Tools/Supplies & Parts
Screwdrivers - JIS Crosspoint Style
NIWA Blades and Handles used to be the industry standard, they were unavailable
for a few years as the camera repair industry evolved. These blades are once again
available from SPT - The Society of Photo-Technologists and in the UK from GRES
www.gres.co.uk. GRES has very high quality tools and their prices when you figure
out the exchange rate are less expensive than in the US - I recently emailed them
with regard to shipping and was pleasantly surprised to find it isn’t that expensive.
I recently purchased a Moody Tools JIS Kit which consists of a handle and assorted
bits, it seems to be of decent quality.
1.4 and 1.7 NIWA Blades with Handles
Flat Head Drivers -
Flat Head drivers are somewhat expensive from Jewelry Supply Companies like
CAS-KERCO. www.jewelerssupplies.com, types and styles abound online. AS HARD
AS THIS IS TO UNDERSTAND, I’m using some cheap flat head drivers and hex drivers
that come in those cheap plastic cases, I’ve had to file down the tips to fit the screws
commonly encountered but I’ve been using the same drivers for 47 years, they were
$1.99 back in the day for a set, the set includes Phillips drivers have only been useful
when encountering American made photographic equipment like a Graphic, the hex
drivers only have one size I’ve ever use and that’s on the Minolta SRT galvanometer
post for the cord pulley.
If money isn’t an issue by all means buy high quality tools from the get-go, you”ll
never be sorry… until you have to modify one for a special purpose… and you will.
Cheap Flat Head Srewdrivers and a Hex Driver Total Investment $3.98 plus tax
Tweezers - Stainless Steel
You can buy expensive Tweezers, I did for a few years until walking a local Flea
Market and found the same ones (close anyway) for a few dollars each, I always pick
up spares, in fact I have spare tools for almost every tool I use.
Stainless Steel Tweezers
Spanner Wrench -
The Spanner Wrench I own isn’t available anywhere I could find, there are some on
eBay with flat and Pointed tips.
50 year old Spanner Wrench
Pliers -
I have a large assortment of pliers but smooth jaw needle nose, side-cutting and
snap-ring pliers are the bare essentials.
Soldering Iron & Supplies -
An inexpensive 15 watt soldering iron will suffice, you can spend a bit more and get a
soldering station. Buy extra tips, solder, flux and solder wick for removing solder.
Elenco SL-30A Soldering Station
Miscellaneous Tools -
-Alcohol Pump Dispenser
-KimWipes
-Oiler w/Needle Applicator
-Exacto-Knife w/Extra Blades
-Small Scale (straight edge for cutting cushions/seals)
-10X Loupe
-Rubber Stoppers for lens ring removal
-Rubber Sheet for gripping
-Pin Vise and small drills
-Small sharp scissors
-Work Mat - if you intend to repair electronically operated cameras invest in a
anti-static work mat with a ground strap
-Magnifying Lamp
-Volt Ohm Meter - digital ones range from inexpensive to WoW, I personally like to
use an analog Volt Ohm Meter and digitals for different jobs
Simpson 260 VOM
In Reality there’s a never-ending list of useful tools and some very creative ways of
modifying tools to do the jobs of special tools, one of the long-standing traditions in
camera repair is making a tool for a special job.
Things like Flexi-Clamps are very nice to have as they enable one to remove small
circular capscrews and rangefinder lenses without marring the finish.
Chinese Flexi-Clamps as sold on eBay
You’ll find a need for toothbrushes for cleaning, small paint brushes for dusting, clear
fingernail polish for various this like a screw locker - on a Minolta SRT in lieu of the
“Red Dot” on the front apron many repairmen add a drop of red paint, applying clear
nail polish to that after it dries gives it a “finished” look.
Micro-Fiber Lens Cleaning Cloths are very handy and of course;
-Shutter oil
-Pliobond 25 (or equivalent)
-Molybendum Disulfide (Dry-Moly Powder)
-Instrument Grease (make your own with shutter oil and dry-moly powder)
-91% or better Alcohol for cleaning
-Q-Tips
-Toothpicks (handy for applying a drop of glue or nail polish)
Always use recommend speciality products developed for the camera repair trade.
Alcohol Dispensers are convenient and avoid spills
A lot of repairmen use blower brushes to clean, I’ve been using a small air
compressor set at a low pressure for cleaning.
-An Ultrasonic Cleaner or a Jewelry Cleaner will make life easier, both can be
purchased expensively at tool suppliers like Harbor Freight Tools.
I’ve tried to make this a basic tools list but the truth is after 47 years of doing camera
repair, photography, restoring cars, motorcycles, airplanes and boats, remodeling a
few houses, building workbenches and collecting cameras I don’t have enough tools
and I’ve got a tool collection that puts most to shame and the reason for that is I’ve
always felt the need to learn more, do a better job and give all I have to life.
~I’ve Been Doing So Much For So Long With So Little, I Can Do Almost Anything With
Nothing… (written on the back-room wall of the first job I had, I lied about my age to
get the job at 14).
There will be additions to this list no doubt, any suggestions are welcome…
If I put shelves up, I can get more stuff in this little room… don’t tell my wife
