Nikon FE disaster, is there anything I can do?

mooseontheloose · Sep 9, 2014

My beloved FE (I think this is the fourth one I've owned) had a breakdown yesterday. When I got to the end of the roll and tried to rewind it, the rewind crank remained stuck. Since the lever is a bit small and fragile, I didn't want to force it, so waited until I got back to the hotel and tried to fix it in the dark bag I brought, to no avail. So I had to trash the roll of film inside to see if I could do something there. When I opened the back and took the film out, the entire rewind mechanism fell apart. And stupidly, I closed the film back and now I can't open it: the main rewind/film cylinder is rattling around inside of it.

I have since realized that this is not the first time this has happened to me, my first FE got repaired in Japan, the second is still waiting for me to bring it to the shop, and now this one. I can't figure out how to put it back together, especially how to open the door of the camera, and I'm not sure I can get it repaired anytime soon, as I am currently in Indonesia (yogyakarta).

Anyway, if anyone has experienced this before and and can tell me what to do to put it back together, that would be great. Similarly, any advice about what to do (or not to do) the next time this happens would be really appreciated.

If the best advice is to get a new one (which is what I usually do when something goes wrong, since they are so cheap), then that's what I'll do (although maybe I need to consider other models: I just really like the FE!)

Cheers.

Xmas · Sep 9, 2014

Hi

Small pair of scissors and opaque cassette tub allows the film to be removed in dark bag.
Avery label the tub...
Carry the hand tools to lift the top plate or bottom plate
Needs dexterity not physical strength.
Not had my FM2N apart so can't help with exact problem sorry.

John_Nikon_F · Sep 9, 2014

Try inserting a dental pick inside the rewind shaft. At about the 10:30 position, there is a tang that sticks out into the hole that the rewind shaft normally occupies. Rotate the end of the pick so it's pointing in that direction, then pull straight up. The back should pop open. Once it does, remove the back from the camera and set aside. Reinsert the rewind shaft through the hole, and push it all the way up. Put the thick washer on first, then the spring washer. Put the rewind crank/knob on and start rotating it while using a screwdriver to hold the shaft in place. Once it gets mostly tight, use said screwdriver to rotate the spring so it's against the hinge part of the crank. Continue tightening. After you've finished tightening the knob, reinstall the back.

-J

Daire Quinlan · Sep 9, 2014

John_Nikon_F said:
Try inserting a dental pick inside the rewind shaft. At about the 10:30 position, there is a tang that sticks out into the hole that the rewind shaft normally occupies. Rotate the end of the pick so it's pointing in that direction, then pull straight up. The back should pop open. Once it does, remove the back from the camera and set aside. Reinsert the rewind shaft through the hole, and push it all the way up. Put the thick washer on first, then the spring washer. Put the rewind crank/knob on and start rotating it while using a screwdriver to hold the shaft in place. Once it gets mostly tight, use said screwdriver to rotate the spring so it's against the hinge part of the crank. Continue tightening. After you've finished tightening the knob, reinstall the back.

Yes all of the above. I've had to do it to both my FE-2s. I had to actually buy a new rewind lever + washers / spring / little-metal-doozie-that-keeps-the-folding-lever-in-place for one of the cameras as it unscrewed itself and got lost somewhere between mullaghmore beach and the top of knocknarea no way I was retracing my steps to try and find it :-D

Once you have it back in place I'd advise a little bit of loctite on the screw, it seems like a bit of a common problem on the FE / 2s

BrianShaw · Sep 9, 2014

Similar thing happened to me about a year ago. (I closed the back too. Note to self: don't do that again!). If you can't do what JohnNikonF suggests then take the parts to a camera repair shop and thy can take care of the issue in about 5 minutes. No kidding. If parts are lost then there may be a problem with a quick fix.

mooseontheloose · Sep 9, 2014

Wow, thanks guys. I don't really have the right tools with me since I travel with a limited kit, but I do have a Swiss Army knife so I'll see what I can do with it.

I did go to a local camera shop recommended to me by the locals here, but they couldn't help me out, so it's this or nothing.

