Olympus RD - Shutter button blocked

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esdy_11192

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Hi everybody,
A few days ago I bought on a flea market (in The Hague, Holland) an Olympus 35 RD. It was among some garbage/toy cameras. I paid it 5 euros + a working Sunpak flash.

Anyway, it seemed that it worked. I didn't wanted to put a film right away in it, because I wanted to clean it a little bit first. I advanced the advace film lever and pressed the shutter several times without a film, and it's seemed to work.. Acctually now I think I shouldn't do that without a film.

So I tried to clean it a little bit that this evening. Everything went well, until I advanced the advance film lever, and then turned the selftimer lever (for cleaning under it).. The shutter went well, but after another advancing of the film lever and pushing the shutter button, the shutter button stayed blocked.

Now the problem is that I can't advace the film advace lever (it's blocking half way), the shuttter seems blocked down, the take-up spool inside the camera (for the film) can turn in both ways (forward and backward as if the film rewind button was pushed). I did pushed the film rewind button afterwards but I guess that didn't affected the situation.

I will be very gratfull if anybody gives me an advice. I don't know how to open the top of the camera (I did those things on FEDs and Zorkii RFs), because I can't find any srews for that part !!

I on hollydays in Holland I will try to find some service in here, but I doubt that I will find cheap service or advice for that kind of camera in my homeland, Serbia.


Anyway I'm :bang: right now..

😕

edit: I also have difficulties to turn the apperture ring ?!
 
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Thanks for the quick reply.. I read about the problem but didn't understood that it was it..

I'm a little bit confused... The camera looks almost like new.. And the shutter seemed to work (but the blades moved "strangley")... So I guess then that I trigered the problem with my actions (advancing the film advace lever and pressing the shutter button)..

on emore thing, is it an easy thing to fix by myself ?? I can't figure out from the link (I noticed that on the link the guy didn't opened the top of the camera, he only "played" with the lens area)...

One more thing, is it posible that a string in the upper part or something like that was blocker or it's deffinettly the problem with the lubricants ??
 
This "malady" can occur with many types of leaf-shutters - if lubricants migrate onto the leaves.

The 35RD however, is guaranteed to be prone to this problem because its particular unit focusing helical is so near the shutter leaves. There is no housing around the shutter leaves to prevent an intrusion of any liquids that migrate in from the helical grease due to break down and separation.

The 35SP has a unit focusing lens and doesn't suffer this problem. It's entire shutter assembly is entirely in the lens barrel and has old Compur/Prontor type shutter body.

The 35RD has most of its shutter mechanisms built within the body. The aperture and shutter leaves are out in the open, so to speak.

The 35RC on which the RD is based has its shutter behind the lens and does not have a unit focusing lens.
 
esdy_11192 said:
onemore thing, is it an easy thing to fix by myself ??
Click to expand...

The repair requires a steady hand, the proper tools and a bit of luck in removing the two outer elements of the lens, which need to be unscrewed as a single unit.

There is no room for a proper spanner and the doublet is usually stuck firmly onto the housing of the third element.

If I had do another one, I would gladly send it to technician familiar with the Oly.
 
Solinar has probably deduced the problem you have - it sounds right.
However, just a thought.
In what position is the self timer lever?
Is it completely at the top or not quite?
If its in a part way position I wonder what would happen if you depressed it completely?

As I said - just a thought.

Best of luck.
 
jesse1dog said:
Solinar has probably deduced the problem you have - it sounds right.
However, just a thought.
In what position is the self timer lever?
Is it completely at the top or not quite?
If its in a part way position I wonder what would happen if you depressed it completely?

As I said - just a thought.

Best of luck.
Click to expand...

OK. The self timer lever is not at the top, it's about 2-3 degreees fro, his position.

When the "blocking" happened it was in normal position.. I "blocked" the shutter without using the selftimer lever, I just advace the film advance lever and pushed the shutter button that stayed in (and the leaf shutter stayed closed).. After that I tried to "shoot on blank" with selftimer once again the lever didn't went back completly
 
esdy_11192 said:
OK. The self timer lever is not at the top, it's about 2-3 degreees fro, his position.

When the "blocking" happened it was in normal position.. I "blocked" the shutter without using the selftimer lever, I just advace the film advance lever and pushed the shutter button that stayed in (and the leaf shutter stayed closed).. After that I tried to "shoot on blank" with selftimer once again the lever didn't went back completly
Click to expand...

I was about to suggest the same thing as Jesse did, if you haven't tried it yet.

I got a "dead" DC (which is the auto everything version of RD) whose self timer is stuck at an angle from horizontal. The way I fix it was to push it down further until it can't go anymore (do not use excessive force, of course) and then let go. The self timer starts ticking and the shutter release popped back up.

Just a thought.
 
Old threads, young girls, and a stuck shutter

Old threads, young girls, and a stuck shutter

shadowfox said:
I got a "dead" DC (which is the auto everything version of RD) whose self timer is stuck at an angle from horizontal. The way I fix it was to push it down further until it can't go anymore (do not use excessive force, of course) and then let go. The self timer starts ticking and the shutter release popped back up.

Just a thought.
Click to expand...

Well this may be an old thread but it still made my night.

I just got my first RC off ebay (goodwill of San Francisco) and the shutter was stuck. The self timer was stuck at 45 degrees so I pushed it and it went down to 90 degrees and stuck there. The shutter would only fire if I held down the shutter button while set on A and simultaneously turned the aperture dial to flash setting. As I turned the dial the shutter would fire, if not the first time the second. The self timer stayed stuck.

So I see a "perfect" one advertised on Craigslist and figure why not. I call the guy, the damn thing is "perfect" he confirms, so I drive up the coast and over the hill about 25 miles to find his "perfect" RC doesn't even have a self timer lever. It's broken off. Why I was so polite after that I don't know.

So I drive home, get a sixpack on the way, and while I'm trying to find a parking space this beautiful young hottie walks in front of me, smiles, and says something flirtatious. I say something flirtatious back, along the lines of what a beautiful little body she has, and she replies, "You have no idea". Course she's on her cell phone the entire time, and ends the conversation by yelling the name of a bar that I should meet her at. I found a parking spot and came home. Like the song says, "if she don't want to know forget her".

Back on topic, I start searching the forum for "RC stuck shutter" and come upon this thread. No big deal, similar problems like mine. But then I read shadowfox's advice, maybe obvious to you guys but I hadn't though to try it. I haven't heard that wonderful little self timer buzz in many a year, but click goes the shutter and the camera seems to be working flawlessly, not just on A but at all apertures too. It needs light seals but that's about it. It even has the case and original lens cap. I will probably lose it in short order. Are they all this loose?

So cheers to everyone, especially shadowfox.

cjc I have a Petri 7S on the way as well thanks to your endorsement.
 
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If we were closer from each other I would be interested on the parts camera... I also have a parts 35rd and maybe could make a working unity of the two ehe
 
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