In need of help with Praktica BMS

Hi all,
I've just joined as I've been looking for a forum that may help me with my issue.
I use a Praktica BMS and recently started experiencing issues with the advance lever and shutter release button.

Issue 1: I'm unable to advance the lever at all. It's generally lose and I am making sure to advance it all the way or at least attempt to without causing damage. I just don't get that winding crank sound like I should.

Issue 2: The shutter release button just doesn't do anything. I can press it all the way down but it doesn't trigger the shutter.

Issue 3: The self timer lever is completely jammed.

I've tried to open the back and manually rotate the spool so to speak. I get a couple of clicks from the pin below but nothing else. I can tell the mechanics are doing something internally but nothing else. The dial doesn't follow through with the advancing too.

I've taken the lense off and looked inside. Tried to see if the mirror is not in position, shutter blades seem to be fine etc.

I've also tried to press the self timer button to see if it release it back to it's original position but it's jammed solid. Im trying to not apply any unnecessary pressure to it.

The battery is brand new, no corrosion or issue with the battery contacts from what I can see. The viewfinder LEDs work fine and the lense itself works well. I can zoom in and out, set the aperture, etc.

Temporary fix which was short lived:
I accidentally gave it a tap on the bottom plate and it sprung to life for a day or two but as soon as I was out and about and tried to take my first pic. Guess what, same thing happened again.

As it stands, the advance lever won't advance again and I'm definitely applying pressure to it to make sure I'm advancing all the way. The shutter release button still won't work and I've even tried setting the shutter speed to 1/60 to see if it's an electronic issue but the issue prevails for all shutter speeds.

Really frustrating. Can anyone help? What am I missing?

Cheers!

Ps: please let me know if I'm in the right area. Haven't explored here but intend on doing so pretty soon.

In general, camera repair isn't very DIY-friendly, and even "easy" repairs may be out of reach of folks possessing average skills.

If the film advance lever moves freely with little resistance, it may simply indicate that the camera is already wound.

Self-timer tends to jam on those cameras (needs cleaning and lubrication, but that requires a fair amount of disassembly in order to access, so ignore it for now), but it won't prevent you from using the main shutter release.

The fact that you were previously able to get the camera working by tapping on the bottom is interesting - have you been able to reproduce this? And if you have access to a battery tester, try checking voltage again, as there are certain kinds of camera faults which can drain a battery quickly.

4season said:

In general, camera repair isn't very DIY-friendly, and even "easy" repairs may be out of reach of folks possessing average skills.

If the film advance lever moves freely with little resistance, it may simply indicate that the camera is already wound.

Self-timer tends to jam on those cameras (needs cleaning and lubrication, but that requires a fair amount of disassembly in order to access, so ignore it for now), but it won't prevent you from using the main shutter release.

The fact that you were previously able to get the camera working by tapping on the bottom is interesting - have you been able to reproduce this? And if you have access to a battery tester, try checking voltage again, as there are certain kinds of camera faults which can drain a battery quickly.

Click to expand...

Hi 4season,
Thanks for your reply. Yes I'm beginning to think that too.

Im hoping the self timer being stuck itself isn't affecting anything else.
Yes I tried the tapping method the first time round. And tried it again today seeing as I keep coming across the same issue but didn't work. (Perhaps it was a one off)

Unfortunately I haven't got a tester but can try and find a new battery perhaps so I can rule out the battery option.

It's perplexing because I applied some added pressure to the advance lever and occasionally il manage to get a couple of cranks from it and then it's back to being stuck again or just not advancing a second later. It's the shutter button that's strange to me as im just able to press it down all the way without it making that classic shutter sound.

Check this out.
www.rileyelf.free-online.co.uk/Praktica/