retro – Page 3 – Foxes Den

Mamiya M Autofocus – 35mm point and shoot camera – Part two

Here we are again. I recently wrote of my failed attempt to get this 80s camera operating here: Mamiya M Autofocus – 35mm point and shoot camera.

Not one to give up on a project I have looked at a suitable donor camera and believe I have found one as detailed below. Only difference is that I had to buy two cameras as they came as a bundle. Not a problem as I can always do a separate post on the other one, the two have cost me a total of £15:00GBP bartered down from the original price of £30:00GBP. A bargain! So let’s just call it £7:50GBP per camera.

What the listing stated:

mamiya shutter button is stuck. red light on the right comes on. some external corrosion pictured

ricoh no power at all

EBay

Assessment:

The Mamiya is in quite a poor state, and is the Time Memory version that differs very slightly from the version I originally worked on, it’s essentially the same camera as the Mamiya M, but with an added quartz dating mechanism for imprinting time and date information on the film. This model was the last 35mm camera Mamiya produced before focusing solely on medium format. However the back seems to be a bit rusty whereas mine is in excellent condition, so I will be using a mix of the two units to make the one good one.

Repair:

The Mamiya looks good cosmetically until you open the rear and see the rust around the door, not a problem as I won’t be using this part of the camera. The red light does not come on at all and the shutter button is stuck, that’s for sure. The whole camera is dead.

Let’s get into it.

Once opened all looks ok so I decide to have a search around with the multimeter checking the basic operation. Am I getting 3 volts at the top of the battery barrel? No I’m not. It appears that one of the traces on the positive side of the power input board has lost continuity. For some reason the traces has been damaged, this could be either from corrosion or rubbing on something. The area affected is in the photo with the red ring around it.

I’ve fixed this immediately using some solder to bridge the gap, I have checked continuity and all seems ok. I put some batteries in and the motor squeals like a banshee and then stops. You can hear the screaming motor below in the short video from its first screaming session through to its proper 80s sounding drone.

The screaming motor through to its repair

I don’t think this motor has run for years and it does not run consistently. I have sprayed it with some contact cleaner and let it soak. I have left it overnight and checked the operation in the morning and it seems to have improved.

I’ve used the original fascia, rear door, focussing beam and flash capacitor from the first failed unit, and apart from a few bits of soldering, plenty of contact cleaner and some silicone grease, I’ve revitalised a failing motor and it is now working as it should. I forgot to mention I used some graphite on the shutter leafs to “lubricate” them. All optics cleaned and camera has been tested without film and is working just fine.

View finder indications are good with light meter operational, motor rewind works, flash and exposure is fine, and the motor advances as well.

Result:

I’m really pleased with this little camera and am pleased I didn’t give up on it. It’s taken two broken cameras to make one good one, and I have a good few spare parts left over to be used at a later date.

The unit looks so smart, the only real issue is the battery door that is notoriously flimsy and lots of references to its poor design can be found on line. A temporary way around this is just to put some tape across it to keep it closed.

Beyond that issue, the camera is a really good looking unit that has cleaned up really well.

I can’t wait to run some film through it to see how it performs. I have a few cameras like this to test so I’m looking for some decent priced film to use, as i do need quite a bit.

As soon as I have some photographs availability I will link to this post accordingly.

Many thanks for following the repair, it’s always very much appreciated.

Not the lottery, but for me – just as good

I’ve been after a couple of cameras for quite a while now that hold a great deal of sentimental meaning to me. This will become apparent when i publish the individual posts for them, but for now i just want to share the result of an auction i participated in on the 31st July 2025.

