Issue with the Bronica GS1

Hi everyone,

I have a problem with my Bronica GS 1. Maybe someone can help me. I hope my English is good enough to adress the problem.

The problem ist the folowing: The camera wont release with the film back on. The shutter itself seems to work perfectly when i detach the filmback. As soon as i attach the film back and press the shutter button.... nothing happens.

Does anyone have any idea what is wrong with the camera? is it possible that any settings on the camera are wrong? Could there be an issue with the film back that prevents the shutter to release?

I would be very thankful for any help or suggestions.


Cheers

Michael

Welcome to Photrio.
Most likely there is a problem with the safety interlocks and their interface between the back and the body.
The problem could be just in the back itself. Do you have another back you can try on the body?

Make sure that the dark slide it not bent and that it is completely inserted.
You(r) command of English is excellent.

Fixed that for you Sirius

MattKing said:

Fixed that for you Sirius

Click to expand...

Aww Thank you.

My first thought is to make sure that the knobs on the right side are in their correct state. What you describe is actually backwards--the GS-1 should not be able to release the shutter with the back off, unless you engage the multiple exposure knob (I think, its not something I use but I recall that that is something people do to test the camera.) So the fact that it is triggering with the back off makes me thing that is in the wrong state, and maybe that has made the camer and back to get out of sync.

EDIT: and also make sure that there is film loaded in the back. If you don't want to waste film for a test, be you can spool some used backing paper on a reel and load it like a regular spool of film.

Yes- likely a problem with the interlocks. If you don’t already have it, download the manual here:
And be sure everything is in its proper position to fire.

If you loaded the film wrong, it might not activate the film-advanced interlock pin, and that would prevent the shutter from firing. Is the emusion side of the film facing forward? If not, it is loaded wrongly into the film magazine.

If you use the Multi-Exposure level, you can fire the shutter even though the film is not advanced to the next frame.

mischa1896 said:

Hi everyone,

I have a problem with my Bronica GS 1. Maybe someone can help me. I hope my English is good enough to adress the problem.

The problem ist the folowing: The camera wont release with the film back on. The shutter itself seems to work perfectly when i detach the filmback. As soon as i attach the film back and press the shutter button.... nothing happens.

Does anyone have any idea what is wrong with the camera? is it possible that any settings on the camera are wrong? Could there be an issue with the film back that prevents the shutter to release?

I would be very thankful for any help or suggestions.


Cheers

Michael

Click to expand...

Hallo,

As mentioned, first you need to make sure the dark slide is off.

Then, you should try moving the multiple exposure lever to the multiple-exposure position and then advance the film to cock the shutter. It should fire. If it does not, then there's a problem with the camera, not necessarily with the back.

Now, when you put the camera on the normal (non-multiple exposure position) the camera should NOT fire. Unless you load a film roll and advance it to frame #1.

If after doing this the camera doesn't fire, then there's a problem, most likely lack of lubrication either in the back or in the camera body. It shoulnd't be hard to solve for a camera technician, that part of the mechanism is easily accessible (at least it is on the ETR, and the GS has many similarities).

It is very important to read the manual, please take a look.

Hi,

first of all: thank you for all the help.

"What you describe is actually backwards--the GS-1 should not be able to release the shutter with the back off, unless you engage the multiple exposure knob"
It is like that with my camera too. I just thought it would be good to mention... otherwise you would think the shutter itself is broken.

"Then, you should try moving the multiple exposure lever to the multiple-exposure position and then advance the film to cock the shutter. It should fire. If it does not, then there's a problem with the camera, not necessarily with the back."
In this case it does not fire. It seems to be the case that always when the back is on the camera is not capable to shoot.

I went through the manual. Thank you for posting the german version. But it couldnt find anything that i did wrong

I will go to a local camera retailer today and ask for help.


Thanks again for all the responses and kind answers.

When i push this little thing (see photo) on the camera body in (with the back off, obviously) the camera fires even with the multi exposure position off!

could that be hint, that the camera body works. and the film back is the problem?

mischa1896 said:

When i push this little thing (see photo) on the camera body in (with the back off, obviously) the camera fires even with the multi exposure position off!

could that be hint, that the camera body works. and the film back is the problem?

Click to expand...

I'm not sure. The body and back mechanisms interact through this pin. The camera needs to strike it when the shot is made, but the back, which also has a pin there, needs to make it stiff (or slack, i can't remember) until the frame is properly positioned.

I'm a camera tech, btw. This is my view: You should better give the camera a service by a technician. It's always a good idea, even if the camera is working OK. I just gave service to my ETRS and my ETRSi this year, even though they were working. Now they are more enjoyable to use -- they're smoother.

The mechanism around that pin could be in need of lubrication, both in the back and in the camera.

Think it a little bit -- the camera and the back were stored together, in the same environmetnal conditions, for the same amount of time. Thus, if the camera body mechanism is in need of cleaning and lubrication, then also the back is, and viceversa. The film transport gears NEED to have their grease, clean grease in place. This will assure the camera will last for long and long, for decades. These aren't throw-away cameras.

Also, you haven't checked the light seals, they will probably require renewal.

This is a professional camera, it was a VERY expensive camera in its day, and those cameras were intended to be serviced periodically (i.e. every two years).

wiltw said:

If you loaded the film wrong, it might not activate the film-advanced interlock pin, and that would prevent the shutter from firing. Is the emusion side of the film facing forward? If not, it is loaded wrongly into the film magazine.

If you use the Multi-Exposure level, you can fire the shutter even though the film is not advanced to the next frame.

Click to expand...

1. There is an interlock pin in the film back, it only engages the interlock mechanism in the body when the film is advanced
2. When the film-advanced interlock pin engages the interlock in the body, the shutter button can be depressed to fire the shutter.
3. If the multi-exposure level is activated, the position of the film interlock pin in the film magazine is ignored, so the shutter can be fired (without film being advanced)

If the film is loaded backward, that film-advanced interlock pin does not engage the interlock in the body.