Werra Matic: film advance / Shutter totally locked up

[blee1996]

Hi, I recently got a used Werra Matic camera and it got all locked up after a few shots. The Werra uses a small twist on the lens collar to both advance film and tension shutter. Now this lens collar ring is locked up (you can wiggle a tiny bit each ways, but I don't want to force anything), and the shutter button cannot be pressed. Do you have any suggestion on how to unlock it? Thanks!

 

[ic-racer]

Too late to return?

 

[Kino]

These cameras are notorious for locking-up after sitting unused for a long period of time.

It is most likely the shutter that has seized. I tried to repair one once; it was a no-go for me and too complex.

There might be some repair shop that would take on the task, but I don't know of any.

 

[reddesert]

If you want to look more closely at the shutter, I am pretty sure that you can turn the ring with serrations (just behind the DOF scale) to unlock and remove the front group of the lens. That might allow you to at least investigate if it's stopped at the not-quite-fully-cocked stage, or the shutter isn't firing, or ?

 

[blee1996]

Yes I can remove the lens without problem. But then all I can see are aperture control mechanism. I cannot see anything related to shutter even with the lens unmounted. There is nothing to see from inside the camera either.

 

[film4Me]

Removing the bottom cover might reveal something that needs a gentle push. Problems such as this are usually due to dried lubricant. If you do fix it, see what you can do regarding lubricating whatever moving parts that are easily got at with the cover/s off.

 

[blee1996]

Quick update: there was a small piece of plastic jamming one of the film advance gears. That plastic piece came from the shutter speed adjustment ring, which was intended for better grips but apparently easy to detach itself after the glue fails.

In general, the Werra Matic is very well designed and constructed. Very modular: the rangefinder/viewfinder is one single block, and the meter is another single block. So once the top is off, it is very clear what is going on. The engineers were clever yet very disciplined.

To remove the top, you need some special tools to loosen the screws on the strap eyelid. And pull out the top cover just a tiny bit to unscrew the viewfinder eye piece. Once the top is off (gently), there are a few loose pieces you need to keep track of. There is one clear plastic piece that sits on top of the lightmeter unit. And there are a stack of washers along the shutter release shaft.

 

[reddesert]

Great work!! Glad to see it resurrected.

My parents have a Werra 35 that they've had since the 1960s or so. Really neat camera. It hasn't been used for a long time, but a few years ago I got it out and gingerly tested that the film advance wasn't stuck (cross fingers).

 

[Alex Varas]

Good job!
Werras are really nice cameras and easy to work on them.