The storing of leaf shutter lenses (leaf open or closed?)

Ghostman · Aug 23, 2014

Hi everyone,

This is a question regarding my Mamiya RZ lenses. Should I store them with the leaf shutter open or closed? Open seems to be the default. Closed involves a bit of jiggery-pokery on the lens.

BrianShaw · Aug 23, 2014

Hasselblad/Zeiss/Compur/Prontor is intended to be stored cocked (leaf shutter open). I'd assume that is same for Mamiya. The manual probably gives clear direction. But you can also assume that if "jiggery-pokery" is involved then that is not the factory recommendation.

Ian C · Aug 23, 2014

The following is the last paragraph on page 36 of the RZ67 Owner’s Manual.

“If a lens is not to be used over a prolonged period, it is desirable to store it with the shutter released. In order to release the shutter of a lens which has been removed from the camera body, rotate the Shutter Cocking Pins (C) clockwise while depressing the Shutter Lock Pin(B).”

http://www.mamiyaleaf.com/assets/files/documentation/RZ67_Pro_v4.pdf

This is to prevent the shutter spring from weakening over time by storing it in the relaxed position.

Ghostman · Aug 23, 2014

Ian C said:
The following is the last paragraph on page 36 of the RZ67 Owners Manual.

If a lens is not to be used over a prolonged period, it is desirable to store it with the shutter released. In order to release the shutter of a lens which has been removed from the camera body, rotate the Shutter Cocking Pins (C) clockwise while depressing the Shutter Lock Pin(B).

http://www.mamiyaleaf.com/assets/files/documentation/RZ67_Pro_v4.pdf

This is to prevent the shutter spring from weakening over time by storing it in the relaxed position.

Thank you very much for this. The "Cocking Pins (C) clockwise while depressing the Shutter Lock Pin(B)." is exactly the jiggery-pokery I was talking about.

BrianShaw · Aug 23, 2014

I guess I was wrong. Wonder why storing with shutter released isn't a suggestion of Hasselblad also?

Ghostman · Aug 23, 2014

BrianShaw said:
I guess I was wrong. Wonder why storing with shutter released isn't a suggestion of Hasselblad also?

I have never done so with my Hasselblad lenses. I can remember reading or hearing something about the Mamiya lenses, which I why I thought to ask about it.

I would be interested to know more about Hasselblad lenses too.

Ian C · Aug 23, 2014

It’s actually easy. Lay the lens with its capped front onto a soft surface like a bed and press the the Shutter Lock Pin with one hand (I use the rubber eraser on a pencil) while turning the Cocking Pins with the other. As long as the pin is pressed in, it’s easy to rotate the pair of Shutter Cocking Pins to the uncocked position which closes the shutter.

You will have to recock the shutter before you can mount the lens onto the camera.

R.Gould · Aug 23, 2014

I was told by Newton and Ellis to store my leaf shutters un cocked and on 1 second or b to ease pressure om the springs, I am talking about compur/prontor/pronto shutters, My Bronica manual says to store the lenses with the shutter cocked.
Richard

Jon Goodman · Aug 23, 2014

Not a comment about the RZ, however for years I repaired Contaflex cameras. One of the reasons I stopped was the fact I could no longer find decent parts cameras nor parts. One of the most common problems in the Contaflex was that people stored them cocked. Apparently they left them in cupboards, closets, basements, etc that way. I have no idea why, but they did and after sitting cocked for a few years, the main spring loses its "zip" and is almost always no longer able to do its job correctly. There is some adjustment, but the adjustment was designed to tweak springs in good condition and not to revive a ruined spring. I wouldn't suggest storing any camera or lens in a cocked state for any length of time.
Jon

John Koehrer · Aug 23, 2014

If you've got only one lens,release the shutter otherwise jiggery pokery is required.

rbultman · Aug 23, 2014

Jiggery gets easier with practice. Pokery is another matter entirely.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Theo Sulphate · Aug 23, 2014

BrianShaw said:
I guess I was wrong. Wonder why storing with shutter released isn't a suggestion of Hasselblad also?

There's a very good reason in the case of Hasselblad: when mounting a lens, both the body and the lens should be cocked, otherwise you will have a jam. By keeping the lens cocked, you avoid this. Proper Hasselblads have a "body cocked" indicator.

As for springs "weakening" because the shutter is left in a cocked or released state, that is total nonsense. A similar question is asked by gun owners on whether they should keep spare magazines empty or full. The answer, provided to me by many mechanical engineers I've talked to, is that the spring state doesn't matter: what weakens a spring is its flexing over time.

Theo Sulphate · Aug 23, 2014

Jon Goodman said:
I wouldn't suggest storing any camera or lens in a cocked state for any length of time.
Jon

Motorized Hasselblads always recock the body and lens after each shot. Not only that, when you buy a Hasselblad lens it is already in a cocked state from the factory and may have been in the store for quite a long time before being bought. See my post above regarding spring states. My bet is that lack of use and dryed out lubricants cause the failures rather than the shutter being cocked. If the springs were weak, it is likely they've just been used a lot.

The storing of leaf shutter lenses (leaf open or closed?)

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