KOWA 66mm (SHUTTER SPEED TEST/ NO FILM)

[mesantacruz]

Okay first of all thank you for looking. I went to go look at an auction house, yesterday here in vegas ( my rb is in el paso, tx, i knew i should have brought it, soon...).

I saw a kowa 66mm. it looks good, with a good cleaning (not cla) it would pass for excellent, i think, one problem. The lens is an 80mm 2.8 ( it looks clean as well as the film back/housing) and while i tested the shutter speeds, it seems to only work at one speed. 1/200 or somewhere around that.

My question.

Should all the shutter speeds work without film in the back (like my rb67)... i tested the T and the 1 and the 2 and 1/xxx and they all seemed to be the same speed.

i searched google, for kowa 66 without film, shutter speeds, one speed, shutter lag, shutter without film shutter jammed shutter this shutter speeds that and didn't find an answer for this specific question and i didn't find one.

again, thanks for your help in advance!

 

[TheToadMen]

So it happend I saw a camera repairman yesterday about a CLA of my Konica III rangefinder and Hasselblad SWC.

I stayed the whole afternoon and we talked about all kinds of cameras. The Kowa 66 came up since I like the looks of it. Heimmediately said it was a terrible camera to service or CLA. He won't do it. And he's at it since 1967.

Bert from Holland
http://thetoadmen.blogspot.nl

 

[TheToadMen]

I forgot to answer your question. I'm no expert at all, but when it's a camera without batteries, in general the shutter won't fire at all (if being loaded is required), or the shutter should fire at all speeds.

I don't know how this Kowa works, but I would check. If there is wheel or something that would be moved during film transport while winding the film. If so, move itmanually to see if it makes a difference.
Sometimes there is a kind of wheel or leaver that cocks the shutter or something.

If not so, then I'm adraid the shutter isn't working properly.

Bert from Holland
http://thetoadmen.blogspot.nl

 

[mikebarger]

Should work at every speed with or without film, have had several of them.

 

[mesantacruz]

Thanks guys, just needed some pointers. and a quick check in of reality (CLA's aren't cheap, and finding someone is a hassle too! sometimes). I didn't see any wheel that would turn, i did look for one but unlike 35mm sprockets, i figured 120 shutters cocking would be to hard to base on the actual film advancing due to slips etc. Thanks mike, i figured, just wanted to double check. Thanks again guys, saved me time and money, as i usually like to find things out the hard way.

 

[shutterfinger]

Instruction manual: http://www.butkus.org/chinon/kowa.htm