Mamiya C330 f problem

Mojo_77 · Mar 17, 2008

My old Mamiya 330f seems to have developed a shutter release problem. I was using it tripod mounted this afternoon and operating the shutter with a cable release, when I pressed the release button and nothing happened! I removed the lens and operated the shutter a few times using the levers and that worked fine, so I put it back on the body but it still wouldn't work. I unloaded the film, closed the back, wound it on and fired the shutter a few times and it worked fine, but as soon as I loaded another film it locked up again. I've never had this problem before, is it something really obvious I'm missing? The front shutter release button sticks in a little sometimes, but it's easy to free. tia.

dpurdy · Mar 17, 2008

Perhaps it is just that your cable release cable isn't long enough or coming out enough to trip the shutter.

MattKing · Mar 17, 2008

The shutter release lock on my C330 (not C330f) is very easy to accidentally engage. I'd suggest checking to see you are not having trouble with that.

Matt

Mojo_77 · Mar 17, 2008

Thanks for the replies, I tried firing the shutter without using the cable release and it still didn't work. I know the shutter lock can sometimes get knocked so that was the first thing I checked! Strange as it seems to work fine with no film loaded.

grahamp · Mar 17, 2008

Sounds like the double exposure interlock is jammed. When you remove the film the film counter is reset and frees the advance. There are a couple of things you can try. Operate the camera without the cable release - put some old backing paper in to simulate film, or sacrifice a roll and rewind it for future tests. Try operating the camera on Multi.

My guess is that the chin release has stuck internally, possibly because the cable release had too long a throw. The way these cameras work is that on advancing the film to a new frame, the multi-exposure interlock is cleared, and the shutter is cocked. When you press the release, even a little, the multi exposure interlock is set. A full pressure on the release trips the shutter. The Multi setting disables the interlock and allows the shutter to be manually cocked and then tripped with the normal releases.

If a cable release is used that does not retract enough, it actually trips the multi-exposure lock when it is screwed in. If the camera will not behave without the cable release and a cycle on Multi, the chin release internal plunger may be stuck.

Mojo_77 · Mar 18, 2008

Thanks for that, I've got some HP5 needs developing, so soon as I've done that I'll try running the backing paper back through it.

John Koehrer · Mar 19, 2008

You mentioned having the shutter release stick on occasion. If it's the chin release and you're able to free it by fiddling with the button itself you could try applying a drop or two of old fashioned lighter fluid to the button. I've seen a couple of these cameras where the only problem was no lube on the button itself.
The lighter fluid is a terrific solvent and will clean out any old lube and leave a very light film on the button. Apply thhe drops & work the button in & out.

ron mcelroy · Mar 25, 2008

On my C330 ProS the cable release button disengages internally. So far I haven't found a long term fix to this problem.

Ron Mc
Memphis

Mojo_77 · Apr 2, 2008

I ran some backing paper through it as suggested and it seemed to work fine, both with a cable release and without one, on multi and on single. I rewound the paper and did it again, still no problem, so I loaded some HP5, fired off a couple of frames and all seems well so far, so fingers crossed all the fiddling with it released whatever was stuck, thanks for all the help.

PeterB · Jan 18, 2015

John Koehrer said:
You mentioned having the shutter release stick on occasion. If it's the chin release and you're able to free it by fiddling with the button itself you could try applying a drop or two of old fashioned lighter fluid to the button. I've seen a couple of these cameras where the only problem was no lube on the button itself.
The lighter fluid is a terrific solvent and will clean out any old lube and leave a very light film on the button. Apply thhe drops & work the button in & out.

I now have a similar (?) problem. The shutter cocking lever AND button on my Mamiya C330f has started to stick after I (wind on the next frame of the film then) depress it. It returns after I give it a little nudge back up. This is with or without any lens in place. Nearly every other thread I came across described the problem differently (e.g. in terms of the button sticking but not the lever, or operator error due to ignorance of the intended interlocks).

If my problem has both the lever and button sticking, where should I apply lube ?

flavio81 · Jan 19, 2015

To me it sounds that it needs a re-lubrication. Sticky mechanisms on the inside can do things like that (preventing the shutter release to operate). Had a similar problem on one of my two C330.

The good part is that those cameras are designed to be serviced easily.

benjiboy · Jan 19, 2015

When was the last time the camera was serviced ?, because machines don't work correctly forever without some maintenance. I get my C330F serviced about every five years and in the last 30 years of constant use it has never given me any problems.

Sirius Glass · Jan 19, 2015

Plan A: Bert Saunders, a retired Graflex and Graphic repairman, recommended unscrewing the optics and using powdered graphite [used for locks]. Put on the powder from both sides then cock and fire the lens many times to get it lubricated. Then use DustOff! to blow away the remaining graphite. I have used this method for several lenses to re-lubricate the lens. I have never had a problem with this method.

Plan B: http://www.flutotscamerarepair.com/ I have been very happy with Carol's work.

PeterB · Jan 20, 2015

Sirius Glass said:
Plan A: Bert Saunders, a retired Graflex and Graphic repairman, recommended unscrewing the optics and using powdered graphite [used for locks]. Put on the powder from both sides then cock and fire the lens many times to get it lubricated. Then use DustOff! to blow away the remaining graphite. I have used this method for several lenses to re-lubricate the lens. I have never had a problem with this method.

Plan B: http://www.flutotscamerarepair.com/ I have been very happy with Carol's work.

Thanks Sirius, benjiboy and flavio81,

This is a camera body problem, not a lens problem as the shutter lever and buttons both stick without the lens in place. Probably time to give the camera body a CLA. I've had that done for both my lenses but not the body. I've opened up a bit of the body before so might try that again before sending it out. I'm surprised I've not uncovered any other thread (after 1 hour of refined searching) detailing the same problem as mine.

benjiboy · Jan 20, 2015

PeterB said:
Thanks Sirius, benjiboy and flavio81,

This is a camera body problem, not a lens problem as the shutter lever and buttons both stick without the lens in place. Probably time to give the camera body a CLA. I've had that done for both my lenses but not the body. I've opened up a bit of the body before so might try that again before sending it out. I'm surprised I've not uncovered any other thread (after 1 hour of refined searching) detailing the same problem as mine.

Trying to service it yourself Peter might not be a good idea many professional camera repairers won't touch cameras that have been "tampered with by unskilled labour", certainly the man I use says won't because often screws springs and other small components etc. are missing.

Before I retired part of my job was handling the camera repairs for a group of ten camera stores and dealt all the time with camera repair companies and when customers brought in their cameras in bits after attempting to repair them themselves the repairers used to sent them back as been "uneconomic to repair".

PeterB · Jan 20, 2015

benjiboy said:
Trying to service it yourself Peter might not be a good idea many professional camera repairers won't touch cameras that have been "tampered with by unskilled labour",

Thank you for the advice benjiboy, but I'm prepared to take that risk. I'm an engineer by profession and have repaired many mechanical and electrical things before whether they be small, large, fiddly or simple. I also have a copy of the service manual for this camera. The main hurdles I face are

1. Not having enough time to do this repair (that time includes learning what might have to happen as I go), or
2. Finding a suitable repairer in Oz if I decide to have them do the job.

This is why I wanted to see if it was a simple fix or a common problem with this camera.

PeterB · May 1, 2015

PeterB said:
I now have a similar (?) problem. The shutter cocking lever AND button on my Mamiya C330f has started to stick after I (wind on the next frame of the film then) depress it. It returns after I give it a little nudge back up. This is with or without any lens in place. Nearly every other thread I came across described the problem differently (e.g. in terms of the button sticking but not the lever, or operator error due to ignorance of the intended interlocks).

If my problem has both the lever and button sticking, where should I apply lube ?

Tonight I took the plunge and opened up my C330f. The exploded views of the repair/service manual are here, and I had watched this video showing a C3 (very similar design) being opened up at the exact same location on the camera body.

Thankfully the problem turned out to be simple to find and fix. It did not require any lubrication. Instead the RHS panel (EFC4621K2F) had been bent in at the point where the L shaped shutter slider assembly (EFC4541K2F) would normally slide without interference between the panel and the body. However it was getting stuck here.
so after removing the side panel (a 10min job) I bent it back at the point of interference and filed the inside a bit so it shouldn't get stuck again for a long time.

I hope this helps others in the future.

paul ron · May 2, 2015

Take off the bottom plate.

paul ron · May 2, 2015

My answer was for the fire button sticking.

PeterB · May 3, 2015

paul ron said:
Take off the bottom plate.

I'm not sure how taking off the bottom plate would have solved my problem of the sticky shutter button on the camera body. Even tough I subsequently discovered the cause of the problem by taking off the side panel(plate), if I knew what the problem was (before taking off the panel) I could have solved it just by prying open a larger gap between the panel and the L shaped shutter slider assembly (EFC4541K2F) as they were rubbing against each other and shouldn't have been. The photo above is a "before" shot. If you need an "after" shot showing the clearance I achieved after I bent and filed the panel let me know.

Jojje · May 3, 2015

I once had to buy a new and stiffer cable release to have the shutter of my C220 to work properly. It took long time to diagnose.

paul ron · May 4, 2015

PeterB said:
I'm not sure how taking off the bottom plate would have solved my problem of the sticky shutter button on the camera body. Even tough I subsequently discovered the cause of the problem by taking off the side panel(plate), if I knew what the problem was (before taking off the panel) I could have solved it just by prying open a larger gap between the panel and the L shaped shutter slider assembly (EFC4541K2F) as they were rubbing against each other and shouldn't have been. The photo above is a "before" shot. If you need an "after" shot showing the clearance I achieved after I bent and filed the panel let me know.

The fire button sticking is not the same as it being hung by a bent panel. Your trouble shooting was on target n problem solved.... Good job.

Mamiya C330 f problem

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