Major Canon AT-1 Problem

Ektagraphic

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Hi Guys- I have a Canon AT-1 here and I was out shooting the other day when I went to advance the film and the shutter fired. I did it again. Same. I am having the problem that when I go to advance the film the shutter fires. It is almost as if the film advance lever goes too far.Maybe a pin of some sort that stopeed it broke? Is this something easily fixable?

Thanks,


Patrick
 

MFstooges

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Feb 10, 2010
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Does it happen only when advance lever reach the end of movement? If it does the mechanism may have something loose that touched the trigger switch.
The top plate should not be very difficult to open and you can inspect the trigger switch.
 

CanonShot

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Ektagraphic said:
I am having the problem that when I go to advance the film the shutter fires.
Click to expand...

The cocked shutter is held in place by an electromagnet that is now failing to hold the shutter. You can try removing the bottom plate and cleaning the magnet with an erasure or the magnet may require replacement or perhaps an electrical connection needs to be reattached.
 
OP
OP

Ektagraphic

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It only happens when the advance lever reaches the end of the movement. I'll check it out sometime
 

frobozz

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The shutter can't fire until the lever reaches the end of the movement, so the suggestions above still fit with this fact.

Doesn't the AT-1 have the capability to advance the lever a little bit at a time then come back and do it again? In other words, can you cock it with multiple short strokes instead of one long one? If so, and if the shutter fires when it's finally fully cocked, then you've proven it's one of the above suggested problems, and not something physically related to the lever being at its far end position.

Duncan
 

unclemack

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What CanonShot said + 1.
Always appreciated the fact that the electromagnets are so accessible on these and others in the A series.
Even working slowly & carefully you can fix your camera in half an hour.
 
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