Hasselblad lens won't mount

Sgore · Mar 23, 2016

One of my Hasselblad C lenses has decided to become uncooperative and will not mount. I have made sure that the lens is properly cocked, as is the body, but despite being able to mount other lenses, my 150mm is being obstinate. Under magnification I cannot discern any difference between the various lenses in their cocked state. Is is possible that the half tube that surrounds the shutter trigger has rotated slightly and is now an obstacle? If so, is this something that someone who is pretty handy with tools can adjust? I have a series of test shoots coming up for a local modeling agency and the 150mm is a staple for these kinds of events and I would definitely like to have it in my arsenal. I recognize that a CLA would be the obvious answer, but short of that can anyone offer any insights or suggestions?

BrianShaw · Mar 23, 2016

I would guess that your shutter (lens) isn't really cocked and locked. Maybe if you post a pic we can help you discern better.

frank · Mar 23, 2016

Can you post a pic of the shutter cocking thingy on the back of the lens?

Sgore · Mar 23, 2016

BrianShaw said:
I would guess that your shutter (lens) isn't really cocked and locked. Maybe if you post a pic we can help you discern better.

I'm pretty sure that it cocks properly. I can trigger it and recock without any difficult as long as it's not mounted.

bdial · Mar 23, 2016

That looks correct, another possibility might be that one of the screws in the lens mount may have backed out.
Is the key in the body aligned with its red dot?

Sgore · Mar 23, 2016

bdial said:
That looks correct, another possibility might be that one of the screws in the lens mount may have backed out.
Is the key in the body aligned with its red dot?

There is no red dot on the body, except for the one that indicates lens orientation. The key aligns with two pins. 4 other lenses mount without difficulty, so I think it is down to the lens rather than the body

BrianShaw · Mar 23, 2016

Even the shield around the release lever looks correct. Something odd is going on!

Sgore · Mar 23, 2016

After messing about with it for an hour or so, trying different lenses, and then going back to the faulty one, triggering and recocking, and generally being mystified, the lens has now decided that it will mount. For this I am happy, but it gets me no closer to figuring out why it wouldn't in the first place. Thank you all for your help! I will send it off for a CLA as soon as I can spare it

Sgore · Mar 23, 2016

I probably wasn't holding my mouth right

BrianShaw · Mar 23, 2016

Sgore said:
I probably wasn't holding my mouth right

I find that necessary when mounting a 250, but less so for a 150. I think the weight makes it cock just a bit in the wrong direction sometimes.

jerrybro · Mar 23, 2016

Wow, that is one boogered up lens retaining ring.

paul ron · Mar 23, 2016

from the picture, it looks like someone has messed up that retaining ring's notches. DIYer might have moved something or screwed the mount in some way.

Sgore · Mar 24, 2016

jerrybro said:
Wow, that is one boogered up lens retaining ring.

Truth. I hadn't even noticed until I took this photo.

Brett Rogers · Mar 24, 2016

To my eye the drive key way is nearly lined up with the red dot, but not quite. It's a few degrees off. The red dot should be centred relative to the key way. All my lenses line up perfectly. Perhaps it's enough to make the drive key balk when you rotate the lens.

RalphLambrecht · Mar 25, 2016

Sgore said:
I'm pretty sure that it cocks properly. I can trigger it and recock without any difficult as long as it's not mounted.View attachment 153121

sorry, but this looks just fine to me.all my lenses mount without wffort and look identical to your picture.this is beyond me.

Kawaiithulhu · Mar 25, 2016

Brett Rogers said:
nearly lined up with the red dot, but not quite.

Comparing to my one, old C lens I have to say that this is possibly right, when cocked the channel lines up directly against the arrow and in your picture it's offset by a few degrees.

13Nancy13 · Nov 21, 2018

Did you ever figure out what happened?

I think I may be having the same issue and really hoping someone can give me some guidance? My lens/body are both cocked, all arrows seem to be pointing in the correct direction however when I put the lens on the body, I can't turn it into it's locking position.

Any tips/suggestions aside from taking it in to someone for repair would be sosososoos appreciated. I've had jams before and I'm more than comfortable going in on it myself, but this one is just beyond me. Thank-you!

D

Sgore said:
After messing about with it for an hour or so, trying different lenses, and then going back to the faulty one, triggering and recocking, and generally being mystified, the lens has now decided that it will mount. For this I am happy, but it gets me no closer to figuring out why it wouldn't in the first place. Thank you all for your help! I will send it off for a CLA as soon as I can spare it

Sgore · Nov 21, 2018

13Nancy13 said:
Did you ever figure out what happened?

I think I may be having the same issue and really hoping someone can give me some guidance? My lens/body are both cocked, all arrows seem to be pointing in the correct direction however when I put the lens on the body, I can't turn it into it's locking position.

Any tips/suggestions aside from taking it in to someone for repair would be sosososoos appreciated. I've had jams before and I'm more than comfortable going in on it myself, but this one is just beyond me. Thank-you!

D

In my case, it turned out that the rear cap was deteriorating and leaving small bits of itself in the lens, blocking it from attaching. Maybe that's where your problem lies?

Sirius Glass · Nov 21, 2018

I have seen this before. If and only if you value your camera body, then stop forcing the lens on the body and send the lens for a CLA. Otherwise you can jam the two together in a way that neither will work and the lens cannot be removed, then you will get to pay more money to separate the two and repair both. The camera and lens are telling you something, take the hint and listen to them.

13Nancy13 · Nov 21, 2018

Sirius Glass said:
I have seen this before. If and only if you value your camera body, then stop forcing the lens on the body and send the lens for a CLA. Otherwise you can jam the two together in a way that neither will work and the lens cannot be removed, then you will get to pay more money to separate the two and repair both. The camera and lens are telling you something, take the hint and listen to them.

Thank you for the ever so obvious and insightful advice

13Nancy13 · Nov 21, 2018

Sgore said:
In my case, it turned out that the rear cap was deteriorating and leaving small bits of itself in the lens, blocking it from attaching. Maybe that's where your problem lies?

Thank-you for responding! So I figured out what seems to be my issue. The mirror in the body isn't latching down when it cocks, it just smacks back up. So definitely a body issue!

Sirius Glass · Nov 21, 2018

13Nancy13 said:
Thank you for the ever so obvious and insightful advice

I had that happen to me with the 500mm C lens which I had just purchased. It was cocked and went on smoothly, would not fire and could not be removed. It took Michael at Samys an hour to get the lens off [no charge ]. I sent the lens back to the seller who fixed the lens but that took three months. Now all is good.

M. Axel Wikstrom · Nov 25, 2018

Sometimes a small piece of plastic from the rear lens cap breaks off, lodges into the lens mount and prevents the lens from mounting. Happened to me.

Hasselblad lens won't mount

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