Changed my mind about using a regular screwdriver for tiny camera screws

I always thought my old set of jeweler's screwdrivers was fine for compact camera work, but I kept stripping screws on a Minolta X-700 last week. A friend told me to try a set of JIS drivers he got for $35, specifically the Vessel brand. The difference was huge, I mean, the fit is perfect and I haven't messed up a single screw since I switched. It turns out a lot of those 'Phillips' screws on Japanese cameras are actually JIS, and using the wrong tool wrecks them. Has anyone else made this switch and noticed a big drop in stripped screws?

2 comments

2 Comments

allen.ruby27d agoTop Commenter

Absolutely did the same thing with my old Nikon F3. I was rounding off the battery cover screw for years before I learned about JIS. Bought a single Vessel driver for that one job and it felt like the screw was melting into place.

alexj9927d ago

Read a whole thread about JIS screws on camera forums last month. People were sharing horror stories of stripped tripod mounts and lens plate screws. One guy said he used a regular Phillips on his Canon FD lens for a decade before realizing his mistake. The right tool really does make all the difference, it's like night and day.