Banging my head against the wall for New Years- Bronica Sq-Ai woes.

[fotoobscura]

I bought an Sq-Ai the other day from Adorama for cheap- and was indicated as fully working. I didn't question it.

I have another Sq-Ai that i've had for about 10 years and I needed a new focusing screen. Turns out buying a whole camera was easier.

Anyhow, here's the problem that I'm having with this camera I bought from Adorama:

With the mirror lockup switch down (on) and no film back (as one has to do) the camera functions normally. In N the mirror is down, press shutter, mirror goes up, shutter open/closes, then wind again to repeat. No problem.

Now, when I place a film back onto the camera, wind the film to 1, and place the camera in N, it just winds and winds and winds..forever..until the end of the roll..The winding mechanism simple doesn't do anything. It never cycles like it does with the mirror lockup switch down.

I thought maybe I had forgotten something so I read the manual over and over again and continued to think it was something I was doing wrong.

Then I went back to my old Sq-Ai and did the exact same thing (with the same film back incidentally) and it worked exactly as I remembered. Normally.

So, the camera I bought from Adorama seems to be at best, confused, and at worst, broken.

Am I missing something or is something broken here?

Thanks and HNY

 

[Kirks518]

If I had to guess, not being at all familiar with Bronicas, I'd look for some interlock between camera and back that isn't engaging, making the back think it isn't either loaded or attached to the camera.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I had the same thing happen to a Hasselblad back. The back on the Hasselblad has a pin with a spring behind it. If the pin is gummed up, the roll goes completely through the camera. I would bet that you have the same problem. The back needs a CLA.

 

[fotoobscura]

I'd tend to agree with you except for one thing: I used the same back on another Sq-Ai and it worked Fine. This leads me to believe if anything needs a CLA it's the body...
Right?

 

[Sirius Glass]

If the new camera has the problem with both backs then the camera needs the CLA.
Separately if the new back has the problem with the old camera then the new back needs the CLA.

Rather than waste film, if you use the paper backing alone on the spool you can avoid the problem of the film bunching up when you rewind it.

 

[fotoobscura]

Great advice on the backing paper. I've never had to troubleshoot my MF's that much but that tip will save a lot of potentially wasted film.

Thanks and HNY

 

[fotoobscura]

To close this thread with a solution:

This had to do with the button cells being *loose* inside the battery holder. That or the battery holder wasn't making proper contact with the leads. Could be oxidation but really I think the battery holder was just not making full contact.
A real pain to troubleshoot.

 

[mweintraub]

AH yes, the Ai battery issue. *drat!*

 

[houstonphotographics]

To close this thread with a solution:

This had to do with the button cells being *loose* inside the battery holder. That or the battery holder wasn't making proper contact with the leads. Could be oxidation but really I think the battery holder was just not making full contact.
A real pain to troubleshoot.

That is the primary reason I dumped my SQ-ai body. I got tired of fiddling with making those 4x button cells in holder making contact so I got an SQ-AM body on the cheap from KEH.

 

[fotoobscura]

That is the primary reason I dumped my SQ-ai body. I got tired of fiddling with making those 4x button cells in holder making contact so I got an SQ-AM body on the cheap from KEH.

I bought my latest SQ-AI body for $112, no kidding. I paid a grand for the body and a lens just ten years ago. So thinking I'll copy you and check out KEH for the AM. Thank you.

 

[mweintraub]

The Am is nice too, but I've found the 6 battery holder kind of fragile, at least the one I was trying to clean. The SQ-A bodies are great if you don't need a motor and use a WLF often.