Milsurp After Hours

I had the SP 500...which I reviewed. I wanted the most popular model to go along with it. The same model that sold right after it's introduction in 1964 more camera's than Nikon , Minolta and Canon combined. The one many professional photographers used because of the built in light meter and the reliable rock solid construction. The one the Beatles used when travelling all over becoming famous. So...... since it used the same lenses that came with the SP 500 all I had to do was find a Spotmatic SP1000 camera.

What I got...for a total of $24 was supposed to be two camera bodies. One was thought to work and one was known to have shutter problems. Well... what the guy actually sent were three Spotmatic SP 1000's and all of them had issues. But... since I had already learned about and fixed a problem on the SP500 it was no problem getting the mirror reset unstuck with some electrical contact cleaner on two of them. The third one seemed to have no mirror lockup issues but all of them needed batteries to check the light meter. And...all of them failed the first battery test. But...again.... no problem on two of them since I read online how to clean the contacts inside and outside of the base plate. Result... two completely working..... as far as I could see without running some film, cameras. The third camera has a problem with a stuck screw in the base plate I haven't been able to get out so not sure if the meter will work or not on it until I can complete the cleaning process.

This particular model, unlike the SP 500, has the added feature of a factory tested 1000 speed shutter release setting and a mechanical photo shutter timer.

Took one for a test run in the park. Light meter seemed to work somewhat correctly judging by a working Sekonic hand held light meter. The shutter speeds seemed to be doing well enough for a mechanical camera over the half century mark. I was happy with the trip.

Then came the developing and I had some issues with the film and the light bag. Managed to do all sorts of dumb things getting the film canister unloaded and loaded onto the reel and then unloaded in the bag after a jamb and various like problems that caused some light leaks on the undeveloped negative not the camera's fault. This put a big damper on the experiment. But.... I think the camera is good to go actually. Have to try the others.

I took along my DSC HX 50V Sony digital as well. The b&w film is a whole different flavor of photography. Almost like two different places. I'll include some evidence from today's effort.

Interesting,
Hope the locals don't think you are up to no good spending all that time in the park with different cameras

That's a different park than the usual park. I was headed for the old cemetery with the Victorian monuments ...but the George street gate was locked.

Managed to get the screw out of the base plate on the one camera that had the problem today. What it took was wrapping a rubber band over the screwdriver blade and this allowed me enough traction on the slot in the screw to turn it. And....today an ebay purchase for a couple of off brand lenses in M42 mount came in the mail along with some other odds and ends of camera stuff....like a T mount adapter that wasn't needed for either of the lenses.

On this last camera I cleaned the mirror release cogwheel and spring with electrical connector cleaner to remove the gunk....like I did on the others. I also worked on the battery link bar that was totally black with tarnish. Put in a new battery... a replacement of the mercury battery runs just under a dollar bought in batch of five. Also added a ring washer around the battery since the replacement battery is smaller than the original.

All the cameras are in good to go shape now. The lenses are a good 55 mm Super Takumar. A decent Vivitar 90-230 zoom and a couple of no name lenses.... Hanimar 135mm and Timex 35mm.

The total cost of cameras and lenses amounts to $76.84. But.... a working camera with a lens for $19.21 isn't bad...and about half of that figure was in mailing fees. I could get my money back I think and probably will sell a couple of them.

After the repairs. Took two of the cameras for a test run. One I hooked up the 55mm Super Takumar and the other the Hanimar 135. Everything worked. The light meters, the self timer, the shutters worked without a hitch. No lens problem although the 130 didn't have the depth of field "auto" button like the Takumar. On the self portrait it was with the 130 and was guessing where to stand to get in the picture and still be in focus from about a dozen feet away.

The first three are with the 55 and the last four with the 130. Both camera's worked great.

The memorial, by the way, is to the local dead from WWI erected in Mobile Alabama. There is a sign also at the site listing...on both sides... names left off the Memorial.

The Civil War cannon is at the junction of three streets at one end of the park. It is painted in school colors for victorious high school football teams every weekend by students. This has been been going on longer than I've been living. . Looks like it has a fresh coat of black paint.