Today I’ve probably made the best purchase off of an auction site that I have ever made previous. I’ve been following a number of Canon A1s lately and they have all been going in the £120+GBP bracket, some even higher than that. Today I have lost out on two that sold for £93 for a damaged body and one for £121 that was just a body but of a much better quality. This particular auction I was watching was for an untested duo of cameras, a Canon A1 as well as an Olympus Trip 35mm. The Olympus alone normally commands the high £80GBP range and both of these were in this particular auction. I was just watching as this was going to sky rocket in my opinion, two good cameras from a respected seller who I have used before. Two minutes from the auction end, bidding was sat at £39GBP and I thought that any second now the price was going to go crazy, especially in the last 30 seconds. I put in a max bid of £55GBP for the lot, as I pretty much knew it would sail past that amount and go for a price in the £150-£200 price range. I hit the bid button with 20 seconds left on the auction….

You have won – congratulations!

I thought you’re having a laugh, no way. And then it came up with the winning bid being £39:00GBP no one else was bidding, crazy.

The A1 camera consists of the body, a winder, an FD 50 1:1.8 lens, a camera manual as well as a lens manual.

Postage was the grand total of £4:99 so my total for these two cameras was £43:99GBP. That is nuts, and to say I’m pleased about this is the understatement of the century. I have two of the cameras I wish for the most, and I have just landed the bargain of the day, I was in the right place at the right time. Wow. It’s unusual to catch other auction bidders sleeping, it will probably never happen again for me, it’s a very rare occurrence. Two cameras of this magnitude for £22:00GBP each! That’s unheard of.

I don’t know for what reason they are not working, as they both appear to be quite tidy examples. I have used this seller before and the posting above could also be worded such as to imply that the units may well not have been tested. But, that’s what this site is about, repairing old cameras and getting them working again. There’s no fun in talking about a good functional camera, that’s boring. We want the meat and potatoes as they say, we want to see things being fixed, or broken further….you never know with me.

Thanks for sharing my excitement at this purchase. It will all make sense once i’ve assessed the cameras and carried out any repairs.

Thank you for passing by. It’s always appreciated.

Sticky, Rubber camera grips

Anyone who has had an 80s/90s/00s camera through their hands would have experienced this at some point. During this time period many if not all camera manufacturers went through the phase of putting rubber hand grips on their cameras. Aesthetically pleasing, and ensuring a good grip of your new “Expensive” toy. I guess, they thought they had got it right. But as with all these good ideas they often come back and bite you right on the bum at a later date.

Ok there were probably no recalls regarding this issue, it’s just affected the price of these goods on the second hand after market, and more than likely a perfectly good unit has most probably gone to landfill for no other reason than “Feeling sticky”

Let’s look into the reasons why this occurs.

It’s pretty much down to a process called Vulcanisation. Vulcanisation is a chemical process that hardens rubber by cross-linking polymer chains, making it more durable and elastic. This process, often using sulfur, heat, and other additives, transforms natural or synthetic rubber into a material with improved properties like resistance to heat, cold, and deformation.

However after many years, the process begins to break down, this causes the rubber to become sticky and in some cases the rubber just breaks down causing traces of rubber dust all over the place. Add to that the normal oils from fingers and palms and the stickiness then becomes highly noticeable, and makes for a very unpleasant experience.

We can’t stop the progress of the degradation, we can however do something about the sticky state, maintain good quality and make the use of the item as pleasurable an experience, just as it was when first purchased. Many believe the stickiness is down to the way the item is stored, and it not being used on a regular basis, as there is plenty of evidence out there of similar aged cameras not suffering from the issue at all, as they are used daily, namely by professional types where these cameras are tools of their trade.

It involves some work, and patience. I am writing this post as I have 8 cameras that i am currently working on, all Nikon D70/D70S and they all have this problem, and they date from 2004.

I use a process that you will easily find on line, the most simple process and it involves using a substance called Isopropyl Alcohol, my one is 99% pure, (also known as rubbing alcohol) I don’t think the purity of 99% is essential but i use it as i have plenty of it around, what with all the circuit board work i do, and the cleaning they also require.

Some people have had results just using a dry cloth and no chemicals, patiently rubbing and rubbing, some for a few hours at a time, until all the mess is removed. If that’s the way you wish to go then fine, i haven’t got the time for all that, i’ll be talking you through the way i do it below, with a chemical.

