If you have a Mamiya M645 Super, can you try this?

[tkamiya]

Can someone try this for me if you have a M645 Super?

Attach an empty back with no film. Attach a flash in hot shoe or via a PC cord. Set the MULTI selector to MULTI position. Crank if you must, then release the shutter.

Does your flash fire?

I am trying to test a flash, and it does not fire. I know the flash itself works because if I short the PC cable, it will fire. I also verified with ohm meter, the contacts on Mamiya is not closing.

I would like to determine, if this is due to lack of film or if flash trigger contact is fried on my M645 Super.

 

[tkamiya]

Actually, I just put in film and tested. It still does not fire.....

 

[John Koehrer]

Can you try the camera with another flash?
Weird as it may seem, I have seen situations where incorrect polarity can cause this.
Yes, I know it's a simple switch and polarity shouldn't have any effect. Unless the switch in this camera is electronic. But anyhow.........

 

[unclemack]

I don't remember much about the Super I'm afraid, and this is a long-shot wild guess... some cameras did disable the flash at speeds higher than flash sync.
If the camera has been unused for some time it's possible that the switch contacts may self-clean by repeatedly firing the shutter.
More likely though that a repair will be needed.

 

[tkamiya]

Thanks everybody. I think we figured out the problem. By plugging the PC cord in just *so* right, I can get it to fire. Then, by twisting it in certain ways, it will repeatedly fire without shutter being released. It appears the socket itself is bad. I know the PC cord itself isn't bad as I can plug it into another camera and it will work every time.

I will take it in to get it looked at.

Thanks again.

 

[tkamiya]

I actually took it apart after finding a dis-assembly guide. Inside, the center pin of the PC socket has a screw connecting a wire to it. This screw was lose. That's all it was... phew!

 

[John Koehrer]

Isn't it great when something is so unexpectedly simple?

When things like that happen around here, I get nervous waiting for the other shoe to drop.