New acquisition: Nikon F2 Fotomic... jammed.

Luddite Frank

Luddite Frank

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Was visiting a local antiques co-op with my wife today, and while she was off in another area, I spotted a case with some cameras, and a note stating, "50% off !"

I spotted a Nikon F2 Fotomic, wearing an f:2/ 50 mm Nikkor, and with a Soligor 28 mm alongside.

I got all for a reasonable sum, including the instruction manual.

I couldn't get the shutter to fire at the shop, but the camera and lens looked decent, and un-abused (no brassing or dents, VF nice and bright, lens looked pretty clear and aperture blades "snappy".).

When I got home, I read through the instruction manual twice, then picked-up the camera to see if I could get it to function.

Long-story short, I was unsuccessful.

Symptoms: mirror down ( will lock-up with manual lever ), wind-lever will open 20 degrees ( to turn-on meter ), but no further, seems like wind-on is advanced and shutter cocked, but the shutter button refuses to depress. Have manipulated the lock-collar, to no avail. Also tried the self-timer: runs-down nicely, but no shutter trip.

I have not checked the batteries' state of charge, but not expecting them to be a culprit.

Any other DIY things to check ?

Do these models have a reputation for "locking-up" ?


( Right now I'm consoling myself that even if the body is dead, I can use the two lenses on my Nikkormat FT.)

Thanks....

LF
 
Sadly, this seems to be a common problem on this model. I googled it and looked at a lot of threads on different sites to no avail. Lots of people w/ the issue, and no one posted a fix. I did find this (link below), but whether it helps you or not I don't know. FWIW, my experience w/ Nikkormats is that they don't jam like the F models. Hopefully you get something going because that 50 2 Nikkor is a very good lens.

https://www.justanswer.com/video-camera-repair/84j7p-nikon-f2-photomic-left-camera.html
 
The batteries are only for the meter. This might sound strange, but try pressing the depth of field preview button, I had a similarly jammed F2 body, and this allowed the shutter to fire. I am not sure what the relationship is, but it worked for me and allowed me to exercise the shutter and get it to fire reliably.
 
Make sure the self-timer lever hasn't been actuated and then gotten stuck. If it flops around, try pushing in the little button a few times. If it is locked, you won't get it to work without disassembly.
If the DOF button or self-timer thing doesn't work, you can un-jam the shutter manually by removing the bottom plate and pushing on the linkage to release the tension. I don't have a photo but you could probably find it online.
Make sure the curtains are fully wound as well. If the edges of the curtains are visible in the film gate, the camera will not fire.
If none of these works, it needs to be disassembled and serviced. Could be as simple as the little
"boomerang" lever of the self-timer being on the wrong side of the main shutter plunger. I had this problem when I did my first tear-down of my F2. Good luck.

Phil Forrest
 
I just noticed that you already have a Nikkormat FT. That's a wonderful camera, and as you said, you can use the lenses on it until you get the F sorted out.

Ck out this 14 sec video on how their shutter jam was addressed. Also, ck the shutter collar to make sure it is on A and not on R.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ0a4cdcu6w

I found this pic of how someone w/ an FE got their shutter unjammed by taking the bottom plate off. Maybe it's the same on your F.
https://filtergrade.com/jammed-shutter-fix-nikon-fe/

And here's a video on unjamming the shutter on an F
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxL5zp_S_Y8
 
I had the same problem with my F2 years ago and took it to a camera shop . the dealer said it was due to having gone to the very end of the filmroll and thereby having half winded the shutter . I could rewind the film but the shutter stayed jammed . He took a pencel and pushed very gently and carefull against the curtain while winding the camera . I got it back in two minutes and never happended again , I am careful now not to go to the end of the film .
 
Maybe , I don't remember well , I pressed the shutterbutton at the end of the film while the transportation of the film wasn't , couldn't be completed and therefore jammed ...
 
I would send it to a tech and eat the bill if everything else is working and looking good.

All my nikons have jammed shutters. FM FE.. They all jam if unused for a long time.
 