My technique is simple, lint free cloth and some cotton buds are all that i use, along with a tissue wipe (Such as armoral, or a car cockpit cleaner solution with a dry cloth) and a cocktail stick to finish. The reason for the wipe will become clear at the end.

My Guinea pig for today is a Nikon D70 I have requiring repair. It is a particularly “Sticky” individual and will be a good candidate on how to deal with this sticky situation. This is the process I use on all my equipment that has rubber such as this as part of its structure. It’s worked for me for many years, some people say that it will need doing again after a short while, that’s never been the case for me, and there are a number of documented cases on line where six years after this treatment has been done, there is no repeat of the initial problem. The rubber remains good.

Using a small amount of IPA on a lint free cloth gently wipe the area of concern and you will see the stickiness start to lift, it looks like a glue.

Make your way around the whole camera paying particular attention to those really sticky areas. The IPA evaporates really quickly so you get to see results really quickly. If after one try the stickiness remains then try another application. A good indicator is that when you use a fresh part of the cloth, you see less dirt come off with each application. When you put an application on and come away with a clean cloth, your job is done.

The cotton buds are used for getting into those inaccessible crevices you can’t get into with the cloth. As before as they stay cleaner and pick up less dirt your work is done. All this cleaning and moving about of dirt sometimes transfers the dirt into creases and joins between the rubber and the camera body, this is what the cocktail stick is for, to get into those small gaps and scoop the dirt and debris out. Complete with a final application of IPA in this area and the dirty work is now done.

Now earlier I mentioned about using Amorall wipes or a car cockpit cleaner. Sometimes this process can dull rubber, as you have just removed the layer that was providing the gleaming glory back in the day. You can’t have it all your own way but a good quality interior dashboard cockpit cleaner really does add some shine and life to that old camera and really does do a good job of restoring it. I use Auto Glym interior shampoo on a lint free cloth and apply this by gently applying all over the exterior of the camera. It is now exceptionally clean. A quick rub over with a dry cloth once this is dried and what more can I say? This is a different camera, looks stunning and has lost all trace of stickiness and dirt. Now it has that extra layer of protection as well, it’s now a pleasure to behold.

This little task probably took just over 20 minutes to achieve and gives so much satisfaction to me as you can see a cameras appearance change in front of your very eyes, and anyone can do it. No camera deserves to go to landfill just because it has this sticky exterior, it’s simple to do and can revitalise an old and much loved camera.

The finished item – stickiness now a thing of the past

I hope this has helped with dealing with the stickiness issue, if you ever experience it. I have even heard reports that a good quality window cleaner can also give similar results, but I’ve never tried it, so there really is no excuse if you have a camera in your ownership needing similar attention.

Many thanks for passing by. You legend👍

Mamiya M Autofocus – 35mm point and shoot camera

What the listing stated:

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 1/500^thsecond with the slowest at 1/8^th. 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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

I’ve now removed the front fascia and now have a good view of the overall workings inside the camera.

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.

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.

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.

Thanks for passing by. Its appreciated.

Panasonic Walkman cassette player RQ-P250

At a family gathering this weekend, an elderly family member approached me and asked if I could take a look at his Panasonic personal tape player, and maybe get it back up and working.

Who am I, to turn down such an invitation, so I took it on and promised him I’d have a look into it. There is, “No rush“ I was told. Just as well, as it’s busy in every aspect of my life at the moment.

Here’s the spec:

Type: Auto Reverse Cassette Player

Tape Type: type I, CrO2, Metal

Output: 20mW

Battery: 2 x AA

Power Supply: RP-AC33 (3V DC)

Dimensions: 114.2 x 84.4 x 33.1mm

Weight: 156g

Finish: black

Year: 1993

Hifiengine

Assessment:

It’s well used, and has always been and if I can get it working, will continue to be so. At the grand old age of 79 my brother in law is not about to change his ways and is quite comfortable listening to his old Cassette collection whilst out and about, on trains quite a bit of the time, as he travels up and down the country. He’s a lovely old fashioned set in his ways guy and we wouldn’t have him any other way. It would be blooming lovely to get this back to him working again.

