Jump to content

Nizo Lightmeter issue


Matt Kemp

Recommended Posts

Hi All,

 

I recently bought a Nizo 561 Macro, and although the camera seems to be in very good condition in terms of the quality of the lens and the smoothness of motor transport, there is a problem with the internal TTL metering whereby the gauge needle 'sticks' at certain points. For example pointing around a room, the needle will move according to light and dark areas, but then sticks at, say, f2.8. If you then point at a window, it seems to dislodge and jumps to f11. Basically it's sticky, possibly through dirt or lack of use throughout the years.

Does anyone know how I might fix this? Also, does anyone know if it's possible that only the needle is sticking, and in fact the aperture adjustment is accurate, or are the two things locked together?

 

Any help much appreciated.

 

Matt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi All,

 

I recently bought a Nizo 561 Macro, and although the camera seems to be in very good condition in terms of the quality of the lens and the smoothness of motor transport, there is a problem with the internal TTL metering whereby the gauge needle 'sticks' at certain points. For example pointing around a room, the needle will move according to light and dark areas, but then sticks at, say, f2.8. If you then point at a window, it seems to dislodge and jumps to f11. Basically it's sticky, possibly through dirt or lack of use throughout the years.

Does anyone know how I might fix this? Also, does anyone know if it's possible that only the needle is sticking, and in fact the aperture adjustment is accurate, or are the two things locked together?

 

Any help much appreciated.

 

Matt

 

 

Hi Matt,

 

They are locked together, The needle in the viewfinder is an extension of the aperture blades. If the needle sticks, the apertures are sticking. Sometimes it is repairable, sometimes not. Worse case scenario: you'll need a new meter assembly. Setting the aperture manually should work OK, if you take your light reading with an external meter.

 

Jean-Louis

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Matt,

 

They are locked together, The needle in the viewfinder is an extension of the aperture blades. If the needle sticks, the apertures are sticking. Sometimes it is repairable, sometimes not. Worse case scenario: you'll need a new meter assembly. Setting the aperture manually should work OK, if you take your light reading with an external meter.

 

Jean-Louis

 

Jean-Louis,

 

Thanks very much for your reply. I wonder if you know how difficult it is to get the lightmeter assembly out of the camera? I have an old Nizo with a working lightmeter I could cannibalise if you think it's something fixable by a non-professional. Also, I read on some stills camera forums that using lighter fuel to clean the aperture blades can be a good way to free up sticky shutters, would you agree with that?

 

Thanks again,

 

Matt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jean-Louis,

 

Thanks very much for your reply. I wonder if you know how difficult it is to get the lightmeter assembly out of the camera? I have an old Nizo with a working lightmeter I could cannibalise if you think it's something fixable by a non-professional. Also, I read on some stills camera forums that using lighter fuel to clean the aperture blades can be a good way to free up sticky shutters, would you agree with that?

 

Thanks again,

 

Matt

 

 

Hi Matt,

 

Being a professional camera repair technician and not knowing your background at all, I would not recommend that you attempt a repair yourself. Taking apart a camera is not that hard but reassembling it properly and making sure everything works as it should takes some experience.

I would volunteer my services but 1) I am located in Canada and 2) I already have a large backlog of repair work.

 

The lightmeter assembly in the Nizo and most other super8 cameras is not designed like a still camera diaphragm. The opening is made up of two moving vanes that pivot on jewel bearings.

They move very freely and are not direct contact with each other. Cleaning with solvents is not necessary. It takes very little to impede the free movement of the blades. The meter movement has a permanent magnet. If any loose metallic particles are attracted to it and stick, it will block the free movement. It's pretty delicate.

 

Cheers,

Jean-Louis

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jean-Louis,

 

Thanks very much for your reply, very interesting. I've decided to take your advice in not risking dismantling the camera, I guess for now I'll just stick with an external meter and hope it frees itself up over time with more usage.

I think what I'll also do is start buying broken Nizos and investigate taking them apart. I've got four of these cameras now, and it would be nice to have even a basic idea of how difficult it is to work on certain problems myself. Although having said that, I can see myself in the future sometime sending my camera to Canada in pieces for a proper technician to put back together for me..

 

Thanks again.

 

Matt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've also come across the same issue with the same camera. It doesn't seem to matter whether it's on auto or manual, it just gets stuck. I recieved the camera with the two iris vanes completely stuck, almost looked tangled. I went in and carefully pmoved them apart and lightly pushed them on their paths and that worked to at least get them to work sometimes. I am definitely interested in any info, even if it's not 100% safe and guaranteed, etc. I would like to at least try to have it work right consistenly. Keep this thread alive!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello,

 

I just notice that I posted almost the same question yesterday, sorry for that. My problem is with a Nizo 801 Macro. Reading this, a day late :huh: , it seems that a few people have a similar problem. Anyone knows if this is a common problem with Nizos? My Nizo runs and sounds fine except for the light meter in the auto position and manual is not working.

 

Also anyone knows of a good technician in the US for Nizo cameras. The guy that I use to fix my cameras is not to fond of Nizos.

 

Thank for all the help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 years later...

