Nikon F4 - DP-20 that loses contact (repair)

thingiverse

I recently purchased a used Nikon F4, which initially worked flawlessly without any issues. However, suddenly, the shutter information stopped appearing in the viewfinder and the shutter refused to fire. After repeatedly trying to trigger the mechanism, I noticed that if I activated the release mechanism of the viewfinder, the shutter would resume working and the time and diaphragm settings on the small LCD display on the camera body miraculously reappeared. I conducted an online search for the cause of the problem and finally found a helpful article: https://www.photrio.com/forum/resources/repair-loose-nikon-f4-dp-20-finder.360/ The article, written by Robin Guymer, explained that the small attachment teeth on the viewfinder had worn out slightly, causing the viewfinder to lose contact with the camera body. To resolve this issue, a solution was proposed using a small plate that would advance the viewfinder just enough to maintain contact. Given my lack of experience with metalworking and files, I decided to propose an alternative solution using 3D printing. I created a model in Tinkercad and, after several iterations, developed a viable solution. To implement this fix, you will need to attach the plate to the viewfinder using the same screws that are already present on it. These screws are long enough to secure the plate firmly. When performing this repair, it is recommended to remove the lens and replace it with a cap. I only had white filament available, so I had to paint the part black to match its original color. Once installed, the plate is almost invisible. If you need to replace the viewfinder in the future, be prepared to disassemble the camera. I hope this solution will prove useful to others as it did for me.