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August
Tinkerer
Username: August
Post Number: 20
Registered: 06-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, August 08, 2008 - 10:26 am: | 
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I just picked up a beautiful new Contaflex III with a Synchro-Compur and noticed it was a bit slow on the slow speeds. So I was repeatedly firing and winding it on 1/15 to see if I could looosen things up. One time, I did not notice that the shutter had hung up longer than usual and had not yet closed when I started to rewind. I felt the stiffness in the wind knob (which, on this camera, opens the shutter blades so that you can see through the lens) and immediately stopped, but too late -- the shutter is jammed open.
I have opened and adjusted these shutters before but have learned that it is very difficult to get them back together feeling as nice and smooth as this one does, and it is so pristine that I don't want to put the inevitable little screwdrive scratches in it. Anyone got an idea how I can get it to complete the cycle without opening it up? If I could just override the multiple exposure prevention and fire the shutter again, to release the pressure from the cocking mechanism that is fighting with the springs trying to close down the shutter, I'm sure it would close.
Thanks for any suggestions. |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 642
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, August 08, 2008 - 05:27 pm: |
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No, I don't know of a way to avoid pulling the shutter. In these models, there is not really any shutter release system per se in the shutter: the wind linkage in the body charges the shutter springs and then locks, so that the pinion gear from the body is jamming the shutter in the cocked position. When you press the shutter release button, what you're doing is letting the cocking gear spin backwards and that allows the blades to cycle. If you have the system jammed in mid-wind, my thought would be that by removing the shutter from the body you might be able to let the pressure off and clear it. Even at that, though, I'm not 100% sure, as the jam may be more in the body mechanisms than involving the shutter.
Speed problems in the Contaflex also are more often actually caused by the aperture mechanisms sandwiched between the body and shutter than by the shutter itself. To reach these, you have to remove the shutter from the body.
On the plus side, the screws holding the shutter to the body are hidden inside the film chamber and not on the pretty cosmetic stuff on the outside. |
August
Tinkerer
Username: August
Post Number: 21
Registered: 06-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, August 08, 2008 - 07:57 pm: |
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Thanks Rick.
I decided to slowly, gently keep turning the wind knob all the way, as long as the resistance didn't feel too much. It was probably a bad idea but it worked. Once the shutter cocking process had finished forcing the blades open, it relieved the pressure and they were able to close again. Better to be lucky than good some times.
As for the camera, my goodness what a little gem this is. Except for the hassle of film loading this is going to be a treat to use. |
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