Hasselblad 500 EL/M jammed fix

btaylor · Aug 27, 2024

I was recently on a trip and brought along my Hasselblad 500 EL/M and a few lenses hoping to make some nice photos along the coast of Northern California. After 6 shots the camera jammed. I had not brought any tools with me so I was stuck- replacing the 9v battery didn’t help (tried 3, because I’ve had bad “new” batteries more than once).
Back home I measured the battery voltage, the integrity of the 9v adapter, the fuse, everything checks out.
The camera was jammed with the mirror up, barn doors open, and shutter uncocked. I used the special tool to cock the shutter through the back of the camera, still no joy. I jimmied the lens release and lens a couple of times, twisting- and the lens came off and the camera completed the wind cycle, mirror dropped, barn doors closed. The lens shutter at this point was not cocked, so I cocked the lens, put it on the body and all is well now.
I wanted to post this because I was searching for “500 EL jammed” and this solution did not pop up.
So I learned a couple of things- always bring at least a minimum of tools with you and don’t be afraid to *gently* move things around and always have a backup!

RalphLambrecht · Aug 27, 2024

btaylor said:
I was recently on a trip and brought along my Hasselblad 500 EL/M and a few lenses hoping to make some nice photos along the coast of Northern California. After 6 shots the camera jammed. I had not brought any tools with me so I was stuck- replacing the 9v battery didn’t help (tried 3, because I’ve had bad “new” batteries more than once).
Back home I measured the battery voltage, the integrity of the 9v adapter, the fuse, everything checks out.
The camera was jammed with the mirror up, barn doors open, and shutter uncocked. I used the special tool to cock the shutter through the back of the camera, still no joy. I jimmied the lens release and lens a couple of times, twisting- and the lens came off and the camera completed the wind cycle, mirror dropped, barn doors closed. The lens shutter at this point was not cocked, so I cocked the lens, put it on the body and all is well now.
I wanted to post this because I was searching for “500 EL jammed” and this solution did not pop up.
So I learned a couple of things- always bring at least a minimum of tools with you and don’t be afraid to *gently* move things around and always have a backup!

the one rule to learn and never forget when using any Hasselblad is always to keep the lens and camera cocked and never to take the lens off when they are not but I'm glad you were able to fix your problem!

Sirius Glass · Aug 27, 2024

RalphLambrecht said:
the one rule to learn and never forget when using any Hasselblad is always to keep the lens and camera cocked and never to take the lens off when they are not but I'm glad you were able to fix your problem!

That is the one rule of Hasselblad that everyone needs to learn. Keep the camera and lenses cocked at all time. Hence, store lenses cocked always. The lens springs are designed to be stored cocked.

Philippe-Georges · Aug 28, 2024

Sirius Glass said:
That is the one rule of Hasselblad that everyone needs to learn. Keep the camera and lenses cocked at all time. Hence, store lenses cocked always. The lens springs are designed to be stored cocked.

A certified Hasselblad technician once told me that at Hasselblad no spring is ever more tensioned than 80% of their possibilities.
The same goes for the Synchro-Compur and Prontor made shutters.

btaylor · Aug 28, 2024

RalphLambrecht said:
the one rule to learn and never forget when using any Hasselblad is always to keep the lens and camera cocked and never to take the lens off when they are not but I'm glad you were able to fix your problem!

Yes. I am aware of this Hasselblad mantra- in this case the lens and body apparently went out of sync and jammed without any input from me!

Y2kTLCrepair · Jul 5, 2025

Wow, so much wrong with these comments : "never forget when using any Hasselblad is always to keep the lens and camera cocked" & "store lenses cocked always. The lens springs are designed to be stored cocked" & "no spring is ever more tensioned than 80%"

I'm a Hasselblad technician. Releasing the lenses and bodies is ALWAYS recommended ! - I've personally seen the difference in Synchro Compur shutter mainsprings. Owners who always released their shutters and the majority who always kept everything charged. The mainsprings of the 'always charged' are significantly fatigued (The positions of the mainspring anchor points can be easily noted). High mileage/cycles OR NOT, some have even completely failed (snapped).

The bodies also have very high tension springs. So also relax them when they're stored.

While we're on the subject of preventive maintenance for Hasselblad's, do remove the film back's Dark Slide. The light seal has a foam component that mustn't stay compressed. If this foam memory stays flattened when the Dark Slide is removed, film light leaks will occur...

koraks · Jul 5, 2025

Welcome aboard @Y2kTLCrepair !

Y2kTLCrepair said:
I'm a Hasselblad technician.

Thanks for joining us; I'm sure that any experience you're willing to share will be highly valued by the community!

F4U · Jul 5, 2025

The camera body need a complete CLA. It's been a number of years since I last worked on them. But as I recall the EL and C bodies had certain things in common, although far from identical. But the half gear which meshes with the film back doubles as the drive for the barn doors and barn door damper mechanisms. This gets cruddy with old lube and cause the mirror to jump time and the camera to jam. Yes the camera can sometimes be unjammed using the screwdriver trick to force-cycle it. but another jam is soon to happen, which tends to be a more catastophic jam. once a Hasselblad jams, the smart owner will realize that he has no camera at all until such time as biting the bullet for a CLA job by a mechanic who has access to parts, as the barn door damper part needs replacement. The mechanisms in these bodies are actually quite simple, yet also ingenious. but extemely unforgiving of failure to have serviced from time to time.
Edit. I'm not not a certified technician. I just worked on a number of them for a few years a dozen or so years ago. this post is from best recollection. If there is a certified tech on the thread I invite critique of my post.

eli griggs · Jul 6, 2025

Y2kTLCrepair said:
Wow, so much wrong with these comments : "never forget when using any Hasselblad is always to keep the lens and camera cocked" & "store lenses cocked always. The lens springs are designed to be stored cocked" & "no spring is ever more tensioned than 80%"

I'm a Hasselblad technician. Releasing the lenses and bodies is ALWAYS recommended ! - I've personally seen the difference in Synchro Compur shutter mainsprings. Owners who always released their shutters and the majority who always kept everything charged. The mainsprings of the 'always charged' are significantly fatigued (The positions of the mainspring anchor points can be easily noted). High mileage/cycles OR NOT, some have even completely failed (snapped).

