shutter unstuck!

T

the lobster

Guest
Hello all. I fear that GAS you all spoke of in response to my first post has set in! I couldn't pass up picking up a "broken" Konica Auto s2 for $7. I figured maybe I'll luck out and it'll work. If not, I can take it apart and learn about the innards of my new habit. It seemed to be inexpensive no matter which purpose it served.

So it comes in the mail today. I open it up and sure enough, the film advance lever won't budge and the shutter release won't depress more than halfway. I played with it a little, which really means I press the shutter release about 50 times and attempted to wind the film lever about half that many. No luck. OK, I'll look into what tools I need to begin learning camera repair and maybe in the coming week or so, I'll begin my journey. That was about 4:00 pm.

I just sat down at the computer, reach over to the camera while waiting for something to run and Oh my! I just advanced the film lever. The shutter release button still did nothing, but I repeatedly (not forcefully though) pressed it. After about fifty or so of those the shutter released! Then the wind lever worked again. I kept going! I did about 20 releases for each speed, down then up. Now more than likely they are not spot on, and I don't have eqipment to check accurately, but they look good.

It seems this beast has risen from the dead, or at least a hibernation of sorts! Is this common? I believe I kept playing because I read on a site somewhere that shutters can "warm up" again after a long period of dormancy, if one keeps on firing away. What should my next step be now? Will use keep this camera healthy? Or should I get it to the doctor right away? After all it was a $7 camera.
 
It's true that a leaf shutter will sometimes "come to life" again if exercised some. I'd give it some more dry firings and then run a roll of film through it to see what I get. It may be that you can avoid the doctor altogether. :)

Walker
 
Not only GAS but also bitten by the DIY bug. Before long you'll want to do your own paint job on a FED2. :p You did see Jim Blazik's websit, right?
 
A camera that has sat unused for a long amount of time can sometimes be "exercised" back to life. Lubricants dry-up. If it is all "not gum", working the mechanism can spread it around.

Use the camera. The Konica S2 has a GREAT lens. You may try using it in warm areas for the first roll. I had mine out in the snow last weekend, worked fine. That was after the first roll shot indoors.My Konica S2 Folder: Lens Wide-Open
 
The Auto S2 has a very strong mainspring that can overcome most gummy lubricants. The weakpoint is the lens iris. Since the camera is shutter-speed preferred, the auto exposure selects the lens opening and stops down (on automatic) if it is old and gummy it will either not stop down all the way, or not re-open when you try and set a different f-number. Open the back and check it out. It is easily fixable if that is occuring.

You made a good buy. The innards on the Konica are as tough as the exterior and the lens is terrific.

-Paul
 
Well, I have to tone down my jubilation a bit. It seems that the rangefinder mirror has dislodged. There is no yellow focus dot (I don't know if that's the correct terminology or not). One step forward two back it seems.

I looks like I get to explore the DIY bug after all.
 
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