Olympus 35 SP - intermittent trigger lock

[Dave S.]

I have a Olympus 35 SP in terrific shape except for one issue. Intermittently (although frequently) after winding, the double exposure lock remains locked and I cannot depress the button to take a photo.

That said, if I rotate the camera 90 degrees counter-clockwise (while holding the camera with lens pointed towards my subject, as when taking a photograph) and then rotate it back clockwise 90 degrees - it invariably unlocks and I can depress the button and take a photo no problem. Anyone have suggestions on what needs to be adjusted / fixed to remedy this issue?

Thanks, Dave

 

[zuikologist]

Does this only happen in auto mode?

 

[Dave S.]

Does this only happen in auto mode?

It occurs while not in auto mode. (I seldom / never use auto mode.)

BTW: I believe I took this camera to a local repair shop a while back because the wind lock that prevents winding film more than 1x before shooting wasn't working. The shop repair briefly fixed that problem, but then I started having the new problem outlined in my initial post. Life got busy and I never got around to driving across town to see if the repair shop would look at it again (because I think their adjustment caused the new problem).

Anyway, I'm hoping I can repair this issue myself. Any suggestions you may have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[zuikologist]

It sounds like it may be a problem with the winder interlock that was repaired. If this did not happen before repair I would take it back to the repair shop.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

This camera used a very light spring that was under constant strain for the wind-interlock mechanism. I had one > 15 years ago, managed to find a stronger replacement from a Minolta Highmatic. If you remove the bottom plate, you might be able to observe the problem. If the spring is intact, you might try some Ronsonol and camera oil on the mechanism. If the part is loose- that is the culprit. Great lens, the mechanical design is not as robust as the Minolta.