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Petruk
Tinkerer
Username: Petruk
Post Number: 1
Registered: 01-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 03, 2012 - 09:48 am: | 
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Simple problem - the mirror is stuck in the up position. It seems to be held there by some kind of latch. Can anyone describe how to get it back to the down position, so I can at least look through a lens? Thanks very much.
Dan McGuire |
Cooltouch
Tinkerer
Username: Cooltouch
Post Number: 190
Registered: 01-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 03, 2012 - 10:36 am: |
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This is akin to checking that an electronic appliance is plugged in, but nonetheless, you want to eliminate the easiest, most obvious items first. Have you checked to make sure the mirror lock up switch isn't engaged? Facing the camera, at about the 8 o'clock position on the lens mount is a rotary switch with a black and red dot. It must be rotated to the black dot's position for the mirror to be down. |
M_currie
Tinkerer
Username: M_currie
Post Number: 280
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 04, 2012 - 09:12 am: |
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In case Cooltouch's post did not make it clear enough, the F has an odd mirror lock, in which you must advance the film after unlocking, before the mirror will descend.
If it turns out not to be the mirror lock, post back. I have the mirror box of a disassembled F which I can look into, and perhaps we can figure out what to jiggle or pull on to get it unlatched.
Sometimes a mirror will stick up if the foam has gotten sticky, but it's not a usual problem on F's. |
Petruk
Tinkerer
Username: Petruk
Post Number: 3
Registered: 01-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 04, 2012 - 12:05 pm: |
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Thanks, Cooltouch. I'm an idiot. Cheers,
DMCG |
Edgy01
Tinkerer
Username: Edgy01
Post Number: 3
Registered: 05-2013
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 12:59 am: |
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The Nikon F mirror lock up is quite different from any other SLR. If the mirror lockup button (that eight o'clock thing) is activated the mirror will remain up always. If you move it to the down position it will only fall down to the normal viewing position if you have not already wound the shutter. If you have already wound it, turn the switch clockwise to the down position and after the shutter fires it will stay down. Sometimes the mirror bumper foam CAN impede the ability of a mirror to come back down, but rarely on a Nikon F. The action is very forceful
Dan |
M_currie
Tinkerer
Username: M_currie
Post Number: 301
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 - 04:35 pm: |
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Adding to the above, a Nikon F can happily function forever with no mirror foam at all. But if you add foam and it's a little too thick the mirror will not lock and unlock properly. |
Fiatgusto
Tinkerer
Username: Fiatgusto
Post Number: 2
Registered: 06-2013
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 06:55 pm: |
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To this very old post....my mirror will not return after shutter clicks. Only manually returning it with "8 o'clock lever" will return it.
I don't know what "switch" is to prevent it.
Can someone help?
Thank you
Dennis |
M_currie
Tinkerer
Username: M_currie
Post Number: 305
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 09, 2013 - 08:58 pm: |
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As I noted, the mirror will not lock and unlock properly if the foam cushion is just a little too thick. If yours has had any kind of foam replacement before the trouble occurred, try (with lens off) pushing up a bit on the mirror, and see if it then descends. Of course, if it has old or no foam, this suggestion can probably be ignored. |