The bodies also have very high tension springs. So also relax them when they're stored.

While we're on the subject of preventive maintenance for Hasselblad's, do remove the film back's Dark Slide. The light seal has a foam component that mustn't stay compressed. If this foam memory stays flattened when the Dark Slide is removed, film light leaks will occur...

Removing dark slides from mags is problematic for me as most of my magazines are stored loaded.

Will the OEM plastic magazine covers prevent light leaks or do you know of a third party product that'll do the job correctly?

Don_ih · Jul 6, 2025

Y2kTLCrepair said:
Wow, so much wrong with these comments

Is that really "wow"-worthy? I don't know where people get it, but lots of people think Hasselblad recommended the lenses be stored cocked. It makes sense to leave the lenses cocked if you're using them. It also makes sense to release them if you're putting them away for a while. But Hasselblad didn't supply a screwdriver with the lenses to use for cocking them (well, a dime works better, anyway).

The EL/M is also automatically cocked at the end of it's cycle. So I guess you recommend one should push and hold the shutter button and remove the battery cover?

How should've the situation described at the start of this thread been handled?

OAPOli · Jul 6, 2025

I would have thought that springs are tensioned well under their yield strength, which is by design high for spring steel.

But I've personally come across a weakened main spring in a Synchro-Compur shutter in a Rolleiflex. The shutter couldn't close properly; you needed to nudge the main cam to close it. Looking at the NOS replacement I purchased you could see the difference in the anchor points. And I've seen a few Chris Sherlock videos where he outlines that same issue.

I'm not sure what is going on as this seems to be a major oversight on the part of Compur. But I try to keep these specific shutters in the released state.

Not all Synchro-Compur shutter use that type of spring: those with the booster spring for the top speed don't. You can tell from the extra resistance when selecting the top speed.

Don_ih · Jul 6, 2025

I think the main problem originates from the fact that no one designed these things thinking they'd be in use 50 years later. Hasselblads and large format shutters were built to be professional tools - which means regular use, regular service, regular replacement.

Y2kTLCrepair · Jul 7, 2025

"most of my magazines are stored loaded" Eli Griggs

I understand. So two things :
1. If you have a magazine loaded with film that you won't be using soon, then put it on a body and pull the Dark Slide.
2. If film must be stored in the Backs, then get used to replacing the three light seal parts; along with the risk of unexpectedly developing a light leak onto that roll when it comes time to fire off images...
- - - - -

"Hasselblad recommended the lenses be stored cocked. - It also makes sense to release them if you're putting them away for a while" Don_ih

Most would notice that those comments are diametrically opposed.
Plus, I've never read in either the instruction or SERVICE manuals that the factory recommends "the lenses be stored cocked" - - -
- - - - -

"But Hasselblad didn't supply a screwdriver with the lenses to use for cocking them" Don_ih

Yes, and camera companies don't supply you with a penny to remove battery covers/caps.
Still, in regards to the lens shutter, Hasselblad does state in their instruction manual : i.e.
"The simplest way of cocking the shutter is to insert a coin into the slot on the cocking shaft and turn clockwise"
- - - - -

"The EL/M is also automatically cocked at the end of it's cycle. So I guess you recommend one should push and hold the shutter button and remove the battery cover?" Don_ih

One could do that with their EL/M. But I find it easier to simply fire off and hold down the shutter release as I slide the power mode switch (Time Lever) from 'O' to 'L' - The lens and body are then fully released without any power drain. When the Lever is eventually moved back over to the 'O' position, the camera will then power-up & motorize the cocking process...

eli griggs · Jul 7, 2025

Cheers.

Sirius Glass · Jul 8, 2025

Y2kTLCrepair said:
Wow, so much wrong with these comments : "never forget when using any Hasselblad is always to keep the lens and camera cocked" & "store lenses cocked always. The lens springs are designed to be stored cocked" & "no spring is ever more tensioned than 80%"

I'm a Hasselblad technician. Releasing the lenses and bodies is ALWAYS recommended ! - I've personally seen the difference in Synchro Compur shutter mainsprings. Owners who always released their shutters and the majority who always kept everything charged. The mainsprings of the 'always charged' are significantly fatigued (The positions of the mainspring anchor points can be easily noted). High mileage/cycles OR NOT, some have even completely failed (snapped).

The bodies also have very high tension springs. So also relax them when they're stored.

While we're on the subject of preventive maintenance for Hasselblad's, do remove the film back's Dark Slide. The light seal has a foam component that mustn't stay compressed. If this foam memory stays flattened when the Dark Slide is removed, film light leaks will occur...

Welcome to Photrio! I am in the majority. Time to reconsider.

Hasselblad 500 EL/M jammed *fix*

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency

Hasselblad 500 EL/M jammed fix