F3 shutter release doesnt work

[Sia]

Hello there.

I had som inconsistent problems with my F3.
It started to stop releasing the shutter (lightmeter was working, emergency shutter release worked) and then everything stopped working, the camera got jammed.

I manged to un-jamm it somehow and what happened later is that the normal shutter release would work only if I would leave the camera for a while. Same for the lightmeter, the LCD was getting blurry as soon as I took that first shot. Then let it be for a few mins and same thing again.

Now the normal shutter release isnt working, only the emmergency shutter release is working and the lightmeter isnt working...

In between I changed the batteries and it didnt help.

Any way to diagnose this?

Note: I use non-ai lenses
Thanks for your help.

 

[Robert Lai]

If you are using nonAI lenses, I hope that you have flipped up the AI lens follower around the lens mount. Otherwise, the AI ring may be jammed.
To be sure of this:
1) Remove the lens
2) The AI follower is a small tab of metal (AI follower) that sticks out around the lens mount. Near it is a small push button (release button).
3) Push down on the push button, which releases the AI follower. Now you can use a finger to lift up the AI follower tab.
4) Now, when you reinstall the lens, the back of the lens won't jam up against the AI follower. You need to perform stopped down metering by using the depth of field button when metering.

Frankly, given the dangers I would stick to using AI lenses on the modern cameras. Leave the non AI lenses to the Nikon F, F2A, or the Nikkormats that were made for them.

Common reasons for your shutter to be stuck:

1) battery died (should still work on the manual release).

2) you didn't wind the shutter fully. You need to make sure that the winding is complete. Sometimes the thumb slips off before the winding is complete. When the wind is complete, you can hear a "clunk" sound of something latching. The shutter will not fire until fully wound.

3) You are in Auto exposure mode, and you left the lens cap on. The F3 can time out > 4 hours for night time exposures. They don't tell you that in the manual, but it can do so. The F3 is the king of night tine auto exposures. Anyway, your shutter may be in the middle of this 4-6 hour "night" exposure if you leave the lens cap on.

It's for this reason that the F3 takes the first two frames at 1/80 if you leave the shutter on "A", while loading film. So, you won't literally have to wait a whole day to wind the shutter.

If you've done this, then just set the shutter to any manual shutter speed (such as 1/2000), and the shutter will close.

 

[Sia]

Common reasons for your shutter to be stuck:

1) battery died (should still work on the manual release).

2) you didn't wind the shutter fully. You need to make sure that the winding is complete. Sometimes the thumb slips off before the winding is complete. When the wind is complete, you can hear a "clunk" sound of something latching. The shutter will not fire until fully wound.

3) You are in Auto exposure mode, and you left the lens cap on. The F3 can time out > 4 hours for night time exposures. They don't tell you that in the manual, but it can do so. The F3 is the king of night tine auto exposures. Anyway, your shutter may be in the middle of this 4-6 hour "night" exposure if you leave the lens cap on.

It's for this reason that the F3 takes the first two frames at 1/80 if you leave the shutter on "A", while loading film. So, you won't literally have to wait a whole day to wind the shutter.

If you've done this, then just set the shutter to any manual shutter speed (such as 1/2000), and the shutter will close.

Hi, thanks for your help.
I will check the AI tab you mentioned above and get back to you.

Also,
1- batteries are new, manual release works
2- I winded completely the shutter
3- the camera has been set on "ON" and on a normal shutter speed mode (not in A mode) for sevral days now... The few hours of measuring should be way over now...

 

[Robert Lai]

Check battery compartment for corrosion. An old battery may have leaked in there, now causing electrical contact problems.

 

[Robert Lai]

I just had another thought. Have you shut the camera off?
There is an on / off lever at the base of the shutter / wind lever, at the front.

 

[Sia]

Check battery compartment for corrosion. An old battery may have leaked in there, now causing electrical contact problems.

The battery compartiment is really clean. No traces of oxydation whatsover..

 

[Sia]

I just had another thought. Have you shut the camera off?
There is an on / off lever at the base of the shutter / wind lever, at the front.

Yes there is an on/off rotative switch on the base of the shutter release button. I have turned on and off the camera, there is no change in the issue

 

[Dwig]

Two notes:
1. the camera doesn't care if the battery is "new". It only cares if the battery is good. Occasionally, new batteries are DOA. After installing the new battery, press and hold the LCD illuminator's red button to see if it will stay lit for 10 seconds.
2. sometimes battery compartment surfaces acquire a clear, invisible film that prevents good contact. You need to actually clean the battery compartment with a rough cloth (NO ABRASIVES). Simply looking at the battery compartment is not enough.

 

[shimokita]

I had a similar problem with my F3HP... which I purchased used. In my case the repair shop said that the camera had been used in the rain and the contacts under the shutter button / on-off switch were corroded. Maybe this is why the F3P has a rubber cover with no remote release (??).

 

[presspass]

If you have or have access to an MD4 motor drive, you might attach that and see if the camera will fire using the motor drive shutter button. Since the MD4 also powers the camera, it will bypass the button cell. A properly working camera will fire from either the motor drive shutter release or the one on the camera body. It works best to use the camera-mounted shutter button with the motor drive turned off and vice versa.

 

[Sia]

Hi there.

Thanks a lot for your help. I would suspect something related to water/rain.
Otherwise, the illumination button didnt worked when I got the camera...

 

[Sia]

it sounds an electronical / electrical problem...
like a capacitor or a component that doesnt work as it should.

 

[Calzone]

If you have or have access to an MD4 motor drive, you might attach that and see if the camera will fire using the motor drive shutter button. Since the MD4 also powers the camera, it will bypass the button cell. A properly working camera will fire from either the motor drive shutter release or the one on the camera body. It works best to use the camera-mounted shutter button with the motor drive turned off and vice versa.

PP gives really good advice here. MD-4's are very inexpensive right now. I bought a backup for my F3P for $25.00.

Cal

 

[Sia]

PP gives really good advice here. MD-4's are very inexpensive right now. I bought a backup for my F3P for $25.00.

Cal

Thanks but I am not sure to find an MD4 that is working properly.
And basically I dont need that.
The camera will be gone to a trusted repair man in the Netherlands.

 

[Sia]

Hi,

Well it seems I had 2 bad set of batteries. Now everything is working again...

Thanks for your help 🙂

 

[Timmyjoe]

Sia, glad it worked out for you. The F3 is a great camera.

Mine developed the "stuck on 1/80th" issue this weekend, so will need to go in to the shop for service. When they're working, they're great, when they don't, it's frustrating.

Best,
-Tim

 

[Calzone]

Yesterday I was shooting my F3P. I have owned this camera a very long time. I used a Leitax almost auto aperture adapter to mount a Leica 50 Lux "E60." What a great rig.

Cal