Mamiya C33 Winding Lever

[jordan_p._h._stein]

<p>I just received a Mamiya C33 from a mentor of mine and it appears to be in perfect condition. It currently has a 105 lens on it and it works fine. </p>

<p>However, my problem appears to be with the winding lever. I have read the manual and I am unsure if there is something I am doing incorrectly. When I load film and wind the lever, all works fine. The problem arrises when I get to either 6 on the counter or 9. When it hits those numbers (Rare that 6 happens), it stops allowing me to advance and I cannot press the shutter release button on the camera. Something seems to jam up, but only at 6 or 9 on the counter. <br>

Any ideas?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

[dave_s]

<p>I'm not sure whether you're saying it won't advance, or the shutter won't trip, which are two different operations. Anyway, here's some suggestions.</p>

<p>(i) First thing is the camera has a bunch of mechanical safety interlocks. One of them prevents you from tripping the shutter without advancing the film (unless you have it set on 'multi-exposure'). </p>

<p>Check this one first. When the crank has turned completely, the shutter cocking lever (lower right of the lens as you look at the front) should have moved to the 'down' position. If it hasn't moved down, then that's the problem. Just pull the cocking lever down manually, like you would on a C3 or a C220. </p>

<p>However, I don't think that's your problem, if it's only occurring at 6 and 9 (or just 9).</p>

<p>(ii) So, second thing: see if the problem occurs when you're dry-firing the camera with no film in the back. If it works OK, but it always locks up when there's film in the back, it would suggest the problem is somewhere in the film transport itself. (If it doesn't work OK without film, that doesn't help, and the problem could still be in the film transport.)</p>

<p>(iii) Third thing, dry-fire 12 shots through the back with the lens plate off and just a hole in the front of the camera. Look up how to remove the lens if you don't know. You'll have to move the 'unlock' knob back to 'lock' after you remove the lens, in order to operate the camera. Of course there's no shutter if the lens is off, but you'll still have to trip the shutter release each time, in order to release the interlock. If it advances OK through 12 exposures, but it doesn't with the lens on, it suggests something in the lens is holding it up. (That's probably not likely, if the problem is not with the shutter interlock in (i) above.)</p>

<p>I'm no expert, but you might be able to isolate the problem by doing those things. Let us know how you get on with it. When the dust clears, your camera's over 40 years old, and you may need to invest in a CLA.</p>

<p>FWIW, the world authority on Mamiya TLRs is a guy named Graham Patterson, but he hasn't posted here for nearly two years. He still has an excellent website on Mamiya TLRs but I don't think he's updated it for some time. There also used to be a good TLR forum on the Mamiya USA site. It was good for techy questions like this. Unfortunately Mamiya discontinued it.</p>

<p>Excellent camera by the way, even if big heavy TLRs are not fashionable right now. It was good enough for Diane Arbus, anyway. For certain purposes, Mamiya TLRs arguably have all other medium format cameras beat.</p>

[jordan_p._h._stein]

<p>Thank you very much for your detailed response. <br>

I took the camera to a neighborhood camera store and the owner seems to think the mechanism may be broken. <br>

The lens is perfectly fine, the problem is solely with advancing the film. Whether or not film is in the camera. I currently have an empty spool in the take up spot.<br>

Let me start over with a detailed list of steps. <br>

1. Open back to reset counter.<br>

2. Turn knob to "Lock" to allow light to hit the film.<br>

3. Begin advancing film. Move clockwise one revolution, then move counter-clockwise partially until the lever aligns. <br>

4. The camera now seems operational until the counter hits 6 or 9. Sometimes other numbers. It how locks up and the lever will not rotate and since the shutter has not been cocked, the shutter release will not budge. <br>

5. The only way that the camera will advance to 12 and then continue forward is by 'gently' pushing on the shutter release and then moving the lever at the same time. <br>

What do you think? I wish I didn't have to send it in, because the camera is in such wonderful condition, just the gears much have some trouble.<br>

Thank you!</p>

[dave_s]

<p>Jordan, hi. Your items 4 and 5 above suggest it is one of the safety interlocks that is causing you grief. Having said that, I don't know why it chooses to fail at frames 6 or 9.</p>

<p>Specifically, I think it's the 'blank-exposure' interlock which prevents you from advancing the film before you have taken a picture. It is located somewhere in the front right side of the camera, behind the narrow aluminum plate which makes up the body release. The camera is designed so you *have* to use the body release, either manually or with a cable, in order to free up the crank. (In other words, you can't just flick the little triangular lever on the shutter itself.)</p>

<p>You may be able to find a workaround. Try doing these things:</p>

<p>(i) Scenario 1: If the film is advanced and the shutter has not cocked, cock the shutter manually, which is what you would do on a C3 or a C220. This means you move the cocking lever on the shutter by hand, from the two o'clock to the four o'clock position. Then take a picture in the usual way, using the body release.</p>

<p>(ii) Scenario 2: If the film won't advance because the crank won't turn, you need to free up that 'blank-exposure' interlock behind the sliding body release. Cock the shutter manually, as in (i) above, to get it out of the way. Then hold the cocking lever down at its four o'clock position so the shutter won't trip, while you press on the body release a few times to try to free up the interlock. Jiggle it a few times, and it should move up and down about 5mm. You may find that this frees up the crank so you can advance to the next frame-- and you've already cocked the shutter by hand. Then take a picture in the usual way.</p>

<p>FWIW, I just found out you can advance through a whole roll without tripping the shutter by repeating the manoeuvre in (ii). I didn't know that was possible.</p>

<p>If this doesn't work, you may need to look for a tech who can CLA a C33 at a reasonable price. I don't know who the good Mamiya TLR techs are, but you may be able to find one. I don't think this should be a difficult repair, but of course no new parts will be available. </p>

<p>Tell us how you get on with this, and good luck.</p>

 

[graham_patterson1]

<p>It sounds like a problem with the film/shutter interlock inside the camera. The C33 had a lot of variations, though the only externally visible one was the option to use a 220 back. The 220-capable models have a small cut-out in the chrome at the top right of the back, and a second film counter reset located there. It does not sound like this body has the 22 option.</p>

<p>The only other thing to check is that the toothed wheel inside the film take-up chamber is evenly sprung. This is what measures the actual film advanced. If that is misbehaving, the counter will be off. I usually use a sacrificial film or just a roll of backing paper if I want to exercise the transport.<br>

<br />The C33 back is thicker metal than the later models, but it is also worth making sure that the back is fully latched in both corners. I suspect a problem with the internal mechanism.</p>

<p>I have not updated my web pages recently because the Mamiya stuff has not changed. It has been around twenty years since the last of the Mamiya TLRs were made, after all. And I certainly don't consider myself a 'world authority'. I just collate information!</p>

<p>Graham</p>