Daire Quinlan · Sep 9, 2014

I got the parts here http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360985521628 on ebay. Bit pricey for a few bits and bobs but the fe-2 is otherwise a beauty and works fine so it was worth it IMO.

blockend · Sep 9, 2014

Go to YouTube, type in Fix Old Cameras, Jammed Film Door. It shows you how to fix the problem with a paper clip.

mooseontheloose · Sep 9, 2014

Blockend, thanks for the YouTube recommendation, it's great! However, despite that video, and John's advice above, I still can't open the door. I fashioned a paper clip as per the video, but it all feels like a solid mass under there - it's not hooking into anything. As you can see from my photo, the release lever is still attached to the camera, but it doesn't do anything either, with or without the hook (I mean, it moves properly, but it doesn't do what it's supposed to do).

(Sorry can't seem to upload the photo from my iPad)

Daire Quinlan · Sep 9, 2014

if the rewind fork has fallen entirely into the camera then just keep on fiddling, you'll get that little catch eventually and be able to open the door. If you can still get the threaded end of the rewind fork through the hole then release the release lock and pull it up with something until the door pops.

mooseontheloose · Sep 9, 2014

Success! Finally got the film door open and am ready to reassemble.

Quick question though, as no one has mentioned the spring. Based on an FE2 exploded view that I've come across, it appears to be: spring, then washer, then spring washer, finally rewind crank. Is this right? It seems to be an odd place to put the spring, even more so trying to put everything back together again with that spring pushing everything off.

Edit: I've put everything back in on in the order I've listed above, and everything seems to be working fine (even used the ruined roll to test it), but if I've put things in the wrong order, please let me know so I can fix it before putting it back to work tomorrow.

And I'll say it again: thanks guys. I really appreciate it. Wish I could buy you all a round of drinks!

Daire Quinlan · Sep 9, 2014

it's a bit fiddly but doable. The spring is to put pressure on that little metal tongue that holds the rewind crank in place and also makes it snap into either position.

mooseontheloose · Sep 9, 2014

That's good to know Daire.

In any event the entire thing feels a lot firmer and sturdier than it did before.

BrianShaw · Sep 9, 2014

Although I didn't do it myself and not sure if the camera guy who put my rewind knob back in place did either... but I keep thinking that a bit of Locktite thread goop(blue), as Daire suggests, is good idea.

Peter Simpson · Sep 9, 2014

BrianShaw said:
Although I didn't do it myself and not sure if the camera guy who put my rewind knob back in place did either... but I keep thinking that a bit of Locktite thread goop(blue), as Daire suggests, is good idea.

Blue loctite is the shizzle...but keep it away from plastics, they don't get along

camtec · Sep 9, 2014

I have repaired a few hundred cameras that had the same problem. The idea of using a sturdy paperclip had merit. the latch is located at about 9 o'clock pull up and the back opens. About the only way this happens is when you turn the rewind knob the wrong way. It turns CLOCKWISE to rewind the film. Or if that is too complicated, most rewind knobs have an arrow that tells you which way to turn. Stacking order for parts: spring, washer, bent leaf type spring, rewind knob. Rewind as you are supposed to and the only ways it will come off is if you (1) turn it the wrong way,(2)the threads are stripped or (3) it became loose and just fell off.

mooseontheloose · Sep 9, 2014

I've shot hundreds, if not thousands, of rolls through the FE, whenever this happens, it's always the same. The rewind lever just gets stuck - it feels like it's the film that's jammed, not the mechanism. I'm guessing that it's part of the cylinder that gets loose, since even when I tried to take the film canister out I had a hard time to really pry it out of there. In any event, I now know what to do if it happens again.

Locktite sounds great, but I have no idea where I would get it currently here in Yogyakarta. I suppose the Japanese have something similar, I'll have to figure it out when I get back to Japan.

bdial · Sep 9, 2014

Fingernail polish would work.

shutterfinger · Sep 9, 2014

Dead Link Removed
Loctite 242 ,AKA blue threadlocker.

John Koehrer · Sep 10, 2014

bdial said:
Fingernail polish would work.

+1 And your choice of colors. Personally I use clear.

Dennis S · Sep 11, 2014

Here is a guy who has tons of parts that might help people with film cameras:
http://billrogers.com/parts_db/nikon repair parts for sale.html
He is : http://billrogers.com/

Nikon FE disaster, is there anything I can do?

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