It’s scarred, been well used but looked after, apparently it’s gone from playing quite well, to slowing down and dying completely. I think I know what the issue is but I’m not going to curse myself by saying I know what is wrong, when it actually turns out to be something totally different.

And I love his choice of music. Let’s get this repair underway so we can listen to Mr. Rea in a lovely crisp sounding manner befitting of an 80s rock star.

Repair:

Batteries in place, earphones connected, push play. No movement from the capstans, and even when put in forward and reverse there is no movement from either capstan. I can hear all the electrical noises such as the tape head picking, and I suspect at the grand old age of 32 years old that the drive belts have probably given in. Let’s open it up and have a look.

And just as I thought. Two drive belts in here, they are both loose, one though is so loose that it has wrapped itself around the two capstans, no wonder it wouldn’t start up.

Two drive belts visible, both so stretched that they have ceased working

I have plenty of these belts spare, I just had to sort out the two closest matching in size. Too slack and you introduce warble, too tight and it will be off speed, you need to get it just right. Adjustments can be made to the motor speed but this will only come back to bite you once the belts wear in.

I’ve put two new belts in place, and at some frequencies there is a little wobble, but with Dolby switched in place this can be removed digitally, this will settle over the coming weeks after more use.

I have used some silicon grease on the cogs, I have put contact spray in the motor and the volume controls, and used IPA to clean all the tape contacts and capstan wheels and posts, it’s basically been given a little service to see it forward for a while longer.

Body now reassembled, new batteries put in place, it’s time to test it.

Result:

A quick polish, to tidy up, won’t get rid of the deep scuffs, just makes it a little more presentable. Cassette inserted, headphones plugged in and as expected it’s working just fine, we can hear Mr.Rea in all his gravel voiced glory. So can you, in this video snippet below, that hopefully won’t get a copyright strike 🤞

🎶 On the beach 🎵

So there we have it. Another item brought back to life with about 30 minutes work. It’s going to make someone’s day, and I’m as pleased as punch that I could play a part in contributing to that.

Working well, looking ok after a quick service and some TLC

There you go. Hope you enjoyed this quick fix.

Many thanks for passing by. Always most appreciated.

Sinclair Cambridge Memory Calculator

What the listing stated:

This auction is for a used cased Sinclair Cambridge Memory pocket calculator and original case. The item is in very good cosmetic condition as is the case which still has its instruction sheet. The item is powered with 4 x AAA batteries (not supplied) and does work although 1 of the digits is faulty and does not display (see pictures) plus the number 5 digit is not working. Please refer to the pictures and description provided before bidding.

EBay

So it does work, but it doesn’t? This calculator is a model one memory calculator, that dates from around July 1973, ( Actually May 1975 see photos below) and is one of the earliest available mass produced electronic calculators available in the UK at the time. And it was produced in collaboration with a guy called (Sir) Clive Sinclair, who in the following decade would become synonymous with tech development in the UK. It retailed at £29:95GBP, and given the rate of inflation, its cost today in 2025 would be a staggering £463GBP. Wow!

I love collecting old calculators, I couldn’t afford one back in the day when they arrived on the scene as I was only a child and probably only on about 20 pence a week pocket money, and savings and investments were not even known to me at this period of my life. The thought of saving that precious 20p a week for the next 150 weeks wouldn’t have even remotely crossed my mind. What no sweeties?

But I can buy them now, so no big issue!

So this one has become available, and I’ve been tracking it for a week or so, there were nine other people watching but I secured it for a total including postage of £14:49GBP, and I’m happy with that, it’s a piece of retro history for a very good price. Even if it remains faulty, or should I say working but not working?

This unit obviously has its problems, the button number 5 doesn’t work and one of the led digits is also not functioning. Hopefully I can get these issues sorted and soon have the calculator back up and working as it should. That would be nice. I’m looking forward to this little project.

