Filthy 1960s Camera Restoration

[@MathieuStern]

So ... what are your hypothesis on the razor blade ???

[@parranoic]

Thay wanted razor sharp pictures 😂

[@ricdotdev]

Maybe it was owned by a spy and the "razor blade in a camera" was his secret weapon...

[@IanWilkinson]

As a shim to position the focus screen perhaps?

[@aromaticsnail]

Warn us how bad the "Économie" would be in 2022-23? xD

[@fleecefoxes6471]

To smuggle it in to a prison?

[@franklinhabit]

Doesn't putting a razor blade in the camera make the photos sharper?

[@forevernotjohn]

👏

[@wal33dmas81]

good one

[@iainmc9859]

You got there before me ...... 🤣

[@paraflightjoe1053]

U Runnin for Office???

[@CheessePie]

Damn, my first thought when I saw that was that those type of cameras were very used in war times and war moments, I think that something like a prisoner with somebody who wanted to help him hided that razor to probably scape!

[@artsyaidan]

As both a film photographer and a thorough enjoyer of restoration videos, to me there's always been a lack of this overlap. Here we have a big name making a video in the exact style. Excellent!

[@MathieuStern]

Glad you enjoyed it Aidan !

[@johnmoore901]

Hi Mathieu, where can I buy new skins for my Edixa please, kindest regards John Moore.

[@mrphotomanseattle]

I wouldn't call this a restoration video. It's a deep cleaning video. Excellent work and it came out very nice.

[@sevenpeoplecoasting4944]

The definition of restore is “the act or process of returning something to its original condition by repairing it, cleaning it, etc.” so it could be either.

[@ldelcarmen]

As a camera collector myself, the whole ritual of procuring and restoring is as satisfying as taking photos, maybe even more so. Superbly done and filmed 👌

[@Dan-C-71]

Very satisfying to watch. I cleaned up and did a couple minor repairs on a Canon AE-1 from the 70’s and loved doing it, and it still works perfectly.

[@MathieuStern]

yes it feels great when the camera is having a second life because of your work.

[@anterprites]

3:04 I would put gloves to work with acetone. And breathing mask and/or use it outside. I also like to use Isopropanol alcohol. I would also not use the marker as fixing cosmetics as it wears out quickly. 7:43 Only 3 screws in the container when unscrewing 4 of them?! Preposterous! I would look more into mechanism, it might require some lubrication after so much time. Generally I like the filmography part of the repair, very "my mechanic".

[@Klopizza]

The only concern: the permanent marker. Not sure if the idea is OK... But overall it is superb restoration Mathieu!

[@aaronmcdermott3732]

I had similar thoughts, not sure how long it will last. If the camera isn't used much it's fine.

[@marijankagerkoren1400]

Yeah, better just to clean it up and leave the patina then to paint it with permanent marker.. the patina looked kind of nice.. but if you want to paint it, then do it properly..

[@miguelcopano5542]

What type of paint would be adequate?

[@thecanadianlanboy8132]

@@miguelcopano5542 None. Leave it as is. That paint loss is from years and years of love and use who wants something that looks new? Its a part of that cameras story

[@LosPeregrinos51]

@@thecanadianlanboy8132 No, that paint loss was from years of abuse and mistreatment. Depends, of course, on whether you want a working camera or something that looks like it's been dug up in a war zone and is slowly rotting away.

[@fpsnerfful]

For those tiny painting areas like the small arrow and numbers, try a watch movement oiler, literally the size of a pin head but you’ll get a much better result!

[@TShearPhoto]

I have a handful of these and was just thinking how much I wish someone would do a video like this. So perfect lol

[@Dahrenhorst]

This Edixa is a very nice camera, and especially technically interesting - but the most beautiful? I beg to differ. From its contemporary peers, I personally prefer the Exakta Varex, particularly the IIa. And in the 70s, there were many 35mm SLRs made, which aesthetically are much more pleasing to the eye, in my opinion.

[@MathieuStern]

Please make a list and share it here, I will check if i can find some of those

[@Dahrenhorst]

@@MathieuStern Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. My list of 35mm SLRs: Miranda Sensomat/Sensorex, Pentax Spotmatic and MX, Olympus OM 1-4 and the original Pen F, Nikon F and Nikkormat, Rolleiflex SL35 E, Leicaflex SL, Exakta Varex IIa. The most beautiful camera ever made: LeCoultre Compass.

[@AnaloguePhoto]

Very satisfying to watch! Thanks Mathieu! Looking forwards to more of this type of videos.

[@MathieuStern]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ElHasioco]

wow, film camera restoration ASMR is something that probably nobody asked, but everyone needed amazing video by the way

[@SourcePhotography]

For the love of vintage cameras and lenses everywhere - I salute you!

