Those screws that look like Phillips 00 and 000 in Japanese cameras and lenses? They aren't. They're JIS cross-heads and life's a lot simpler using JIS screw driver bits on 'em.

Whether you do this only once and run into trouble, or intend to do it often, it's worth your sanity to do it with the correct JIS tools so you don't risk stripping a screw head. T-shirts should be available for those that have been there, done that!

Sooner or later, you'll be sorry if you don't use the JIS bits since the Phillips bits make great roto-rooters in JIS screw heads because they don't fit all the way into the cross slots as you can see here:



If gentle torque with a common Phillips jeweler-type bit doesn't work, as a poor substitute, you might try filing a suitable flat-blade bit to the correct angle before you completely strip the JIS head.

[ Search "JIS screw drivers" on the net for sources. Generally less than $20 for a set of all four sizes. ]

H2

[aslyfox]

thanks for the heads up.

nice to see you didn't screw around and you chose not to make a joke about this subject

[photogem]

Search for Vessel 9902 on ebay:
Great offers from Japan with cheap shipping costs.

JIS 0 and 00 included, both work perfect on all Pentax cameras

[Benz3ne]

Sources of JIS are thin on the ground in UK. Trawling the web one can find eg sources of Moody products but then postage can be way OTT.

FYI I obtained two small sizes of JIS blade from Micro Tools Europe
Micro-Tools Europe Tools | Miniature Tools for Camera and Watch Repair
and Starret jeweller's screwdrivers off ebay to use them in.

JIS Driver Set ? iFixit Store UK
I bought mine from here - they didn't take too long to arrive either.

[photogem]

JIS Driver Set ? iFixit Store UK
I bought mine from here - they didn't take too long to arrive either.

Not the same quality as the Vessel from Japan!
The tip of those is none hardened and they can rust (see attachment)


If Moody, then get those which have hardened tips as do the Vessel from Japan!
I prefer the longer Vessels, particular when having to unscrew the solenoid of a Pentax or the batteryhook, their length is much easier for such critical regions!



Similar like a cheap camera compared to a good one!

Attached Images

 

[Benz3ne]

Not the same quality as the Vessel from Japan!
The tip of those is none hardened and they can rust (see attachment)


If Moody, then get those which have hardened tips as do the Vessel from Japan!
I prefer the longer Vessels, particular when having to unscrew the solenoid of a Pentax or the batteryhook, their length is much easier for such critical regions!



Similar like a cheap camera compared to a good one!

Interestingly, mine have a long, fully black shaft and tip (euphemism unintended).
I'll have to look at the Vessel branded ones you've mentioned, not that I use mine often.

[photogem]

It's not about how often one uses them but to buy the best ones suited to the work in demand.
If one has to exchange the solenoid in a Pentax K-30, K-50, K-500, K-S1, K-S2 or K-70

and....
if one has to disassemble an older defunct Pentaxbody for a Japan-made solenoid, then one will have much more difficulties with any of those
Moody-JIS screwdrivers because they are very short:



I had high quality (but similar short) made in Germany screw-drivers until I found those Vessels.

The angle to reach to the solenoid is too steep with such short ones because the grip is then in the way.

Same goes for this difficult to reach screw of the battery-hook:

[FotoPete]

Search for Vessel 9902 on ebay:
Great offers from Japan with cheap shipping costs.

JIS 0 and 00 included, both work perfect on all Pentax cameras

Good call, I bought the vessel 9902 kit from amazon and was worried for a moment as the packaging didn't explicitly say JIS but so far so good! The long length is great even for just lenses when some screws are in tight spaces and screwdriver bits are just too big. My vessel drivers needed to be magnetized though, I use a strong magnet to 'charge' them up before working.

[Digitalis]

Typically Jeweler hardware supply stores still sell hardened vanadium steel* JIS screwdrivers and pricier versions typically have long shafts that are well suited for camera repair.

* unfortunately due to the delicate nature of watch making jelwelers tools are by design resilient to any attempt to magnetize them. This can make working with small screws problematic.

[AdirondackMike]

Those screws that look like Phillips 00 and 000 in Japanese cameras and lenses? They aren't. They're JIS cross-heads and life's a lot simpler using JIS screw driver bits on 'em.

Whether you do this only once and run into trouble, or intend to do it often, it's worth your sanity to do it with the correct JIS tools so you don't risk stripping a screw head. T-shirts should be available for those that have been there, done that!

Sooner or later, you'll be sorry if you don't use the JIS bits since the Phillips bits make great roto-rooters in JIS screw heads because they don't fit all the way into the cross slots as you can see here:



If gentle torque with a common Phillips jeweler-type bit doesn't work, as a poor substitute, you might try filing a suitable flat-blade bit to the correct angle before you completely strip the JIS head.

[ Search "JIS screw drivers" on the net for sources. Generally less than $20 for a set of all four sizes. ]

H2

I just ordered 6 bits (00, 0, 1, 2, 3, 00) for about $14 + $7 something shipping.
Shipping sounds high but I placed order around 4 pm, I think, and they were delivered the next day.

Haven’t actually used them yet but fit seems right.
This was not a set, order individual pieces.
Ordered from McMaster-Carr

[photogem]

I just ordered 6 bits (00, 0, 1, 2, 3, 00) for about $14 + $7 something shipping.
Shipping sounds high but I placed order around 4 pm, I think, and they were delivered the next day.

Haven’t actually used them yet but fit seems right.
This was not a set, order individual pieces.
Ordered from McMaster-Carr

I have checked those bits on the McMaster-Carr website.
They got something wrong there because they name them JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) + JCIS (Japanese Camera Industrial Standard)
JIS is fine but JCIS there is misleading, there are no JCIS screws or screwdrivers but (just) JIS!

JCIS was never a "standard" for screws or screwdrivers but somehow this wrong concept sits crystalised in some manufacturers heads and won't change anymore. Wera, a German tool manufacturer is one of them, with all their nuts and screwdrivers of the size PH0 they mention "modificated according to JCIS" which again is not such a good idea: Allthough one can use JIS instead of PH but not the other way round, PH is still the best for PH screws.
All this is well explained by M Vettore:The saga of cross recess machine JCIS #0 screws By M.Vettore

For camera-repair the Vessel 9902 set imo is the very best:
Precision : 9902

I use them since a long time, superior to Wera (and Wera is very good) and Moody-Tools.
It is not so much the material but the length which is important, also when you work on lenses.
Bits for this kind of work are not at all usefull to me, much to large, even the small versions.

Added July 2023:
Meanwhile I did a lot of research, wrote to manufacturers and then started this thread:

A little bit of history: JCIS, JIS + PH screws and screwdrivers + about VESSEL - PentaxForums.com