dan_price

So i'm now pretty sure of the problem (at least with my camera...)

It's the mirror-stop just inside the camera body. This is what adjusts the height of the mirror via turning THE tiniest screw in the world. It's also made of plastic and is very delicate. I found that mine was bent and when trying to adjust it, it broke. WHOOPS. Going to get a quote from a Mamiya repair place to replace broken part...

Not greatest news but now i know for sure why i wasn't getting sharp pics!

other helpful/similar threads:

http://www.photo.net/medium-format-photography-forum/00F3zL

http://www.photo.net/medium-format-photography-forum/00MzLL

http://www.photo.net/medium-format-photography-forum/00OL1E

SAME PROBLEM!!

I too have 645 Super and have come up with similar disappointing soft focus results - and i KNOW the camera can perform way better. (Mamiya make great lenses etc).

Im pretty sure that with me there is no problem with the lens (I've shot with two different lenses, same same soft problem). Having done some research. i think i know what the problem is.

I think it's to do with the mirror calibration and/or focus screen adjustment. If either are incorrectly aligned/positioned/calibrated, the image will not be correctly focused on the film plane (but in the view finder it will look in focus.)

The mirror can be adjusted via a tiny (repeat TINY) screw accessable with the lens off. I believe the idea is you set the lens to infinity and view a subject you are certain is at infinity. Then the mirror is adjusted until the subject is properly focused. For the focus screen it is to with up/down height. if this is even the slightest bit out, then obviously you will be incorrectly focusing to correspond with the film plane. This is adjusted again with tiny screws or different sized spacers. Need to check.

This week i intend to try and get to the bottom of the problem & fix it!! (HOPEfully fix it at home - no £100 repair fee. Hmm... we'lll see!)

I have successfully done whay you are trying to do (sort of). There is a paste/glue call

'Image Maker' made by Dylon (links below). This looks just like PVA glue and you spread it

all over your printed out image (from inkjet, but i think a laserjet or photocopy is best)

then 'glue' it face down on to your surface (i have done it on wood, but it's advertised for

TShirts). Then you let it dry. Then you use water with a sponge and your fingers and rub

like crazy for about 20 minutes to rub off all the paper. (we were doing a whole 8ftx4ft

board - took a few hours!) This then leaves the image attached to whatever surface you

stuck it too. Just remember to print it back to front!

<br><br>

When i did it we were used a B&W laser print out (two A0 prints) and it wasn't a photo but

lots of text. The result was impressive. No screwed up image (well not noticable). but you

do have to rub for ages. You think you rubbed enough. But you haven't.

<br><br>

Hope it helped!

Dan

<br><br>

http://www.dylon.co.uk/colourcentre/imagemaker/imagemaker.htm

<br>

http://search.ebay.co.uk/image-maker_W0QQfkrZ1QQfnuZ1QQfromZR8

OK, next update, now with the prism off (having taken exposure reading with it initially and

then manually setting shutter/aperture) no exposure can be made. All seems fine up to the

point of pressing the button where nothing happens. Exposure can be made no problem in

mechanical mode so i think it could be electronics problem, or a faulty solenoid.

Going to Mamiya specialist camera shop at weekend!

Thanks B... just tried removing the AE prism (after taking correct reading through it) to see if

it worked without the prism and it does! To confirm: no prism, in normal mode (ie not

mechanical mode) and it fired like it should. i read in another thread that a girl had similar

symptoms (with a 1000s) and found she had to use a silver-oxide battery. And also had a

lock-up when her shutter speed dial on her prism wasn't working. Temporary solution was to

take the light reading with the prism then disengage the prism to expose the photo!

Not great, but maybe the culprit is the ruddy prism!??

thanks again

ok. tried new battery and same deal. This is what the symptoms are emerging to be: Wind

on to take another picture - everything seems fine ie AE prism working etc - but i depress

the shutter release button and nothing happens. OR the mirror goes up and doesnt come

down (have to switch momentarily to mechanical mode to lower mirror).

I managed to fire a shot (with the mirror going up and staying), so released by

momentarily switching to mechanical mode, then, after winding on again, it doesnt even

fire at all.

Damn!

Maybe it needs a good clean out? - mirror sticking to foam seals or hinge needs clean? but

when i go to mechanical mode i takes a photo fine (at a fixed shutter speed of 1/60th)!!

For this reason i dont think it is a mechanical fault.

Electronic connection fault?!

help

Hi Bueh B, the model is Mamiya 645 super with AE prism. got new battery today, also tested

the power of the old battery (which i should have thought of yesterday!) and the old battery

has pretty much the same charge as the new one. As in it's not a dead battery!! hmm.

problem expands... will test new battery after dinner...!

again, any more info greatfully recieved..

Dan

Hi everyone, using my second hand M645 for the first time (eBay buy from reputable seller) and

encountering the following problem:

After taking 5 or so exposures, I have erratic behaviour of the mirror locking up (I switch to yellow

function to release it) and also after progressing the film the shutter release button has no effect - no

photo is taken.

After reading all related forums on this on photo.net, it seems the first thing to try is replace the battery

(even though the battery meter light is working). I hope this is the solution.

I'll replace battery tomorrow and repost in this thread, but wanted to see if this has been a usual solution

to a usual problem etc...

Any info greatly appreciated, Dan