R3A dead or jammed.

[opendoorexit]

I've had the R3A since July and haven't had any problems. Then today after four frames the thing went dead. Thought it was the batteries so I popped in a new pair but still nothing. I can't get the meter to activate when I press the shutter release button. I'm guessing something might be jammed and am hoping there's a resolution. any ideas?

thanks.

bryan

 

[FrankS]

Try rewinding and removing the film. You can salvage the roll by not rewinding the film leader into the cassette.

 

[physiognomy]

Hi Bryan,

Welcome to RFF!

When you say it went dead does that mean just the meter or is the advance/shutter release also frozen? I think one of the easiest ways to jam up a bessa shutter is to start winding before the shutter has finished firing... It's not that hard to do if you are shooting with a slow shutter speed.

Sorry I can't be of any more help... I suggest rewinding the film & taking a look inside.

Peter

 

[opendoorexit]

FrankS - thanks. I switch mid-roll often so I was able rewind the film, no problem.

physsiognomy - thanks. yep, the advance/shutter release also frozen. i'm worried your theory maybe correct, but the last frame I fired off before the problem was at 500...but it's possible i started to rewind too soon.

so, if the shutter is jammed does that mean i'm SOL and need to order a new camera?

 

[FrankS]

I'm sure that repair is possible.

 

[BrianPhotog]

The same thing just happened to my R2a a couple of days ago. After some inspection (and rewinding the film, taking out/replacing the batteries, etc...) that the inner shutter curtain (the grey one) didn't close. I tried to take it to the shop the other day but it was closed.

The thing that really frustrates me is that it's just out of warranty.

 

[opendoorexit]

well, after some research i've come to understand i probably purchased a gray market camera from b & h video which really isn't covered under a warranty. the best guess at this point is that I have a bent blade which would be an expensive replacement. i've contact b & h as well as cosina about a fix...but I'm not too optimistic. guessing i'll probably end up going with the R3M...and tough lesson.

but i do think i need a back up rangefinder...so I was thinking about Bessa T. any thoughts? i use a 35mm Skopar with an external viewfinder and shoot mostly street stuff. i also normally carry around an olympus stylus and p&s digicam...

thanks.

bryan

 

[jlw]

Don't give up too quickly on a warranty fix. If you purchased your gray-market (direct import or IMP) camera new from B&H, it should be covered by their own warranty, as noted on their website:

For IMP items only, B&H provides a warranty identical to the provisions and limitations of the manufacturer's warranty for such items, with the exception of the time period, which is equal to the term of the manufacturer's warranty or one (1) year, whichever is less. Your warranty card and/or sales slip must accompany all items.

"B&H warranty" just means they send it to an independent shop to be fixed. That should be okay, certainly better than you having to pay to have it fixed. If you do find for some reason that you don't have coverage under the B&H warranty, though, either of the official US importers (CameraQuest or Photo Village) probably can get it repaired for you at a reasonable cost.

Note: These cameras do occasionally jam just for no good reason, though, so unless you can SEE that a shutter blade is bent, don't necessarily assume the worst. One thing to try: Open the camera back and gently roll the sprocket shaft forward and back slightly (don't force it.) You might also try holding in the rewind button and spinning the sprocket shaft backward a few turns. Then, still pressing the rewind button, see if you can operate the film advance lever, then try the shutter. For some reason Bessas occasionally seem to hang up because the sprocket wheel doesn't unlatch after firing (usually this happens when you try to squeeze 37 or 38 frames onto a 36-exposure roll) and sometimes this procedure will unlatch it and allow the camera to work normally. It's happened to me once each on two different Bessas (an R2 and an R3a) so I think it's a quirk of the basic design.

 

[opendoorexit]

jlw - wow. thanks. gonna try that. i'll let you know what happens...actually something similar happened a few months ago but it corrected itself soon after.

bryan

 

[wyk_penguin]

That's why I have more faith in mechanical cameras. That said, my primary camera is still the R3A. 😛

 

[jlw]

That's why I have more faith in mechanical cameras. That said, my primary camera is still the R3A. 😛

The same type of jam has happened to me on an R2, which IS a mechanical camera. It seems to be related to the advance mechanism, not the shutter.

 

[swoop]

Ha. I literally whimpered out loud when I read the thread title. Good luck.

 

[clintock]

I seem to remember a thread about a bessa L jamming, and a member finding the problem to be a loose screw which held on a gear in the advance mechansm.
Maybe take the bottom off and see if you can see a gear loose or bound because of a loose screw. You won't void the warranty (if any) if you don't maim any screws, so use a proper screwdriver that fits right.

 

[opendoorexit]

thanks clintock. don't think i'm gonna mess with it. B & H got back to me but said I had to contact the manufacturer regarding a fix. i think the customer service person was confused and didn't know the Bessa's were direct import. It seems pretty clear cut to me. Photo Village and Cameraquest are the only two authorized to sell Bessa's in the US, so the B & H versions have to be imported and thus convered under their warranty.

regardless, i have a Bessa T on the way for back up...

 

[clintock]

Good back up plan, I love the bessa T, I just got another one myself.
Keep nagging B&H, if you talk to the right person, you'll get them to cover it probably.
I wouldn't call them on a Friday- shabbaz and all the stress that brings.. especially with it getting dark so early now.

 

[CameraQuest]

Gray Market Voigtlander = Zero Factory Warranty

Gray Market Voigtlander = Zero Factory Warranty

thanks clintock. don't think i'm gonna mess with it. B & H got back to me but said I had to contact the manufacturer regarding a fix. i think the customer service person was confused and didn't know the Bessa's were direct import. It seems pretty clear cut to me. Photo Village and Cameraquest are the only two authorized to sell Bessa's in the US, so the B & H versions have to be imported and thus convered under their warranty.

regardless, i have a Bessa T on the way for back up...

Gray market Voigtlander like those sold by B&H have zero factory warranty. Cosina refuses to service gray market cameras. Any warranty work is solely up to B&H. I suggest you contact Popular Photography. I believe Pop advertisers have to agree to uphold minimum seller's standards.

Stephen

 

[dostacos]

Another great reason to use our sponsors..... [B&H should step up and fix the camera]

 

[Kyle]

My old Bessa L's used to jam up fairly often. It was the same thing everytime. The grey curtain simply didn't close up. When that happened I would push down on the grey curtain with my fingernail (not into the camera, but down, as if to push it down so that it is hidden, I hope that makes sense). When I did that it would get unstuck and then close. After that it was good to go. Try at your own risk, but that always worked for me.

 

[kully]

If you havn't taken out the film already:

The solution requires "jigging" - I put rewind knob in (and hold) and gently advance the advance lever - then I try rewinding (with the knob kept pushed in).
If that does nothing, hold the knob in and rewind a bit and then try the above again.

Keep at it until it releases.

All of the above require (a little) force.

Don't worry too much about breaking the mechanism - it's put up with my ham-fisted ways many times.

PS remember - to get it started: gently apply pressure to the advance lever whilst applying force to the little knob.

My R2a did this once when I first bought it - it hasn't done it again. It's also happened to be twice when I was at the end of the roll, again it only happened when the camera was new.

Good luck!

 

[Sparrow]

A few weeks ago while reloading I somehow managed to get the film leader trapped in the shutter (don’t ask it just went off) I panicked and yanked it back out without stopping to think.
Everything was locked solid, and the grey curtain was slightly askew to the horizontal! anyway when I lifted the grey curtain up with a toothpick slightly it just made a “snik-tick” noise and everything dropped back into place, too fast to tell exactly what happened.
I’ve put 4-5 rolls through since and everything’s fine, thought I’d share the experience