Overhaul of manual film SLR

[pixelbrain]

thinking of sending in my old ricoh SLR for general servicing, & was quoted ard $80 by one of the shops in peninsula...

the camera actually still works & i've recently completed a test roll of film on it..

all seem well, but the shutter's a little erratic & prone to jamming.. the lens focus ring's also pretty stiff..

also, somewhere along the line in the viewfinder system, it's pretty dirty and very visible thru the viewfinder.. but spots didnt get transferred to the processed photos.. so prob the lens' not affected..

however, looking closely at the lens, i can see white hair-like strains of stuff.. not sure if it's fungus..

not sure what to look out for when it comes to servicing, but would it address the aforementioned issues? would like to hear opinions if sending it in is recommended, for the price quoted.

cheers.

 

[powergoo]

Go to a shop such as P&G (B1 adelphi) where they do it themselves, rather than say TCW which is outsourced.

Be specific about what u want....as viewfinder is a silvered prism, sometimes u can't get rid of all the spots. For the lens, ensure they commit in getting everthing cleaned....not 90% of them.

 

[Octarine]

however, looking closely at the lens, i can see white hair-like strains of stuff.. not sure if it's fungus..

It sounds like fungus. Check your storage conditions and don't wait till the fungus has eaten into lens coating.

 

[pixelbrain]

It sounds like fungus. Check your storage conditions and don't wait till the fungus has eaten into lens coating.

erm i don't store the camera in a dry box.. just in a regular cabinet..

can the fungus be removed if I sent it in?

 

[Octarine]

erm i don't store the camera in a dry box.. just in a regular cabinet..

Q.E.D. I did the same once with some filters and lens adapters for my Powershot A75. Luckily only cheap ones but lesson learned.

can the fungus be removed if I sent it in?

As long as it is only at the surface I think it should be possible. Once the coating is affected you will always see the marks. Image quality might not be affected directly but the coating has it's purpose in preventing flare and reflections.