[@AnalogOrchard]

Inspired by your Edixas, I have been restoring one too! You were quite fortunate that yours works, considering how neglected it looks! Mine has a broken spring that has been a nightmare to replace! Love your vids!

[@MathieuStern]

Great to hear!, maybe you can share the result of your restoration ?

[@timvandenhoek5443]

I found a Wirgin Edixa-Mat Reflex mod. C with a Scneider-Kreuznach 50mm f1.9 Edixa-Xenon lens at an antique mall for $60 US. This video was a perfect guide for bringing the camera back to life. The quality of this video clip is fantastic. Great focus on macro shots. Very well edited. Would the author happen to know the correct thickness of the rear light seal? Would like to order a sheet and don't want to go too thin or thick.

[@RÅNÇIÐ]

Glad I'm not the only one who repairs scuffs with sharpie.

[@perin99]

Great video. I've got one of these and, if you love this, I suggest that you try a Praktina. They're very similar but of a higher quality.

[@SNW_Build_a_Picture]

love the macro shots, you can actually see what is happening :D

[@TheTrueJNR]

Great work! Did you end up checking the shutter speeds too? I recently tried to do some maintenance on a Zenit ET body and sadly got the blind springs tightened too much which resulted in one of the blind curtains to get stuck in the mechanism, which now means that i have to open up the whole mechanism to get it out again. Very difficult for a beginner!

[@nico.m8346]

what do you do when the curtain has holes in it?

[@lgyqchen5074]

Great job! Doing such things can be a modern hobby and enjoying.

[@jdutch1011]

Just wondering what colour you chose for the replacement leather on the grip? I'm looking at doing a similar refurb and like the colour. Thanks!

[@juancarlosllaurado4514]

Loved the video Mathieu, thanks for sharing. This has actually encouraged me to look at cameras i wouldn´t pay attention to previously if found at a flea markets.

[@MathieuStern]

You should!

[@hansvonhochtann2739]

Does anybody know where to acquire one of these beautiful cameras best? Because I am German and this camera is German like the camera, I have a special connection to it. Maybe anyone has a tip on online sites which have this camera except for photographic flea markets?(Kamera store from Finland hasn’t got it.) Also my biggest respect to @MathieuStern, your work is beyond awesome!

[@Newmoor]

Lucky to have the shutter speeds OK! Nice video.

[@rakeshsinghal9920]

Hey I too stumbled upon my grandpas edixa reflex. I have fixed it some a little but I was wondering- for your viewfinder did you ever to replace the spring in it? Mine still springs up but not as well as I want it to. Just wondering if you had to do any work to it. Thanks

[@tjompen1968]

Great video! I have the Model C-L that my father gave me when he got tired of using it. Lots of accessories =) Time to take it out to play again!

[@JerzyRugby]

Thank you so much for sharing this video! I have exactly the same camera and couldn't imagine how to clean the prism. Now I will try 😁 You're the best!

[@mhaustria]

I like where you are going with your channel. I enjoyed tis one a lot!

[@MathieuStern]

Thank you very much!

[@petervanderkruk8346]

A very satisfying video. Learned some new tricks (especially the eraser).

[@MathieuStern]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@georgelove767]

Nice job. Very interesting about how it is done. I liked the use of the electric toothbrush.

[@levibaruch]

What does the eraser do when you use it to clean the camera? I have never seen this before!

[@MathieuStern]

remove the incrusted dirt and grease

[@levibaruch]

@@MathieuStern Thanks! Thats useful to know

[@CezarCazan]

Wow, such a beautiful restoration! I think the camera was in a bag with multiple elements and the razorblade just dropped in there :)

[@tompurvis1261]

I have my grandfathers Contax Color Dial with the 50 1,4. How can I adapt to my canon cameras? Crop, FF or C100m2.

[@ExpressoMechanicTV]

Stunning piece of restorative work.

[@no.7893]

I love cleaning up old cameras, but I always leave brassing be. It gives a camera character and a nicer looking sign of thorough usage.

[@chilecayenne]

So, how do you discern which surfaces to use alcohol vs acetone vs calcium carbonate? Thank you in advance! CC

[@MathieuStern]

Acetone to remove old glue on metal Alcohol to remove grease on metal and mirror Calcium carbonate to remove dirty on silver metal

[@rubendelacruz7395]

How much did you get the viewfinder? Been looking for one for my waist level…

[@dustinlenz2955]

Looking to reskin mine, do you knwo how to get ahold of hugo studio for it?

[@johnmoore901]

Help, I can't get the focusing screen out of my Edixa to clean it, could you tell me how to remove it, kind regards John Moore.

