As I’ve probably stated many times previously, I don’t watch a great deal of television or cinema. The last time I went to a cinema was on my 50th and that’s getting on for ten years ago now.
Most of the films I rate were what I viewed in my childhood and a number were influenced by what my parents liked to watch. As a sixties child a lot of those films were “War” based films as the 2nd World war had only ceased some 19 yrs before my arrival on the scene.
So here are 10 films (I may struggle to get that many) that feature in my top ten but in no particular order:
The Dam Busters
The great escape
The Glenn Miller story
Robin and the seven hoods
Priscilla Queen of the desert
The exorcist
American werewolf in London
Jaws
Close encounters of the third kind
Saturday night fever
Quite a range I’d say, and pretty much nothing falling within the last 20 years or so reflecting the fall from personal grace of this entertainment medium, in my personal point of view.
Now… make that a question about radio and I can go on, and on, and on….you get it 😂
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.
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
The two cameras
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.
The board top rightArea of no continuity
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.
Re assembly taking place
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.
That flimsy battery door
Beyond that issue, the camera is a really good looking unit that has cleaned up really well.
The completed camera
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.
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.
A Canon A1 and an Olympus trip
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.
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.
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.
Hmm….EBay untested, the number one way to try and flog knackered crap without accepting any responsibility. Caveat emptor as they say “Buyer beware”. Hey, I’m a rebel it might even work…who knows?
The camera I have purchased
About this camera:
The new Polaroid Snap camera attempts to recapture the fun of instant photography, but with a modern, digital twist.
The Polaroid Snap prints out 2×3 inch photos straightaway using ZINK (Zero Ink) technology, and can even store a back up of the photo you’ve just printed on a memory card. The ZINK paper also has an adhesive backing so you can also use each print as a sticker if you wish.
You don’t however get a rear screen, or an electronic viewfinder. There’s also relatively few changes you can make to settings. The Polaroid Snap is available in four different colours, with one of its unique selling points being a relatively low price (£89 in the UK).
This cost doesn’t take into account the price of supplying it with the paper which you need to print your, er, prints though.
The Polaroid Snap has a 10 million pixel sensor, and a fixed length lens. It was designed by the Ammunition firm, which has made its name working with the likes of Beats by Dre, Square, Lyft and other big brands.
Amy Davies – photography blog
The fact this camera has gone at such a low price speaks volumes to me. I suspect it has numerous issues. I have recently been working on a number of these “Instant” cameras namely the Fujifilm Instax range that are quite good to be honest on a similar photo output size of 3×2 inches. I’ve decided to have a look at the original Polaroid-range and this Snap camera became available. I believe these cameras came out circa 2016. The difference between this and original Polaroid cameras is that this one uses a 10mp camera and uses an additional SD card. With this camera you can also frame your shot using a number of different add ins and print using Polaroids Zink paper. The paper is a thermal type, and the picture quality is not all that brilliant if what I have read is to be believed. This camera is a bit more “advanced” than the basic Polaroid of the 70s, hence there is a bit more that can go wrong with it.
It originally retailed at £89GBP and is now discontinued. Current prices are between £20-£40GBP and I’ve purchased this one with postage for a total outlay of £10:94GBP. Film prices are similar to that of the Instax range.
Now we can do an assessment of what has arrived.
Assessment:
This camera is dated inside as November 2016, so it is currently a youngster at only 8.5 years of age.
It’s arrived and it’s a nice little unit. A little unclean but this will buff up ok. The battery is dead, but once I plug in a micro USB it’s charging ok.
Charging indicator
The port looks fine so there is no issue here. I open the back and whoops! There is some film inside but I hope this doesn’t fog! This is a film that uses a thermal printing process, but does still have its sensitivities. And in the SD card slot is an 8GB card, so for the price I’ve paid for this unit the card is a superb bonus.
All lights upSmart look8Gb Sd card – Bonus8.5 yrs old
And as I’m impatient, I switch the camera on after a short charge and I take a photo, after adjusting a few settings the printer kicks into life and a picture starts to appear.
