Jump to content

Eumig Nautica Repair


Luuk Schröder

Recommended Posts

Hi All,

Last summer I managed to buy a working Eumig Nautica on Ebay. Like many camera's that haven't seen service in a long time it worked for a few films and gradually stopped working. Firstly it had trouble forwarding films, and later on the motor stopped responding. I could fix that with a sharp tap on the camera's body, but at some point the camera completely stopped responding when I pressed the filming trigger. The circuit is still working though as I can see a red light when I press the testing knob.

I've tried to contact many different places for servicing in Europe without any luck, so I think I will give it a go myself. Unfortunately I cannot find any service manual for the Nautica online.

Does anyone know whether there's a different Eumig camera that has the same or similar inside of which I could use a service manual as an example? Or a good general guide on servicing Eumig cameras? Or any other advice is much appreciated!

Thanks a lot!
Luuk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Update:

I managed to track down the problem!

After a pretty far disassembly and having several tries with cleaning contacts with alcohol, I got to the motor part. With a small screwdriver I managed to push and rotate the gear directly attached to the motor (see image) a few rounds. After this the whole assembly 'worked' again.
So it seems that the gears were encountering too much resistance for the motor to drive them. Could this be due to some dust getting stuck in between, or due to a lack of lubricant?

Clearly, the motor occasionally not able to forward film and shutting off completely are the same problem.
At the moment I am not sure how to proceed, by blowing out the dust? Or by adding a tiny bit of lubricant? And if so, what lubricant should I use?
 

IMG_0012.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I managed to buy a Eumig Nautica service manual online, which is pretty brief at just 4 pages and only covers the dismantling and electrical charts. It says that most servicing and repairs are the same as with the Eumig Mini 3 PMA camera. This service manual is 28 pages long. Is it likely I can find basic servicing, like what to do with the gears, in this manual? In that case I'll buy it and wait for another week...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey, that is a good idea, except I already opened my Nautica ^^
I've been very careful though and haven't made any damage I think. But perhaps I could follow your advice anyways and practice the repairs onto a mini 3.

Unfortunately I don't have the service manual for the Mini 3... do you happen to know whether I could find a digital version?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry Luuk, I thought I'd ask you about the Mini 3 manual because you had mentioned it with some detail! I have three Nautical with one modified by Bolex to 24fps. Unfortunately its hard to find Mini 3's in the states, but so many for next to nothing in Europe!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Hi Todd,

I managed to make some progress with your suggestions. The problem turns out to be with the claw mechanism, not the motor or gears. When the pressure is wrongly adjusted the claw mechanism jams, which causes the whole thing to stop. When I loosen the claw pressure the problem happens less frequently. In the service manual (see image) is explained that the claw mechanism should have a pressure of 10-16 p, but I have no way of measuring this. In addition, excentric F which sets the side pressure was missing, so I took it from the Mini 3 : ) However I am not too sure what would now be the most sustainable way of fixing the problem... So I was hoping someone could help me further.

Thanks a lot for your suggestions, in the least I learned a lot.

 

nautica1.jpg

nautica2.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...

hi luuk. do you have a service manual you can share please? i’m trying to work out a focus issue on a eumig nautica. i’ve fixed lots of mechanical problems but optical ones are a mystery. thanks. ed

Link to comment
Share on other sites

if this is any use to anyone trying to fix eumig nauticas... here's a video of opening up two cameras.  please excuse the poor choice of tools! i hope it helps someone in the future - 

 

Edited by Ed Sayers
bad syntax!
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • 6 months later...
On 10/14/2022 at 11:03 AM, Luuk Schröder said:

Hi there, kind of.... the film transport claw tends to get stuck sometimes. It still happens but by now I know how to make the camera function again when it happens. Also I managed to get a second Nautica ^^

hi luuk. 

i have another one where the film jitters after about 2/3 of a cartridge. is that the claw?  the mechanism seems to be working fine. what tricks are there for making the claw work properly?? 

thanks

 

ed

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Ed,

The problem I have is that the mechanism sometimes completely stops, with or without film. So this seems different from what you are describing.
The way to fix my problem is by pushing the claw mechanism forwards, not at the film gate, but in one of the corners (see image, blue circle).

Perhaps you could try to change the claw pressure by adjusting the screws?
 

Screenshot 2023-05-05 at 13.48 copy.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...