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August
Tinkerer
Username: August
Post Number: 12
Registered: 06-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 - 08:56 pm: | 
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I have a Contax 159 body whose shutter won't fire. The film crank is wound. The shutter curtain is in the cocked position. But none of the 4 methods of triggering it (shutter button, electronic cable release, manual cable release, self time) works. The self timer flashes like it's going to trip the shutter, but doesn't. Batteries are fine. Any ideas how to get the shutter to fire? Thanks in advance.
August |
August
Tinkerer
Username: August
Post Number: 16
Registered: 06-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 14, 2008 - 08:20 pm: |
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I will answer my own question here for posterity and for the guidance of future members and anyone who googles Contax 159MM shutter problems. On searching the archive I found that member Roger Provin posted about the same problem here 2 years ago and solved his own problem. The problem seems to be characteristic of this camera model. I contacted him and using his guidance, with some modifications, fixed my camera as well. With his permission, here are the instructions he emailed me:
"With camera facing you (looking at lens throat) peel off the rubber covering on the left side.
Take off the now exposed small plate (self timer comes away with it) and you see up in the top right corner (difficult) the magnet and armature which control the shutter release.
"One camera I repaired had a clear cover over the magnet the other didn't - so you may need to remove this also (one screw). It's this magnet and armature which suffer from dirt/oxidisation.
"With some difficulty and perseverance it's possible to get a piece of folded cleaning paper between the contacts. You may find just touching the magnet when you initially get to it makes the shutter work but I recommend you give it a clean anyway."
On opening my camera, an early production model, I did not find the small plate referenced by Roger and had to remove the entire left front panel (as viewed from the front, including the self timer) which required first taking off the bottom plate and the lower part of the lens mount housing (including the DOF preview button). Maybe the small plate was added later in production to facilitate this particular repair. Anyway, removing the whole thing gave me very good access to the magnet. Beware, upon removing the bottom plate, at least six things are likely to fall out of the camera, (1) the rewind release button, (2) a mylar disc in the winder linkage, and (3-6) the four little gold winder electrical contacts. All are easy to put back but not if you lose them first!
Mine had the clear cover but in trying to unscrew it the very fragile part of it that goes around the screw fractured, so I just left the cover off.
The magnet was indeed stuck to the armature and it took a little coaxing to get it to move, whereupon the shutter immediately fired (a welcome sound after having been dead for 3 years!). I used a micro brush dampened with naphtha to clean the magnet, contacts, and pivot point of the lever holding the magnet.
I hope this message helps future users of this fine but now completely unsupported camera.
August |
Skegger
Tinkerer
Username: Skegger
Post Number: 1
Registered: 08-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 09, 2008 - 03:54 am: |
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Have you managed to get it working yet? I had the same problem.
Take of the lens and look below the red dot. There is a little slot with a kind of lever in it that can be moved across. Use a hairpin or something to move it across (I did it with the camera on) and the shutter should fire.
I've attatched an image to show you what to look for.
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August
Tinkerer
Username: August
Post Number: 23
Registered: 06-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 09, 2008 - 02:11 pm: |
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Yeah, I solved my problem the way I described. What you did is sure simpler, but after you do that, does the shutter continue to work or does it lock up again later? |
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