Did I break my Kiev 4 (meterless) ? Real loose winding after changing shutter speed

[mnmleung]

I have just taken out my third roll of film from my Kiev 4, and showing my 3 year old how the shutter works. I inadvertently changed shutter speed (no idea to what) before winding. Initially half of the turns felt loose, and the other half wound on. I changed shutter speed again, and now, the winding feels really free, and it is no longer cocking the shutter (or whatever the correct terminology is).

Does anyone have any suggestions short of saving up and buying another one from Oleg? I was hoping to send this camera to a friend ... I hope it is something silly but easily reversible that I am missing.

Optimistically yours, Ming

 

[sevo]

The Contax II (and even more so the Kiev 4, which has the most robust version of the Contax II shutter) can have the shutter time set both before and after winding - at the very worst the former will set the wrong speed for one exposure. So whatever has gone wrong with yours will be due to something more than just that. Before we start guessing, please rewind and remove the film and check the condition of the shutter!

 

[mnmleung]

Before we start guessing, please rewind and remove the film and check the condition of the shutter!

Thank you, Sevo. The film was already out. The shutter was closed, no visible damage. I noticed the shutter release and the speed dial have dots that were not aligned: they were at right angles to each other. I twiddle the shutter release button until they were aligned and voila, it seems to fire at all speeds, with the fast sounding short, the slow speed sounding long.

Maybe someone can explain what these dots are for ... I may have turned the speed dial with the rest of my fingers while my shutter finger remained stationary, pressing on the shutter release button. Kind of like putting the clutch in... I can't remember anymore: I was showing young Jack how pressing the shutter release opens the shutter to let light in ...

 

[sevo]

Maybe someone can explain what these dots are for

That is the shutter lock used for T exposures - you are supposed to set the shutter to B, release and twist the knob to lock the shutter down for time exposures. So everything is fine with your camera. That is, if the T lock has a strong tendency to engage on its own, you may want to file the bottom of the release knob to regain a sharp ridge (or replace it with a better knob from a spares body) and install a stronger spring.

 

[mnmleung]

That is the shutter lock used for T exposures - you are supposed to set the shutter to B, release and twist the knob to lock the shutter down for time exposures.

Vielen Dank, Sevo ! I learnt something new !