JLachiw

I recently picked up a Hasselblad 500ELM in pretty nice shape, though it's jammed. I disassembled the camera a few times, and finally figured out the likely issue. For whatever reason, when you fire the camera, it jams mid-firing sequence, it goes far enough for the mirror to flip up, but stops just short of the lens' shutter fully closing before the exposure, and before the rear doors open. Does anyone know how to fix this issue? At one point I had removed the internals from the camera's shell, but couldn't find a way to remove the large gear that couples from the motor drive to the film advance gear.

 

Anyone have any advice? A repair manual would be incredibly helpful, I did find a 555ELD repair manual, and a 500CM manual, but both cameras have enough differences from the 500ELM that it was only partially helpful. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hey all,

 

So I've been having issues with light leaks on my Rolleiflex SL66 magazines, and at first, I was unsure about where they were coming from. As a result, I've had the magazines disassembled multiple times to try and find the issue, to no avail. However, just recently I found the issue, the back plate of the magazine does not fully press against the body of the magazine. Essentially, there's a small enough gap between the back plate and the magazine itself to let light into the film chamber.

 

How should I fix this? I've tried adding some light-proof foam to the interior, but the material I have is too thick and probably shifted the plane of focus a bit. So far, the only solution that kind of works is having a strip of gaffer's tape around the bottom of the magazine. Anyone know how I could fix this? Its not down to the screws being loose, in fact I tightened one of the screws so strongly that the entire head cracked off, which was fun to deal with.

 

Thanks

One eBay offer later, and my shutter is looking whole again! Seems to be working perfectly as well, and the assembly fit right into place. Thanks everyone for your help!

 

Since its a drop-in module common to just about all the black barrel lenses, you should be able to harvest one yourself from another as-is beater lens with damaged glass. These occasionally turn up on eBay for $40 or so. Look for less popular focal lengths like the 135mm, and defects that would lower the price but have no impact on you (dented filter ring, missing aperture handle, etc). Tho realistically, it may be simpler and quicker to just look for a fully functional replacement lens, and sell this gutted one for parts/repair.

 

Unless this is the unusual final 80mm "S" lens from the same era as the C330S (plain black front filter rings with no engraved wording or numbers around the front elements, marked "Mamiya-Sekor-S" on the top barrel). The 80mm S has become rather scarce and sought after as the final C330S and C220F bodies gained collectible status, with prices averaging double what the normal blue dot 80mm goes for. So its probably worth the trouble of repairing an 80 S with a slow speed escapement harvested from a donor. The standard black barrel or blue dot 80mm is easier to find at reasonable replacement cost vs buying a donor for repair.

 

It does happen to be one of those later 80mm f2.8 lens, but I didn't know there was a increase in value for this lens. Also, is there a distinct difference between blue-dot shutters, and non-blue-dot shutters? I found a potential donor Seiko shutter on eBay, but it is a non-blue-dot shutter, are the internals close, if not identical?

I recently bought a Mamiya C330s with a 80mm f2.8 lens. I've cleaned and serviced these shutters before, so when its slow speeds weren't working, I decided to crack it open. I quickly discovered the issue: the slow speed assembly is completely missing. Is it actually missing, or is this just an new version of the shutter assembly?

 

Hello all,

 

So I recently got a Rolleiflex SL66, and there seems to be a slight issue with the negatives I get from the camera. I think I've narrowed it down the the shutter (see this previous post), but I've been wondering how easy it would be to clean the shutter. The rear plate seems quite easy to remove, only 10 flat-head screws to remove it- at least I think. I've seen photos of the left panel removed, right panel removed, but never the rear panel, so should I assume it isn't a part I should remove? Anyone have any information? I bought the repair manual online for $10, and that manual seemingly glosses over that part entirely.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Anyone know what's hidden behind the rear plate of the SL66? The plate covering the shutter area has several screws holding it on, but even in the repair manual I paid $10 for, there's no description about whats behind it. I imagine removing that would let me check on the shutter curtains, but I don't want some springs flying out at me, or parts of the camera falling loose. I've found photos of both side panels removed, but none of the back panel, so should I assume its off-limits?

There's a locking collar around the shutter button. Was this in the locked position when you lifted the cover off by any chance?

 

It was unlocked when I removed it, but the key issue is the shutter release acts like the shutter is ready to fire. It can be pushed down entirely but whatever mechanism couples it to the actual shutter mechanism seems to be disconnected.

Hello all,

 

I currently have a Nikon F2 completely apart, I have the mirror box removed, the top-right and bottom plates removed, and the speed knob and film counter assemblies removed. I initially had an issue where the advance lever was jammed, but now that it works the shutter release won't work. I can release the shutter manually by pushing the release under the bottom plate with my screwdriver, but the main shutter release won't work. Anyone know what the issue might be? Are there some parts out of alignment?

 

Thanks

If one of the shutter blinds is leaning to one side, then I suspect it either has a broken tape or there are sticky rollers or bearings on one side.

 

Usually, there's just one tensioning spring per blind that affects the whole roller equally, it's not split side-to-side. However, Rollei might have done something different.

 

Roller tension needs to be equal between the two blinds, otherwise the 'slit' will vary in width as it crosses the frame, and give uneven exposure in the direction of shutter travel. That's not what appears to be happening here. It's much more likely that you have excessive friction in the roller(s) or bearings that the guide-tapes of the shutter run over. Maybe even a loose or broken tape. Whatever. The shutter needs attention.

 

The last thing I would do is mess with the blind tension. First port of call would be to check the condition of the bearings, rollers and tapes. Because if you release the blind tension, as you should do before re-tensioning the shutter, you'll need quite sophisticated timing equipment to check the run of the shutter.

 

I don't know if this will help narrow down the issue, but when cocking the shutter, the seam between the curtains is perfectly horizontal. It only appears angled when firing the shutter.

 

Also, are there any actions I can take before tearing down the camera?

At 1000th of a second, the slit in a medium-format FP shutter is only about 1mm wide. That means it only takes a fleck of paint, dust or other detritus on the edge of one blind to cause an uneven exposure streak down the entire frame.

 

So if the opposing edges of both blinds are dirty (or maybe covered in decomposed black foam) then it's easy to see how multiple streaks could be formed.

 

Add in the distinct possibility of one blind travelling faster or slower than another, and an area with complete lack of exposure is quite likely.

 

Any FP shutter that's lain unused for a long time should certainly be visually checked and 'exercised' by repeated firing before use. Then, if there is a fault, it may clear itself, or worsen. That's a matter of luck!

 

Last night I checked the shutter with my phone's camera, it can manage some slow-motion but nothing too impressive, and I was able to see that the left side of the shutter starts traveling before the right side. Essentially, what should be a vertical slit is instead slightly angled, so that's what's causing that dark area.

 

Now, anyone know how hard it is to adjust the tensioning for the shutter curtain on a Rolleiflex SL66? I've found quite a few photos of the shutter mechanism itself, and there are two quite obvious tensioning knobs for each curtain. Would adjusting it be as self-explanatory as that, or would it be more complicated?

Thanks everyone for the input. I think I can rule out processing errors since the mark appears quite consistently in the same spot on negatives, but it does not overlap into another frame. I'll have to look over the camera and the magazine, check if there might be something internally blocking part of the film or causing it to be less exposed. Hopefully it isn't the shutter, I seem to have terrible luck with medium format cameras with focal plane shutters, and I especially don't want to try and find someone to service a Rolleiflex SL66. I can only imagine how expensive that would be.

 

Anyways, thanks again, and I'll be sure to update if I find any solution.

At first sight I'm inclined to think it's insufficient agitation during development -- "bromide drag."

(But I'm not always right!)

