Dag nabit another capping focal plane shutter

Thought I'd picked up a winner at the flea market a couple weeks ago.

Pentax H1a looked good... Even at 500 I could see crisp and clear sky through the back from edge to edge.

Was thinking about getting a strap and taking it out... Tried 500 again a few frames and at first, crisp and clear. Then a dark start.

Fired a couple more and saw it occasionally dark start and also a couple frames dark in the middle.

Hate when that happens.

That's too bad because those are really nice, well built cameras, I had those issues on many Spotmatics, along w/ the gummed up foam inside the mirror box. My Canon FT QL and FTb cameras drove me crazy w/ the shutter capping blues, but I FINALLY found out how to tighten up the shutter curtain tension from the bottom, (take the bottom plate off and re tension the 2 adjustment screws for the curtains a little bit). After that, the next roll of film turned out perfect. However, I won't buy a Russian camera for exactly these reasons. I have never been able to fix the shutter capping on any of those, and after sending one Fed 2 back to FEDKA three times w/ no improvement, I wonder if it's even possible to fix the shutters correctly on those cameras. After that experience, I bought a Bessa R and never had a minute's worth of trouble. Great meters too. Yeah, they're sorta plasticky and don't have that classic camera feel, but for being a reliable photographic tool, you can't beat them.

That brings back memories. My very first real camera, purchased when I was in 10th or 11th grade, was an H1a. I shot about half the yearbook with it.

Could you explain what you mean by "capping"? I'm not familiar with that term.

Capping is where the first curtain drags and slows down enough for the second curtain to catch up and thus close off the exposure completely. Sometimes happens so that the last 1/3 or 1/2 of the frame is blank, the curtains having already closed completely before they traveled the entire frame. It can result from foreign material in the slots the shutter curtains ride in, bits of film chips and the like. Or just weak springs or moving parts gummed up with stiff or dried out lube.

Bill Burk said:

Thought I'd picked up a winner at the flea market a couple weeks ago.

Pentax H1a looked good... Even at 500 I could see crisp and clear sky through the back from edge to edge.

Was thinking about getting a strap and taking it out... Tried 500 again a few frames and at first, crisp and clear. Then a dark start.

Fired a couple more and saw it occasionally dark start and also a couple frames dark in the middle.

Hate when that happens.

Click to expand...

Hs are known for that. A CLA will get it working again. the Spotties had some design changes that wre to take care of this, I found one for $2 at a yardsale last summer that was filthy, but clean inside - the shutter not only doesn't cap, but it's useably accurate as well. I read somewhere that they used Teflon bushings in the shutter rollers if true this means they'll run forever - the rollers, not the rest of the camera - with no oil.

Just got a spotmatic SP that has capping at 1000. However after firing a bunch its getting better. I am hoping that after some work it will free up enough tot test some film on.