Copal 3 problem?

I picked up a lens on FeeBay and I think there's a problem. It's in a Copal 3 shutter. The front element wobbles a bit and as I look at the shutter I see that the timing ring is where the wobble occurs. If I gently pull on the front element the entire front and timing ring move about 1/32" in and out.

Cheap fix or should I quickly return it?

-Ben

Ask Carol Miller's advice on this one.

If the front element wobbles and it's firmly threaded into the shutter body, that doesn't sound too good! This could mean that the two halves of the shutter have loosened by themselves, or the shutter has possibly had an accident causing the screws to loosen. Or due to an accident something was bent and binding inside and the fix was to loosen the shutter... If just the timing ring wobbles the fix could be simply to tighten the ring that holds it on, although this is another indication that the shutter may have been taken apart... I'd be sending it back unless you got it cheap enough to take a risk on it.

I just corrected a similar problem with an older black / chrome Copal 0. My newer
Copal 3 seems to be of a little different construction. I'll describe the procedure
in hope that it is of any help. If I remember right it goes like this:

1. Open the aperture and the shutter blades so you don't accidentally damage them.

2. Unscrew the three small screws in the back of the shutter.

3. Lift off the ring retaining the aperture control ring.

4. Lift off the aperture control ring.

5. Unscrew the screw that limits the movement of the shutter opening lever and the three
screws that hold the shutter opening ring.

6. Lift off the shutter opening ring. There is a small loose leaf spring that has a knob
which fits to two notches in the ring to hold it in open / closed positions. Note its
position. It isn't hard to figure out though.

7. Under the ring are three screws that hold the shutter halves together. Tighten them.

Reassemble in reverse order. I spent a little time figuring out how to put back the
shutter opening ring / lever. You need to get the arm that operates the shutter to
fit to a matching slot in an arm inside the shutter. I used a small screwdriver to turn
the latter to the right position.

So, it's doable but requires a little courage and nerves.


- T

P.S. Be careful with the screws, they are all really short and get lost easily.

I do appreciate the help, but it appears that this shutter is different.

- I removed the two screws that attach the aperture control ring and removed the ring and delrin washer beneath it.

- I can find no other screws to remove. I'm stumped.

If anyone knows how to disassemble this shutter, I'm all ears.

-Ben

PM Carol Flutot

Thanks Tom, will do.