Instax Monochrome is available in Mini and Wide formats.
Wikipedia
For anyone that was around in the 70s, these cameras are an extension of and an advancement of the then Polaroid instant photography system. Nearly every household back then had access to Polaroid cameras. If you look back at any photo album or collection from that time, you will invariably find some Polaroid photos stored within that collection.
Here is a typically over enthusiastic review produced by a very pleasant chap when it came out about 8 years ago. Sums up in a few minutes just what it can do, and just how easy it is to use.
A very enthusiastic review
This unit looks to be in quite a nice condition but as always we will never truly know until it has arrived and can be assessed, never forget, this is EBay that we are purchasing from 😂
Battery compartment…suspicious!
Something looks suspicious in the battery compartment. There seems to be contacts missing, they might be fine I just don’t know. They just don’t look right to me. There may well be some minor signs of corrosion as well. Who knows, I’ll just have to wait until the unit arrives. So let’s just be patient until then.
Come on Mr.Postman!
Assessment:
I’ve downloaded the instructions and they consist of just half of one sheet of A4. To be honest they are about as basic as are needed I guess, but in technical quality they are about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike! And those contacts I mentioned above, look just as they were from the factory. What a strange design.
On arrival the camera appears to be in a really good cosmetic condition, there is even an old film cartridge still inside that I suspect is well fogged by now. However this will be of use if I can get it working, as it will prove if the film transport works.
The battery connectors are exactly as they were when the unit was assembled, so my earlier suspicions have come to nothing. However there are small indications of battery leakage on the outside that are always concerning, because they can always hide a greater issue occurring inside the camera. When batteries are put in place the unit is totally dead, just as advertised.
Cosmetically tidyBatteries – no powerContacts show evidence of light contaminationlight contamination in evidence
So no more to it, I have to open the unit up and see what I can find inside. Before doing that though I have connected a bench power supply to the contacts and there was still no draw on the power at all. It is definitely dead.
Repair:
On opening. Oh my word. What the heck is that? I have never seen contamination around a battery terminal like that before, the battery contacts have been totally consumed.
Under that crystallised mess is what is left of a battery terminal, and that thing that looks like a biscuit on the left is the main motor. Totally crusted up
I could hear some rattling around inside the case and thought something had worked itself loose. No. It was what looked like broken glass, but it wasn’t, it was crystals of contamination, this camera has more stalagmites than Wookey Hole! The motor was badly contaminated and every part of the working mechanism had signs of this contamination, it was everywhere.
Contamination crystalsMotor contamination
First things first, the issue with the power supply is purely at the point of that big mass of battery contamination on the battery terminal, there is no continuity here and this needs removing and attending to.
What was under that crust of contamination All cleaned and ground down ready for re soldering
Using a combination of alcohol to break down the contamination, and a grinding pen, the offending crust was eventually removed. It had eaten through the wire at the battery terminal and was being held in place by the mass of crust that has built up around it. I was able to cut back the wire and re solder the terminal to make it good. There was contamination everywhere and this all had to be removed, if left in place it would cause more problems in the future. It had to be eliminated completely.
Contamination everywhere, what a mess
I removed the motor, and used a contact cleaner to free up its motion, I constantly turned it back and forth for about 15 minutes and I could gradually feel it freeing up. A wire had broken off from the led light on the viewfinder, this was soldered back into place and we were now ready to test. I put the batteries in and flipped the switch. I could hear the flash capacitor charging and all lights came on, I switched the unit off and began preparing to re assemble the unit, not before accidentally touching the flash circuit and taking a quick 300v shock in the hand. It’s a big capacitor as all flash units usually are. I’m an idiot, it was a school boy error. And I had a capacitor discharge unit sitting right beside me. Fool!
Ok. I’ve stopped cursing myself and the reassembly continues, and I manage to complete this with no further issues.
It seems to be working.
I’ve loaded in that old cartridge it came with and can confirm that it was all fogged film. However it has proved that the film transport system and flash are working as you can see in the video above. I’m now going to have to source some fresh film for a true test. Before that I’m going to open up the unit again and give it a good blast with compressed air and a final check to make sure I’ve got all of that contamination. It’s just the OCD coming out in me.
That said, the flash has now ceased working even though I can hear the capacitor charging up. I suspect the flash bulb has failed, so I need to get back inside anyway. Oh well, here we go again!
Like the idiot I am, I realise I have not been using sufficiently powerful batteries and the flash capacitor and flash unit are both in fine working order. I’m just going to make a small adjustment on the shutter opening switch though, and also the power contacts connected to the lens internal focus ring.
I’ve removed an unnecessary small spring from the aperture ring on the left, and I found some more of the crystal type of contamination on the circuit board near to the flash capacitor.