Assessment:

It’s arrived and it’s a lot smaller than I anticipated. It has a separate hard protective case, which is a nice touch and a small info sheet on its operation. Cosmetically it’s in a good condition with just minor signs that are age related. There are no gouges or scars so it has been treated well, though it’s not pristine.

Batteries go in ok but, I believe old style AAA batteries were a little wider than those used today and would sit a bit more snuggly in the battery compartment. As you can see there is a little wriggle room here, and springs at both ends need adjusting to help prevent this. I may have to use some spacers so the batteries sit tighter in place.

The switch is a bit temperamental and can be seen quite plainly from the battery compartment. It looks strangely out of place with no batteries in place.

It is such a basic design solely relying on tension of a small metal plate to short across the connection points. Should be a simple enough issue to sort.

There is a little battery contamination on one of the battery contacts, again this shouldn’t be too much of an issue and should clean up ok with some IPA.

It was originally reported that there was one unresponsive button this being the number “5”, there is also another unresponsive button, the multiplication “X” button. There is also one LED indicator, the 4th one in from the left hand side that is not operating. Add to this the issue with the On/Off switch and the contamination, and the original faults reported in the original sales pitch have now doubled. I just wish people would spend more time going over the issues and then give actual accurate feedback as to what the real faults are, it would make for a far more pleasant buying experience. Rant over.

There doesn’t seem to be a single screw holding the body together, I just hope it isn’t all heat welded.

Let’s try to get inside.

Repair:

Well it cracked open quite nicely with no issues with just a plastic flat prise tool. The main board just sat comfortably in the unit, secure, and not a screw in sight. Strange as time moves on some of the games units I come across have best part of fifty of the little blighters to remove before you get anywhere. sometimes the old way is good.

The dismantling of the keyboard is a little complex and you have to take time and make sure you know how it’s going to go back together, it’s just a bit fiddly. The board is quite straightforward and as soon as I see some of the IC’s it dates the unit perfectly. The chips are dated May 1975, and that is about 18 months younger than what I originally thought, it’s quite informative to get inside and learn occasionally and this is just as good as having a birth certificate presented to you. All good stuff.

I’ve proved that there isn’t a problem with the missing digit on the display as using my multimeter in diode mode I am able to prove that this LED is working fine.

The picture shows just one part of the display range on this particular digit, I can assure you all other sections of the display are also working.

Regarding the case with the buttons not working. I have checked this out for continuity and both digits go through the same portion of the main IC and there doesn’t appear to be any broken traces. It’s a strange one but I have also found some really poor solder joints that are either cold joints or just poorly soldered from the start, there are a couple of resistors that need re soldering. It may be nothing at all, but it needs attention, a full reflow wouldn’t go amiss or take too much time.

I’ve reflowed the entire board due to there being a few cold solder joints.

On top of this I have taken off two old capacitors and tested them out of circuit, and both were out of their operable range of +/- 10%. As a result of this I have replaced the offending components with comparable new ones.

Even with all these extra tasks being undertaken there is absolutely no change in the way it operates. Nothing has gotten worse, the faults that were originally there still remain. I have done some research on line and carried out some further tests and checked expected voltages, most are within range except one that appears to be less than its expected value. After testing everything on this board, every component I can only surmise that one of the three chips has failed, I suspect very much that this, the main chip, a CZL550 integrated circuit. Otherwise known as “Calculator on a chip” is the one that is at fault.

To be quite honest these chips are fairly rare and command a price far in excess of what I paid for the original unit, and I don’t really want to do that. I think I’ll wait around to see if I can secure another faulty unit to complete this repair, so in the meantime, and until I can secure such a unit I will put this repair on hold.

Result:

Well, it’s not what I wanted but sometimes you just can’t win with some of these old projects. In no way am I walking away from it, it’s just that the parts are so difficult to get hold of that you really do have to just wait until a sufficiently faulty one comes up for sale. And that could be days, it could be weeks or months. So for now i admit defeat, but it will not be going to trash. It will remain in my ever expanding “To do” box, for me to pick up on at a later date. And when I am in a position to move this project on, I’ll pick it up in a continuation of this post.