We have a picture
There were only two film pieces inside and I suspect they have been in there a few years as they are yellowed through age and this is noticeable on the rear where they are very yellow. I’ll have to get some new film to test for real.
So, at the moment it’s all looking very promising, the picture isn’t brilliant quality but that has always been an issue with these units, however I believe a copy is saved to the SD card so you’d always have a reference. The printer is a bonus I guess, for printing out those special moments that you want to see instantly just like good old Polaroids. As for repairs I suggest at this point there is very little wrong with this unit. I do though have to explore its functionality and settings and do some reading up on the basics. When I’ve done that I’ll have a better idea.
I’ve checked the SD card and can confirm it is taking pictures without the need for paper and saving to the SD card as it should. It did also contain 110 pictures of what looked like holiday photos from the original owner. I have contacted the previous owner and they have stated the photos aren’t required so i have reformatted the card. There lies the security issues with selling such items and not checking prior to sending off to strangers, it really is basic security folks, delete and format before selling anything to anyone.
The only items that seem to be missing from this unit are the charging/transfer cable of which I have quite a few, and a magnetic lens cover that really isn’t necessary. Other than that it’s a complete unit.
Repair:
The battery has been left to charge, and this has been achieved with no issues at all. All indications are as expected.
All charged – no issues there
The unit has been cleaned and this has come up lovely, I know the actual camera works as viewing the results on the SD card confirms this, and for a 10mp camera the results aren’t all that bad.
I now just need to get some film to check out all the features that are available, only then can I really say the camera is working.
There are only really six options available here on the camera, via the dial on the top you have the choice of black and white, sepia effect or full colour, and on the next button you have a choice of with or without the Polaroid type frame, hence that is your six possible options. I’ll show some examples of each below.
Colour – frameless and Polaroid frameBlack & White – frameless and Polaroid frameSepia – frameless and Polaroid frame
Result:
What a cracking little unit.
And it’s working
Looking pristine and clean
As basic as basic can be but a great fun item all the same. Nothing technically wrong with it and sold as untested just because the owner couldn’t be bothered to charge it and check it over. Their loss is my gain to be honest, and I inherited an 8GB Sd card as well, one of those rare occasions that you buy such an item and it falls in your favour. I deserve one of those moments to be honest, most of my purchases are faulty junk. This makes a pleasant change.
Im keeping this, for the while. There may be another youngster in the family interested in this one. I’m looking at obtaining the next one up in this range to see the differences, and the advancements that they have incorporated. (It must be broken of course 🙂)
Thanks for passing by, as always much appreciated.
What movies or TV series have you watched more than 5 times?
There are a number of movies and tv series that I have watched multiple times over the years, however one from each category really stands out for me.
I have grown up with the James Bond franchise, as have many in my age group, and these films are still watched and enjoyed to this day.
But these are not my favourites. These are my favourites below.
Film wise I absolutely love the old James Stewart classic “The Glenn Miller story” this remains my favourite movie of all time and when it is on, that is my time, sit down, shut out all the noise and enjoy the wonderful story on how he created a unique sound that is still practiced to this day. And just like any good story it abruptly ends with his sad demise. A wonderful film in my eyes.
Glenn Miller
Secondly a tv series. That goes to the amazing Carl Sagan and his years ahead of its time “Cosmos” series. For a youngster brought up through the space race years there was a hunger for knowledge of our universe, that this series more than catered for. I have this entire series on DVD and it has even been updated from its original issue date in 1980. In 1986 more animations and commentary were added. Sagan passed away in 1996. He was the science teacher we all wished we had at school.
Carl Sagan
So that’s it for me, two of the finest televisual treats that I am aware of and still watch to this very day.
Have a wonderful day. Don’t let anyone take you down.
I recently purchased this camera and wrote about it in a previous blog entry Werra 1
I’ve commenced taking the Werra to pieces. The winder was not working and the shutter was not firing. Before starting this work I’ve viewed this page at Everything Vintage where they have recently carried out a full strip down of the Werra and you can view the page HERE, it’s all great advice.
