| Author |
Message |
    
Rob
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 12:25 pm: | 
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I have a Fed 5C where the flash synch works inconsistently on manual shutter release, and it doesn't work at all on self timer shutter release. I am aware that the only flash synch speed is 1/30 of a second. If I wiggle the speed dial before shooting, the flash works most of the time (almost all the time). I've had the top off of the camera, but I'm not sure what needs adjustment. |
Jon Goodman
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - 08:40 am: |
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My guess is the synch switch (located beneath the shutter speed dial) is loose or the switch part of it is bent or broken. These are not too hard to figure out if you watch them as the shutter is fired (top plate off). In Zenits, Zorkis and others with the old selector knob (electronic flash v bulb), I'd say that is the likely culprit, but the 5c doesn't have this as I recall. The self-timer should have no bearing on it at all, as it simply pushes a rod down to release the shutter curtains. Good luck.
Jon |
Tony Duell
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - 01:01 pm: |
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I can't remember if the 5C is one of them, but some Zorkis -- the ones with separate M and X sync sockets -- have the sync contacts at the bottom. There's a disk with a contact on the bottom of the shutter active shaft (the one that the speed dial goes on the top end of), there are 2 fixed contacts, one each side, going to the centre pins of the sync contacts.
There is one complication. To prevent the contacts making when the shutter is wound, the fixed contacts are only brought towards the disk (bottom of the camera) when the shutter release is pressed.
Anyway, if you think you have this type (the Zorki 6 is certainly like that, I have one), take off the bottom plate (4 screws) and the mechanism is obvious. Do not remove the rotating disk without marking its position, or you will have to set up the sync timing again...
I think the ones with the adjustable sync contact up top have some similar device to only make the contact when the release is pressed -- in the days of flashbulbs you didn't want to waste a bulb by firing it when winding the film.
This could explain why it never works on the self-timer, but sometimes does on manual release. The former may not move the contacts far enough to make. |
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