Source for small screws and springs?

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9097 Location: Houston, Texas

I just acquired a Vivitar S1 24-48mm zoom, and discovered to my dismay that the aperture iris was stuck open. Not such a big deal, I hoped, and opened up the back of the lens. Fortunately getting to the iris blades and their actuating mechanism was relatively easy. Unfortunately, in the process, one extremely tiny spring, and another average small screw vanished into the 13th dimension, leaving not a trace of their former existence in this universe.

I can get by without the spring, I suspect, since it is used to engage a locking mechanism for Canon breechlock, which is meant to keep the breecklock ring locked open until mounted. But the screw is one of three that holds down the aperture ring assembly, and plays a more essential role. It's phillips head, with about a 4mm long shank and about 1mm in diameter. Fine thread of course.

I did do a search for this, and got a hit from four years ago over at the kyphoto repair site, where the most useful reply was to buy an old Japanese transistor radio/tape deck, etc, and dismantle it with the hopes of finding a screw of a similar size. If all else fails, that's what I'll try to do, but I don't have any suitable donor items at the moment.

So if you know of a good source for this sort of thing, I'd appreciate it if you could pass it along. I'm not having much luck with Google.

Sevo · Expire: 2012-12-03

Micro tools have many common camera screws, and many parts missing from their catalogue can be had from RS and Farnell. Beyond that, it may be neccessary to buy a broken camera for spares.

pirius · Joined: 28 May 2009 Posts: 133 Location: SoFla

http://www.rcscrewz.com/ sells some small screws and nuts too

kuuan · Expire: 2014-12-26

Michael me too I looking for a tiny screw..

I suppose it will be very difficult to find the correct screw from a shop online, or does anybody know somebody who specializes in lens screws?

I'd hope that some members of mflenses have been working with lenses and have spare parts of broken ones and would think that this could be the best source.

- Maybe we should instigate a 'parts swap' forum / thread?

The screw I'd need is a tiny one on the side of the focus barrel of a Jupiter-9 ( see it's size compared to a 49mm lens cap ), it missing does make the focus barrel wobble a bit

best greetings and regards,
Andreas