This guide illustrates the steps with the DP-1 finder, however, Nikon F2 finders should all be similarly adjustable.
Instruments, workings space, and materials. You will need a set of small screwdrivers , Pliobond 25 (E6000 can be a viable substitute ), rubbing alcohol , acetone (if working with E600), small tweezers , a box cutter , cotton swabs , gloves , frosted tape , leather conditioner (or coconut oil), and two fresh LR44 batteries .
Viewfinder service will involve taking off, cleaning, and gluing the leatherette back on as well as testing the adjustments. To work with glue, you’ll need ample space, ways to clean the glue off (paper towels or cotton clothes), and a work surface that you don’t mind getting some glue on accidentally.
You’ll be testing your finder while it’s mounted on top of your camera with a lens. Ideally, you’ll point your camera at a middle grey target or a white wall. You will also need to compare your finder’s output to a known working light meter. If you have a reliable app on your phone, that could work. You could also compare to another camera’s readings (just make sure that the lens focal lengths are similar or close).
Photomic (DP-1) finder’s maintenance controls.
How to access and adjust the meter maintenance controls. The Photomic meter’s maintenance controls are located under the leatherette. You’ll need to carefully peel it from the finder (do this work on the finder alone, detached from the camera). To do this, place a few drops of rubbing alcohol around its edges and wait for it to soak. Then use your box cutter knife to very carefully pry a corner of the leatherette while avoiding damaging the paint and not cutting the leatherette or yourself.
Once you have loosened a corner of your leatherette, use the tweezers to keep pulling that corner off (while adding alcohol under the leatherette as you do that). Be careful not to rip the leatherette with your tweezers or squeeze so hard that they leave dents in it. The leatherette should still have some strength in it, but it is at least forty years old by now, so be careful.
When the leatherette is finally off, clean as much glue as you can from the back of it and the finder’s metal surface.
You’ll find two small screws. One of those screws is for adjusting the battery power indicator, the other is for adjusting light meter output. If you hold the Photomic DP-1 with the eyepiece facing you, the screw for adjusting the meter output would be on the right and the battery indicator on the left. Other meters may have the battery indicator adjustment screw on the bottom. In either case, it’s not hard to deduce which is which as the battery indicator is only active when you press and hold the battery check button (it’s the silver button at the front of the finder).
Because of the way the circuit is built, you will need to adjust the meter output first and the battery power indicator second.
To adjust the light meter output, point your camera at something flat like a wall, turn on your F2 (with the lens mounted), and not the meter readings. Then, take a measurement of the same area with a trusted light meter — set the same shutter speed, ISO/ASA, and aperture as on your camera. Now you have a goal reading. Adjust the light meter screw on your Photomic finder until you get the same reading.
The battery power indicator adjustment is easier: hold the battery check button and rotate the small screw until the needle hits the middle.
Your Photomic meter has now been serviced and is ready for reassembly. But since these sosrts of adjustments require peeling off a leatherette, you may want to verify your adjustments in the field.
Testing the meter adjustments.
Verifying adjustments in the field. Before semi-permanently mounting the leatherette back onto your meter, you can mount it temporarily and take your Photomic outside for a test. Frosted tape is gentle enough to leave no marks on metal or leatherette even after repeated application.
Grab your screwdriver before going outside and point your camera at various scenes and objects (feel free to take your photos as usual!) Pay attention to meter readings and compare them against your trusted device. Make adjustments if needed.
This step is helpful but optional.
How to put the Photomic metering prism back together. Apply a thin layer of glue to the leatherette and carefully press it over the finder (while the finder is detached from the camera). Wipe any glue residue on the sides with a cotton swab soaked in rubber alcohol. If a corner or the side doesn’t stick, use another swab with a tiny bit of glue to place a small amount on the edge.
If you’re working with E600, which is easier to find than Plyobond 25 in some places, you may need a small amount of acetone to clean up the residual glue on the sides—try to avoid doing so excessively, as it can dissolve the paint on the finder!
You should also check that the leatherette is smooth and perfectly flat underneath. If there are bumps, you may need to remove it, clean the excess glue, and mount it again.
Your last step should be leather conditioning. Because the leatherette was exposed to alcohol and acetone, it could dry and possibly crack with time. To avoid this, apply a small amount of a leather conditioner (coconut oil can be an OK substitute).
This job can take over an hour to complete (or longer if you’re testing the meter in the field). But if you have some experience working with vintage cameras and a few handy tools, it may be worth your time. The same service at a shop can cost around $100, whereas a replacement finder currently goes for $100-200.
