ETRSi cable release confusion

mr.datsun · Nov 13, 2017

I've had this camera so long I feel I should know this. And I've just re-read the manual...

1. Can a cable release be used to release the shutter with or without mirror lock-up?
2. I thought that with mirror lock-up the following happened....

a. lock up the mirror. the lens shutter is closed.
b. use the cable release to fire the shutter.

With my camera, I lock the mirror but the cable will NOT fire the shutter (I have the shutter-lock at 90 degs horizontal). I then release the lock and the shutter fires. Mysterious or I am doing something wrong?

I know the ETRS does have some weird quirks but this has baffled me. I had to run a film at 1/4s just using the manual shutter release and hope for the best. Help, please.

Poisson Du Jour · Nov 13, 2017

I am not an ETRSi user, but one thing springs to mind from observing other cameras (Hasselblad, Pentax 6x7/67, etc.): make sure the throw of your cable release is sufficient to trigger the shutter. It's not a case of "any old cable release will do". The throw (or plunger extension) must match the camera. Do you have more than one shutter release cable to try out? Most have an extension of 19mm. A few cameras require more than this.

wiltw · Nov 14, 2017

In the ETRSi, it should be possible to trigger the shutter release -- without regard to status of mirror lockup being up or normal position. I just verified this operation before posting.

The cable release trigger point feels quite firm, and it takes about 10mm of throw in the cable release (cable protruding into the body 10mm past the tip of the screw-in thread).

Punker · Nov 14, 2017

Wiltw is right. The cable release can trip the shutter with or without the mirror locked up. Just make sure you don't have the ring around the shutter button turned to one of the locked positions.

mr.datsun · Nov 14, 2017

Poisson Du Jour said:
I am not an ETRSi user, but one thing springs to mind from observing other cameras (Hasselblad, Pentax 6x7/67, etc.): make sure the throw of your cable release is sufficient to trigger the shutter. It's not a case of "any old cable release will do". The throw (or plunger extension) must match the camera. Do you have more than one shutter release cable to try out? Most have an extension of 19mm. A few cameras require more than this.

It has 15mm. Guess I better check the manual, if the information is in there.

wiltw said:
In the ETRSi, it should be possible to trigger the shutter release -- without regard to status of mirror lockup being up or normal position. I just verified this operation before posting.

The cable release trigger point feels quite firm, and it takes about 10mm of throw in the cable release (cable protruding into the body 10mm past the tip of the screw-in thread).

Punker said:
Wiltw is right. The cable release can trip the shutter with or without the mirror locked up. Just make sure you don't have the ring around the shutter button turned to one of the locked positions.

No, I checked that it need to be 90 degrees horizontal to enable the cable release.

You are both saying what I thought to be the case. I need to work out why it won't release the shutter. Seems like the with-mirror without-mirror aspect is not the main problem.

I hope to look at this without the pressure of using it in a shoot soon.

Thanks, all.

mr.datsun · Nov 14, 2017

I just looked again. There is a pin visible on the base-plate (on the left when looking from the front). This pin goes in when I press the button shutter release. It seems to go in almost the same distance when I press the cable, but maybe not quite. And when I press the pin with a small tool, the shutter *is* fired. Pressing the cable release seems like hard work to get the pin to move.

EDIT

Solved! I tried a very long pneumatic cable with a bulb. It has a shorter pin throw and for some reason this triggers the shutter with no problem. Could the short cable release with the 15mm have a too long action? Not sure why that would stop it though. Any it works and I will get another short release. Thank-you for you help all!

wiltw · Nov 15, 2017

mr.datsun said:
I just looked again. There is a pin visible on the base-plate (on the left when looking from the front). This pin goes in when I press the button shutter release. It seems to go in almost the same distance when I press the cable, but maybe not quite. And when I press the pin with a small tool, the shutter *is* fired. Pressing the cable release seems like hard work to get the pin to move.

It sounds as if you might be looking at the actuation of the Speed Grip's shutter button.

mr.datsun · Nov 16, 2017

wiltw said:
It sounds as if you might be looking at the actuation of the Speed Grip's shutter button.

Yes, you're right – it's in the contacts for the Speed Grip.

ETRSi cable release confusion

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