Many thanks for passing by. It’s always appreciated.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 instant camera

What the listing stated:

Fujifilm Fuji instax mini 40 instant camera . Functional, but flash NOT working .

LISTED REPAIR OR SPARES . NO RETURN .

THE CAMERA IS TESTED AND WILL,POWER UP AND TAKE A SHOT AND EJECT A SLIDE CORRECTLY. Please watch uploaded video .

HOWEVER THE CAMERAS FLASH IS NOT WORKING . This is the reason I have listed the cameras as repairs or spares.

Hopefully someone knows about these cameras and knows whether the flash unit just needs replacing or if it is an electronic fault that needs sorting out can fix it . Otherwise the parts will be useful to someone who repairs these .

No batteries or film is included .

The camera body is in very good cosmetic condition. There are only light surface marks in terms of signs of use . . Please see images as they are part of the description.

The red light to show the camera has powered up lites up when the button is pressed to extend the lens and turns the camera on .

When you close the lens down it locks securely into place .

The frame counter is working .

The film compartment is clean and the rear door shut correctly and securely.

Battery compartment is clean and the battery cover locked into place securely.

The camera is powered by to easily available AA batteries ( not included) .

EBay

Now that’s what I call a great descriptive sales pitch. And that’s because the guy is a professional seller of photographic equipment. I’ve seen the video he posted and all the above is true, it really is just a problem around the flash. Maybe it’s an easy fix? I suspect not but either way it will be an interesting project.

Here’s a little info on this camera:

Hitting the market in April 2021, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 takes the updates the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 introduced but wraps them up in a cooler, more retro-styled instant camera body. Instant film fans will probably love it and with its improved design, there’s a chance that those who aren’t instantly drawn to this form of photography may just want to have a play around with the Fujifilm Instax Mini 40, too. It does cost more than the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11, though, so you’ll have to decide if the cooler design is worth an extra £20.

+ Pros

It’s fun

Great party camera

Easy to use

Looks cool

– Cons

Film is expensive

Viewfinder could be better

Powered by AA-batteries

Ephotozine.com

I first of all went in with a cheeky bid of £15:00GBP that the seller originally turned down, so I then put in a high bid of £18:00 and as no one else was wanting it, it actually sold for £16:00, just £1:00 more than I’d originally offered. All in all the cost with the postage was £19:45GBP and I’m really pleased with this. Im surprised though that there are flash issues in a unit that is only just four years old. As you can see in the photo below recent sale prices have been strong and a great deal higher priced than what I have just paid. These are certainly popular little camera’s with the younger generation.

I guess we will just have to await its arrival to assess the flash issue. I’m very confident that I will be able to get this camera up and running again.

Assessment:

Out of all the Instax cameras I have dealt with lately, this has got to be one of the best ones I have had my hands on. This is a mid range instax camera that is more sober in colour aimed at those who enjoy their lomography or better quality instant photography. It certainly looks good, and to be honest I’d rather carry this one around rather than a bright pink one.

As posted in the description above it is in near perfect condition and a quick Look at the flash head shows that the flash bar within the unit is broken.

Let’s get on with replacing this damaged flash unit.

Repair:

Let’s get it opened up.

People laugh at me when i tell them that playing around inside these units could kill you. I can understand the contempt aimed at me for such a statement, when I’m carrying a bright pink camera that hardly looks dangerous. Just look at the voltage still in the flash capacitor though once I have opened it. Savage.

Residual voltage of 267v still in the flash capacitor

270v would quite easily send you across the room, if you had a heart condition it would probably be game over. I’ve learned my lesson in the past so I ensure I use a capacitor bleed probe before I go anywhere near one of these flash capacitors. The capacitor on this camera is rated at 320v, not to be messed with. Beware. What’s more impressive is that all this energy is supplied from two 1.5v AA batteries. Clever stuff.

I have a donor flash bar in an old spare unit. I have carefully unsoldered its connections and gently removed the very thin glass tube from the donor unit and placed this in the one situated on the new camera.

