Film camera repair blog - Tutorials and diagnostics
Tutorials, tear-downs, diagnostics and documented repairs of film cameras and lenses carried out at the HostoPhoto workshop.
Workshop journal and tutorials
- Rolleiflex and Rolleicord bayonets: identify Bay I, II and III
Identify your Rolleiflex or Rolleicord and its accessory mount using the serial number. Model search for Yashica and Minolta, diagrams and practical checks before buying.
- Buying a second-hand film camera: what guarantee do you get?
In France, second-hand cameras bought from a professional come with a two-year statutory guarantee. Here is how it differs from the 12-month presumption and an optional commercial guarantee.
- Have your film camera tested for free in Marseille
Free film-camera check-ups with Tommy’s Dad Cam and Hosto Photo at OLAB, Marseille, on Saturday 27 June 2026, from 10:00 to 18:00.
- How to pack your camera before shipping it to the workshop
An old camera rarely takes kindly to impacts, vibration and pressure from the side. A well-prepared parcel does more than ensure the equipment arrives in one piece: it also prevents additional faults, displaced parts and…
- Aperture adjustment on an Asahi Super-Takumar 55mm f/2
Over time and with vibration, the ring that sets the diaphragm position may shift and throw the aperture out of adjustment. The intervention is fairly simple and quick: remove the front optical group to reach the adjustment…
- Canon A-1 battery drain caused by current leakage
A fairly common fault on this very popular model, the Canon A1. After several decades of service, it is not unusual for the camera to start draining batteries too quickly. Simply cleaning the stack of contacts in the…
- Servicing a Yashica MAT 124 G
Nicolas Petit from the Capteur Argentique channel sent me his Yashica MAT 124 G because its winding mechanism was behaving erratically. I took the opportunity to give it a full service. A study in 2 parts…
- Cleaning fungus from an Olympus OM E-Zuiko Auto-T 200mm f/4
A high-quality lens, like all Olympus Zuiko lenses. It is beautifully made and optically very good. Despite its compact size for a 200mm lens, it performs very well as a general-purpose telephoto.
- A fungus-filled Mamiya Sekor C 300mm f/5.6
A lovely long lens for the Mamiya 645, unfortunately with fungus on every element.
- Fungus cleaning on a Canon FD 55mm f/1.2 S.S.C.
A lens I am particularly fond of. Its undeniable quality deserves special care, and even the first signs of fungus should be dealt with immediately.
- Building a 4x5 pinhole camera
I am not trying to write an exhaustive article about pinhole photography, its history or the different ways to build a camera. That would be far too long, and others have done it much better before me. I simply wanted to share…
- Pentax S1a mirror stuck in the raised position
This fully mechanical SLR body was made by Asahi. Its mechanism can sometimes seize through lack of lubrication and accumulated dirt. Fortunately, the mirror mechanism is easy to reach by removing the front cover.
- Cleaning an Olympus OM Zuiko 50mm f/1.8
Cleaning this Olympus OM-System Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 lens, with a generous helping of fungus across its elements.
- Pinhole Designer, software to help build your pinhole camera
Building a pinhole camera is always enjoyable if you like a bit of DIY. There are countless ways to do it using different materials: tin cans, wooden boxes and 3D printing all work well.
- Nikkor-Q Auto 135mm f/3.5 optical cleaning
A handy, versatile little lens with quite respectable optical performance. A little fungus and dirt meant its elements deserved a clean.
- Replacing the film-transport sprocket on a Canon A-1
Replacing a broken film-transport sprocket on a Canon A1. Complete disassembly and reassembly in two videos.
- Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 Ai fungus cleaning and focus ring service
A popular lens in the 1970s, sold with Nikon’s best cameras. This one has suffered a little from the passage of time. Let’s give it a new lease of life.
- A Canon A-1 stuck on Bulb mode
A quick repair for a fairly rare fault. The camera shows only B mode in the viewfinder, regardless of the speed selected on the dial.
