Shutter becoming slow on a Zenobia

fabulousrice · Jan 2, 2022

I took my beloved Zenobia 6x4.5 folding camera on a photo walk with a bunch of friends today, and was surprised to notice that the shutter had become extremely slow at all speeds except 1/500.

It has been working extremely well for years. I’ve never had a problem with it. I wonder if the blades or the mechanism need to be oiled or if the oil might have gelled because of temperature changes, or if it could be a more serious problem.

I do not know how to fix shutters myself, and might not have the space, the room, or the tools to do it now. So I am open to either try simple solutions that do not involve fixing or opening the shutter, or sending it somewhere to get it CLA’d.

xya · Jan 3, 2022

Shutters do never have to be oiled, it's the opposite, they have to be cleaned. The blades should be free of any trace of oil, if not, they stick and the shutte becomes slow. If you have not used your camera for a while, it may stick. Cold temparatures make things worse. Put your camera in a warm space for some hours and try quite several times. If it gets better, keep your camera warm outside. But you should get it cleaned soon. The Zenobia is a nice camera, it's worth cleaning. A simple cleaning by a professional should not be too expensive...

fabulousrice · Jan 5, 2022

xya said:
Shutters do never have to be oiled, it's the opposite, they have to be cleaned. The blades should be free of any trace of oil, if not, they stick and the shutte becomes slow. If you have not used your camera for a while, it may stick. Cold temparatures make things worse. Put your camera in a warm space for some hours and try quite several times. If it gets better, keep your camera warm outside. But you should get it cleaned soon. The Zenobia is a nice camera, it's worth cleaning. A simple cleaning by a professional should not be too expensive...

I am very confused, I kept in it a warm space for a few days, and tried the shutter a few times. It is still very slow and sometimes completely hangs with the shutter wide open. However the 1/500 speed works fine but now the lower speeds are hanging more and more.
I called Koh's Cameras and Nippon Cameras but neither of them can repair a Zenobia.
If you have any addresses or recommendations, please let me know.

xya · Jan 5, 2022

Your shutter seems to be in urgent need of a service. Please stop using it and above all please stop using 1/500, it stresses the shutter unnecessarily. On all shutters of this period there is a second spring for this speed, that's why your shutter works at 1/500. But it was meant to be an exception, it's stress for the whole mechanism.

The Zenobias mostly had D.O.C. Rapid shutters, some had Daiichi Rapid shutters and a few had Copal shutters. They are all Copal type shutters, a skilled repairman should be able to service them. As I live in Germany and France I can't recommend a repair firm. But any service for old cameras should be able to do this. In your case nothing seems to be broken, so a good service should do. Good luck.

fabulousrice · Jan 5, 2022

xya said:
Your shutter seems to be in urgent need of a service. Please stop using it and above all please stop using 1/500, it stresses the shutter unnecessarily. On all shutters of this period there is a second spring for this speed, that's why your shutter works at 1/500. But it was meant to be an exception, it's stress for the whole mechanism.

The Zenobias mostly had D.O.C. Rapid shutters, some had Daiichi Rapid shutters and a few had Copal shutters. They are all Copal type shutters, a skilled repairman should be able to service them. As I live in Germany and France I can't recommend a repair firm. But any service for old cameras should be able to do this. In your case nothing seems to be broken, so a good service should do. Good luck.

Thanks, there being 2 different springs is what I thought. I think the spring for speeds below 1/500 is dead.
If you know a place where they'd service it in france or germany, please let me know who they are, I don't mind the shipping charges.

Dan Daniel · Jan 5, 2022

This is a basic cleaning issue as said. Contact Blue Moon Camera in Portland and see what they recommend-

https://bluemooncamera.com/store/product/KREPAIR/knight-camera-repair-service

Sounds as if the oil and/or grease have spread around the camera. Combined with dirt, it's forming a nice gummy mess.

xya · Jan 6, 2022

That's it, basic cleaning issue. So no need to send it abroad. And no, I think the spring for 1/500 is in good state, as you say that the shutter works at this speed. So get a good cleaning and your camera will be fine again.

Shutter becoming slow on a Zenobia

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