Agfa Silette Pronto Shutter Fix

[farlymac]

I don't know how this got past me. Well, yeah I do. I'm getting addled brained in my advancing age.

Anyway, there is a spring that holds the Shutter Blade Actuating Ring Pusher Arm against a post on the ring, and that had somehow been misplaced. This allowed the pusher to slip past the post, which kept the shutter from opening.

I suspect the previous owner really didn't have a clue as to what they were doing, as the winder lever was actually glued to the winder post, and the frame counter was missing.

In the first photo, you can see the retaining spring resting against the shutter blade ring actuator pusher arm while the shutter is not cocked, and in the second photo the tail of the retaining spring sticks out from underneath the pusher with the shutter cocked. Before, the tail was resting against the PC Sync Switch, which has been removed for this repair.

Click on the photo in order to see the notes when you mouse over them on Flickr.


Shutter Ring Pusher Retaining Spring 1 by br1078phot, on Flickr




Shutter Ring Pusher Retaining Spring 2 by br1078phot, on Flickr


A short video of the shutter operation http://flic.kr/s/aHsjJ6Vmen

PF

 

[charjohncarter]

I have something like this but it is smaller (I think) and has a bellows. The lens is a Solinar. The bellows leaks so I don't use it but I have opened up these shutters and just closed them back up: too complicated. You are to be commended.

 

[farlymac]

Thanks, John. The Pronto is one of the easiest shutters to work on, and usually doesn't take a lot of time to clean it up. Remove two screws, and the speed escapement comes out. Remove a spring and small lever, and the delay timer comes out. Soak them in Ronsonol, run the gears a bit to dislodge any bits, dry things off, and put it all back together.

Funny thing is, this one waited until I had it all back together and tested before it decided to malfunction. It took about an hour to take the lens back out, diagnose the problem, tear down the shutter to a point where I could work on it, then reassemble and refocus the camera.

Now and Agfa Karat, that's a whole different animal.

PF