Mamiya 7 Shutter Issue. Batery or lens?

[Jaime M]

I just got my M7 a month ago, bought a fresh 4LR44 6V battery (no brand) and checked the basics. Dry fire was ok back then.


I hadn't use it since then, and right now it does no fire with film in it or dry fire.
I read somewhere that both batterys 4LR44 and 4SR44 works, also the manual says it, but 6V seems to be the cause other flickr pal shouted that 6,2V were needed.

I just ordered one from amazon a Varta 4SR44 6,2V hoping that it gets the shutter fixed.


Did something similar hapen to you with 6V batteries?

 

[Karlovak]

Mamiya 7 doesn't dry fire without film in it. 6V works fine.

Check if your curtain is maybe locked? Try pulling the lever under the camera.

 

[Moto-Uno]

I've just checked mine , a 6v Duracell lithium that's probably 3 years old now and it dry fires fine . NOW , question #1 , do you have the 65 mm lens ? These seem to have problems with the wiring in the lens .

ps; the battery measures 6v on my multi-meter . Peter

 

[Moto-Uno]

"Karlovak" , have you opened the back of the camera ? Necessary with mine to dry fire it.
Peter

 

[DanskDynamit]

M7 does dry fire if you open the back. Just use the batteries that are in the manual, not what a flickr pal says...... (rolling eyes)

 

[thechanster69]

I bought my mamiya 7 from a guy who had a lot of battery trouble. He specifically told old me that although 4SR44 batteries are a similar looking size and have 6.2v, they do NOT work with the mamiya 7. I have 2 old 4SR44 batteries that do not work- previous owner bought them and tried to use them.
Use 4LR44 batteries as the manual suggests. I can also confirm that I had an old 4LR44 battery sitting in the camera for a few months with no use, camera initially metered, did not try to dry shoot it. Loaded a fresh roll of film into camera, metered and took one shot, advanced the lever, and the camera stopped metering all together. Took old battery out, put old battery back in- camera metered and shot fine thereafter.
However I didn’t trust that old battery for further shooting in the field, I knew I needed replacements, so I ordered a pack of the
CELEWELL-4LR44-Battery from amazon- they’re yellow colored, comes with a 3yr warranty and a pack of 10 was $8.99

I ordered them last week and have only shot 1roll with them, no issues with shutter or film advance or metering otherwise. I’m unsure how they’ll act long term, but at least these batteries come with a 3yr warranty.

Also, my mamiya 7 dry fires with the film back open.

 

[Jaime M]

M7 does dry fire if you open the back. Just use the batteries that are in the manual, not what a flickr pal says...... (rolling eyes)

I've checked on the manual and 4SR44 are recommended from mamiya.

 

[DMA1965]

The Mamiya 7 is the most annoying camera I have ever owned, that just happens to take the best pictures of any film camera I have shot. The shutter is operated by magnets in both the lens and in the camera. The ones in the lens rarely go bad, as I have been told by Bob at Precision Camera Works (https://www.precisioncameraworks.com/mamiya/). The one in the camera body does sometimes go bad (I have had this happen on two different bodies) and if it does the camera stops working and the magnet needs to be replaced. Bob specializes in fixing these cameras and it is worth sending it to him for a full overhaul. He has a stock of parts and still gets new ones from Phase One, who bought out Mamiya. He will also upgrade the rangefinder to the most current, which is polarized and less likely to go out of alignment, as part of the overhaul.

The Mamiya 7 is like managing a rock star. When at its peak it performs admirably, but it’s a pain in the butt otherwise.

 

[DanskDynamit]

I've checked on the manual and 4SR44 are recommended from mamiya.

manual page 30:
Power Supply: one 6V (4SR44, 4LR44, or 2CR1/3 lithium) battery.


in my M7 I have an Energizer 4LR44 battery, it's been the same kind for more than 10 years and I have never had a problem or needed the extra voltage. I have used it with slides with always perfect exposures.


Maybe your camera got a wiring problem🙂

 

[Jaime M]

Thanks to all.. I will leave it at my local workshop to check. I'll report you in case that they find what happens.

 

[Jaime M]

Update:
They found a lack of lube on a lever from the lens that made this erratic shuttering.
The body was working well and testing other lenses they found that something happened with the lens.



Really happy that was fixed with a lens CLA!

 

[DanskDynamit]

excellent news Jaime!