Nikon FM

[Mike Kennedy]

I have a Nikon FM that won't cock.Seems to be jambed.
Solutions?

Thank You

 

[Pinholemaster]

Half jokingly, get a Nikon FM2.

There is a reason Nikon upgraded the FM line.

Other than that, send it in for repairs. Too many non-metal gears inside an FM.

 

[noseoil]

Mike, is there a roll of film inside? If there is and it is completely used, it may act as if it won't cock, when in reality it must be rewound. tim

 

[Mike Kennedy]

No film inside Tim.Any other ideas befor I attack it with my micro tools?

Mike

 

[Pinholemaster]

"Any other ideas befor(e) I attack it with my micro tools?"

Fully joking – a sledgehammer.

Good luck. You are braver than me to open the camera. Sounds like mashed gears, but I hope for your sake it's a simple fix.

 

[singram]

We had an old FM at my first newspaper job. It was the newsroom "beater" and it occasionally would lock up. Try turning the the motor drive key on the bottom of the camera with a quarter and see if it frees up the cocking mechanism. I did that on more than one occasion with the paper's FM. If that doesn't work then I think the jam problem is in the bottom of the camera, so you might want to start with the base plate and see if you can fix it from there. I was told that is where the problem is by an old camera fixer friend of mine. But hey, I could be wrong too.

steve

 

[John Koehrer]

The gear reduction stuff for the advance is at the top of the camera and shutter cocking cams etc are at the bottom. I don't recall any decent camera with plastic gearing in the film advance mech.

 

[Peter De Smidt]

We had an old FM at my first newspaper job. It was the newsroom "beater" and it occasionally would lock up. Try turning the the motor drive key on the bottom of the camera with a quarter and see if it frees up the cocking mechanism. I did that on more than one occasion with the paper's FM. If that doesn't work then I think the jam problem is in the bottom of the camera, so you might want to start with the base plate and see if you can fix it from there. I was told that is where the problem is by an old camera fixer friend of mine. But hey, I could be wrong too.

steve

Steve,

You're the man! I had an FM quit on me a couple of years ago. I just tried your suggestion, and it worked!

Peter

 

[singram]

Peter,
Glad to help. I found this out by accident on an assignment. I was away from the office using the company FM, my camera was in for repair. It jammed and I was able to limp through the assignment by winding it by the bottom of the camera with a coin. That was a fun day!

take care,

steve

 

[Mike Kennedy]

Thanks Steve.

It worked!!!
Thanks for directing me to the correct local.It was a hit and miss thing until I applied a very small amount of dry lubricant with a toothpick.You still have to "double clutch" the cocking handle,but it works.

Mike