I'm new to the list at Sam's recommendation. I'm a retired camera tech
so if you have any questions about the new 3D World camera feel free to
contact me. Unfortunately my 3D World camera arrived with a non
functioning meter. I'm trying to get a new meter board from 3DWorld at
the moment so as to not have to send the camera back to China for
repair. I've posted photos of the camera with it's covers removed, so
please have a look. There's a lot of plastic but the lenses and lens
board are well constructed in metal as is the shutter housing. Pretty
much all the other structural parts are plastic. If you drop this
camera it will very likely be finished, so take care of it! That said
it is quite well made, all things considered, (like the fact it
actually got built at all!). I'd recommend a Pelican type case for
travel, it may get damaged if knocked around in a soft bag. Gary

Welcome to the list Gary!

Thanks for going where no mere mortal has gone, and stripping the
TL-120 to its bare bones!

Can you confirm whether the shutters are indeed mechanically joined?

I fully agree with the fragility of the camera, and it cannot be
overstated how careful you must be with it. Of outmost importance is
the prism. NEVER pick the camera up by the prism, nor let anything
bump against it, even in your camera case. It is attached by 4 posts,
mere plastic tubes that will shatter or break loose on impact. I have
alerted 3DWorld of this, so hopefully they will make a more secure
method of fastening. These tubes are shown on image #738 of Gary's shots.

Leaving the prism off during transporation is highly recommended. If
you don't need a built-in meter, use a Kiev or Hasselblad waistlevel
finder instead.

Sam

--- In MF3D-group@yahoogroups.com, "Gary Cullen" wrote:
>
> I'm new to the list at Sam's recommendation. I'm a retired camera tech
> so if you have any questions about the new 3D World camera feel free to
> contact me. Unfortunately my 3D World camera arrived with a non
> functioning meter. I'm trying to get a new meter board from 3DWorld at
> the moment so as to not have to send the camera back to China for
> repair. I've posted photos of the camera with it's covers removed, so
> please have a look. There's a lot of plastic but the lenses and lens
> board are well constructed in metal as is the shutter housing. Pretty
> much all the other structural parts are plastic. If you drop this
> camera it will very likely be finished, so take care of it! That said
> it is quite well made, all things considered, (like the fact it
> actually got built at all!). I'd recommend a Pelican type case for
> travel, it may get damaged if knocked around in a soft bag. Gary
>

Gary posted:

>
> I've posted photos of the camera with it's covers removed, so
> please have a look.
>

Extremely interesting pictures. Makes me appreciate much more the
effort in producing a new camera, especially from a new company. You go
were others like me fear to tread, but then you have already done a
fantastic job disassembling and rehabbing mine and others Rolleidoscops.

Dale Yingst

Sam wrote

> Can you confirm whether the shutters are indeed mechanically

joined?

They appear to be electronically joined. It's difficult to see
inside the shutter unit even with the plastic covers off and I
didn't want to go into the shutter unit itself unless there was a
good reason. But it must be electrical because when I carefully
lifted one or the other shutter curtains manually (I tried both
outer and inner curtains, which are metal by the way) with blunt
tweezers (don't try this at home kids!) only one side opens. If they
were mechanically joined both sides would lift together.
This is probably why they list the flash sync as 1/30th in the
owners manual. But my camera syncs at 125, which would be normal for
this shutter, so they are playing it safe telling us to use 1/30th.
Most likely these shutters will sync perfectly up to 1/500th all the
time. But there may be cameras that are a bit out. Check your flash
sync and see if its ok on 125. If one side is partly blacked out
then they are not in sync.

Someone had a question about the focal plane shutters. They're not
really focal plane in this camera as such, they are a focal plane
type that are normally used in 35mm SLR's. 3DWorld simply moved them
up close behind the lenses. Simple, clever and very effective for
this camera as there's no need for a larger shutter.

Gary