 

That is there seems to be soft vertical streaks in addition to the darkness in the corner. Not familiar with that camera -- does the film travel vertically or horizontally in it? Rephrased, is the top edge of this image along the edge of the film or does it run across the width. The latter would tend to rule out my theory.

 

The camera has vertically traveling film, and a vertically traveling shutter. I used a Pentacon Six before, with a horizontally traveling shutter, and horizontally traveling film, and that camera had inconsistent curtain speeds at 1/1000, so I'd get dark streaks. However, those were across the entire negative, whereas these are very localized.

 

Would bromide drag occur even if it was lab developed? I've used them for several years, never had an issue before.

Hello all,

 

I recently got a Rolleiflex SL66, and ran a few rolls through it. On some negatives, there is a noticeably dark area at the top of some photos (when inverted from the negatives). I've attached a particularly extreme example of the issue, but that image is unedited: that's how it came out of my scanner.

Let me know what you might think it is? Is it a scanner issue, a shutter issue, or a film magazine issue?

 

Thanks

 

Recently, I picked up a Wollensak 15 inch f5.6 lens, the kind pulled from old aerial cameras, thats been attached to a Wollensak Alphax #4 shutter. I'd like to start using the lens, but the only issue is the shutter does not have the f-stops marked. Anyone have any tips on how I could figure out and mark the f-numbers, or perhaps someone has a similar lens and I could copy their markings?

The other day I was attempting to fix a stuck frame counter on my Nikon F, the furthest it would go back was 20, and with two of the three screws holding the counter's frame on being corroded the best option I saw was to apply lighter fluid to the roll size reminder, and hope the fluid flowed into the mechanism. It was working, but I needed to advance the counter to 36 since the movement helped clear the mechanism. In the process I was advancing the camera while set in Rewind to quicken the process, and after doing this a few times the lever suddenly could not advance the camera. The lever still moves but whatever connects the lever to the advancement mechanism is disconnected. The shutter works fine if I turn the toothed spool on my own.

 

I'd try and investigate myself but as I mentioned two of the screws which hold the outside of the frame counter on are corroded and cannot be removed, and thats the first step in removing the top cover. Is this worth trying to get fixed? I have a local repair technician thats experienced and well trusted that I'd bring this too, but I don't know how easy of a fix this is. Plus the repairs might cost more than a functional body, since I've found Nikon F bodies on eBay for around $80. Any advice is appreciated.

First off: Does the RH-10 even fit on a quarter plate camera? Mine's designed to only fit a standard 5"x4" Graflok or international back.

Its definitely a 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 camera, along with that film back came some normal sheet film holders, marked with 3 1/4 x 4 1/4. Also its quite smaller than my 4x5 Graflex I have. ;)

 

Anyways, today I decided to take the body release cable from my 4x5 and transplant it to my smaller Graflex. I thought taking the bracket off the 4x5 was difficult, but then hours later, I had the front standard and bellows off the 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 just so I could screw in the mechanism. I eventually got those tiny screws in, and now my little Graflex has an operational body shutter release. It all took a lot of modifications, time, and yelling at tiny screws that kept falling.

 

In the end it was an absolute pain, that I don't recommend anyone trying, but now I have a greater appreciation for Graflex cameras. Everything was surprisingly easy to disassemble, and the design is really simple yet durable.

Hello all,

 

I recently picked up a 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 Graflex Crown Graphic and some accessories for next to nothing, and along with those accessories was an RH-10 back. I'd like to use this as a clunky, oversized 120 film rangefinder, but my only issue is the camera doesn't have the cable for the built-in shutter release button. I'd like to get a cable, but the parts I've seen so far are for 4x5 cameras, and if I assume correctly, that would be too long for the smaller form factor. Anyone know of a good source for parts, or somewhere that is selling one? I realize this is a very specific issue, but the shutter my camera came with is the Flash Supermatic, which has a quite short shutter release lever thats difficult to reach while holding the camera.

