RZ cocking lever and shutter release problem

<p>Hi,<br>

I just bought a mint RZ body, back (Ebay – top seller) and 5 lenses (KEH), so Items should be in perfect working order, I guess I’m doing something wrong then. I've never worked with an RZ before.<br>

I've put a new battery in, the back is secure on the body, there’s no film loaded and the dark slide is out.<br>

As the manual says: “it is best to become acquainted with the method of releasing the shutter before using film in the camera”<br>

The steps are:<br>

1) Rotate the release button collar until it is aligned with the one immediately below, check<br>

2) Remove the dark slide, check<br>

3) Set the R-M lever to the “M”position, check<br>

4) Push the cocking lever all the way down<br>

I can’t (I know it’s not a good idea to try and force anything)<br>

5) press the shutter release button<br>

When I do press the button I hear a series 3 rapid beeps but nothing happens</p>

<p>I found some relating posts on photo.net, but nothing that works in my case<br>

Also, I can’t rotate the release button collar till it aligns with the orange dot (manual mode)<br>

When I take off the lens, I can open up the shutter blades manually with the shutter cocking pins, but they only go as far as the green dot (the manual says rotate them as far as they will go – to the red dot) then if I attach the lens to the body, the shutter blades automatically close. In M mode the lever won't come down and I hear the beeps.<br>

This time I tried to push and rotate the cocking pins harder, but still the green dot is the farthest possible. Now when I attach the lens to the body, the shutter blades stay open? But when I push the cocking lever down (the release button collar is now between the M and R mode), the lever just comes up again, and an orange light appears in the WLF when I press the shutter release button? In M mode I can’t push the cocking lever down as in my previous attempt and I hear the beeps<br>

What am I doing wrong?</p>

<p>Regards,<br>

Wim</p>

<p>Have you checked the mirror lock-up thingie?</p>

<p>I need a cable release to lock the mirror up, I don't have one.</p>

<p>No, I mean, is the MLU on the lens enabled? Have you tried cocking and firing the lens without the body?</p>

<p>You have 5 lenses, correct? <br /> Are you saying you are unable to properly cock all five lenses manually?<br /> Do you have another film back?<br /> In your post, there appears to be some nomenclature confusion. The "collar" is around the shutter button on the front of the camera body. The "R-M" switch is on the side of the camera body.</p>

<p> </p>

<blockquote>"Now when I attach the lens to the body, the shutter blades stay open? But when I push the cocking lever down (the release button collar is now between the M and R mode), the lever just comes up again, and an orange light appears in the WLF when I press the shutter release button."</blockquote>

<p>You have insured that none of the lenses have the mirror-lock-up, MLU collars raised. There will be a visible red ring around the MLU Collar, ON THE LENS! <br>

If the collars are raised, they can be returned to their flush, deactivated position using a paper clip.<br>

Gently.</p>

<p>Try following all of the procedures in this link.<br /> http://www.photo.net/medium-format-photography-forum/00XyCn</p>

<p>You need to insure that none of the lenses have the "T", Time Switch activated.<br>

That is a little sliding switch, located on the top of the lens, (top, when mounted).<br /> Make sure the "N" is visible, accomplished by pushing the little metal release button,<br /> (about the size of a typewritten dash).<br /> You also need to make sure you have the camera body mirror, in sequence with the lens shutter, before you mount the lens. <br /> Page 36 at this link.<br /> http://www.cameramanuals.org/mamiya_pdf/mamiya_rz67_proii-2.pdf</p>

<p>Hi Marc and Bueh,<br>

I only have 2 lenses at the moment (110 and 140), more under way. I can cock them manually and open up the shutter blades (I guess the cocking pins are not meant to stay on the red dot, I can turn them till they line up, but then they spring back to the green dot) I close them manually by pressing and holding one of the pins and simultaneously pushing and turning the cocking pins back, the shutter blades then close again.<br>

I don't have another film back, (I read your other post) it's an RZ (old) one, that might explain something, or maybe give trouble later? <br>

The "T" switch is not activated on either of the two lenses, the "N" is visible<br>

I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you mean by the MLU collar on the lens. I have the booklet besides me and there isn't a part named MLU collar, I can see the "mirror release operating socket" but that's probably not what you mean. I can't see ANY visible red ring anywhere on the lens<br>

<strong>The main problem</strong> is that I can't advance the cocking lever forward while in "M" mode, it won't budge at all. When the "R-M" switch is in the middle, the lever moves forward, I can hear the spool turn (no film), but the shutter isn't cocked. When I push the shutter release button I get an orange light<br>

<strong> </strong></p>

<p>Sorry, "Mirror Release Operating Socket", or mirror-lock-up, MLU, means the same thing. <br /> Page 33 of the Butkus manual link I previously listed above, pictures the location of what I'm referring to. <br /> If the chrome MLU collar on your lenses are recessed, (down and flush into it's little housing), with no red stripe showing, then we don't have an issue with that for now.</p>

<p>Since your film back is empty, does the frame counter window on your film back show an "S" in the window?</p>

<p>Remove the film back. Lens installed. R-M switch to M. Shutter collar ON, (white dot to white dot).</p>

