LC-A Big Book Chapter 94: Care and Repair for Your LOMO LC-A+

It might be handy to know something elementary about first-aid for homo sapiens, but it’s vital for a Lomographer to have crucial information about how to keep their beloved photographic tool ticking. In this chapter we provide you with simple explanations and tips to help you look after your camera properly and to prevent simple mistakes. Remember; any attempted repair that is not mentioned in this text is at your own risk and is not covered under the warranty.

HOW TO REPAIR THE LOMO LC-A+ YOURSELF

FRONT PANEL OF YOUR CAMERA HAS BECOME LOOSE
Have a look at the four tiny screws, two on the left and two on the right of the front panel, holding the cover in place (Photo 1. Grab a small cross-headed screwdriver and fix the four little fellas back to where they belong. LomoDoctor recommends that once in a while, you inspect the condition of the screws to prevent damage or corrosion.

LENS COVER IS STUCK
Don’t panic! Don’ t use brute force to push the cover open or closed. The best treatment in this case is to shift the front cover of the camera by removing the four screws on both sides of the panel. If the lens cover mechanism is not working or gets stuck there could be a problem with the four flat silvery screws (Photo 2) holding the metal plate with the lens against the camera. While you_ve been vigorously snapping away the screws may have been shaken out from their holes and dropped into the shutter mechanism. Check that all the screws are in the correct place and tighten them carefully.Important! While fixing the screws, try not to scratch or damage any parts of the circuit board situated above the lens (Photo 3). Any damage to the board could leave your camera permanently handicapped. Before fixing the front cover, turn it over and find the 2 small silvery knobs (Photo 4) on both sides of the lens window. These two should fit exactly into the small openings on the metal ring (Photo 5). To reposition the front cover, pull the lever of the lens cover to the right and keep the curtains of both the windows closed. Apply light pressure on the cover when putting it back. Test the opening mechanism by opening and closing the lens cover. If it doesn’t work, keep cool and try again. If everything works, tighten the 4 small screws to support the front cover.

LED LIGHTS IN THE VIEWFINDER DON’T WORK
There are many reasons why the LED lights cease to work:
1.The batteries powering the lights are flat. Put in three fresh button batteries and test it.
2.The metal prop of the + – connection in the battery compartment doesn’t connect with the batteries. Open the slide cover of the compartment and see if the batteries fall out. If they do, the fault is caused by the small metal prop being pushed down and not supporting the batteries enough to get a connection. Take a pointed tool (a pen, knife or a screwdriver) to bend the prop slightly upwards.
3.The f – connection prop is corroded, stopping the batteries from having any contact with it. Take a knife or other sharp tool to gently scratch off the layer of corrosion.
4.The two tiny metal straps situated directly under the shutter button don’t have a connection with the advance mechanism. Attempting to fix this problem on your own is risky and doing so could mean your warranty is no longer valid. So, this time contact the LomoDoctor for assistance.

ADVANCE WHEEL DOESN’T WORK – IT’S STUCK OR KEEPS ON TURNING
To exorcise the evil spirits controlling your camera’s advance wheel, you need to open the bottom cover of the camera. Notice that the middle screw is longer than the two on the sides. Taking the cover away, pay attention to a small soft D-shaped piece sitting on the left (when holding the lens towards you) of the battery compartment. Don’t lose it! It’ s small but very important, supporting the compartment’s slide door from inside.On one edge of the bottom you’II see a complicated mechanism consisting of numerous levers and springs and a disc (Photo 6). This is the transport mechanism; a vital part of your camera responsible for re-cocking the shutter and connecting the spool to the advance wheel. The cause of the problem might be hidden here.

First of all, make sure that any of the small screws from the front cover supporting the lens or from the transport mechanism haven’t fallen into the camera and stopped it from working properly. If not, move on and see if one of the levers of the transport mechanism is pressing up ( Photo 7). Push it down gently and test the mechanism by winding the wheel.

Another cause of the advance wheel not working might be a winder with an oblong hole hanging loose. Put it over the small knob pointing up (Photo 8) thus connecting the transport mechanism with a bunch of springs. Test it by turning the advance wheel. If this advice hasn’t helped, consult our LomoDoctor.

When putting the bottom cover back, make sure that the shutter is released so that the small MX button (multiple exposure button) can be connected with the levers underneath the cover. Also don’t forget to return the small D-shaped piece back where it belongs. Keep the slide door of the battery compartment open and make sure the D-shaped piece remains pressed against the main body of the camera ( Photo 9). All the rest is a piece of cake!

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written by ungrumpy on 2011-04-27 #library #lc-a-big-book #lomography #lc-a #care-and-repair