[@MathieuStern]

There are some screws on top that you need to remove It think it’s in the video

[@MicroFourNerds]

Beautiful!! The razor blade was so weird!

[@lewin.schneider]

Hey Mathieu, I sae that on a more recent short you had a split-image focusing screen in your orange edixa...is this one that was made specifically for that model? i have been looking for one and was wondering if one from a different brand would work...any info would be great :)

[@MathieuStern]

the split diopter was one option sold with the original edixas, like for canon F-1 you had the choice between different models of focus screens.

[@lewin.schneider]

@@MathieuStern so you foumd yours on ebay or something? i can't seem to get my hands on one...i have an early 60s model C and a late 60s model D-L i've been fixing up. the one for the exakta varex seems to have a similar size and profile, maybe i'll try that...

[@lewin.schneider]

oh and thanks for the reply :)

[@alexandrorodrigez]

Do you have ultrasonic bath?

[@MathieuStern]

No but i should get one, do you have some recommendations ?

[@TheKodakCollector]

So satisfying! Now I want to work on restorations of some of my Kodak cameras that are a bit worse for wear....

[@focus_on_X]

I have the model B-L. The shutter is sometimes stuck. I have to twist the shutter dial a little bit to release. I’m afraid to open it. 😢😢😢

[@tsudi]

Love the restorarion. Contemplating on doing the same.

[@MichaelRusso]

Nice job. Looks great! It's fun bringing these old camera'a back to life. I am restoring an old Konica FP at the moment but I sure would love to get my hands on a Edixa in the near future.

[@kereyvproductions5521]

Just discovered your content. Your vids are so much fun to watch!

[@MathieuStern]

Welcome aboard! I hope you will subscribe and discover many other videos

[@kereyvproductions5521]

@@MathieuStern oh I'm totally hooked. Do you freelance in lens restoration and repair?

[@user-ve3gh5xg9q]

What a awesome looking 📷😍

[@raulacevedo-esteves9493]

Great job!

[@Ozjackaroo792]

hey mathieu! i recently have got my own film camera and restored it, the camera was an olympus om-1n! was wondering if youd ever do a video on the om-1 as it was an iconic camera throughout the 70s and 80s with its crazy bright view finder

[@MathieuStern]

I need to find one first :)

[@Ozjackaroo792]

@@MathieuStern trust me, it will be worth your time 👍👍

[@FretAndForget]

That's amazing! You do such a good job!

[@MathieuStern]

Thank you so much!

[@John_Krone]

Beautiful job. wow!

[@WahyuCahyadi]

What do you use chemical for cleaning a lens? Hydrogen peroxide 10% or? Thank you..great job!!!

[@MathieuStern]

3% will be enough

[@manugeee]

Ha! Just today I bought a beaten up Contac RTS and a Edixa Reflex C with an unknown Isco lens. This was just the right inspiration of what to do with these cameras. 😀✌️

[@MathieuStern]

That is awesome!

[@powerlurker]

very touching you bring it back to life

[@gregwaugh8069]

So relaxing.

[@daviddavid7912]

oh shit they probably tried to smuggle that razor into a prison or something

[@boiful1]

I picked up a Reflex-D some weeks back, works perfectly but needs some body work also :)

[@GR8FLMD3AD]

Hi, what does the calcium carbonate do?

[@Miricrafts]

Very nice restoration and results 👍

[@MathieuStern]

Glad you like it

[@nostalgiccameralife]

Great video. Unfortunately I've met the guy who makes those replacement camera leathers. Years ago he sold me a damaged lens as "mint" and pretty much blew a fuse when I asked to return it for a refund. Somebody, maybe him, had taken it apart and reassembled it wrong so it would not longer focus correctly (RF lens). Years later I unknowingly (at the time) met him in person and he was so incredibly rude and abusive that I never forgot about it. Really strange guy. Yelled at me because I collect more than one brand of camera. I'm not even joking, the whole interaction was bizarre. Anyway, love the Edixas. I have a collection. I do not have every model, but all the major ones spanning 1954 through 1971, so about 12!

[@MathieuStern]

Never met him so I can’t say anything But the cover fits perfectly

[@restorationofdirty]

Good job❤️

[@jc.baptiste]

Bravo ! Fantastic ! 👌

[@MathieuStern]

Many thanks!!

[@fun_videos097]

wonderful 👍 I enjoyed fully 💗

[@MathieuStern]

Big thanks

[@RestorationAustralia]

Great looking camera, well done.😊

[@MathieuStern]

Thanks 👍 it's nice to hear a restoration channel saying that :)

[@tasteinparis7138]

Amazing restoration

[@danMdan]

This is more of a “conservation”, since much of the internal mechanism is not also being cleaned and lubricated. A full CLA is needed for long term future use. However this is enough if you only want it to look pretty in a glass case, and not use it for taking pictures.