Carefully, once inserted into the flash reflector, i have soldered it back onto the board. All looking good. However I need to test the flash so I temporarily put the case on, bung in two batteries and turn the camera on. Press the exposure button and the flash fires perfectly. Happy days. I now can confidently reassemble the camera back together, and I’m pleased that when this is done there are no screws left over. All small wins.

I have some film available so there is no better time than the present to give it a try.

Result:

Nice flash – working

I’ve loved doing this repair, this is a good quality, great condition, and now in perfect working order camera, brought back to life with many more years of use left in it.

But it could have been just chucked in the waste. I’m keeping this one for my collection as it’s a fantastic example acquired at a very good price. Thirty minutes of attention is all it took.

Another one kept from landfill.

Many thanks for passing by. Always appreciated.

MB – Simon

Remember this? Everyone had one around 1978 apart from me that is. Well, now I’ve got one, only 47 yrs late and it doesn’t work. But hey that’s what this site is all about, and that’s how I roll. Always late to the party, and even then you’ll probably find me in the kitchen 🥳

What the listing said:

Cosmetically in very good condition but does not work. Please see attached pictures to judge condition for yourself.

EBay

Another one with all battery covers! I’m shocked. And what’s that screwdriver there for?

The guy was after £17:00GBP and that included postage, but I put in a cheeky bid and managed to get it with postage for £9:80GBP. Anything under a tenner is good in my eyes.

Here’s some history:

Simon is an electronic game of short-term memory skill invented by Ralph H. Baer and Howard J. Morrison, working for toy design firm Marvin Glass and Associates, with software programming by Lenny Cope. The device creates a series of tones and lights and requires a user to repeat the sequence. If the user succeeds, the series becomes progressively longer and more complex. Once the user fails or the time limit runs out, the game is over. The original version was manufactured and distributed by Milton Bradley and later by Hasbro after it took over Milton Bradley. Much of the assembly language code was written by Charles Kapps, who taught computer science at Temple University and also wrote one of the first books on the theory of computer programming. Simon was launched in 1978 at Studio 54 in New York City and was an immediate success, becoming a pop culture symbol of the 1970s and 1980s.

Wikipedia

From what i can see in the pictures the item seems good, cosmetically. I may be able to see just a little contamination around the battery contacts but I can’t be sure. It worries me when i see a picture that shows a screwdriver alongside the item you are buying, it just screams at me that the seller has been in side and is not being truly honest about its issues. Let’s just wait until it arrives to do a full assessment. I’m genuinely excited about getting this working, as my age veers ever closer to the higher numbers. I need something to stimulate my mind, what’s left of it. 😂

Assessment:

The unit has arrived and on first impressions looks clean and tidy cosmetically. The pads are not very responsive and the battery contacts are seriously corroded. The unit is a power hungry beast, taking two ”D” cell 1.5v batteries and one PP9 9v battery. The unit does not work with its batteries in place, and i’m not surprised really, and to round it all off two screws are missing from the case, and one screw mount is broken. All four plastic springs that sit under the coloured pads are broken, and just to clarify someone has already been in here and it doesn’t bode well. My previous concerns of a screwdriver being in the original photos have been confirmed. It’s been tampered with.

Pads unresponsive due to broken plastic spring mounts

The board is a typical of many circuit boards from this era that were produced for MB. I had a similar circuit board on this item here: MB – Computer Battleship

In the picture above you will see two arrowed points. These points are the power contacts that make contact with the two seriously corroded battery contacts you can also see above. No wonder there is no power getting to the board. I suspect this might be the cause of our electrical problem.

Repair:

First thing to do is to get those battery contacts cleaned, as well as having a good clean of the main board. This has now been done. I’ve repaired the broken screw post by simply using a rubber washer that has been sufficient for this repair.

A friend of mine has kindly offered to print me off four of the “Double Y” springs to replace the ones that are already in place and broken. He owes me a favour or three and needs some subject matter to run through his new 3D printer so I’m very pleased to help him, as pending the outcome I may well buy one myself, as I have been threatening to do so for a while now. This should sort out the issue of the unresponsive pads, first found in the assessment of the item. He’s panicking that they might not be smooth and beautiful, I’ve told him not to worry as they are hidden inside anyway.

