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Amer T

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Posted on Saturday, December 18, 2004 - 09:36 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Okay, here's my problem.

In the middle of a roll my camera suddenly would not let me advance the film.
This is what the last picture I took looks like:
http://amer_t.tripod.com/last.jpg
( The black strip on the bottom is part of my problem, I guess)
---------------------------------------

So I removed the lens (k-mount) to see if I could see anything unusual.

Since I never had time to learn exactly how my cam works ....I kinda tried things ...
One of them was to push down on part A in this pic.
http://amer_t.tripod.com/front.jpg

After doing this my shutter release button would kinda do something (this time I could feel resistance ...or at least I imagined so).... the mirror moved up, but just a bit ... and then ....NOTHING.... and I still could not cock the shutter.

Then I removed the bottom cover hoping to be able to "trip the shutter or unlock the film advance." as advised elswhere...
Here's what I found :

http://amer_t.tripod.com/bottom.jpg

Easier said than done .... could not figure out how to do it ( or if I need to do it at all ...)

Again, I tried things .... moved the part 'b' down ... now I was able to almost cock the shutter ....
but ...the curtain would not move further than the red line on this pic:

http://amer_t.tripod.com/inside.jpg

Same thing happened if I moved the part 'b' up ...

So there you have it....
I know ...it'd be easier to just take it to a repair shop .... but the money's kinda an issue ....and I'd love to learn how to fix it myself ...

I would appreciate a step by step troubleshooting process since I have no experience in this.

... I was tempted to further disassemble the poor camera .... but I'll try not to do it until I hear from someone who knows what they're doing ...

Thank You.
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James

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Posted on Saturday, December 18, 2004 - 10:27 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

OK, first things first. Did you try a set of new batteries?

James
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Amer

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Posted on Saturday, December 18, 2004 - 10:49 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Yes ... I should have said that ... ( if I'm not mistaken it'll work fine without batteries...it's very similar to Pentax ME btw. )
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Amer

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Posted on Saturday, December 18, 2004 - 11:01 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Oops ... just looked at Pentax ME Repair Manual ... Vivitar does not look so similar to me now .... sorry .... my bad ...
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Henry

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Posted on Sunday, December 19, 2004 - 10:26 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Ok, you have a vertically traveling metal bladed shutter. And it seems one of your curtains will not get closer than about a quarter inch from the edge of the frame. These shutters cycle completely under spring power. If it doesn't go full stroke you have a physical obstruction. Most likely an internal screw has gotten loose and lodged in the shutter mechanism.

I've seen this a few times. Unfortunately the fix is a mirrorbox out kind of repair. Very involved, you up to it?

But you might get lucky and it be film chips in the blade grooves.

Henry
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Amer

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Posted on Sunday, December 19, 2004 - 04:54 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Thanks Henry,

I appreciate your help.
I'll give my best ...
(was very close to taking the whole cam apart anyhoo .... kinda hoped I wouldn't have to ... but what the heck ....it's a challenge )

Thank you

Amer
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rick

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Posted on Sunday, December 19, 2004 - 07:33 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I got a very nice Olympus Pen F jammed this way (though it's a different shutter).... a screw had come out inside and landed in the teeth of a pair of gears, stopping the works. it was quite a lot of work to get to it, but once i found it clearing the problem was quite simple. still, on a pay-per-hour basis, i probably earned the camera.
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Amer

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Posted on Monday, December 20, 2004 - 07:25 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Alright...now I know why they charge so much to get a cam repaired....

I'm stuck ...dunno how to take the top or front off (rewind crank seems impossible to take off)...
on top of that my $3 (made in China) 'screwdrivers' are piece of c****.... damnit ...#@$%$@&#

anybody have any idea how to take this thing apart (Vivitar v4000) ?

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