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Tictac
Tinkerer
Username: Tictac

Post Number: 1
Registered: 07-2010

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Posted on Tuesday, July 06, 2010 - 10:58 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

So, while taking a look at my dad's old cameras I was working the advance lever and snapping the shutter (no film). I had fun with this for a day or so, trying out various lenses, when things stopped short.
Quite literally, the advance lever on our SRT-102 stopped moving, as though it were ready to take a picture, but the shutter button wouldn't depress. After realizing that this could not be fixed curses and copious amounts of sorrow, I went to take a look at the other cameras.

Which promptly jammed, in exactly the same fashion as the SRT. All of these cameras had been cycling (for lack of a better word) perfectly fine the day before, and for a little while today before becoming stuck.
None of them have batteries in them, nor have they had batteries for a *very* long time. (this is why I didn't bother loading any film yet, the metering systems don't have power)

Any ideas?
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M_currie
Tinkerer
Username: M_currie

Post Number: 233
Registered: 07-2006

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Posted on Thursday, July 08, 2010 - 10:17 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

If they have been sitting for a long time, is it possible the mirror foam is sticking and holding the mirrors up?

If any are X series Minoltas, capacitor failure is pretty common, so the coincidence might have more to do with trying several old cameras in quick succession, rather than having the same problem in all four.
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Peterqd
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Username: Peterqd

Post Number: 3
Registered: 07-2008

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Posted on Friday, July 09, 2010 - 04:25 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

As none of the cameras have batteries in them, they must all have mechanical shutters and electronic problems can be ruled out.

When you say the shutter button won't depress, do you mean it seems locked up, or that it depresses but the shutter doesn't release?

Just a thought, probably silly, but have you tried opening the camera back to reset the frame counters?
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Tictac
Tinkerer
Username: Tictac

Post Number: 2
Registered: 07-2010

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Posted on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 - 04:14 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I figured out what was wrong with all of them except the SRT-102.

@currie, the mirror moves freely (I can lock it up or down with the switch).

@Peter, the only thing battery operated in the SRT-102 is the match-needle, which doesn't affect the rest of the camera.
I mean that the button is locked or jammed up. The counter's at 'zero', because I haven't been able to advance it :P

I can trigger the shutter by opening the bottom of the camera and manually cocking/releasing it. Since the mechanisms down at that end seem to work, I think something's gone wrong up at the top of the camera (close to the advance lever and shutter button). I got the top open but I don't know enough about cameras to spot anything wrong :-( should I take it to a local store for repairs?

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