How to become a better repairer: Theory versus practice?

[Andreas Thaler]

It's actually surprising

but in order to repair photographic equipment you actually don't need to know much about its technology.

It is much more important to be able to determine where something is wrong. And in many cases you don't need any training as an engineer.

At least that is my experience, although I would like to apply my theoretical knowledge of electronics and mathematics (and the mechanics I am still acquiring). But since I don't design circuits, but rather try to make existing ones work again, it doesn't require calculations, just practical skills such as soldering.

It is similar with lenses, whose optical structure and lens calculations you do not need to know anything about when it comes to removing fog or fungus.


This keeps you practical

which makes you better as a repairer, because you are less distracted by theoretical questions. But theory and background knowledge are neglected, which you need if you want to understand what you are repairing.

That's why I try to maintain and expand my knowledge of electronics, optics and mathematics and regularly read or repeat specialist books on them.


How is it for you?

As repairers, do you focus more on practice or do you also work on the theory behind the devices you repair?

 

[BrianShaw]

I concur, in general, although knowing theory sometimes is really useful for diagnosing problems. For me, it’s both… but only up to a point. Mechanical theory for sure; scientific theory less so.

 

[Chan Tran]

I think you have to focus on practice. disassembly/reassembly a camera is the most difficult task. Everything in the camera is too small, you need to practice to be good with your hands. Lots of time I could tell what is wrong with a camera but I don't dare to take it apart to fix it.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

… but I don't dare to take it apart to fix it.

Why not?

 

[Europan]

Without the theory I’d be lost. That’s why I dissect equipment since I’m 15. I want to find the idea behind something. The concept.

Of course, in practice many things are such as do I have a screwdriver that fits this slot?

It is also never wrong to read scientific work. It was a doctoral thesis published in the GDR which led me on the way to image steadiness, that of the moving image. Slowly by the time I put everything together so that today I have a thorough understanding of the cooperation of the various cinemachines (slitter, perforator, image camera, sound camera, trick apparatus, printer, projector) as well as of the organs of a camera for instance.

To round it off I passed a vocational formation called polymechanic here. I have learnt the trade of a machinist, CNC machinist, but am also trained in manufacturing with chisel, hammer, saw, file, reamer, stones, and more. My mechanoptical bench is actually a bench lathe to which I added a face plate plus some accessories in order to center a camera relative to a lens port or vice versa. When I delved into the subject of how to center a lens relative to the image aperture I was surprised how loosely camera makers deal with that. The three-jaw chuck is six times better centered on my lathe than a very expensive lens in the PL mount of a very expensive camera.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

I concur, in general, although knowing theory sometimes is really useful for diagnosing problems. For me, it’s both… but only up to a point. Mechanical theory for sure; scientific theory less so.

There isn't much to understand about highly integrated electronic cameras anyway, except that „the IC does everything“

But the SPT Journals and The Camera Craftsman issues, for example, can help, as they also explain the functions of these components in a given camera, i.e. what basically happens there.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Without the theory I’d be lost. That’s why I dissect equipment since I’m 15. I want to find the idea behind something. The concept.

Of course, in practice many things are such as do I have a screwdriver that fits this slot?

It is also never wrong to read scientific work. It was a doctoral thesis published in the GDR which led me on the way to image steadiness, that of the moving image. Slowly by the time I put everything together so that today I have a thorough understanding of the cooperation of the various cinemachines (slitter, perforator, image camera, sound camera, trick apparatus, printer, projector) as well as of the organs of a camera for instance.

To round it off I passed a vocational formation called polymechanic here. I have learnt the trade of a machinist, CNC machinist, but am also trained in manufacturing with chisel, hammer, saw, file, reamer, stones, and more. My mechanoptical bench is actually a bench lathe to which I added a face plate plus some accessories in order to center a camera relative to a lens port or vice versa. When I delved into the subject of how to center a lens relative to the image aperture I was surprised how loosely camera makers deal with that. The three-jaw chuck is six times better centered on my lathe than a very expensive lens in the PL mount of a very expensive camera.

Great!

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Probably still the reference from 1992:

Camera Technology: The Dark Side of the Lens (English Edition) eBook : Goldberg, Norman: Amazon.de: Kindle-Shop

Camera Technology: The Dark Side of the Lens (English Edition) eBook : Goldberg, Norman: Amazon.de: Kindle-Shop

www.amazon.de

 

[kl122002]

Before internet or SPT documents available I learnt my repair skills through practicing, starting from simple broken cameras. I make notes and layout the gears on paper to see how stuff worked. Some knowledge is actually from school or workplace that as worked as basic to support all

Later today with the help of internet I can check my practice from them and my skills aren't far.
. Sometimes there are few tricky shortcuts are there and you won't know without actually get a hand on it.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Before internet or SPT documents available I learnt my repair skills through practicing, starting from simple broken cameras. I make notes and layout the gears on paper to see how stuff worked. Some knowledge is actually from school or workplace that as worked as basic to support all

Later today with the help of internet I can check my practice from them and my skills aren't far.
. Sometimes there are few tricky shortcuts are there and you won't know without actually get a hand on it.

You could make a book out of it.

 

[chriscrawfordphoto]

I have a good friend who is a retired camera repairman. He graduated from the now-closed National Camera Repair School and went through factory training from Canon and Nikon as well. He runs the learn camera repair group on Facebook and constantly tells people there that you MUST learn how a mechanism works and what each part's purpose is before you can attempt to repair something. In other words, both theory and practice and important.

