Nikon 8x Super Zoom

Danny Stanford · May 27, 2015

I have two Nikon 8x Super Zoom cameras and they both function, but both have problems. On the first one, the focus ring is very loose, but still focuses as normal as far as I can tell through the viewfinder. The second one has a much tighter focus ring in comparison. Is there any way I can re-tighten the focus ring on the first camera? The problem with the 2nd camera is that the film will stop pulling through the camera even as the motor keeps running. If I pull the cartridge out and look at the film, it looks like the claw that pulls the film down has ripped a gap between two sprocket holes and stopped advancing, and if I advance the film past that point by hand, it will run a bit further and then ultimately do the same thing. I'm not sure what's going on there. Is there any way to fix these problems myself, or should I have a technician look at them?

Josh Gladstone · May 27, 2015

On the one that tears perfs, does the internal take-up drive spin inside the camera without any film?? What about if you put a little pressure on it with your finger? I think if that isn't spinning, the only thing advancing the film would be the pulldown claw, which will tear right through the film if it isn't continuously fed through the system.

Danny Stanford · May 28, 2015

The take up drive spins but it has very little resistance when you stop it with your finger. It has much less force to it compared to the other camera. Does that mean the motor is burned out?

Josh Gladstone · May 28, 2015

I doubt it's burned out if it's spinning at all. But yeah it could be dying. Or it could be bad wiring causing the motor to not get enough voltage. Could be a gear slipping. Could just need to be lubricated. Hard to say, really.

You're sure the batteries are good? Has the battery compartment always been clean, or was there corrosion at some point?

Andries Molenaar · May 28, 2015

There used to exist a website of a guy who sells refurbised Nikon 8x super zoom cameras. Real work horses.

I would assume he could work on these cameras too.

Unfortunately I don't seem to find the website. Google is really swamped with fake content website who want to lure people using the NIKON brand and all type of camera models of the past.

NB the torque of the pick-up drive is no indicator of the motor condition. Its adjustment can be off so it can be strong or poor pull.

Edited May 28, 2015 by Andries Molenaar

Danny Stanford · May 28, 2015

I opened up the camera and took a look inside. When I stop the pick up drive with my finger, the gear it's connected to is still spinning, and wen I try to stop the gear, it has a lot of resistance. The motor and all other gears seem to be fine. Maybe it's a bushing going out or something that needs to be tightened?

Danny Stanford · May 28, 2015

I checked the wiring and voltages on the motors and they are identical on both cameras, so it seems to be a problem on the gear that connects to the pick up pin, but the gear itself is fine, although the gear doesn't seem to be fully tightened to the pick up pin, so maybe I could tighten it. I'll take a look. Is there any particular grease or oil I should use to lubricate the gears? Everything seems easily accessible if I can find out what to use to lubricate it. These cameras are absolute works of art when you see how they were designed from the inside. Marvelously engineered compared to any electronic device made in the last 30 years. With the other camera, is there anything I can do with the loose focus ring, or am I just gonna have to live with it?

Josh Gladstone · May 28, 2015

It's lucky that you have two, because you can compare and contrast. So when you put pressure on the drive, the gear it's connected to still spins. What about in the camera with the properly working drive? If it works differently, then that's probably the culprit. See how the gear is supposed to be attached in the good camera and then try to deduce the issue in the bad one. If it's plastic, maybe part of it has cracked? In which case you'll need to glue it back together (maybe) or get a new gear (from a parts camera or 3d print).

Also, Andries said "the torque of the pick-up drive is no indicator of the motor condition. Its adjustment can be off so it can be strong or poor pull." and he knows what he's talking about, so if it's able to spin enough to move the film, this might not even be the issue at all.

As for the focus ring, that one's sort of above my pay grade. I've only recently begun taking lenses apart, but never something like that. So I can't help you with that one, I'm afraid.

Let us know what you figure out about the motor though!

Danny Stanford · May 28, 2015

I appreciate everyone's help on this. The gear on the camera with the working drive reacts pretty much the same on both cameras when I stop it. You can hear the motor bog down and there's an equal amount of force behind each of them, so it must be an issue with the way the pick up drive is connected to it's gear. I can't see from the front of it that there is any screw or bolt holding them together that I can tighten. I would probably have to take it apart to know for sure. It's possible the pick up drive may be able to be tightened from the front (inside the film compartment) maybe I can post a picture when I get home to show what I mean. If so, maybe I could do it without dismantling anything.

Andries Molenaar · May 29, 2015

NB  the torque of the pick-up drive is no indicator of the motor condition. Its adjustment can be off so it can be strong or poor pull.

To clarify a bit on this:

The pick up part in the cartridge room is connected to the gears using a friction disc. This needs to be adjusted within minimum and maximum pull. Repairshop have measuring cartrdiges for that. Others may need to apply a feeling of the pull :)

Too weak will result in sloppy winding or none at all. The film will possibly stop being transported as the claw cannot push so much length. Too strong will result in jitter as the continuous pull can be stronger than the friction in the cartridge film channel. The film will be yanked past the gate when the claw leaves the film to travel up again.

Edited May 29, 2015 by Andries Molenaar

Danny Stanford · May 31, 2015

I found a website that details the repair for this exact instance. Pretty cool.

http://www.nakanocam.com/8mm_page/nikon8xsupertake.html

It seems fairly simple, so I may attempt to fix it myself. I guess the trick is getting the right torque. I will try to match the torque frim the other camera. We'll see how it goes.

Danny Stanford · June 15, 2015

Worked like a champ. I ran a roll through it with no problem. If anyone else has this issue, it's not a particularly difficult fix on your own, and I'd be glad to help if you need assistance.