    
Clayton
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 06, 2005 - 03:37 pm: | 
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Thanks to your advice I’m getting braver. Today I removed the top cover, bottom plate, and the lens assembly from the camera body. I did not disconnect any wiring. As I opened it up I was just amazed at the complexity, and the profusion, of levers, shafts, springs, gears, and assorted gizmos inside this simple looking little camera. After I removed the lens assembly I was face to face with the shutter. It was, as one other said, sort of spread all over the place. I removed a flat, thin, brass ring that circles around the shutter (I think maybe involved in aperture settings, but I’m not sure). Then I removed another plate that holds the shutter in place (two small screws held it on). I did not remove nor disturb the shutter (I was being very careful here), but I did take a tooth pick end and gently nudged the shutter leaves to see if they were stuck and found they are not. They looked nice and clean. I then put the shutter retainer plate and brass ring back in place. I’m a little disappointed as I now see the things I think I need to get at are lurking behind a substantial looking steel frame. I did find the locking device that is keeping the shutter button in the depressed position. It is spring loaded. A slight nudge and the shutter button popped back up to the ready position. Now it at least looked right, but of course it wasn’t. You can push it down and the shutter will still not work, and when you do it will remain down. At the bottom of the camera I saw, and almost understood, how the winding lever advances the film and at the same time cocks the shutter for the next snap. If I did understand what I was seeing, I believe the shutter is in the cocked position. What I am trying to answer is - why then doesn’t it snap? If the camera shutter, as I have been told, should work, even without a battery, what does that leave? Just looking at the camera it doesn’t appear all that dirty inside, and I didn’t see anything broken or out of place - so maybe it’s the self-timer not releasing? Any thoughts? At any rate I can see that disassembly beyond where I have been will require notes, and possibly drawings and pictures, of how it was so I can put it back together. For the present time I decided to put the camera back together. I think I will buy a battery before going on and see if the electronics still work. If they do I will go on, if not, I may ditch the project. I do hope this is interesting to someone besides me.
Clayton |