What I currently have on the left, what I’m expecting on the right

He’s just supplied me with five double “Y” pieces just in case one is damaged in some way. Let’s get these put in place to see the difference these make.

With the new springs in place the pads are working as they were originally designed to, now with some springiness in their operation. The battery contacts have now also been put back in place.

When assembled, the buttons are a little erratic and not always responsive so I decide to look into this further. A quick Look at the board shows that the solder contacts on the board for all of the button connections are worn, the solder has failed so I decide to reflow all these solder joints to improve the contacts. This appears to have worked as the unit when reassembled, now has uninterrupted operation. This is an age related issue. A simple fix.

Old solder joints that have failed and needed re-flowing

Result:

Another 47 year old saved from the scrap heap, it’s been an interesting and sometimes confusing repair and I thank my friend who stepped in to save the day by utilising his 3D printer to make some parts. Without his assistance this repair would not have been achievable.

It’s just another old piece of retro history to add to my ever growing collection and much to my wife’s dismay. Bless her.

Now working

Thanks for passing by, as always it’s very much appreciated.

Grandstand Convertors Deltatron

What you say?

I arrived home from work last evening to find my nephew at home. He’d been looking around his mum and dad’s attic to find his old star wars toy collection he had from the 80s-90s. Whilst in the loft he found this old toy from 1985 by a company called Yonezawa being sold under the Grandstand branding, and it isn’t working. Here is where it passes over to uncle Dave.

There’s no real value to these toys as they were produced in massive quantities off the back of all the transformer type toys that were available at the time. There are some accessories missing from this one that are obtainable via the auction sites, he may well ask me to source these, but at the moment he just wants me to get it working to pass onto his boys. The video below shows just what it does….and that’s not a lot. But the one I have here is totally dead and needs reviving just like Frankenstein.

Deltatron what it should do

So here we go…

Assessment:

My overriding surprise is that this has been in a loft space for close to 30 yrs and does not have that expected damp mustiness that usually comes with such an item. I must say, my brother in laws loft space is an exception, it’s obviously free from excessive moisture, mind you it’s only about 40 yrs old so building standards had probably advanced somewhat from when ours was built about 90 yrs ago.

It’s in a good condition and all its parts are there minus a few little additions that originally came with the toy. But as I have stated earlier these parts can be obtained on line if required.

Right, let’s have a look at what is or isn’t happening here…

Repair:

When batteries are installed and the remote control is operated, all that happens is that a light comes on in the toy. The motion that is required is non existent.

When examined closer you can see there is a lot of surface rust on the side of the motor where the contacts go into the unit.

The contacts were so rusty inside the motor unit that you’d get an intermittent running of the motor if you moved them. I’ve checked continuity and solder joints and they were fine. I’ve injected some contact cleaning spray into the motor and sat there manipulating the motor in both directions for about 5 minutes, this was sufficient to get the motor running freely once power was reapplied. The contacts were dirty and restricting the flow of power to the motor. I decided to use some IPA around the area to give it all a good clean and once again sprayed more contact cleaner through the motor.

Once I’d run the motor for a few minutes in both directions I then applied some silicone grease to the cogs and moving parts to allow a smoother operation. It’s worked. A nice simple fix.

Result:

It’s working and here’s a small video to prove it.

It’s now working

I’ve already handed it back and it’s a joy to see the smiles on my nephew and his dad’s face when they watched it working. Such a simple thing, bringing back treasured memories and laughs. Another old toy saved for another generation and best of all another item not going to a landfill.

Thanks for passing by, as always it is very much appreciated.

Ensign Ful-Vue II

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 📸

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

And that’s it. Apart from a little polish we are now done here

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 dry

In 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.

Have a super day.

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+ Pros

– Cons

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Barnet Ensign Ross Ful-Vue II

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Repair:

The case:

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