Jean-Louis,

 

Thanks very much for your reply. I wonder if you know how difficult it is to get the lightmeter assembly out of the camera? I have an old Nizo with a working lightmeter I could cannibalise if you think it's something fixable by a non-professional. Also, I read on some stills camera forums that using lighter fuel to clean the aperture blades can be a good way to free up sticky shutters, would you agree with that?

 

Thanks again,

 

Matt

I just repaired one by transplanting from a dead Nizo. It is a very meticulous task. I suggest using watch repair glasses with a diopter. Once I opened it up I found the issue, a very small piece of debris was wedged into the tiny window. I blew it out and cleaned the area with a dental tool. Just so happy that Nizo stayed away from using faux leather skins as Canon does. Very easy to open them up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Hi, I realise this topic is 10 years old, but I'm in the same boat and can't find any information anywhere else.

 

I recently bought a Nizo S2. Seemed to be in perfect condition and everything worked perfectly until the lightmeter got stuck. The metering is TTL. I turn the knob, but the iris is stuck at f18, bot on manual and automatic. My camera doesn't have a needle, but a rotating disk. I assume that it's also connected to the aperture mechanism, since the iris doesn't seem to move when i turn the knob.

 

Has anybody managed successfully repair a stuck lightemer, rather than replacing it? I'm not even sure if this is an option on this model. Any tips on how to do so or any place I can send the camera for repair in Easter Europe?

 

Tank you,

 

Angel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...

I just bought a Nizo s560 and have the same issue with the aperture blades / iris.  When you place the switch to the BLACK side to test the motor battery that works fine.  When you push in the black button at the exposure control in this mode, the iris blades also work and appear to react to different levels of light.  I confirmed this by opening the side panel (very easy) and you can watch the blades in action.

So they're not stuck!  

But the Nizo manual I found online says to test the light meter you put it on the RED mode which runs the camera and then press the exposure button (little black button on exposure dial).  When I do this I get zero activity.

Then I inserted a cartridge with the side panel open and shined a light through the lens so I could clearly see the light going through the shutter and aperture blades.  The cartridge insertion activates levers inside the camera so sometimes things don't "come alive" until those levers are activated.

Even after doing so, the aperture blades had zero movement when running film.  They were stuck wide open.  This caused all my film to get really overexposed.

My diagnosis at this point is that something is wrong with the electrical connectivity from the two small batteries for the light meter through to the blades.  Why can't they just run the light meter off the motor batteries, would have been so much easier!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As Jean-Louis said earlier, it's tricky work reassembling these parts in cameras to make them work correctly.  That being said, if the price was low enough, you could try a couple things, such as without any power to the camera, use some fine electrical contact cleaner, GENTLY on the switch areas. This will clean them hopefully and make them work correctly.  Oftentimes, dust has gathered in these regions and with humidity has allowed fine tarnish to exist and cross short the switches so they don't work correctly.  Do this to the main power switch, and also to the light meter test button switch on the Auto Manual knob.  Carefully using dust off, you can can blow out anything lose inside, but definitely want to avoid getting crud on the lens elements or into the light meter 2 vane assembly.

NIZO did change the power supply later on the Pro models so meter power ran from the Double A cells.  I'm sure things would have advanced further had Super 8 remained in the mainstream and such cameras were still being made. Obviously this is not the case.

Regarding the light meter functions on the NIZO 6080 and similar late model sound cameras, these are first generation CMOS chip circuit boards.  When they fail, and most have, the light meter fails as so often does the manual control.  There was a shop in Germany that had replacement parts, not sure if he's still in operation.  As nice and fancy as these cameras are, they mostly become paper weights due to their reliance on that earlier and often failing technology.  Compare that to my SANKYO XL 620, while their design has other issues, the main circuitry still seems to function well after many years.  However, that being said, many also fail, as do those nice high end CANONs.  The earlier electro mechnical cameras will continue to be repairable;  such as the NIZO silent cameras, BEAULIEU pre 6008 series models, CHINON made 70s cameras (and all their earlier models made for PORST, REVUE, WARDS, SEARS, NORIS, BAUER, EUMIG, BOLEX and GAF).  If you can't get the light meter unit working, the camera is not useless, as you can still use it in the lighting which would allow F/1.8 setting.  Also, it is possible, not advised due to the delicate nature of the mechanism, but possible, to use a small piece of tape to set the galvonometer to a specific F-Stop (viewing the scale in the viewfinder) and leaving it at that.  Or, you could use Neutral Density filters to adjust exposure....not idea, and certainly no Depth of Field control, but nonetheless, possible.

Completely replacing the entire light meter unit from another camera requires a significant amount of disassembly and unless you have some good camera repair experience, is not recommended.  Like anything though, if you got the parts camera cheap enough, and have some skill and desire, take notes, take photos etc, to help guide you back to an assembled camera.  So often though, the light meter units still work, even if the meter cell is dead, the Manual Exposure Control will work, IF there is power getting to it. The knob is just a rheostat adjusting micro voltage to the vanes to adjust them.  The switches are so often the problem, due to dirt, dust, light corrosion causing them to short out or not allow power to flow.  Some testing with a voltage meter on the resistance setting will show if there is continuity or not.  Good luck!

 

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...