dan swiger
Well-Known Member
My first SLR was purchased at a BX while I was in Vietnam. I think it was the spring of 1969. I knew little about cameras or film. But it had a big 55mm/f1.4 that looked impressive. I could buy film on base and also in the city of Nha Trang. I could also get photo papers in Nha Trang. The air base had a photo-hobby shop that was supplied with a darkroom. This was probably courtesy of the photo recon outfit.
I used the camera pictured throughout my tour, taking pictures of children & city life in Nha Trang. I took it to Australia when I went on R&R. When I returned home, I when to many auto races with as well as trips to Guatemala and Canada.
This camera has fallen out of jeep at 30mph (with leather case). The normal lens has fallen down a gorge in Guatemala and was recovered by local native indians. I let my brother take it on a few trips as well.
Then it just sat on a shelf or in a box in the closet. The shutter mech got sticky & wouldn't fire and the light meter stopped working. I almost sold in on Ebay about 10 years ago, but between my attachment to it & it's not-so-good condition, couldn't do it.
Fast forward to summer this year. I looked into sending it to a camera shop for repair but it was more than what I could get a working one for on Ebay. So I got a can of lighter fluid and bravely did a partial dis-assembly. Carefully dripping the fluid in areas that I thought were safe too.
Then, Voila! It started firing reliably and still does so. I replaced the battery with appropriate replacement/adapter but the light meter was way off. It will stay that way. I can always use the sunny-16 rule or my Gossen light meter. Bellow, in addition to the picture of the camera, are pictures taken back in 1969 and just recently its first roll in about 25 years.
I used the camera pictured throughout my tour, taking pictures of children & city life in Nha Trang. I took it to Australia when I went on R&R. When I returned home, I when to many auto races with as well as trips to Guatemala and Canada.
This camera has fallen out of jeep at 30mph (with leather case). The normal lens has fallen down a gorge in Guatemala and was recovered by local native indians. I let my brother take it on a few trips as well.
Then it just sat on a shelf or in a box in the closet. The shutter mech got sticky & wouldn't fire and the light meter stopped working. I almost sold in on Ebay about 10 years ago, but between my attachment to it & it's not-so-good condition, couldn't do it.
Fast forward to summer this year. I looked into sending it to a camera shop for repair but it was more than what I could get a working one for on Ebay. So I got a can of lighter fluid and bravely did a partial dis-assembly. Carefully dripping the fluid in areas that I thought were safe too.
Then, Voila! It started firing reliably and still does so. I replaced the battery with appropriate replacement/adapter but the light meter was way off. It will stay that way. I can always use the sunny-16 rule or my Gossen light meter. Bellow, in addition to the picture of the camera, are pictures taken back in 1969 and just recently its first roll in about 25 years.
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