[@MathieuStern]

it takes great pictures, i shot many since the video recording.

[@danMdan]

@@MathieuStern : I’m sure it does, but is between 50 to 70 years old and possibly never CLA’d before in all that time; it will run lot smoother and more exactly with a full clean and lube of the shutter and timer parts. The first thing I do with a newly arrived folder is oil all the joints in the winding, folding, and erecting mechanism, then leave the shutter to experts. How many times have we seen an ad. for a camera saying slow speeds are either slow or not working. FWIW a CLA on a mid-50’s Contax IIa recently cost my £240, so it is not cheap; and a US restorer recently quoted up to $1,000 for a full strip down of the same Contax, so like you I do as much as I can cosmetically.

[@SinaFarhat]

Lovely! :) Keep up the good work!

[@MathieuStern]

Thank you! 😊

[@fiyeurfox]

j'ai des tache dans le prisme ca se nettoye ou il vaut mieux pas essayer ?

[@KillerTacos54]

Amazing!

[@Analogbrain]

Very nice video and great work, Matthieu! Trying to make sharper images with that blade, perhaps? They are beautiful cameras, Art deco Rolleicord and Zeiss ikon Contessa folder are competing for that title too!

[@seanho3095]

Maybe an ultrasonic cleaner will help you a lot more.

[@MathieuStern]

will think about buying one ! it look fun to use

[@MathieuStern]

It look fun to use, i will consider it

[@MuhammadYousaf-yg6tw]

Grand father of all cameras gold is gold

[@robinrai4973]

on my not so vintage Fuji I put real brown leather in place of the leatherette, would be pretty cool to see elsewhere!

[@jpokeefe]

That razor blade is weird. Was this Guy Debord's camera?

[@mrN3w7]

What a brilliant idea... I'm off to buy razor blades to make my pictures sharper! Uffff... genius!

[@danwichgames]

So i work in a Japanese camera company repair center in the us and one time we got a camera back for a rework and when the tech opened the back panel there was a razer blade slide in. It luckily slide out harmlessly, but could have been a major issue if the tech had been a little careless. Needless to say the police were called in the customers city and then the whole thing was out of our hands. We are thinking that the guy did not like that the dealer he had sent it in thru charged him more for the repair than we charged the dealer to do the repair. He complained and we sent him a return label to directly bring it back in to us without going thru the dealer as he said there was still a issue. It was one of the more messed up things i have seen here.

[@anandarochisha]

Good job..

[@MathieuStern]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@asmrcuriositycabinet3143]

Let me grab some Popcorn

[@NoosaHeads]

Both the Exakta (Ihagee) and Edixa (Wigin) were great cameras but never sold in quantity to professionals. Because of that amateurs, with aspirations of excellence, followed the pros and bought Nikon and Canon. A pity because Edixa and Exakta could take superb photos.

[@DanilTheOpener]

Not bad for newbies in restoration )

[@Nonomi]

J'aime beaucoup!

[@4Hardy]

Well, as far as I know you can use a razor blade for the Schlieren photography experiment, however placing it inside of the camera seems a bit odd, but I'm not a physicist haha

[@Glive123]

Pictures???

[@harrycover9180]

Mathieu, il faut absoltu t'intéresses au TOPCON RE SUPER. J'en ai eu un, une merveille, le premier TTL de l'histoire. Il peut aussi être équipé d'un viseur de poitrine

[@MathieuStern]

Je vais checker ça!

[@stew_redman]

This is camera nerd ASMR 😁

[@nimmira]

chapeau!

[@Rutherfordium2023]

Cameras either got to be very used or very abused to get in this shape, I have a similar camera from the 50's I got from a thrift store and even its in much better condition.

[@sputumtube]

Hypnotic... ;)

[@donadams8345]

Now the shutter speed needs to be checked.

[@benwilliams837]

i would treat that camera right but i cant find one for less then 600$ good job on the resto

[@epiculo2]

You make me willing to find one.

[@pest5373]

I restored my Edixa myself was so much fun and rewarding as fuck go bring it back to nice condition

[@im_a_fish225]

100$ for thwt can i buy?

[@im_a_fish225]

Nvm I got a canon 200d

[@nanostudio2270]

Crazy ASMR

[@fellowirishartists]

I looks amazing, but being someone who loves vintage camera as they where made to look I personally would like to see black skin on this camera and not crochet brown that upsets it’s art deco looks a lot!

[@angellover02171]

Which Germany?

[@apistosig4173]

Me thinks you need gloves and an ultrasonic cleaner - fab end result