 

If you know of anyone with this part, or perhaps have one you're willing to part with, any information is greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

Thanks everyone for the input, I tried a few things and finally found a good option.

 

I tried cleaning the numbers first, I was able to remove some grime but the paint was still heavily faded. From other sources I looked at online enamel paints were recommended for their durability, so I got a green enamel paint-pen. Unfortunately, the green paint was too dark, and the pen wasn't as fine-tipped as I was hoping. However, the paint did seem to work well, so I bought some normal enamel paint, the kind used for modeling, and figured out a good method:

1. Use a fine-tipped brush (I used a superfine Microbrush) to apply paint in the engraving. Going outside the number does not matter, the goal here is for good coverage of the engraving, however you will want light coverage and not a small puddle.
   
2. Allow the paint to sit a minute, then begin removing excess from around the numbers. Avoid wiping the numbers with a paper towel or anything really absorbent as the paint inside the number will get picked up.
   
3. Using a more detailed cotton swab (not a normal kind, I used Tamiya craft cotton swabs) to carefully remove the rest of the unwanted paint. Use the point of the swab around the edges of numbers, and the side of the swab for the general area. Avoid touching the numbers.
   

Those are the steps I followed and here's the outcome, quite a big change from how it originally looked:

 

 

If anyone's interested, the paint I used was Testors gloss enamel paint, the specific color being "Sublime Green".

Hello all,

 

I recently picked up a Nikon F with a Photomic TN finder in good condition, but I noticed the green shutter speed numbering on the finder was heavily faded. All the numbering is slightly faded but the green numbering has faded to an ugly greyish-green. Does anyone know a good source for restoration paint? Just about every post I find recommends Micro-Tools but they've apparently stopped selling their paint pens. Since my camera was always used with the Photomic finder, the actual shutter speed dial is just about perfect, so I could use that to match the paint.

 

See, look at that nice neon green, versus faded pale green:

 

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated, thanks!

Well I shot two rolls and it turned out well! The film must have been stored well since the colors were still very bright and vibrant. The only issues I noticed was that it tended to be very cold- whites turned out as a pale blue- and the film tended to over-expose and under-expose easily. Not sure if thats a common issue with Ektachrome but I'm excited to use it more! Also, for developing since I used the film on a trip in California, and managed to find an inexpensive E-6 lab in San Francisco.

 

Also, here's one of the photos I didn't have to adjust the color of, enjoy!

 

Thanks for all the good advice! I'll be shooting a couple rolls soon, but I don't know where to get them processed. Nobody processes E-6 close to where I live in the Phoenix area, (so far as I can tell), and I'm afraid of mailing off my film as it will reach over 100° F here just about everyday, and my film would likely be destroyed in transit. Should I just wait until the cooler months come around, or are their better options for shipping temperature sensitive items in the mail?

Hello all,

 

I recently picked up some 220 Ektachrome 100GX at a local camera show and was planning on using a few rolls. According to the box, the film expired in May 2005, and the guy I bought it from said the film was refrigerated ever since it was purchased. How much would I have to compensate the exposure? I've seen people shoot similarly expired Ektachrome 100 at around 80 ISO so should I just do that? I've looked around for a guide but haven't found anything too definitive.

 

Thanks!

Hello,

 

I recently picked up a Leica Ia upgraded to Model C at an antique store, and was wondering if anyone could identify the case it came with. It isn't Leica branded, and isn't branded by any company either. It looks similar to some Dielemann case versions but theres no identification stamp anywhere. If anyone knows about this case any info would be appreciated.

 

 

Hello all,

 

I have a Mamiya Sekor S 80mm f2.8 lens (the one without writing on the inner ring around the optics), and there is a surprising amount of dust inside the taking lens. I'd like to clean it but I've noticed the optics don't unscrew from the shutter nicely like the chrome and some black lenses do. Will this lens require a spanner wrench to disassemble it? I haven't found any guide for cleaning this particular lens.

 

Thanks