Getting below the top plate was relatively easy exposing the mechanics from 58 years ago, I don’t think it’s ever been opened in all this time. I always love to see the ingenuity that went into these old cameras in years gone by.
Werra 1 stripdown
The internals look dirty in the photo but to be truthful I don’t think the lighting is doing it any justice, yep there is a fine oxidation coating but it’s at a very acceptable level considering its age. When I get to the point of dismantling as much as I can, I will start to clean and lubricate these pieces. But at the moment my goal is getting to the shutter.
Werra winding system – shutter not working
In the video above I’ve managed to get the shutter cocking using the lens ring, however the shutter actuator does work intermittently, but there is no movement of the shutter (Or is there…)
The only reason I ask the question above is that after reading the “Everything Vintage” link in the first paragraph it appears there is a second shutter that closes the light path to the film back when you wind on. When you are ready to expose the film this shutter opens and then there is a second shutter that controls the exposure. if you watch the small video above I think it is this shutter you can hear when I wind the camera on. Hopefully this one is working, I just need to get the one on the rear working, and for this I need to remove the lens from the housing. To do this I need a tool I don’t currently have but have now ordered. More to follow when the lens ring removal tool arrives.
Lens ring spanner
The lens ring spanner has arrived, the ring is being right stubborn at the moment and Im struggling to release it from its 58 years of rigidity. I’m tired as well and don’t want to cause any damage to the shutter so I’ll come back to this later.
18 hrs later, I’m rested and have another go at releasing that lens ring, this time I’m successful and I manage to release it. Sometimes it’s better to sleep on a problem and approach it with fresh eyes rather than continuing whilst tired and prone to making mistakes.
Werra Lens ring removed
With the lens off the body, the shutter cassette can now be removed. It amazes me just how intricate this cassette is and the workmanship that must have gone into it. I’d estimate at least 10 small cogs and a number of tiny springs with levers and pivot points, amazing really considering it’s about 60 years old. It’s amazing how modern technology has advanced.
Werra lens breakdownWerra shutter moduleWerra lens – another shutter on the rear
It takes some time getting into the shutter cassette as there are springs and things flying off everywhere, you really do have to photograph everything you do just to be able to check what goes where and how.
Inside mechanism – where is that spring from?Complexity of the shutter mechanism
The shutter itself is rather clean apart from some fingerprints on the shutter leaves that must have been from years ago. I have cleaned this down with IPA and then used some finely ground carbon (pencil lead) as a dry lubricant and this has got the shutter moving just fine.
Werra shutter after being lubricated with carbon
I’m now starting to reassemble the lens and shutter as I’m happy that there is nothing else restricting the shutter and it is now moving quite freely. I will clean the camera as I progress and put some watch lubricant on the mechanics that are external to the lens and shutter assembly.
Werra 1 rearWerra 1 baseWerra 1 topWerra 1 front
Well it’s all been reassembled and is now back in one piece. It looks good, the shutter works fine and I’ve now vacuum packed it to go back into storage. I won’t be firing up a roll of film on it yet as I don’t have the time to did so at the moment. I’ll probably save that until the summertime when the weather is more favourable. I’ve really enjoyed this restoration even though at times it was very frustrating. This rebuild has taught me patience, or at least that I need to have more patience and just take my time. Intricate jobs on such old equipment need a clear head and a lot of concentration. I’ve learned my lesson and will endeavour to remedy that situation in my future dealings with such equipment.
I read this post from Hackaday. I thought you might like it, as it rang true to me because i was working for Kodak at the time of its inception. I was producing graphics art film at their factory in Harrow just outside of London. In my eyes the company went downhill from this point, as they became totally engrossed in the dying traditional silver halide process and totally ignored the advance to digital that floored them in in the late 90s early 2000s – I was made redundant as a result of their “ignorance”.
Having a penchant for cheap second-hand cameras can lead to all manner of interesting equipment. You never know what the next second-hand store will …
Foxes Den 
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