Hasselblad stuck (not not the usual jam...)

JUST got my first Hasselblad, 50cx.

The problem I'm having is that the body and the back don't seem to be in sync.

With the back off, I can wind and fire the release with no problem.

When I put the back on (A12) I can take one photo, then wind then next one. But after taking the second shot I can only advance the film crank about 20% before it stops.

If i take off the back, I can complete the wind and it works fine.... until I put the back on.

I'm guess the gears in my back and the gears in the camera aren't getting along....

Any thoughts?

sorry, 503 cx...

fmiller4 said:

JUST got my first Hasselblad, 50cx.

The problem I'm having is that the body and the back don't seem to be in sync.

With the back off, I can wind and fire the release with no problem.

When I put the back on (A12) I can take one photo, then wind then next one. But after taking the second shot I can only advance the film crank about 20% before it stops.

If i take off the back, I can complete the wind and it works fine.... until I put the back on.

I'm guess the gears in my back and the gears in the camera aren't getting along....

Any thoughts?

Click to expand...

I had the same thing happen with an SWC that I bought used. Removing and replacing the back would clear the problem for a few frames. I had noticed the when I tripped the shutter, I heard it click and then there was a second click upon releasing the shutter button. When the second click did not happen, the advance crank would jam. I took it to a local repair shop and had a CLA done. They replaced a main spring--that seems to have fixed issue.

Congrats on your new Hassy, you’ll love it!

This seems like a problem with your back. Do you have a 2nd back to try?
How old are the cameras and back? (you can see it on the 2 letters of the serial numbers)

If the price was good, send it for a CLA. This will probably cost a few hundred $.
If the camera was advertised as working and priced accordingly, just return it to the seller (assuming you can)

Good luck

I obviously meant to send both back and camera for CLA. Sending the lens too for good measure never hurts unless it has been done recently. What kind of lens do you have?

A jam like this can happen when back and insert don’t match. The last three digits of the number on the back must be the same as the number on the insert. Check this.

The issue you have sounds like the gear on the back is not fully returning to it's start position.



After winding, remove the back and check to see if the gear has returned to this position (missing / ground tooth at the bottom). If not, see if it will return with a nudge. After a full wind, an internal spring will return this gear to the start position. but if the spring is broken, or the gear train is sticky, it will not return fully, and when you wind the next frame it will jam.

I bought a nice older back for 10 dollars at a sale. The gear train was gummed up. I used a tiny bit of movie film cleaner, the old stuff with now banned solvents. I got it working fine.
I should send out for a professional CLA, but I don't really use it enough.

Hasselblad backs are pretty easy to work on. Search YouTube for how to videos. You'll need a good set of screwdrivers and picks, some naphtha lighter fluid, and a little bit of molybdenum grease or Tri-flow. A thorough cleaning and a few small drops of lubricant work wonders. The disassembly process is easy, and unless you have lost the spring completely it should be an easy fix. I fixed mine in less than an hour.

The other possibility is that the shutter button is not retracting completely until you remove the back, after which the back pushes in the rectangular shutter extension and resets the mechanism. That's also a pretty easy fix. There are good videos on removing the camera mechanism from the shell, and the shutter button mechanism is simple and easily accessible without further disassembly. A cleaning of the part of the mechanism closest to the shutter button and possibly straightening the shaft with a pair of needle nose pliers should fix it right up. Reassembly is almost as easy as getting it out. To see if that's the problem, try pulling the shutter button out by hand before removing the back. If that works, then your problem is in the body, not the back.

If you're comfortable with doing work on your cameras, either of these operations will be fast and easy. If you're not, then almost any decent repair person can do the job quickly, usually for less than $200.

Good luck!
Andy

Thanks everyone for your help!

I think I'm going to pack up the whole mess (body, back, 80, 50, and 150) for a CLA. I know they've been on the store's shelf for years, and probably spent a lot more time in someone's closet.

Seems like my best option is to do this once (I hope), pay the money, shed the tears, and then just get on with using it...

Frank Miller said:

Thanks everyone for your help!

I think I'm going to pack up the whole mess (body, back, 80, 50, and 150) for a CLA. I know they've been on the store's shelf for years, and probably spent a lot more time in someone's closet.

Seems like my best option is to do this once (I hope), pay the money, shed the tears, and then just get on with using it...

Click to expand...

After a CLA you should be good for many years! (perhaps 10-15 years of moderate use)