 

[Chan Tran]

Does anyone have a copy of the service manual for the Nikon EM? My EM in very good condition but the meter read 1 stop low and thus it would over expose. The actual shutter speed matches what the meter indicates. So actually I onlly need to set the ASA 1 stop higher but I would like to make the adjustment.

 

[88E30M50]

For me, it's a blend of theory and practice. Back in the early 1980s, I was a licensed aircraft mechanic. The training for that was all about the design theory. If you understood the designed function, you were better able to visualize what is not working as it should. That applies a lot to cameras for me. I don't need to understand enough to build one from scratch, but if I understand the function of each component, I stand a better chance of seeing what is not working as it should be. Or, figuring out where to look based on the problem presented.

A lot of theory of function is learned as I work though. For instance, on one camera, I was able to do a slow motion video of something working correctly on a known good camera, then did a slow motion video of one that was not working correctly. By watching each part move in the sequence, I saw one that was timed differently. I didn't know what it was that I was looking at initially, but was quickly able to identify the part, and then identify the fault. I now know a lot more about that specific function when I look at other similar cameras. This was practice over theory initially but I'm better able to diagnose that issue since having the theory understood going forward.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Does anyone have a copy of the service manual for the Nikon EM? My EM in very good condition but the meter read 1 stop low and thus it would over expose. The actual shutter speed matches what the meter indicates. So actually I onlly need to set the ASA 1 stop higher but I would like to make the adjustment.

Sure

Nikon EM Service Manual

Factory service manual

learncamerarepair.com

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Sure

Nikon EM Service Manual

Factory service manual

learncamerarepair.com

Highly recommended for instructions:

Nikon EM Repair Article

Article from the Society of Photo-Technologists Journal

learncamerarepair.com

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Back in the early 1980s, I was a licensed aircraft mechanic.

This may be off topic, but I'm wondering how one deals with the responsibilities that come with a job like this? Can this be managed, for example through precise routines and controls?

 

[88E30M50]

This may be off topic, but I'm wondering how one deals with the responsibilities that come with a job like this? Can this be managed, for example through precise routines and controls?

I worked for a major airline out of the San Francisco area maintenance center and it was a very controlled environment. You did no job without the Boeing or Douglas repair instructions printed out beside you. Everything you did was checked by an inspector to determine if it met standards. Lead mechanics were always available if you had a question. With all of the controls, it was not overly stress inducing most of the time. It had its moments though.

 

[Laurent]

For me it's much more practice than theory. I have some strong bases in mechanics and metal working, so this really helps, of course, but I need to touch the parts and test the different parts to understand how they articulate together.

I was opaque to maths and physics at school beyond a given level, so sometimes it's annoying me a bit, especially when I try to dig in electronics, but I can make do without (and I develop a strong preference for mechanical cameras anyway).

 

[kl122002]

You could make a book out of it.

Nah. That's too heavy for me. You aren't the first who asked the question..

In the earlier days when yahoo groups were there, we had gatherings and so our skills are shared in-person within the meeting, and I learnt a lot from others as well.

At first it was ok but then later there were some people putting it into skill competition-like, some don't have a mindset of mechanical works, some were looking for jobs to take... The group just get worse and the group creators decided to close it.i have decided not to teach.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

I worked for a major airline out of the San Francisco area maintenance center and it was a very controlled environment. You did no job without the Boeing or Douglas repair instructions printed out beside you. Everything you did was checked by an inspector to determine if it met standards. Lead mechanics were always available if you had a question. With all of the controls, it was not overly stress inducing most of the time. It had its moments though.

Still impressive, respect.

 

[88E30M50]

Still impressive, respect.

Thank you. I do miss those days.

One of the things that I love about camera repair is learning about the system function. The way manufacturers solved engineering issues to produce a mechanical device that can operate at the precision needed for a well exposed photograph will always be interesting to me. I love that I can grab a $10 broken camera from a bin and just study the function if I want. How shutter timing is controlled is really interesting to me.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Thank you. I do miss those days.

One of the things that I love about camera repair is learning about the system function. The way manufacturers solved engineering issues to produce a mechanical device that can operate at the precision needed for a well exposed photograph will always be interesting to me. I love that I can grab a $10 broken camera from a bin and just study the function if I want. How shutter timing is controlled is really interesting to me.

I admire the engineering that makes cameras work even 40 years after they were manufactured. I'll never understand how to do that.

 

[Chan Tran]

Well now that I have the service manual I know how to make adjustment to the exposure meter on my Nikon EM. But I am still very reluctant to remove the top cover. It seems not easy.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Well now that I have the service manual I know how to make adjustment to the exposure meter on my Nikon EM. But I am still very reluctant to remove the top cover. It seems not easy.

Repair: Nikon EM

Hello, everybody! I am pleased by the current development in the photography industry. The big boys have showed their mirrorless cameras and now even the small players are also in the game with Pan…

richardhaw.com

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Well now that I have the service manual I know how to make adjustment to the exposure meter on my Nikon EM. But I am still very reluctant to remove the top cover. It seems not easy.

I would be more afraid of adjusting the pots in the camera than opening it

As you can see with Richard, it can be done.