Bessa RF sticking film door.

Just got a beautiful condition 1930’s Bessa RF. One problem is the film door latch is sticking. I had difficulty opening it and finally got lucky and it popped open and I stupidly shut it before investigating now I can’t open it again. I put a drop of oil in the latch and worked it back and forth a bit. The tension seems appropriate but I can’t get it open again. Any suggestions. Pics for reference.

Do you think it is the latch not releasing, or that there is binding between the back door and the main body?

Dan Daniel said:

Do you think it is the latch not releasing, or that there is binding between the back door and the main body?

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I think it’s the latch the way it popped open unexpectedly the first time. And I want to shoot it really bad. Everything g else seems fine and it’s beautiful.

Jbennett68 said:

I think it’s the latch the way it popped open unexpectedly the first time. And I want to shoot it really bad. Everything g else seems fine and it’s beautiful.

Click to expand...

And I did try prying the door just a bit with a guitar pick. It’s held tightly like it’s not at all released.

Got it. Someone recommended squeezing where the wire strap holders attach and that did it. I so t see what could need adjusting g. The slider looks like it’s traveling the full distance but I’m scared to close it again.

I have a Bessa zone focus and a Bessa RF. In my experience some of the metal parts on these cameras can often get slightly bent and just need to be gently bent back into place. For example on my Bessa zone focus the pop up viewfinder does not always trigger when you open the camera if it gets bent too much a certain way. But works again when you bend it the opposite. They needed to be made of slightly more rigid material.

I don't recall exactly how the latch is constructed but I'd try working the mechanism a few hundred times as that may loosen any grit on it and help lubricate it fully with your oil drop.