Another thread recently discussed, among other things, failed repair projects that no one hears about. Which is a shame, because you learn from mistakes, even if they hurt, and as a repairman you'd much rather report successes.
So let's talk about what we failed to achieve with faulty cameras and lenses
I have a box here with the innocuous label „replacement“:
That's right, because when I open it …
… there are lenses and cameras in there that I couldn't repair.
So it is a final resting place for spare parts donors.
The question now is why the repairs were not successful. Was it a lack of ability, overconfidence, mistake, sloppiness or just bad luck? Here you should be honest with yourself so that you don't have to buy a second box because the first one is already full.
To be more precise, I have to be honest with myself here, because it's my box
Let's take a look at what, among other things, failed repair projects are in the box. And I will answer honestly what were the reasons for the failure. At least as best as I can.
3 x Canon T90
All three show EEE on the display and HELP in the viewfinder. I suspect problems with the two locking magnets that I can't get to. I could try it, but it's too much work for me because I would have to massively disassemble the camera and then reassemble it. The risk of success is therefore high.
And what do I do with the magnets once I have uncovered them? And what if it's not the magnets?
Lack of courage? Or reason?
Tamron 35-70/3.5, Adaptall-2
One of Tamron's best non-SP lenses.
I was able to clean the optics, but then failed because of broken plain bearings and screws inside that I couldn't loosen.
For the plain bearings in the zoom mechanism, I could have found replacements from other lenses or asked other repairers about them. The screws would certainly have been tamed if I had better mechanical knowledge and skills.
Convenience? Incompetence?
Tokina RMC Tele-Auto 135/2.8
The aperture blades only ran in slow motion. So I opened the beautiful lens and ended up with a swarm of loose and small ball bearing balls that I couldn't fit anymore.
Bad luck? Carelessness?
Minolta MD 135/3.5 (II)
The telephoto lens had fungal growth on one of the front lenses, which I was able to remove and had not yet etched the glass. While cleaning, I scratched one of the lenses because I didn't realize that the bottom of it was soft. I haven't had that yet.
Bad luck, I would say.
Or should I have informed myself better beforehand?
It's not always clear to me what the reason for the failure was. You can always prepare better, work more carefully, try to anticipate eventualities better, or improve your skills.
But don't you learn on the job?
I now accept failures with more humility. I know what I can do, I succeed in most of it and I can estimate what I don't try myself. And as long as I learn from it, it makes sense, even if it fails.
How do you deal with failures when repairing? Does it take away your self-confidence and motivation or does it take you further?
So let's talk about what we failed to achieve with faulty cameras and lenses
I have a box here with the innocuous label „replacement“:
That's right, because when I open it …
… there are lenses and cameras in there that I couldn't repair.
So it is a final resting place for spare parts donors.
The question now is why the repairs were not successful. Was it a lack of ability, overconfidence, mistake, sloppiness or just bad luck? Here you should be honest with yourself so that you don't have to buy a second box because the first one is already full.
To be more precise, I have to be honest with myself here, because it's my box
Let's take a look at what, among other things, failed repair projects are in the box. And I will answer honestly what were the reasons for the failure. At least as best as I can.
3 x Canon T90
All three show EEE on the display and HELP in the viewfinder. I suspect problems with the two locking magnets that I can't get to. I could try it, but it's too much work for me because I would have to massively disassemble the camera and then reassemble it. The risk of success is therefore high.
And what do I do with the magnets once I have uncovered them? And what if it's not the magnets?
Lack of courage? Or reason?
Tamron 35-70/3.5, Adaptall-2
One of Tamron's best non-SP lenses.
I was able to clean the optics, but then failed because of broken plain bearings and screws inside that I couldn't loosen.
For the plain bearings in the zoom mechanism, I could have found replacements from other lenses or asked other repairers about them. The screws would certainly have been tamed if I had better mechanical knowledge and skills.
Convenience? Incompetence?
Tokina RMC Tele-Auto 135/2.8
The aperture blades only ran in slow motion. So I opened the beautiful lens and ended up with a swarm of loose and small ball bearing balls that I couldn't fit anymore.
Bad luck? Carelessness?
Minolta MD 135/3.5 (II)
The telephoto lens had fungal growth on one of the front lenses, which I was able to remove and had not yet etched the glass. While cleaning, I scratched one of the lenses because I didn't realize that the bottom of it was soft. I haven't had that yet.
Bad luck, I would say.
Or should I have informed myself better beforehand?
It's not always clear to me what the reason for the failure was. You can always prepare better, work more carefully, try to anticipate eventualities better, or improve your skills.
But don't you learn on the job?
I now accept failures with more humility. I know what I can do, I succeed in most of it and I can estimate what I don't try myself. And as long as I learn from it, it makes sense, even if it fails.
How do you deal with failures when repairing? Does it take away your self-confidence and motivation or does it take you further?