Issue with my M3... Help!

[jbf]

Hi all,

When I was out shooting with my M3 earlier today I noticed that after i had cocked the shutter (I have a double stroke M3) that the film crank lever would actually move after the shutter had been cocked.

I realized this when i mistakenly tried to wind the shutter after having already cocked it previously.

The force required for it to move was more than normal for cocking the shutter but I am worried that this might be a problem?

Is this normal or has it happened to anyone before? What could be causing this problem and is it hard to fix it?


I just bought the m3 (it is my first) and now I am worried that i may have been given a dunce.


Granted, the lever moving does not seem to affect the cameras action in any way... (that i can tell) it still works fine.

I am just worried that this could turn into a larger problem as time goes on.



On a side note, today has been a bad day for me. Not only do I realize that my camera's film stroke is acting strange but also I lose my handheld light meter!! All of this happening while on vacation! *cry*


Aaah. Today has seriously made me wish i had just bought a brand new zeiss ikon. 🙁 I know such words are blasphemous but what can i say... today has been pretty bad. 🙁

 

[mfunnell]

My DS M3, I think, is the same (as long as its just the film-advance lever that moves - and nothing in the internal mechanism). While I'm not sure, IMO the "give" when trying to wind an already-wound mechanism is there by design to prevent over-stressing things. As long as you don't force things I think you're OK.

...Mike

 

[thomasw_]

with the SS m3 i own, this doesn't occur. how far is the rewind arm coming back? if just a bit, this sounds as though it is part of the 'give' built into the DS mechanism. but if it flips half way back, i think your M3 needs an adjustment.

 

[Mark J]

I had my DS M3 converted to SS some years ago, but that is the way I remember it working as a DS. The converted version does not do this. I would not be concerned about it, just keep shooting.

Mark J.

 

[payasam]

If you don't have uneven spacing between frames on a processed roll, there's no cause to worry. The wind on lever has a clutch, which is probably what you feel.

 

[jbf]

Well when I unloaded the film and checked the shutter I could tell that when the wind lever moves it does not engage the film advance once it's been fully cocked. So it doesnt affect the wind advance at all.

I was just afraid that the lever would get more loose or something worse. hah.

But it seems most of you think its quite normal. 🙂

 

[Silva Lining]

Hi jbf,

My DS has always done as you describe, and I have run several hundred rolls through it and is hasn't got any worse, although I don't try and force it. As Payasam says, if the frame on the developed roll are ok then you don't have problem!

Bummer about the lightmeter though!