Modified vernier gauge.

The most useful tool in the box. Very useful for those odd ring-nuts you find on Pentax winders etc.

This is a pair of jeweller's ring-forming pliers. Used by jeweller's to, well form rings.

Suitably padded these can be used to remove dings in filter rings. I have used some plastic tubing here.

You should recognize this blower. A really powerful hand blower is essential for cleaning dust out of viewfinders and lenses prior to reassembly.

It can also be used to speed the drying of solvents and cleaners.

Compressed air sprays are often too powerful for use here.

This is one type of lens wrench. This one has pencil points for fitting into lens rings with holes, others have blades.

These are not particularly good ones, but they were relatively cheap, and provided they are used with care work just fine.

The best ones are really quite expensive.

Pin vise and drill. Some times you have no option but to make your own holes to provide grip, or you need to drill-out a damaged screw.

This is the sensible way to do it.

Rubber lens ring tool.

A lot of lenses don't appear to have any obvious means of opening them up. They have rings with no slots, grooves, or holes. A tool like this provides a friction grip on such rings.

Useful for Pentax winder caps too.

Screwdrivers. Obviously.

Make sure that you have at least one cross point screwdriver size '00'.

Warding files, and needle files.

There are a number of situations where the service manual requires a part to be re-aligned or fitted by filing.

This is usually to fit a replacement part, but sometimes a part needs easing.

Flexiclamp, used on lens rings, and winder caps.

This tool is only available from a couple of suppliers, and you need the right size for the job. They can be quite expensive, especially when you consider that some will only fit one part of one particular camera. (Leicas usually!)

So far I have got away without one, but one day soon....

This odd beast is a de-magnetiser. Like old clockwork watches, magnetised parts can upset the smooth operation of some of the parts in cameras.

This tool can be used to remove the magnetism from all sorts of small metal items.

This one was originally designed for use with tape recording equipment. You might find one in an electronic servicing tool suppliers.

This rubber strap wrench can be found in most supermarkets, sold for removing stubborn jar lids.

It's also very handy for screw fitted lens barrels etc.

A soldering iron, and solder sucker. Use a temperature regulated one with a fine tip.

They don't need to be expensive. This one cost £12. If you get a cheap ont though, don't turn it all the way up to max. It will burn out in a few weeks if you do.

The solder sucker came free from a printed circuit fabricator when I placed an order for some circuit boards for my flash voltage protector. (Usually available on eBay.)

A multimeter.

A digital one is preferred as they inject less current when measuring resistances. Some analogue ones produce enough current to micro-weld breaks in meter windings. These micro welds don't last long, and the meter fails again in a few weeks!

Also, cheaper analogue meters draw enough current from a lot of circuits to render the reading useless.

Digital ones are not expensive these days.

Lubricants.

Most problems in cameras are due to lubrication drying out or oxidising.

A small pot of lithium grease for winder gears, slides, and high pressure low speed points.

Watch oil is the same as camera oil. Very light, and quite expensive. Fortunately it is used very sparingly.

Silicone lubricants should be used where it will come into contact with rubber or plastic.

Contact adhesive.

For sticking camera coverings back on. This is the sort of stuff that you have to ask for as some people like to sniff it.

This stuff is very useful.

It is a paste containing basically grit. It is very helpful with tight or damaged screws. It often means that I don't have to drill-out a damaged screw.

You just put a blob on the end of the tool.

Lighter fluid.

A useful and cheap all purpose cleaning fluid. Dissolves grease, softens glue, and washes old oil away.

Sometimes can ease stuck battery covers, though I usually remove the bottom plate and boil the whole thing in vinegar.

Polystyrene cement.

Use this in preference to super-glue to repair cracks and splits in plastic cases etc.

It takes longer to dry (several hours.) but doesn't stick to your fingers, usually makes a better bond in the long run, and you have more time to get the two sides properly positioned.

You can get this from most model shops.

Essential eyewear.

Not just for protection, but most parts in cameras are very small.

Continuously working at very close range without glasses will cause long term problems, even if your eyesight is perfectly OK.

The most expensive tool I use regularly is my oscilloscope. I use this for general electronics as well you won't need one as well specified if you decide to get one.

For cameras, it's used for checking shutters at high-speed. You can get specialised shutter timing devices but they are very expensive. That's why I use this. (One day I shall have to construct a special shutter tester.)

The key phrases here are 1MHz, and 'dual trace', though 'digital storage' would be a good option. £150 should easily secure a suitable one new. Much less second hand.