Highway 61
Revisited
Sounds like something (film debris for instance, or some black goo coming from the deteriorated light seals foam strips) could have got trapped into the winding gears located at the camera bottom, under the shutter unit.
The tantalizing signs of life tell that nothing is broken. Should be an easy and unexpensive fix.
The tantalizing signs of life tell that nothing is broken. Should be an easy and unexpensive fix.
Contarama
Well-known
Inspect shutter curtain from front and backside. I have seen curtains kinked and freezing everything up.
Luddite Frank
Well-known
Update - pulled the bottom plate...
Update - pulled the bottom plate...
Today I had some time and motivation, so I decided to pull the bottom plate of the F-2, and see what I could see.
I found that there is a ratchet and pawl on the shutter-wind mechanism, which I believe is to stop the wind-on when the shutter is fully wound, and prevent damage / excessive spacing between images.
This pawl is supposed to release from the ratchet when the shutter is fired.
Except that is does not completely clear when shutter is fired at speeds below 1/125th sec. Thus further wind-on is blocked.
I released the pawl with a screwdriver, and the camera wound-on and fired smoothly. Many times in repetition, until I moved the shutter speeds below 1/125th second.
At any speed below 1/125th, the pawl equally reliably would not clear the ratchet.
After looking around and studying what I could see, not finding any debris or damaged parts, I adjusted two of the eccentrics between the ratchet and the tripod screw socket, relieving some tension on the bottom cushion and on the hair-spring that causes the pawl to engage the ratchet.
It managed to get the pawl to almost release; at least enough that the wind-mechanism can pull it through, and wind to the next frame.
Not ideal, but at least I can run a test roll now.
I did notice that the long lever underneath the pawl, which moves it away from the ratchet, travels further at speeds of 1/125th and above.
The shutter itself, runs beautifully from 1 sec through 1/2000, even the ultra slow speeds through the self timer.
It needs a service, but first I need to get some batteries and shoot a test roll.
LF
Left-hand photo is pawl engaging ratchet after wind-on. Right-hand photo is pawl released from ratchet after shutter fire at 1/125 or faster, clears ratchet for next wind.
Update - pulled the bottom plate...
Today I had some time and motivation, so I decided to pull the bottom plate of the F-2, and see what I could see.
I found that there is a ratchet and pawl on the shutter-wind mechanism, which I believe is to stop the wind-on when the shutter is fully wound, and prevent damage / excessive spacing between images.
This pawl is supposed to release from the ratchet when the shutter is fired.
Except that is does not completely clear when shutter is fired at speeds below 1/125th sec. Thus further wind-on is blocked.
I released the pawl with a screwdriver, and the camera wound-on and fired smoothly. Many times in repetition, until I moved the shutter speeds below 1/125th second.
At any speed below 1/125th, the pawl equally reliably would not clear the ratchet.
After looking around and studying what I could see, not finding any debris or damaged parts, I adjusted two of the eccentrics between the ratchet and the tripod screw socket, relieving some tension on the bottom cushion and on the hair-spring that causes the pawl to engage the ratchet.
It managed to get the pawl to almost release; at least enough that the wind-mechanism can pull it through, and wind to the next frame.
Not ideal, but at least I can run a test roll now.
I did notice that the long lever underneath the pawl, which moves it away from the ratchet, travels further at speeds of 1/125th and above.
The shutter itself, runs beautifully from 1 sec through 1/2000, even the ultra slow speeds through the self timer.
It needs a service, but first I need to get some batteries and shoot a test roll.
LF
Left-hand photo is pawl engaging ratchet after wind-on. Right-hand photo is pawl released from ratchet after shutter fire at 1/125 or faster, clears ratchet for next wind.
Attachments
Luddite Frank
Well-known
tpm067
Newbie
I literally had the EXACT same problem just yesterday after out shooting in -18C conditions. The exact same cause. Cheers for sharing, saved me a big headache!
Montag006
Established
I picked up a Black '71 F2 for a contribution to a charity, was jammed. Got lucky, and it was the same problem that Frank had with his. I bought some light oil used for camera repair off Ebay, "A Little Dab will Do It"- problem has not returned.