The Curious Case of “Hasselblad” Button

[Ira Rush]

The Curious Case of “Hasselblad” Button....

“My name is Hasselbad 553 ELX Button, and I was born under unusual circumstances. While other buttons were clicking, I was not….”

OK, OK, enough of this….

Recently got a 553 ELX, (S/N 12EUxxxxx), which makes it a 1997 model, almost at the end of the production run (1988-1999). Nice condition, very good price, some minor marks, no big deal.

Came with the smaller round button release, (46116) rather than the larger square release (46345).
The manual actually shows the smaller button to be the standard release on it, and some earlier brochures also show the smaller round button to be standard, rather than the large square release.

Switched my larger square release from my 500 ELX, and put it on the 553. It does not fire.

Put the smaller button back on, all is fine, fires away. Tried the button is both the top and bottom release sockets, fires away. All is fine. Tried a FK type release, top and bottom sockets, all is fine. Cleaned the contacts on the larger square button, cleaned the top and bottom sockets on the 553, put the larger button back on, still won’t fire.

Sooo is there something wrong?

Now I don’t plan on wearing NASA style gloves while shooting with this, so I really don’t need the larger button, but I am “Curious”…. Was the release mechanism changed sometime during the end of the production run to allow the larger button to be fired, since the manual and earlier brochures show the small button?

Or is there something wrong that may become worse and I should fix this now?

I’m thinking that if there was a problem with the contacts and the magnetic release mechanism, the camera wouldn’t fire at all, or fire hit and miss. But that does not happen, at least not with the small release button or the FK release. With these release items, NO problems.

So, again, a problem that needs to be looked into, or not?

Thanks in advance

 

[Q.G.]

Yes, there is something wrong.
The large, square plate release button is no good. (Why they switched back to the small round one.)
I have a few that don't work too.

Both buttons are plungers, that are pushed inside the body just like the end of a normal cable release.
For that to work properly, the plunger needs both to be long enough and pushed in far enough.
And that's where the square thing performs poorly.
The plate is large, the plunger itself is beneath one side of it. When pushed the plate does not go down evenly. So push the plate on the wrong spot, and it will not push the plunger far enough.
And i believe the plunger ends are not long enough too.

So to avoid unnecessary problems with missed shots, put the square plate away and use the small button instead.

 

[Ira Rush]

...So to avoid unnecessary problems with missed shots, put the square plate away and use the small button instead.

Once again, the voice of reason....

Thanks Q.G.