mteresko
Established
I purchased a very clean Tower 45 that seems to have a film advance issue. I ran a roll through it and about half the images are overlapping. I wound the film back in a cassette and inspected as I ran it through again with the back door open. The film is properly engaged with the sprockets, however the film advance mechanism slips if a little bit of tension is applied to the film. The shutter cocks normally with a full lever stroke. What might be the cause of this?
David Murphy
Veteran
I've had 35mm rangefinders of that era where the spindle holding the takeup spool slips when the film mechanism is advanced. This is a common problem.
Any time a camera like this is opened up, one might as well have a basic CLA performed since the repair cost is not that much more. Any competent local camera tech can do this. I would avoid using the expensive national repair shops for all except the most specialized work (they tend to be overpriced).
A fair price for this is about $100 if the shutter curtains do not require replacing. The camera will then be good for years.
The Tower 45 is a wonderful camera and worth keeping in good repair.
Any time a camera like this is opened up, one might as well have a basic CLA performed since the repair cost is not that much more. Any competent local camera tech can do this. I would avoid using the expensive national repair shops for all except the most specialized work (they tend to be overpriced).
A fair price for this is about $100 if the shutter curtains do not require replacing. The camera will then be good for years.
The Tower 45 is a wonderful camera and worth keeping in good repair.