Rant: I just learned how many tiny screws are in a basic film camera shutter assembly

I was taking apart an old Pentax K1000 for a clean and lube job yesterday. I've done this before, but this time I decided to actually count the screws as I removed them from the shutter mechanism alone. I stopped at 37. Thirty-seven separate screws just to hold the curtain assembly, timing gears, and springs in place! I found this out by laying them all out on my bench mat in little groups. It's wild to think about the precision and patience needed to assemble these things on a line back in the day. It really makes you respect the engineering, even in a 'simple' manual camera. Has anyone else ever done a count on a common model and been shocked by the part number?

3 comments

3 Comments

patricialee17d ago

Tell your buddy @the_tessa to use a magnetic parts tray next time.

josepha3216d ago

Actually, patricialee, that's a great tip for metal screws (not plastic ones).

the_tessa17d ago

My buddy tried to fix his own film advance lever and got totally lost in the tiny screws. He said it felt like the camera just kept making more of them the deeper he went. Makes you wonder how they ever built these things without going crazy, right?