Pro tip: JIS screwdrivers vs Phillips for old Japanese cameras

I spent years stripping screws on old Nikons and Pentaxes with regular Phillips drivers, thinking they were the same thing. Finally grabbed a proper JIS set from a tool shop in Chicago last month, and the difference is night and day. The JIS drivers actually bite into the screw head instead of caming out and chewing up the slots. I was able to remove three stuck screws on a beat-up Spotmatic that I'd given up on before. The cost was only about $15 for a set of four, which is nothing compared to replacing a mangled top plate. Has anyone else had luck with a specific brand of JIS drivers, or found a good source for the really small sizes?

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grayw323mo ago

How's that Vessel set hold up after a few months of real use?

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the_willow3mo ago

Oh dude, it's held up way better than I expected honestly. I've been using mine almost every day for like 8 months now and it still feels solid with zero wobble or anything.

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