Mamiya ProTL Problems... HELP

[mikeklensch]

My Mamiya 645 ProTL started doing a very curious thing last night, and I have no clue as to what the problem might be. When I'm in "bulb" mode and I release the shutter, it will open, but when I engage the shutter release again, it will not close. I have to physically remove the battery from the camera for at least 10 seconds, reinsert it, and then trip the shutter in order for it to close. If I try to reinsert the battery in less than 10 seconds, it will still not work. The battery is in good shape (I even put a fresh battery in to to eliminate that as the issue), and the shutter works fine at all shutter speeds except bulb. Does anyone have a clue as to what's going on? This really bummed me out as I missed taking some amazing aurora photos last night due to this problem.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Jon Shiu]

Hi, that's usually the symptom of a low battery, ie shutter needs power to close. Check your "new" battery with a voltmeter. Also, a battery does not like cold. Mamiya makes a remote 6V battery pack that you can keep in your pocket. Or you can make one yourself.

Jon

 

[Greg_E]

What are you using to hold the shutter open? Is it the electric cable or a traditional cable release? If you remove all accessories (winder, etc.) and hold the button on the camera body does it work correctly?

 

[mikeklensch]

What are you using to hold the shutter open? Is it the electric cable or a traditional cable release? If you remove all accessories (winder, etc.) and hold the button on the camera body does it work correctly?

Hi Greg,

I have tried both a traditional cable release and just pushing on the camera body shutter button. I don't have the electric cable release... if I did, I would certainly traget that as a possible cause.

Mike

 

[Greg_E]

Well, then it sounds like your camera needs to be serviced. At the price of used bodies, that may not be practicle. You could also try removing the viewfinder, and the film back to make sure something strange isn't happening with those, but I don't think it will solve the problem.

 

[mikeklensch]

Here's an update on my shutter problem...

I was fiddling around again with the camera, trying to figure out what the issue might be, and I decided to remove the cable release adapter that I normally keep pluged into the side port. As soon as I did this, the shutter worked again in the bulb mode by pressing the shutter release button on the camera body. So for some reason, when the adapter is pluged into the camera body, bulb won't work properly. So then does the problem lie with the adapter, or the contacts on the camera body? I suppose the only way to find out is to buy a new adapter. Anyway, I just thought I'd follow up, and I'm curoius to know if anyone on this forum has experienced a similar problem in the past.

Thanks again,
Mike

 

[John Koehrer]

Mike,
Take a look at the contacts in the socket for the adapter & see if there's a bent contact. What you describe would be a symptom of a shorted switch or contact.
If the B function works with the adapter removed, it's either the adapter, socket or an internal short..

 

[Greg_E]

I guess I should have listed that adapter when I said to remove all accessories in the post above. It would be very easy for something to go wrong with those adaptors. All that it contains is a sliding contact that shorts to ground to energize the metering, then when you push it more it shorts the release to ground. If some corrosion has happened inside the adaptor, then it could be messing with the logic inside the camera. I have several of these adaptors, and even converted one to a long push button release by soldering wires into the adaptor and soldering a switch to the other end. Making it locking would just take a different switch.

Somewhere in this forum I listed what the contacts in the camera do, and it would be a simple task to short the correct pins together to verify that your camera body still works correctly.

 

[mikeklensch]

Thanks John and Greg for the tips. It appears that the contact pins on the camera body are in perfect shape. So I'm hoping the problem is just with the adapter. I'm going to order a new adapter from B&H tomorrow and hope that solves the problem.

Thanks again,
Mike

 

[Fotohuis]

Dear Mike,

I am not sure you have a problem.
The M645 pro and pro TL is equipped with an electronic shutter.
The Bulb (B) release should be done with and working with the shutter release but your selection should be done to put the selector on "self-timer" then. When pushing the shutter release button it should open, when doing it again it should close. This is done by the special circuit build in the Mamiya 645 pro and pro-TL series.
The shutter will only work if you have battery power but this should also be the case on all other settings.
You can put a cable release (standard) in the motor drive unit. That's the way I have alsways worked with.
Try the (cable release) adapter in the same mode settings: Shutter dial on B and selector on "self timer". Then it should also work but this I have never tried. If not maybe there is a problem in the adapter.

Best regards,

Robert

 

[mikeklensch]

Thanks Robert for the tips,

I have tried using the cable release in many variations... including the ones that you mention. But still without any luck. And in the past, it worked just fine for me. So all I can conclude is that "something" happened recently to change what had previously worked just fine. With the adapter plugged in, it was not only the cable release that did not work properly, but also the shutter release button on the camera body did not work properly. As soon as I removed the adapter, then the shutter release button worked fine. So, I think, then the problem is with the adapter (fingers crossed). Once I get a new adapter (in about a week), I'll be sure to follow up and let you know if that was the issue.

Mike

Dear Mike,

I am not sure you have a problem.
The M645 pro and pro TL is equipped with an electronic shutter.
The Bulb (B) release should be done with and working with the shutter release but your selection should be done to put the selector on "self-timer" then. When pushing the shutter release button it should open, when doing it again it should close. This is done by the special circuit build in the Mamiya 645 pro and pro-TL series.
The shutter will only work if you have battery power but this should also be the case on all other settings.
You can put a cable release (standard) in the motor drive unit. That's the way I have alsways worked with.
Try the (cable release) adapter in the same mode settings: Shutter dial on B and selector on "self timer". Then it should also work but this I have never tried. If not maybe there is a problem in the adapter.

Best regards,

Robert

 

[Fotohuis]

Well, hopefully for you it's the adapter and not in the camera. M645 pro (-TL) repairs are quite expensive.
I had one time a failure in 13 years. The shutter curtain had a problem in the synchronisation but was quickly fixed in the Netherlands by the Mamiya repair service. About Eur. 110,00 for two hours work and a very small replacement part.

Good luck!

Robert

 

[John Koehrer]

Just had a thought(first one today) you can test the body by shorting across the body contacts with a piece of wire like a paperclip. Short the contacts=shutter opens, remove the short=shutter closes.
If you have access to an ohm meter you could also test the contacts in the adapter, it's possible the switch is stuck shut.

 

[Greg_E]

Already suggested shorting the contacts.

If you want to check the adaptor, just grab a screwdriver and open it up. Should only be one screw that holds it together.

 

[mikeklensch]

Greetings all,

I just wanted to follow through on this thread. I got my new cable release adapter today, and it appears that was the problem. I attached the adapter, screwed in my cable release, and it tripped the shutter as it's supposed to. So that was an easy fix and big relief!

But thanks so much again to everyone who came to the rescue and provided suggestions. It is very much appreciated!

Cheers and Happy New Year to all APUGers

Mike

 

[Greg_E]

You still have the old adapter don't you?

Have someone make you a latching electric remote release. Anyone that has any basic electronics skills can solder the two wires and latching switch to the adapter for you.

 

[lxdesign]

I had a similar problem ... and it was indeed a low battery issue for me. Changing the battery rectified the problem in my case.

 

[lineus]

New user, old problem
I'v got new Mamiya cable release adapter (with lock lever) for my 645 Super and have the same issue with inconsistent shutter fire. I disassembled adapter (everything is fine inside), changed the battery and things went slightly better. Now I can use the cable BUT in order to fire shutter again I have to turn off and on the camera after EACH frame. The shutter button on the body works with no hassle. Have no clue what may be the problem with cable release adapter/electronics???
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated:confused: