M645 Super body

has anyone had any problems with their "super" body not functioning too well in cold weather...but ok in warmer weather...or inside? I'm talking about the shutter/mirror combo getting stuck.

drew

No, check the light proof material on the back of the mirror, it can change with temperature. It might need to be recemented.

Old lube that gets hard when cold?

both good ideas...thanks...time to thoroughly investigate this.

Yes I did have this problem a couple years ago. The Super bodies are dogs and the most problematic of Mamiya's 645 lineup over the years. I sent it in for a $175 CLA (these things are also the most expensive of the Mamiya 645's to service) but the problem was never solved and circuitry problems were suspected. It started out happening mainly in colder weather but eventually became a year round issue and occured with more frequency as time went on. Specifically the mirror would freeze in the upright position and the shutter would stick open. Sometimes I would have luck unfreezing everything by going to the default mecanical shutter speed and firing it. I distinctly remember the the last time this happened because I resorted to banging the thing on a large rock at the Jersey shore with no luck. I then calmly removed the film back, prism and lens and proceeded to heave the thing as hard as I could into the Atlantic Ocean where it sits to this day! lol Best decision I ever made. I now use a Pro body with no problems whatsoever.

Is that a certified repair procedure, there, Dan? I tried it once. Don't know if it worked, though. Fast currents and all.

Not with the super but with the earlier model. I had it serviced under guarantee twice but they couldn't fix it or reproduce the problem, even though they put it in the fridge.

What happened was that the shutter opened but didn't close until after a second or two.

It happened mostly in colder weather but not only.

I exchanged it for a Rolleiflex TLR.
/matti

Drew B. said:

has anyone had any problems with their "super" body not functioning too well in cold weather...but ok in warmer weather...or inside? I'm talking about the shutter/mirror combo getting stuck.

drew

Click to expand...

Christopher Walrath said:

Is that a certified repair procedure, there, Dan? I tried it once. Don't know if it worked, though. Fast currents and all.

Click to expand...

lol. Well I thought of it as preventitive maintenance for my sanity. As for the Super body, well lets just say that Mamiya probably wouldn't approve.