Help with Bronica SQ

[campy51]

I bought a Bronica SQ on an impulse buy online from a store I have done business with before and I know I can return it so I figured I would try it. Other than the focus being stiff which I knew already, I cannot get the flash to fire. I have read a couple of post saying that it's a short in either the lens or the body. If I attach a flash and then turn it on when it reaches ready it fires right away which would indicate a short. I want to try to eliminate either the lens or the body by cocking the shutter and then removing the lens and fire the shutter with the flash attached. First off I don't know if that's possible and second will I be able to re-cock the shutter so I can re-attach the lens.

 

[choiliefan]

The lens must be attached for the flash to fire.
Is there any chance the shiny metal flash contact on the bottom of your body is grounding out?
It's there to couple the hot shoe on the grip to the body.

 

[hsandler]

You will have to flip the multiple exposure lever to allow you to release the shutter with no lens mounted. You can re-cock the camera by winding on after that, no issue. But as choilifan points out, the camera is designed not to fire the flash without a lens attached. You might discover if there is a short in the body by trying without a lens.

 

[campy51]

Here is what I discovered so far. The flash did not fire without the lens attached. When I attach the lens and turn on the flash it fires right away without pressing the shutter so that still doesn't tell me which is causing the problem, since I don't know if it would fire without a lens on a working camera.

 

[hsandler]

Here is what I discovered so far. The flash did not fire without the lens attached. When I attach the lens and turn on the flash it fires right away without pressing the shutter so that still doesn't tell me which is causing the problem, since I don't know if it would fire without a lens on a working camera.

It tells you the lens is shorted out, not the body.

 

[campy51]

It tells you the lens is shorted out, not the body.

Does the camera need to have lens attached to fire flash?

 

[hsandler]

Does the camera need to have lens attached to fire flash?

Yes, that is correct. The camera just provides connection from the flash contacts on the lens to the pc connector on the body.

 

[campy51]

I wish I knew where I could try another lens.

 

[shutterfinger]

Remove the lens from the body. Using bright light inspect the electrical contacts on the body for bends, debris, corrosion. Inspect the lens contacts for the same. Pins on the lens should be perpendicular to the mount. All contacts should be bright and shinny not dull or satin. Check that the screws on the rear of the lens are tight.
With an Ohm meter one can check the PC socket with and without the lens attached. It has been my experience that if the flash contacts are shorted the flash will not charge. Auto firing when the flash reaches partial to full charge suggest a component breakdown in the body or lens or a high resistance short. Shorted - 0 to 10 ohms, high resistance short 100 to 1,000 ohms. 10,000 ohms or higher will not fire a flash.

 

[choiliefan]

Is the flash attached to the sync on the body via a cord or the hot shoe on the grip?

Do you have an ohm meter?

 

[campy51]

It didn't work either way.

 

[choiliefan]

Bummer...
Guess you'll have to break out the screwdrivers and open the front?

 

[hsandler]

It is almost certainly the lens, not the camera. The 80mm S lenses are cheap to replace. The PS lens is more and hard to find without buying a camera with it. If you want to dare to service the lens yourself, this is the only reference I've found online to disassembly: http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j...m/PSlens.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1HmmXMi9huKdouIgvivh0q

 

[campy51]

I tested the camera with another lens and the flash worked, so it is the lens that is shorted.
Thanks everybody for your help.

 

[campy51]

Well the camera is going back. The shutter on the lens is not closing and the shutter speed dial on the body turns freely with no resistance at all. There is a shutter speed dial on the prism finder but between having two problems I decided to send it back.

 

[choiliefan]

Wise decision.
One last thing, is the sliding switch on the lens barrel on the "T" setting?
You pull the pin to slide the switch.