- Unjamming a Canon AE-1 with mirror up and curtains open
Here is a short video showing how to unjam a Canon AE1. The camera stops midway through the release cycle, leaving the mirror raised and the second curtain open. Once the top cover is removed, the cause is immediately clear:…
- Cleaning a very dirty ALPA Altelar 90mm f/2.8
After the Schneider ALPA Xenon 50mm 1.9, here is the second lens from the kit I received for repair. This ALPA Altelar 90mm f/2.8 is uncommon and is a beautifully made, high-quality lens. Unfortunately, poor storage has taken…
- Bringing a Yashica Electro 35 GSN back to life
Bought for next to nothing at a flea market, this lovely Yashica Electro 35 GSN turned out not to work for several reasons. It had the well-known Pad of Death fault: a small foam pad under the shutter release had failed and no…
- Removing fungus from a Nikon EL-Nikkor 50mm f/2.8 N
A quick intervention on this Nikon EL-Nikkor 50mm 2.8 N enlarging lens. Every element is heavily affected by fungus, so a good hydrogen-peroxide bath will give it a new lease of life. Follow that with isopropyl alcohol, and we…
- Complete cleaning of a Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 S.S.C.
I received this Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 SSC with oil on its diaphragm and some dirt. It is a very good lens that deserves a thorough clean. Unlike the later 50mm FD lenses, which contain far more plastic parts that I dislike, this…
- Freeing a stuck Schneider ALPA Xenon 50mm f/1.9
I received this beautiful lens as part of an ALPA Model 6 kit with 4 lenses (more videos about the others to follow). The diaphragm was not working, so I opened it to find out what was stuck. This was the first one I had handled.
- Darkroom Notebook, a Lightroom plugin for film photography
I am hopeless at keeping my negatives and prints organized, and I make my contact sheets in Lightroom because I do not have time to make them all in the darkroom. So I made a small Lightroom plugin to keep track of all the…
- Canon FL 85mm f/1.8 rescue, disassembly and cleaning
This Canon FL 85mm 1.8 was sent to me in a sorry state. It arrived as a wreck for spare parts, but after a great deal of work it proved salvageable. Several parts were bent and the glass was very dirty; I did what I could to…
- Fungus in the eyepiece of a Canon A-1
Yes, fungus can appear somewhere other than inside a lens! It gets everywhere! In this video, I remove the top cover to reach the eyepiece. Once removed, it needs a bath in diluted hydrogen peroxide, followed by alcohol cleaning.
- Cleaning and replacing an electromagnet on a Canon A-1
Many release problems on Canon A-series cameras (A1, AE1, AE1 P, etc.) are caused by a dirty or faulty electromagnet. Sometimes a simple clean can revive a dormant camera; sometimes the part has to be replaced completely. In…
- Removing the Canon AE-1, AE-1 Program and A-1 squeak
This little noise is more than annoying: it is a sign of a mechanism beginning to seize. It is fairly common on Canon A-series models (A1, AE1, AE1 Program, etc.). The remedy is to lubricate a small gear in the mirror box. The…
- Replacing the door on a Canon AE-1 Program
A 15-minute video tutorial on replacing the door of a Canon AE1 Program, also applicable to other Canon A-series models.
- Cleaning and servicing a Mamiya Sekor 100mm f2.8 shutter
This operation can do as much harm as good. It requires shutter-speed testing equipment and several suitable tools. I cannot take responsibility for the outcome.
- Konica Hexar AF: a repair diary
Some time ago, I had the opportunity to buy a non-working Konica Hexar AF for a modest sum. Knowing the lens’s reputation, I did not hesitate for long. I was hoping for an easy repair: a simple electrical fault or slightly…
- Removing the mirror box from a Canon A1
As we will be desoldering, start by removing the battery.I first remove the back door by pushing the small release tab in its edge.To remove the rewind crank, hold the film-engaging shaft inside the body and turn the crank…