<p>Will the shutter cock and fire, or do you get lights in the view finder?</p>

<p>With the film back removed, the camera should not fire with the R-M switch in the normal, or centered position,<br /> but it should cock and fire in the M position.</p>

<p>Next, re-install the film back, with dark slide inserted. R-M switch at M. Try the shutter button.<br /> Shutter not cocked, Orange light should show. Shutter not cocked, and dark slide still inserted, both Orange and Red lights should show.</p>

<p>Pull the dark slide out. Now only Orange un-cocked light should show. Will the shutter cock in either M, or normal.</p>

<p>Jump between these two scenarios a couple of times. Back on, back off. Dark slide in, dark slide out.<br /> Try to cock and fire, sometimes in M, sometimes switch centered. Mix it up.</p>

<p>Keep a note of each procedure sequence you try, report your observations.</p>

<p>Oh, and yes, the cocking pins on the lenses do return back to the green dots after being cocked.</p>

<p>Thanks Marc, I'll try that and let you know</p>

<p>The filmback does show an S, and it is the Pro II back apparantly</p>

<p>Marc, thank you very much for your advice, everything works perfectly! Thank you! I'm a happy man.<br>

So It seems that the order or sequence in which one performs all the actions is very important. <br>

One more question, when storing lenses for a longer time, should I close the shutter blades of the lenses again, or leave them cocked?</p>

<p>Besides saying "Professional II," the Pro II backs have two film counter windows, for seeing the counter in either vertical, or horizontal orientation. The original Pro backs just have one window. </p>

<p>With your film back off the camera, look at the rear of the camera. Near the upper right hand corner where the the pencil sized advancing drive is located, look just below that drive, (about a 1/4 inch below).<br>

You will see two pins sticking out. Exercise these pins with your finger or fingernail several times.</p>

<p>Between these two pins, plus the center pin in the advancing drive, this is how the film back interfaces, or communicates with the camera body, ie...dark slide...film loaded...etc. I don't really know exactly, which is which, but they do need to be operating freely.</p>

<p>Un-cock the lens for storing. Fire the mirror so it is in the raised position too.</p>

<p>Wim, glad to hear the good news.<br>

Another thing you might do in the future, acquire an old outdated, or cheap roll of film. <br /> Purposely sacrifice this roll for mechanical trouble shooting. You can load it, act like you're shooting for real, check to see that your film counter advances/records correctly.</p>

<p>In the future, should you get negatives returned, and you notice the frame spacing is off, you can remove the lens, and use a felt tip pen to mark on this sacrificial roll, to visualize the extent of any spacing problems.</p>

<p>When you're done with these little trouble shooting events, hand roll the film back onto an empty spool, (like it's a new roll), and you're ready for the next time you feel a need to trouble shoot.</p>

<p>Hi Marc, there are two film counter windows on the back and the two pins on the camera operate freely.<br>

I just found an expired role of film, I'll use that to test<br>

One more thing, when the camera body arrived, the mirror was down, now when I cock the lever of the body (with the lens attached), the lens shutter blades open up, I then press the shutter release to fire the mirror, but now the lens won't come off. If I want to take the lens off, I have to cock the lever (without firing the shutter!) now I can turn the lens collar and take the lens off. But now the mirror is in the down position, the way I received it.</p>

<p>Ok. <br /> Wim, for long term storage, store your lenses with the shutters un-cocked.</p>

<p>There is a method to the madness reason why you can't, or shouldn't remove an un-cocked lens from your camera body, and the reason is sort of an industry standard, born from common sense.</p>

<p>When the camera is un-cocked, the mirror is up. If you were to remove the lens, and you had film in the camera, and/or you forgot to insert the dark slide, that frame on the film would be ruined. When you cock the camera, the mirror drops down and acts as a light baffle, a secondary shutter, further protecting your film from being inadvertently ruined by light exposure.</p>

<p>That is one of the main reasons you can't, or shouldn't remove your lens from the camera, un-cocked.<br /> Learn good habits now, they will keep you out of trouble later.</p>

<p>If you were to store your camera body for long term storage, you might not have a lens on the body, maybe you would.<br /> If lens on body, fire the shutter button, then store. Both the body mirror, and the lens will be relaxed or fired.<br /> If just the body, no lens, put the R-M switch to M, fire the shutter. Mirror will raise to it's relaxed, mirror up position.</p>

<p>Lenses will always need to be manually relaxed or fired, for long term storage, because they will always be removed, (and re-installed), in the cocked state.</p>

<p>In either event, for long term storage, remember to also remove the battery.</p>

<p>Just remember the lens shutter, to camera body mirror sequence, when re-installing a lens onto your camera body. Easiest sequence to remember.<br /> Lens shutter always cocked, (pins turned to green dots), and camera body cocked, (mirror down). <br /> And, that is the way they always come apart,..cocked!</p>

<p>Thanks for all the advice, much appreciated!</p>

 

<p>Glad to be of help, Marc</p>

Hi Wim,

 

Could you please tell me what solved the issue. Because I have a near minor rz67 pro ii with the same problem. I can't advance the cocking lever in M. It's only works when the shutter button is on the red dot. I don't have a battery or film in this yet.