Similar faults have happened with both my F2s. One was not repairable. One was just a snarl-up with the self-timer (which is supposed to give shutter times down to 10 secs in combination with the B setting) and cured itself after some poking and jiggling. So it’s either nothing, or a scrap camera. I’ve never tried to use the extended times since.
 
To the OP : did you try holding down the rewind button while trying to fully wind again, as if you wanted to make a double-exposure ? This can be repeated as many times as you wish.

Did you also try firing the shutter using a small pin (a wood toothpick will do it and won't harm anything) and the shutter release cam located at the bottom of the camera (for the motor drive) ? This cam is near the rewind button and close to the sefltimer unit when you look at the camera from the bottom, holding the lens mount up).

Did you try firing the shutter while holding down the DOF control button, either using the main shutter release with your finger or the shutter release cam designed for the motor drive at the bottom of the camera ?
 
The vertical travel shutters of the FM and FE can't be compared to the shutter in an F2 farther that both control light in a metered fashion. Otherwise they are 100% different.
To un-jam an FM shutter, try locking up the mirror, and gently flexing the shutter leaves up and down just a hair. These leaves are easily corroded and so they stick together. In 2004 I was given a stuck FM by a friend. I sat in a chair and had it fixed within a minute.
Phil Forrest
 
Phil_F_NM said:
Make sure the self-timer lever hasn't been actuated and then gotten stuck. If it flops around, try pushing in the little button a few times. If it is locked, you won't get it to work without disassembly.
If the DOF button or self-timer thing doesn't work, you can un-jam the shutter manually by removing the bottom plate and pushing on the linkage to release the tension. I don't have a photo but you could probably find it online.
Make sure the curtains are fully wound as well. If the edges of the curtains are visible in the film gate, the camera will not fire.
If none of these works, it needs to be disassembled and serviced. Could be as simple as the little
"boomerang" lever of the self-timer being on the wrong side of the main shutter plunger. I had this problem when I did my first tear-down of my F2. Good luck.

Phil Forrest
Click to expand...

Self-timer winds & runs-down smoothly and evenly, and I hear a little "ping" inside the body at the end of its journey, when it tries to trip whatever it mates with.


I believe I can just see the metal "hem" of a curtain just visible inside the left edge of the film gate, looking at the camera with the back open.

With the Fotomic prism removed, the little line on the shaft at the center of the shutter-speeds knob does NOT line-up with the speed index mark on the top plate.

Pushing-in on the Rewind-release button on the bottom plate does nothing to release the Wind-on lever. It does allow the sprockets to freewheel backwards.

I will play with the DOF button and the motor-drive release plunger a bit, and if that fails, I might get brave and pull the bottom plate.

Thanks,

LF
 
Luddite Frank said:
I believe I can just see the metal "hem" of a curtain just visible inside the left edge of the film gate, looking at the camera with the back open.

With the Fotomic prism removed, the little line on the shaft at the center of the shutter-speeds knob does NOT line-up with the speed index mark on the top plate.
Click to expand...

Both those indications tell that the shutter is not cocked. So this is not a shutter jam, but a winding jam, because the last shutter actuation didn't release the winding mech.

You could try this (no risk at all) : remove the speeds selector disk and knob (easy : loosen the set screws on the side of the shutter speeds knob), then try to manually cock the shutter by gripping with your fingers (a rubber glove may help) then fully rotating CCW the shaft with the little line at its top, then try to fire the shutter.
 
Steve M. said:
Sadly, this seems to be a common problem on this model....
Click to expand...

That's odd to me. I shot for a daily newspaper for almost 20 years using mostly F2's, some motorized. Overall, I think I owned 5 of them during that period. They all got heavy use and abuse. I killed two of them during accidents on assignments. Most of the other press photographers I knew at the time also used them and used them hard. None of mine ever had a jam and I don't recall anyone else's jamming. They were popular with press photographers because of their extreme durability and reliability.

Is the common jamming plague striking the cameras due to their age?
 
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