RB67 Mirror Jammed

Athiril · Jul 17, 2010

So I was just trying to get through the last shot to put some colour film in.

I depressed the mirror return while the shutter was still open as it was on 1/4th of a second shutter speed

The lever is stuck half way as is the mirror (though it can go up)

What do I need to do to reset this? I havent forced anything.

The lens unlocking ring will only turn half way, so I cant get the lens off.

johnnywalker · Jul 18, 2010

I looked in my book and found nothing helpful, but there are a few genuine RB67 experts here who I'm sure will offer a useful suggestion or two.

Athiril · Jul 18, 2010

ive been trying the paperclip hole trick for the past 2 hours to no avail, i just cant seem to find the lock to take the lens off.

every other thread on the subject says "there are plenty of threads on it" yep there are - they all say to do a search for other threads on it

Can anyone tell me how deep the lock behind the hole is supposed to be, exactly where and how to engage it properly?

neelin · Jul 18, 2010

Is this of any help?

google: rb67 exploded diagram

Dead Link Removed

MattKing · Jul 18, 2010

Just a thought.

Double check that the rotating film back isn't partially rotated.

Athiril · Jul 18, 2010

Its nothing to do with anything being overlooked.

The mirror is jammed half way, and so is the mirror lever, the lens is still open, I interrupted the exposure with the mirror return lever and it got jammed, the lens probably has a fault, but now I cant take it off (trying) or return the mirror. >.<

neelin: Thanks saw that in the original thread. Maybe if I can get the bellows off like that I can turn the things manually to reset the lens.

Curt · Jul 18, 2010

I did a search and the mu is a continuing problem as is the stuck lever, I've got an RB67 Pro S and can't see a way to fix your problem but changing the settings on the lens is something that comes up in the solutions of some of the older threads. One solution is to ask repair center or send it in, I know it's a pain to say the least. Since the lens and body are stuck together it's not just a matter of replacing the body with another one. your have a larger investment there. You will either have to tackle it yourself or send it in to someone with the tools and manuals and knowledge to do it. It may be a simple task for a repairman. Get an estimate and go from there. That's the best advise I can give. Let us know what you do with it.

Best,
Curt

Athiril · Jul 18, 2010

Im in Australia, I dont think we have any repair centers that would know how to fix this anymore, we dont have anything.

Id have to track down an individual I'd think.

Curt · Jul 18, 2010

I've got mine out, so ask me what I need to see?

Curt · Jul 18, 2010

On the lens what are the settings on, is it off mirror up and is the dark slide out on the back?

Athiril · Jul 18, 2010

No idea I tried the hole lens removal trick to no avail, the hole near Pro-S on the body.

Anyway I've got the rear of the bellows detached... how does the body communicate to the lens? :S

Im assuming its that silver bar at in the center at the bottom and it rotates? maybe I could rotate it...

Its nothing silly, its jammed, I went to press down the mirror before the exposure was over, and I think this lens has a fault, so it didnt close the shutter when I did that, and thus jammed.

I dont mean the shutter is not pressing in I mean the mirror and miror lever are jammed half way down, they wont go forward, or back, ie: I cannot cock the shutter, and I cannot remove the lens unless I cock the shutter. The shutter in the lens is still open, I cannot close it.

Athiril · Jul 18, 2010

Okay

Turn your RB67 upside down and extend the bollows, fire the shutter.

Which way does the silver bar rotate?

Curt · Jul 18, 2010

From upside down it rotates to the left or clockwise.

Curt · Jul 18, 2010

It rotates clockwise.

Athiril · Jul 18, 2010

Thats it I'm getting a new body, and lens, this one couldnt fire above 1/15th so I think.

There is a screw thats stripped I cant get it, and something is internally wrong with the body.

It was the 65mm C, still have the 180C in perfect condition at least. *sigh*

Curt · Jul 18, 2010

Gee, I'm sorry that it's so difficult to get in there, I sat and looked at mine but couldn't see anything that would help. Did you put in a cable release in the lens shutter release and give the rings a good rotating and press the release? With the mirror half way up though it looks like something is broken inside in the linkage.

Athiril · Jul 18, 2010

Its nothing to do with that, the gears are jammed and opposing. Normally that wouldnt happen with a non-faulty lens. The shutter had just started to close I can see the very edges of it when it jammed, so I timed it perfect with a counter rotation by pressing the cocking lever down at the right time.

I'm sure something snapped, and something went flying at high speed when a spring came off when I was trying to follow all the gears back to try and find a point to manipulate.

I've had enough, it's going on ebay to be sold for parts after I keep what I need to build another kit imported from the U.S. ebay (probably from shutterblade).

My massive drawer of 120 supplies are going in the fridge.

At least I have my Nikonos and Speed Graphic, though its not the same

I feel like this, specifically 1:33
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YersIyzsOpc

guitstik · Jul 18, 2010

If you have the plain RB67 send me your striped down body and lens obviously and I will swap my RB67 body. I don't happen to have that lens but more than likely the problem is in the lens. I have more resources at my disposal to effect repairs to it. This all contingent, of course, on your willingness to do so and if you can get it to work yourself. Doing a swap does not help you right now but it is an option you have open to you to get up and running again.

Athiril · Jul 18, 2010

I'm in Australia.

Im pretty sure its kaput.

It's only $120 AUD for another RB67 body from the U.S.

Cheaper than repairing anything in this country, and with the 3-4 week shipping time, 2 to 4x as fast as having anything repaired in this country.

guitstik · Jul 18, 2010

It was just an option I was trying to make available to you. I have access to another RB and I am working on a deal for another so I would not be suffering from a shortage.

Ross Chambers · Jul 18, 2010

Athiril said:
I'm in Australia.

Im pretty sure its kaput.

It's only $120 AUD for another RB67 body from the U.S.

Cheaper than repairing anything in this country, and with the 3-4 week shipping time, 2 to 4x as fast as having anything repaired in this country.

Yep, that was my conclusion, although I did pay some Sydney repair thieves to get the lens off, but not fix the body.

Bought a body in great condition from KEH for less than the Sydney lens extraction.

Only problem is that I'm faced with the old joke about the aged camera (and axe) with only 4 new lenses and one new body. I'd imagine that the guy I bought it off secondhand wouldn't recognise it at all.

Regards - Ross

John Koehrer · Jul 18, 2010

Unless the lens was malfunctioning initially I doubt that anything is really broken. It's just out of synch.
When the shutter is released the ring on the back of the lens rotates clockwise. When the camera is cocked the cocking ring for the shutter rotates counter-clockwise. If the shutter is partially through an exposure and you cock the camera, you have two opposing forces engaging & everything stops.
The lens release is just behind the front plate of the camera. It's not deep at all, perhaps a mm or so. Since the lens pulls straight off this is the solution for the separation. Try taking your paper clip & put a 90 degree bend in the end, 1-2mm long. Feed it through the hole & turn it, like a key, it should hit the locking lever. You may have to broaden the paper clip by smaking it with a hammer

Curt · Jul 18, 2010

Where is this hole, is it behind the covering material?

Curt

Maris · Jul 18, 2010

Athiril said:
Im in Australia, I dont think we have any repair centers that would know how to fix this anymore, we dont have anything.

Id have to track down an individual I'd think.

Eric Owen can fix it. Given a Mamiya RB67 taken down to the last screw and spring he can reassemble it and it will work perfectly. He even has a RB67 on his coat-of-arms. Give him a call on 07 3821 6532 at his workshop in Thornlands, Brisbane.

Andrew K · Jul 18, 2010

RB's are tonka toy tough - and unlike a Hasselblad they don't "go out of sync"...

I've owned both, and repaired both when I was a camera tech, You cna mount a uncocked RB lens onto a cocked RB body, fire it, then cock it and it will cock the lens. Or mount a cocked body on a uncocked camera - it will cock the body, but do nothing to the lens.....

It sounds to me like a spring broke causing the lens to jam on...

Try pulling out the bulb shutter release on the lens (the round know with the shutter thread in the middle you twict when doing mirror lock up) - then try juggling the shutter cocking arm...while trying to rotate the lens release....

It may sound crazy, but I've gotten many a lens off a jammed RB by doing this....

At least if you can get the lens off you can work out if it's a faulty camera or lens....

And there are still a few people in Australia who can repair the camera...the bad news is you can;t get parts from Mamiya anymore....this was confirmed by Mainline in NSW who tried to get me a spring for a RB back..they were also surprised when Mamiya said they didin't do them anymore...

RB67 Mirror Jammed

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