The oily innards of a camera.

[Praktica]

I received this camera today , a Kowaflex. This is a single lens reflex camera, with a shutter in the lens, made in 1960. This type of camera tends to be unreliable, and cameras made by Kowa are doubly so. The mechanism is complex, and needs regular maintenance, which most don't get.

   

I have removed the top and bottom covers, and separated the camera body from the mirror and lens assembly. On this camera, the shutter does not operate correctly, and the capping plate, which covers the film gate when the camera is cocked, does not move to the correct position.

The camera body

   

The mirror/lens assembly

   

[nzoomed]

wow thats alot of work to clean that thing up and re-assemble!

[Praktica]

wow thats alot of work to clean that thing up and re-assemble!

Unfortunately, there is a broken part in the shutter. There should be a pin sticking out, where the arrow is pointing. This is the mechanism which sets the shutter speed.

   

[nzoomed]

wow thats alot of work to clean that thing up and re-assemble!

Unfortunately, there is a broken part in the shutter. There should be a pin sticking out, where the arrow is pointing. This is the mechanism which sets the shutter speed.

Thats crazy, I dont even know how people manage to design these complex and intricate mechanisms!
So many things to go wrong.
My olympus XA3 had seen some rather rough abuse when i got it, and found the film advance wheel would lock up and not allow you to take a picture, turned out some of the plastic housing had broken, but a simple fix by gluing it back with super glue and its never missed a beat since!

Olympus has made some of the finest cameras in history, cant remember the guys name, but their chief camera designer was behind many of these models right from the 1960's through to the 80s.
Whats great about these XA series cameras is they are a great compact film camera to take anywhere that fits in your pocket and doesnt look out of place anymore than a disposable camera, and they take great pictures with an accurate enough meter to expose kodachrome!

[Praktica]

I had an Olympus XA, which I used for a while. I found I preferred a larger camera. Most of my film photography these days is done with an SLR.

[nzoomed]

I had an Olympus XA, which I used for a while. I found I preferred a larger camera. Most of my film photography these days is done with an SLR.

I have an SLR too (pentax spotmatic), but found I ended up using my compact cameras much more, mostly because im an outdoors kind of person I guess and take them snowboarding or tramping, etc
Obviously there is a tradeoff, but both cameras have their uses.

I have been shooting alot of E6 these days.

[Praktica]

I had an Olympus XA, which I used for a while. I found I preferred a larger camera. Most of my film photography these days is done with an SLR.

I have an SLR too (pentax spotmatic), but found I ended up using my compact cameras much more, mostly because im an outdoors kind of person I guess and take them snowboarding or tramping, etc
Obviously there is a tradeoff, but both cameras have their uses.

I have been shooting alot of E6 these days.

All my film shooting is on monochrome, which I bulk load, develop myself, and scan. I use a Canon 60D or a G12 for color.

[TygerTung]

That one actually looks like one could service it, some of these more modern cameras are a nightmare+GST on the inside with so many little ribbon cables, tiny screws and outrageously complex mechanisms inside.

[Praktica]

That one actually looks like one could service it, some of these more modern cameras are a nightmare+GST on the inside with so many little ribbon cables, tiny screws and outrageously complex mechanisms inside.

These can be serviced - usually all that is wrong with this type of shutter is dried out lubricant and dirt. Strip, clean and lubricate, and the shutter works. Unfortunately this particular one has that broken part, and there are no spares, other than what can be pillaged from a scrap camera. Replacing that escapement may then show up other faults - this may have been forced, when something else failed. 
I think this camera is destined for the parts bin.

[TygerTung]

Could one fashion a new pin after identifying the part of the mechanism which is jammed?

[Praktica]

Could one fashion a new pin after identifying the part of the mechanism which is jammed?

I have replaced pins, in less awkward positions than this. The remains of the old pin would have to be drilled out, and a new pin of the right diameter fixed in its place. The easiest thing is to replace whole escapement. I have another camera with a seikosha shutter - a different type, though. I'm going to check if parts would be suitable.