Contax G2 exposure counter problem

[TiagoReil]

Hi,

My name is Santiago (Tiago for short) and Im new to the forum. I live in Argentina, south america.

As someone with a nex 6 and fun with manual focus lenses, I checked a lot this forum cause there where a lot of articles of rangefinder lenses with it. At some point I got a nice Zeiss 90 f2.8 for my nex-6 with metabones adapter and liked it very much. So when someone sold a contax G2 near by at a reasonably price, I thougjt about it and got it. Right now getting things from outside is hard and expensive (with taxes, I pay double what it costs outside unless I travell).

The camera looks very good. There are some minimal things in the view finder, but I read that you can blow them away (havent done it, only read that there is a way to do it removing the lens). But my problem is that the exposure counter and the automatic rewind is not working. These are the simptons:

I inserted film on the camera, and the number is sayin 00. No blinking. I take photos and the counter still is 00. BTW, it is in really great conditions. The counter loooks good, bright, and with new batteries.

Of course as I didnt know what was going on, I open several times the roll and my first roll was 70% ruined.

Also, when reaching the end of the roll (had to open it again to check this out, and again ruined the last exposures) the camera is not rewinding automatically when it reaches the end of the roll.

I put a second roll just to test, and it does the same thing (Im waiting for it to be processed and check how it went) but this time i opened it a lot less. Probably will loose only 30%.


Has someone find somethign like this? The camera is actually in very good conditions, respnsive, absolutelly everything else works (Exposure, AF, modes, bracketing, etc) but not the counter. Any ideas of what this could be?

I really like the camera, and I wont be able to find one nearby any time soon. So Im using a counter on my phone, and will rewind it manually (reset button) when it reaches 36. IT is a pain, but it works, but I would love to have it fixed if possible, as I plan to get more lenses (the 28 and 45) to share them between the G2 and the Nex-6.

Thanks.

 

[Rangefinder 35]

Normally, g2 should rewind the film by itself when it reaches the end of the roll. Take the batteries out for overnight and see if that resets the functions. Also, there's a way to reset the G2 to factory default. I wonder if that would help.

 

[sevo]

The G series uses a optoelectronical perforation counter - look whether anything obscures it, I've had mine fail from a fragment of film.

 

[TiagoReil]

The G series uses a optoelectronical perforation counter - look whether anything obscures it, I've had mine fail from a fragment of film.

Cool, that may be a reason. Do you know where it is exactly? Or better, can somebody post me a picture?

thanks.

 

[sevo]

Cool, that may be a reason. Do you know where it is exactly? Or better, can somebody post me a picture?

There is a small window right where the sprocket wheel would be on cameras with mechanical counter.

 

[TiagoReil]

There is a small window right where the sprocket wheel would be on cameras with mechanical counter.

Thanks Sevo.

I have to tell you something. Im completely new to film. So saying, where the window should be means nothing to me. So, I finished the current rol. This time, as I said before, I used a counter to know I shot 36 frames, and rewinded it with the R button. I opened and checked for somethign that oculd be what you mean. I see only one thing, that could be. Please confirm it is this. Hope this work, Im copyuing from google plus:

IF that doesnt work, I have it as a post in google plus. Check the URL.

https://plus.google.com/101936034142880104376/posts/WtcT1ix9rsb

Can someone confirm me it is that spot? if not, where is it? Again, Im completely new to film, IVe been always digital, so treat me gentle. 😛


BTW, I cleaned everything with a gentle brush, one of those that are at the back of a lens pen. What else can I do? Can it be cleaned with something else? I havent tested it, will go tomorrow for more film. This time I plan to get a cheap one, and configure the camera to not rewind completely the film, so I can re-use it till I see it is working properly

Thanks.

 

[j j]

Are the batteries fresh? It is always worth checking the batteries when an electronic camera behaves oddly.