I’ve removed an unnecessary spring that was on the aperture ring, it was causing the aperture ring to sit in an opposing position to the light indicator on the side. The two of them have to match to ensure the correct exposure. The spring was pulling down on the ring, and moving it to a lower position on the indicator. Thus causing an exposure issue. I’ve removed it, it is not needed and is now working better. I have also cleaned the circuit board as I found another small patch of crystallised contamination. It’s now cleaner than when it departed the factory.
The lens aperture ring, and indicator
And here we have a picture where I’ve captured the flash unit working.
Flash captured working
Now all back fully assembled I’m confident that the camera unit is in as good a condition as it could be. Fully serviced, clean and operational just as it should be. The next real test will be when I get some film inside of it to carry out some realtime tests. I’m hoping I’ll have the film within the next day or two.
Result:
I dont know why but I really love this little camera. I’ve enjoyed the challenge, the issues thrown up by it, and have gained immense satisfaction in getting it back into a working order. I don’t know if it’s the size or just the pure simplicity of having a picture to hand that is fully developed in about 15mins. The excitement of watching a picture form in front of your very eyes and even the fun factor is incredible. It’s what is needed in photography today, a step back to the 70s world of Polaroid, it’s true that back then they really knew they were on to something big, but I bet they didn’t think that it would now be having such a resurgence with the younger generation 50 years later. Instant memories preserved right in front of your eyes. The Japanese photographic industry, are so up there with modern photographic trends and demands. If only some of the now defunct big players such as Kodak who I used to work for, had gleaned such future insight, things may have been very different.
This unit as was stated earlier, is promised to a younger member of the family and that is where it will be going. I think I’m probably going to buy another damaged one to fix for myself, because I just love these little packages of fun and instant memories.
My film arrives within the next 24hrs and I’m really looking forward to getting some pictures taken.
Now all polished and cleaned and looking splendid.
Sparkling, clean and pristine (Inside and Out)
The film is here and I’ve put in new batteries and tested the unit prior to putting the film in. Anyway, film installed let’s take the first picture that will remove the cover off the film cartridge within.
Cartridge inFilm cover out
Now to find some subjects without wasting too much film. Picture one was of another Instax camera i am working on, bit close to be honest but there is at least an image, the camera is working. Second one is in the corner of the kitchen this comes out well. Third one is of the feral cat “Tabs” who owns our garden. She wasn’t too happy that I’d disturbed her sleep but that said it was a good photo.
First three trial photos
Overall I’m exceptionally pleased with the results. Closer examinations shows some repeating white spots up the right side of the photos, no big deal but this probably points to some contamination on the film roller. I can’t clean this now without fogging the remaining film, so I’m happy to leave this until this cartridge has been used. I’m happy that this is the only minor issue after all the other problems this camera had.
Working perfectly and looking great
Been a great little project that I have thoroughly enjoyed working on. These little units are great fun and the little lady that is going to get this camera is going to have a great time with it.
Another one of mass manufacturings victims, revived, and repaired and now facing a much longer and rosier future. Another one successfully kept from landfill. A winner in every sense of the word.
Many thanks for passing by, as always it is very much appreciated.
I have just purchased 6 untested ( probably the polite way to say totally useless) cameras from the late 80s.
I ended paying out the equivalent of £6:17(GBP) per unit. That’s inclusive of delivery and costs as well, not too bad really and if I can repair (if needed) I should still be able to move them on at a small profit. But I may also be passing these onto a local charity that teaches photography to youngsters and disadvantaged people in Leicestershire.
Canon Eos SLR bundle
I have purchased a job lot of Canon Eos 650/600 cameras from quite a reputable seller who specialises in old film cameras.
Canon Eos 600
I have 2 Canon Eos 600 units that date from 1989. These have motorised film advance and rewind, and are able to reach 5fps in one shot Af mode. Shutter speeds range from 30 sec to 1/2000 sec, with B mode. X-sync is at 1/125 sec. Powered by 1x6v 2CR5 lithium battery.
Canon Eos 650
I also have 4 Eos 650 units.
The Eos 650 is the camera responsible for the first photograph used on the World Wide Web when a photo of the band “Les Horribles Cernettes” was taken on 18th July 1992 by photographer Silvano de Cennaro.
This camera was produced in 1987 and was the first of Canons Eos (Electro-Optical System) ushering in a new era for Canon cameras. The shutter is electronic, vertical metal focal plane capable of 30 sec to 1/2000 sec exposures as well as having 1/125 sec exposure with a flash. Also powered by 1x6v 2CR5 lithium battery rated for up to 100 36 exp rolls.
Both types use the Canon EF mount.
I’m happy from the pictures and knowing the sellers reputation that these units are cosmetically tidy, fingers crossed they don’t need a great deal doing on them but you never know. When they arrive I will do an assessment of both cameras and create a post accordingly.
Foxes Den 
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