Hasselblad Quandary

I've testing out some very old hasselblad gear that's been lonaed to me to use on a project .... I've loaded a film into the ancient back - noticed the numbers didnt appear in the film counter window, but worked out I could view the numbers on the backing paper through the flap on back of film back, but the film kept winding without stopping at frame 1 (perhaps I should have known this was a bad omen ... I got it lined up to frame 2). I fitted the back - both little circles were white so all seemed good to go, removed the dark slide,flipped the shutter pre-release, then nothing would work. The shutter wouldn't fire at all. I've tried the body with an different back which works fine (and the film stops correctly so I'm guessing the older back is dodgy) - but now the problem is the shutter in the lens is permanently closed as it is when the pre-release is selected and I cant get it open in order to see through the viewfinder. The shutter fires fine, I just cant see anything in the view finder between shots. All red/white circles are corresponding correctly and the lens is lined up with the body fine (I can remove it when I should be able to). I've tried it on the 500 c/m body I've got too but it is still stuck in this status ..

Any one know how I get the lens back into the correct status so I can line up shots again???

With regard to the back: you have an older non-automatic back. It will not stop at the first frame automatically. You need to look through the window until you see the number 1 appear. (Though it looks as though you figured this out.)

If the shutter fires when the back is off and when you are using a different back, perhaps the lever that engages when the darkslide is removed is sticking so that the camera thinks the slide is still in.

As to the shutter issue: if you take the back off, fire the shutter, and then advance the film knob as though you had the back on are you still unable to see through the viewfinder? If that is the case, it sounds as though the mirror has locked itself in the up position. The mirror pre-release is a one-shot deal. After pressing the shutter release and advancing the film it should drop down again.

thanks for your replies paul - I'll check out the darkslide lever thing.

As to the other issue - perhaps I didnt make myself too clear ... the mirror in the camera body is working fine - the problem is in the lens - the blades that close across the lens when the mirror pre-release is press are across the lens all the time unless the shutter is fired, at which point the shutter opens for the required time/ aperture, then immediately after the leaf blades close off the lens again. these do not return to an open position when the wind-on lever is turned and that is the reason I cant see through the viewfinder.

hopefully that makes it a bit clearer (as mud!)

When you wind to 1 are you then turn that lever to the left to actually see the number one on the side of the back?

have you rotated the aperture ring to wide open and then back, kind like the old Nikons?

hi mike - the older back doesnt have a lever as such, it's a ring a bit like the mechanism for locking the inside of the back together. No numbers appear in the counter window at all - but I think the back is a separate issue - the kit came with enough backs for me not to use that older one. The main problem is getting the lens back to an open position.

ok - problem solved - someone suggested I remove the lens, trip the shutter using the small pin on base of lens, then reset the cocking mechanism, and re-cock on camera - and it all worked fine. phew.

Your 12 back needs to have the counter set when you've reached the 1st frame.
Load the film & advance until you see #1 through the flap.
At this time rotate the advance lever backwards and the counter will set to 1 and be cocked. Mount the back to the cocked camera & all should be fine.
I believe that's what mikebarger was referring to.

To load an old "12" back such as yours, you look thru the peep-hole at the back while advancing the film with the fold-out "turner" on the side until you line up the number 1 in the hole, you then turn the "turner" the opposite direction to "zero" the back and bring up the Number 1 in the little side window that shows you the exposure number you are on. When placing the back on the camera, make sure you have the camera "cocked" ready to take a photo. If you do this, when you take the first photo and advance the camera, you should see the number 2 in the little round window on the side of the film back, and you will have an accurate counter of all the exposures you take. When you have taken 12 exposures, wind the camera once more as if you were going to take exposure 13, which of course you can't, but this should now make the exposure indicator on the side of the camera show a blank, or no number. At this point fold out the "turner" and wind the film on until you feel no resistance. This winds the end paper fully onto the exposed roll making it safe for you to remove the film from the back. You can also look thru the peep-hole to affirm that the whole roll has been wound on. Also, even though you line-up the first number with the peep-hole, don't expect subsequent numbers to be perfectly aligned in the peep-hole, however your exposed frames on the film will be evenly spaced.

You can load the film back with the film back on the camera or off the camera. If off the camera, of course you should have the dark slide inserted.

thanks for that john and p'tone - helpful advice. - hopefully that'll make the back usable for me - and if it stuffs up the lens again, I know what to do now!

Thanks guys, I guess I didn't do a very good job of explaining the set to one feature of these backs.

Mike

I bought a super slide back (16 square frames) because it was dirt cheap. It took me forever to figure out how to reset to frame #1 because all of my other backs are the newer types that reset when you pull out the insert