Help with Hasselblad 500 ELX

[sooner]

I'm hoping you all can help me diagnose my newly arrived purchase, a Hassy 500 ELX with 150 f/4 Sonnar. It came with a 9v adapter. There are two issues, and I'm not sure if the problem is me or something else. Sometimes, in "O" mode, I push the shutter button and just hear a click (not sure if that's the shutter firing or not), but nothing else--no rear curtain moving and no film advance. When this happens, the only way to get things back to normal is to turn the lens focus.

Another problem is sometimes in "O" mode the shutter does fire, and the rear curtain opens, but then doesn't close or advance the film, until I press in that little tab on the back right.

Lastly, when shooting in "A" mode, I press the shutter once and the camera fires (shutter, rear curtain, film advance) twice in rapid succession.

These tests were after foolishly loading some film last night and clicking away, only to hear a soft click but only get other movement when rotating the lens focus here and there.

Any ideas? Does it need service, or am I missing something?

 

[Guest]

I have three Hasselblads and loads of their lenses but my winding one is the 503CW. So not knowing that model, I would suggest you download the operation manual from the Hasselblad website and see if that helps you answer your questions.

 

[sooner]

Thanks. I got it mostly working right except occasionally when pressing the shutter produces a click but no rear shutter movement or film winding. Those only happen when I move the lens focus a bit. Anyone explain that?

 

[Guest]

No way has focusing the lens got anything to do with the camera body, unless I suppose the lens is not correctly on.
Sounds like a service is needed.
David Odess has serviced my SWC/M and 503CW, the CW very recently and he is very professional.

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

No, the lens has nothing at all to do with the camera body. Nothing except it's attached to it, and connected via a drive key way...

This is the sort of fault that is honestly impossible to diagnose from afar. But if I was to suggest some points to investigate they'd include the condition and adjustment of the body bayonet mount, the lens mount, the drive key and its shaft in the body and in the lens. It's obvious that turning the focus ring is affecting the body mechanism somehow—clearly the place to begin investigating, then, is the condition and alignment of the drive connection between body and lens shutter—and this also means the components that maintain the proper relationship between the lens and body: the lens mounting. Excess play between lens and body, or improper adjustment of the drive shaft can stop the mechanism cycling correctly. Do the keys perfectly align with their reference dots for instance? If not—that's a big clue some maintenance work is required.

 

[mystichobo]

I'd guess it would be the lens not seating correctly, and causing the screw to not line up properly as others have said.

I had the same or a similar issue on my 500c/m and a service fixed it.

 

[sooner]

Thanks for the comments. Clearly it defies easy diagnosis and repair. Bummer. By the way, David Odess no longer works on the motorized bodies; his website suggests sending those to the Hasselblad service center in NJ.