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?

3 comments

3 Comments

allen.ruby2mo 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.

alexj992mo 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.

angela_ross1mo ago

Yeah that "screw melting into place" feeling is exactly right. I was reading about this on some old motorcycle forum, they were talking about JIS screws on vintage Japanese bikes. Same exact problem, people stripping out carburetor screws with Phillips heads because they didn't know. It's wild how something so small can cause so much damage over time. Makes you wonder what else we're all using the wrong tool for without realizing.