Rolleiflex 2.8F shutter speed wheel resistance

[hiroh]

I want to check with other 2.8F owners: Is it normal for the shutter speed wheel to become quite resistant at about 1/4s, and then, over 1 second, it's almost impossible to go further to B, which I cannot even see? Mine has gotten stuck there, so it's very hard to dial it back, I have to push it very hard, it doesn't feel right.

 

[campy51]

It should just be a cleaning if the camera has been sitting for a long time.

 

[ic-racer]

I suspect that is not the only part that is gummed up.

 

[hiroh]

Hmm, that's strange. The camera just came from CLA when I bought it few years ago. I even got the receipt and the certificate from the service who did the CLA. It was in very nice mint condition, and everything worked perfectly except for what I mentioned above. I didn't bother too much since it works smoothly up to 1/4s. Anything slower I rarely use. However, I wanted to check if this is normal or if it's a fault in my camera.

Anyway, thanks for letting me know it's not normal. I probably won't send it to CLA just because of this, as the waiting times are usually long.

 

[joelbolden]

I just sent a 2.8F in for a CLA that had been sitting in a drawer for years. The two obvious things that were wrong with it were the stuck shutter blades and the shutter speed adjustment wheel was almost impossible to turn. So, something gums up.

 

[JPD]

Hmm, that's strange. The camera just came from CLA when I bought it few years ago. I even got the receipt and the certificate from the service who did the CLA. It was in very nice mint condition, and everything worked perfectly except for what I mentioned above. I didn't bother too much since it works smoothly up to 1/4s. Anything slower I rarely use. However, I wanted to check if this is normal or if it's a fault in my camera.

Anyway, thanks for letting me know it's not normal. I probably won't send it to CLA just because of this, as the waiting times are usually long.

It's probably some part that wasn't installed in the correct way during the CLA. It happens sometimes. The former owner should have checked the camera and returned it to the repairman to fix it, but maybe it wasn't noticed.

 

[Steven Lee]

@hiroh Every single Rolleiflex I've tried exhibited varied resistance level on its shutter speed dial. I have 3 of them and they all feel different. All have been CLAd by either Fleenor or Kanto Camera in Japan. And yes indeed, my 2.8F is a bit stiffer than the 3.5F, and the stiffness is a bit uneven. However, as I've been using it more and more, it is getting smoother. I suspect my camera was a shelf queen for many years.