Voigtlander Bessa Repair Advice Please

[m.c.fitz]

<p>Hello, I'm new to this forum, although not new to Photo.net<br /> I have my grandfather's Voigtlander and in general it is in very good condition. The bellows are light tight, and the lens is clean. I started using it again recently, and took several rolls of film with it, but the shutter release has now given up the ghost.<br /> The mechanism for firing can be cocked but the lever that trips the shutter release is no longer engaged, so the shutter does not work.<br /> Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to go about trying to take this apart and see if it can be repaired?<br /> It isn't a straightforward camera to use, since it is zone focus, but I have become quite fond of both using it and the 6x9 format.<br /> Here is the camera itself:<br /> <br /> <br /> In advance, thank you for any help or advice.</p><div></div>

[m.c.fitz]

<p>The last photo taken with the camera:</p><div></div>

[paul_wheatland]

<p>Partially close the camera and then reset the paddle that presses on the shutter release lever.</p>

[m.c.fitz]

<p>Paul, I tried doing that, but it didn't do the trick. Thanks for the suggestion.<br>

And I realise that I haven't correctly explained the situation.<br>

The paddle that presses on the shutter release lever is in place as it should be, and moves when I press the shutter release, but the lever that cocks and fires the shutter does not move. Something isn't connecting the one to the other.<br>

I don't know if that helps to describe it clearly, perhaps not...</p>

[charles_stobbs3]

Can you use a cable release?

[m.c.fitz]

<p>It takes a cable release, and I've tried that, but it doesn't fire the shutter.</p>

[Andrew in Austin]

<p>This Bessa has what appears to be a gap between release paddle on the front platform and the shutter release on the shutter assembly.</p>

<p>What happens when you push only the shutter release lever on the shutter itself???</p>

<p> </p><div></div>

[Andrew in Austin]

<p>Also - when you depress the camera's shutter release located on the rear of the front platform, does the release paddle move far enough to fully engage the release lever on the shutter assembly?</p>

[m.c.fitz]

<p>Thank you for replying, Andrew, here are the answers to your questions.</p>

<p>The gap between the release paddle and the shutter release is normal. The paddle swings away from that position when the bellows are folding to close the camera.</p>

<p>When activated, the paddle moves easily and completely into contact with the shutter release.</p>

<p>Pushing only the shutter release does absolutely nothing at all, same as using a cable to fire the mechanism.</p>

<p>None of these actions has any effect on the cocking lever at the top, except, perhaps, to unblock it, but not fire it.</p>

<p>If the shutter release is not activated after the cocking lever has been set to fire, then the cocking lever cannot be moved out of that position by gently nudging it.</p>

<p>Depressing the camera's shutter release at the rear platform activates the paddle, and it does indeed move far enough to fully engage the release lever on the shutter assembly.</p>

<p> </p>

[john_wiegerink1]

<p>Is your shutter release lever returning to its ready position? There is a tiny spring that forces the shutter release lever to return to the ready and if that spring is weak or off its pin, the shutter release lever won't come all the way back on its own. If it can't return to the ready then it's very similar to holding the shutter release down while cocking and the shutter will not stay cocked. Take your finger and hold the release lever back while trying to cock the cocking lever. If that's not the problem then then the shutter will have to be looked at. Also, can you open and close the shutter in the "T" position? John W</p>

[paul_wheatland]

<p>There are other problems that may cause this issue. Have the shutter leaves completely closed? Is there a self timer and has it completed it's cycle? On some shutters Time and Bulb do not require cocking/ arming actions by the user. There may be debris in the shutter escapement gears. Solution is flush clean with one drop of coleman fuel or lighter fluid, then exercise the shutter. Use the cable release socket to irrigate with One Drop of fluid. These hints are at your risk!!!</p>

[john_shriver]

<p>Carol Flutot of <a href="http://www.flutotscamerarepair.com">Flutot's Camera Repair</a> specializes in leaf shutters. She has a great reputation, and is not ruinously expensive. If you don't consider yourself as being of "high mechanical aptitude," best to send it to her.<br>

That looks like a high-end lens on that Bessa, so it's definitely worth having repaired.</p>

[Bill Bowes]

<p>Hello everyone. Several months ago I purchased a Bessa I off Ebay (from Australia) and experienced flaky operation (some of the above) of the camera. Wishing to have a fully functional camera, I sent it off to Jergen Krackel of Certos 6 "fame" for a CLA. Unit now is great! I must admit several other folders have gone his way, so I am "partial" to his work...check book is still intact. He is either on the web or at Ebay under Certos 6. Bill</p><div></div>

[ken_rapp]

<p>I would suggest skipping Certo6. I sent my 1937 Bessa with Compur shutter and Skopar lens to Certo. I got it back with a gash in the bellows and a note saying he couldn't set the shutter timing correctly after cleaning the shutter. When I griped about the gash in the shutter he sent me a piece of leather with adhesive on the back to patch the bellows. Total hack in my opinion.</p>

[m.c.fitz]

<p>John Wiegerink, thank you for your input.</p>

<p>Yes, the shutter release lever returns to the ready position, but at this point the cocking lever has had enough, and will not return to the preset position <em>at all</em>, even after having activated the shutter release.<br>

The shutter cannot be opened and closed in any position, T or otherwise.</p>

<p>Thank you again for your help.</p>

<p> </p>

[m.c.fitz]

<p>Paul, yes, the shutter leaves are completely closed. Before putting film in the camera I verified that all speeds and apertures worked in terms of the shutter leaves.</p>

<p>Self timer has completed its cycle. More than once in this attempt to diagnose the problem.</p>

<p>Thank you again for your questions and insight.</p>

[m.c.fitz]

<p>John Shriver, Bill Bowes, thank you for taking the time to suggest several repair services. Unfortunately they seem to be in the U.S., but I do not live in that part of the world.</p>

<p>Shipping, return shipping, payments, currency exchanges, tarif for payments etc, quickly make a repair somewhat exhorbitant.</p>

<p>Ken Rapp, thank you for your feedback and so sorry that you had bad experience with one of the suggested repair facilities.</p>

[Argenticien]

<p>M.C., which part of the world <em>do </em>you live in? (I could not derive a clue from last picture made by the Bessa, nor from the picture <em>of </em>the Bessa, where you've so blurred the background that I cannot see what language the books are in!) We have helpful people on this forum in UK, Europe, Australia, NZ, India, and scattered a few other places outside North America. Someone might know of a good repair-person near you. These old folder shutters (Compurs, Prontors, &c.) are somewhat standard, such that many competent technicians ("of a certain age," perhaps I should add) can work on them. It's not like some of the obscure camera models with bizarre proprietary designs, where you'll find that only one person in each hemisphere has specialised on it.<br>

<br /><em>--Dave</em></p>

[James G. Dainis]

I believe M.C. lives in the southeastern part of France.

[andrew_brown7]

<p>Hi,<br>

I just dragged out an old Compur shutter in a lens and tried it...as you cock it there are 2 distinct phases the lever goes through, to the point at which it is cocked. I have been looking at Rick Oleson's site where he explains how to repair a Compur shutter, and has wonderful line drawings to assist you; I just typed in the very logical 'how to repair a Compur shutter' and his site appeared and there's lots of other assistance offered.<br>

I lived in France for a bit and wouldn't trust them to repair anything delicate !; the days of Neipce and Daguerre are long gone and it's probably safest to have a go yourself.</p>

[m.c.fitz]

<p>Andrew Brown, thank you so much. I've taken a look at Rick Oleson's site and think it is going to be helpful.</p>

<p>I would like to give this a try myself. I already know how expensive camera repairs and a good CLA costs, having had some equipment - Leica IIIC, Rolleiflex - repaired and given a thorough CLA by excellent people in Holland. But I am not sure they handle folding cameras, and the camera repair budget has been stretched to the limit at this point. <br /><br /><br>

The cost of putting this camera into working order again would mount very quickly, especially if it had to be sent away somewhere for repairs. The cost of reliable transport alone is high, which means using the French postal system is out of the question, as reliable it is not.</p>

<p>However it is a sweet camera and has sentimental value as well, so attempts shall be made to get it working again.</p>

<p>Thank you again for your help and suggestions.</p>

[fwstutterheim]

<p>This is a reliable repair shop in France. Just in case ...<br>

<a href="http://www.ateliergms.com/obturateurscentraux/obturateurscentraux.html">http://www.ateliergms.com/obturateurscentraux/obturateurscentraux.html</a> </p>