Rolleiflex only fires upside-down !!

Karl K

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Ok, this is not a joke. I bought this beautiful black Rolleiflex SL35 E body because I know that this camera was highly regarded 'way back. The problem is that the shutter only fires when the camera is held upside-down. The mirror hangs up if the camera is fired in the normal position. The mirror is not sticking in the up position...it simply never reaches the up position.

I've never seen anything like this.

My local repairmen won't touch it because he says that it's a very complex camera and no parts are available.

Any ideas?
 

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Jim Noel

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If you are unable to send it back I am afraid you are just out.
 

Sirius Glass

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Search around to find a place that will do a CLA.

Steve
 

ic-racer

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How much did you pay?
Coincidentally in April got another SL35E and it had the same problem. I have been into the shutter of one of my non-workng ones and kind of know where the hold up is. I had a little tough time with mine as my first flush with naptha leached oil onto the blades making the situation worse. After some more flushing I got it cleared up. I don't do CLAs but if you can't send it back, and it was cheap, I may be able to give you what you have into it and take the risk I can get it going.

I have compiled what I know about the SL35E in this thread: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)
 

MattKing

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Do any of these cameras come from Australia?

Sorry, couldn't resist.
 

bsdunek

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On most, if not all, 35mm SLR's, the mirror actually releases the shutter. In this way, it is assured that the mirror is all the way up before the shutter fires. As indicated above, something is keeping the mirror from moving upward with enough energy to fire the shutter. Upside down, gravity helps out. ic-racer has the idea - probably needs a good cleaning. Just use the naptha carefully.
 

Q.G.

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MattKing said:
Do any of these cameras come from Australia?

Sorry, couldn't resist.
Click to expand...

Had been waiting for that.
Appeared sooner than i thought (though i was sure Sirius would get to it first).


Anyway, i have an OM-1 that does the same thing.
It needs assistance from gravity to get the mirror all the way up (down, then) and release the shutter.
Can't help with any ideas why that is though.
 

benjiboy

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I would suggest you try another service engineer.

P.S If you think you have problems with your mirror some friends of ours bought a brand new flat screen TV from Amazon just before Christmas having given their old one to charity, when they plugged it in on Christmas Eve looking forward to all the good TV programmes they found the TV picture was upside down
 

Sirius Glass

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He beat me to the punch so I was quiet and let him enjoy the glory.
 

Sirius Glass

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You noticed too!
 
OP
OP

Karl K

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IT WORKED!!
Thanks for your suggestions. I shot some Goof Off into the bottom and sides of the mirror slots and on the shutter blades. It took several applications, cocking and winding many, many times. Then it worked a few times, but hung up again. I kept it in an unheated porch overnight to dry thoroughly, and now it works like a charm. I fired it 100 times at various speeds without a hitch.

Now, let's get some Zeiss glass. Anybody got somes spares?
 
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