Nikon F4 shutter stuck

[Copyhat]

Hello fellow APUG members.

This is the first time I am asking for technical help here and I am quite desperate at the moment.

I was out taking pictures of the cityscape at night with my F5 on which the batteries went too low to fire the shutter (17 degrees C, relatively fresh Duracell Plus batteries), so I took out my trusty F4 with the MB-21 battery pack installed with good Duracell Pro batteries. The finder did light up but the bottom display only showed two horizontal bars. On the first image, the shutter fired and locked with the film being exposed, mirror up and lens stopped down. Fresh, warm batteries did not help when I found my way home.

EDIT: The camera was set in "Time" mode :confused:

 

[Alex Muir]

Does it close the shutter if you change shutter speed setting? I have an FE that sometimes freezes with shutter open and changing speed fixes it. How does 'T' work on the F4? On the F3 you have to move the shutter dial to close the shutter the 'T' setting.
Alex

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

If you need the manual, it is on page 68: http://cdn-10.nikon-cdn.com/pdf/manuals/archive/F4-F4S.pdf
Two horizontal bars is right when you set Time. Only one dash for B.
From the manual: "If "T" exposure is less than 32 sec., to complete exposure,
return mirror to viewing position and advance to next frame,
rotate shutter speed dial to any other setting. If "T" exposure is
32 sec. or longer, to complete exposure, turn shutter speed
dial to any other setting, lightly press shutter release button to
return mirror to viewing position and advance to next frame."

 

[John_Nikon_F]

Hello fellow APUG members.

This is the first time I am asking for technical help here and I am quite desperate at the moment.

I was out taking pictures of the cityscape at night with my F5 on which the batteries went too low to fire the shutter (17 degrees C, relatively fresh Duracell Plus batteries), so I took out my trusty F4 with the MB-21 battery pack installed with good Duracell Pro batteries. The finder did light up but the bottom display only showed two horizontal bars. On the first image, the shutter fired and locked with the film being exposed, mirror up and lens stopped down. Fresh, warm batteries did not help when I found my way home.

EDIT: The camera was set in "Time" mode :confused:

lol, that'd do it. It stumped KEH, too. Apparently a body I got from them was set to "T". In their auction, they said that the camera was jammed with a non-functional shutter and autofocus that didn't work. Turns out, when I put batteries into it, then hit the firing button, it unlocked and worked fine.

-J

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

EDIT: The camera was set in "Time" mode :confused:

I see this is your way of saying "I found the problem and it is sorted". I read it as "The camera is set on Time and I don't know how to sort it". Sorry, I was past my bedtime!
Glad it is working for you! Enjoy it!