Just dropped $45 on a set of JIS screwdrivers and it was the best money I've spent this month.

I was fighting with a stuck plate on a Pentax Spotmatic for way too long. Kept thinking my Phillips heads were rounding out the screws. Grabbed the JIS set on a whim after reading an old forum post. They bit right in, no slip, no damage. Felt like a total idiot for not getting them years ago. What other 'basic' tools did you guys put off buying that ended up being a game changer?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_fiona3mo ago

Oh man, the JIS thing is a total lifesaver. But just to be clear, those aren't for a stuck plate, those are for the lens mount screws. The plate screws are usually just regular Phillips. Still, having the right driver for the mount is what saves your camera.

king.eric3mo ago

Yeah, learned that the hard way stripping a mount screw once. Good call on the plate screws being different.

ivan7743mo ago

That's a good point about the plate screws. @king.eric, when you stripped that mount screw, was it on an older metal body or one of the newer ones? I've heard the thread locker they use now can really bind things up.

drew_hart41mo ago

Wait, are you saying the mount screws are JIS and the plate screws are actually regular Phillips? I always figured they were all the same type, but that totally explains why some of my screwdrivers just wouldn't grab right on the mount. Man, I've been wrestling with the wrong tool this whole time and never knew.