Hi Folks, I have a question that is sort-of answered multiple ways in other forums but not exactly ... I am the proud owner of an Olympus Pen FT from the 1970s. It is a beautiful little half frame camera and this year it has been my goto. It is true the OM1 takes better quality photographs overall, but there is a magic to the Pen FT that shines through and 80 shots on a roll (If loaded in a dark bag) is a good compromise between running out of film and the gay abandon of infinite digital frames.
I know these cameras are occasionally problematic and sticking is a common dilemma but mine sticks in a way that isn't described anywhere I can find. Occasionally, every few rolls, the film advance lever jams about a third way through its stroke and will not pass that point. It can be released and pulled again but it stops at the same position. The shutter/lens/shutter release are all unaffected except that it obviously won't fire until the advance+cocking stroke is complete. (Removing the bottom plate and manually firing the shutter isn't relevant here because it isn't yet cocked.)
This has happened three times since I bought the camera nearly a year ago, and I have managed to clear the condition by shaking the camera, gently turning the shutter speed and just generally (Carefully) tweaking and forcing the advance lever through the crunchy blockage after which everything is fine. I am however aware that one day I am going to break the mechanism this way which is why I'm researching.
I'm competent and equipped to disassemble the top, bottom and front of the camera but I do not want to remove the mirror box if possible because I don't have experience of preserving the timings. (I did this once on a broken Pen FT and it became more broken and so it was my parts donor thereafter.)
I am hoping someone out there knows where a tiny drop of sewing machine oil / ethanol / lighter fluid could be deposited to reliably ease the motion of the winder in a way that would avoid this occasional jam or provide any specific information from having dealt with this issue before.
To reiterate, everything else on the camera is fine, meter, lens, shutter, self-timer, I've lovingly and successfully serviced them all (Including removing lubricant from the frame counter that was making it stick!) The meter is adequately reliable for BW negative film!
Thanks in advance to anyone who has specific information about this condition.
I know these cameras are occasionally problematic and sticking is a common dilemma but mine sticks in a way that isn't described anywhere I can find. Occasionally, every few rolls, the film advance lever jams about a third way through its stroke and will not pass that point. It can be released and pulled again but it stops at the same position. The shutter/lens/shutter release are all unaffected except that it obviously won't fire until the advance+cocking stroke is complete. (Removing the bottom plate and manually firing the shutter isn't relevant here because it isn't yet cocked.)
This has happened three times since I bought the camera nearly a year ago, and I have managed to clear the condition by shaking the camera, gently turning the shutter speed and just generally (Carefully) tweaking and forcing the advance lever through the crunchy blockage after which everything is fine. I am however aware that one day I am going to break the mechanism this way which is why I'm researching.
I'm competent and equipped to disassemble the top, bottom and front of the camera but I do not want to remove the mirror box if possible because I don't have experience of preserving the timings. (I did this once on a broken Pen FT and it became more broken and so it was my parts donor thereafter.)
I am hoping someone out there knows where a tiny drop of sewing machine oil / ethanol / lighter fluid could be deposited to reliably ease the motion of the winder in a way that would avoid this occasional jam or provide any specific information from having dealt with this issue before.
To reiterate, everything else on the camera is fine, meter, lens, shutter, self-timer, I've lovingly and successfully serviced them all (Including removing lubricant from the frame counter that was making it stick!) The meter is adequately reliable for BW negative film!
Thanks in advance to anyone who has specific information about this condition.
Last edited: