Firstly, as it's a Domiplan you have little to lose. These are commonplace on eBay, etc and rarely fetch more than £5-10 - if you were to completely destroy it then finding a replacement would be neither difficult nor expensive.

The most effective way I've found of cleaning oily blades is Fairy Liquid in warm water. Remove all the glass elements first and then hold the entire remaining assembly under water while opening and closing the diaphragm around 50-100 times - that should get everything squeaky clean. Dry with a hairdryer (you'll probably want oven gloves as the barrel will get very hot) - once dry the hot metal will have expanded making the blades stuck once more, don't worry as they'll free up again as it cools down. Once you're sure all moisture has gone replace the glass elements (give them a good clean while you're waiting).

If you re-assemble the lens in exactly the same way you took it apart then no re-alignment should be neccessary. Take photos of it as you take it apart so you have something to refer back to if that helps.

Domiplans are about as basic as camera lenses get so I'm sure it'll be a doddle.

You should always set the anti shake to the *actual* focal length for best results - in this case 500mm. The whole crop factor & 35mm equivalent thing is irrelevant. A 500mm lens is a 500mm lens...

The M series 85/2 can be had for around £150 and is an excellent portrait lens. If you're happy to use M42 lenses then the Jupiter-9 (also an 85/2) can be had for around £100 and has a unique look that's also well worth considering.

I'll have a look when I pick my copy up tomorrow - well done though fella

You wouldn't be the first - despite showing "100%" it appears he's been dormant for a couple of years. Previous to that we have buyers reporting broken goods, goods not arriving, stolen goods...

Think I'll skip that one personally

Oh yes - I have camera equipment going back to the 19th century, most of my favourite designs come from the 1950's though and my '59 Microflex has seen more use than any other camera so far this year.

Can't get on with large format though - too unwieldy for my liking. Just sold my MPP Mk VIII (which looks a little like the camera in the picture) after having taken precisely zero shots with it. I doff my cap to Womble - I just couldn't be ar$ed with the weight and the setting up tbh...

Polarising filters are made up of a polarising foil sandwiched between glass plates. Sometimes these de-laminate which would likely cause the problems you're seeing. Nothing you can do to repair it unfortunately.

I think that's a very good summary.

I do the think the price of the 645D (and its successors) will drop, just as all digital technologies before them have dropped, I think you'll probably have to wait at least a couple more years though. In the meantime, pro scans from your 645n should be more than a match for your friend's Nikon.

127 film is 4cm across, 120 film is 6cm across. I have several cameras that take 120 film and a couple that take 127 film - the difference is that I have shot 15 rolls of 120 film so far this year and none of 127 in nearly 20 years. The reason is that 127 is dead, me loving my baby Rollei won't change that. Nor will it change that "FF" will soon be joining it as an ex-format.

And Digital Medium Format is bigger still. 35mm is a halfway measure no longer of relevance.

I agree - with DMF (the future) rather than FF (the past).

"Full Frame" (ie 35mm miniature frame) size sensors are an evolutionary throwback to a size that dominated for nearly a century but that has passed its sell-by date.

In the era of digital, "Full Frame" has all the relevance that 127 film had in the past. It's an incremental step up from APS-C and a similar step down from MF. In other words it's a curiosity that will be dead sooner rather than later.

I am willing to bet that within five years (as DMF prices tumble) there will be no "Full Frame" cameras on the market from any manufacturer except Leica - the only company out there with sufficient loyal customers who are prepared to pay over-the-odds for nostalgia.

You heard it here first.