Topic: Bronica s2 stuck shutter?

[Chalky]

Hi all, hopefully one of the experts here can help.

Just picked up a bronica s2 - lovely looking camera and can't wait to use it.

However I'm having trouble getting the shutter to fire...

- dark slide is removed
- film is loaded and advanced to 1 position
- lens cap is removed
- wonder is wound till it stopped, reluctant to wind anymore as I know you can strip gears...
- DOF preview works
- shutter button is not in lock position
- lens has been removed and put back and seems ok

Any advice would be amazing. I'm on holiday and off to SF tomorrow, so would love to be able to use it there...will check back here as I get chance - long drive to do later today.

Thanks all!
Matt

[moominsean]

what i would do is take it apart (lens and back) and see if you can tell exactly what it is or isn't doing. you can fire the shutter without the back on. if you heard the shutter "cock" then you can't turn the crank any more regardless.

[Chalky]

Thank you... I can't wind the crank anymore but the shutter still won't fire, with or without the back, and I'm reluctant to wind it further... the seller is going to take another look for me...

[gregor]

The good thing about the internet is you can find out a lot of information fast. The downside is you can read a lot of horror stories of which some are true and some are not.

I'm very familiar with the S2 as in seattle there is a glut of them. The Boeing Company's photography department used Bronicas before going digital and the market here is saturated with used Bronica 6x6 cameras - from the early models up to the last. So I'll pipe on here with a suggestion that could help you and any others with a similar issue.

You read a lot of horror stories on the net about S2 gears stripping - and a subsequent fix for that in the S2a (change of metals in the shutter transport system I beleive).  As such, new users often get worried about stripping the gears. The reality in most cases is the the shutter simply has not been cocked.  The S2 has two clicks: one upon completing the film advance and a second one that cocks the shutter.  The second click isn't soft and smooth due to the quirky shutter transport - it's takes a good 'push' to advance into that second position to cock the shutter. I would say the second click takes more force than the 1st click that indicates the film has advanced to the next frame...

These early Bronicas are tanks and I would bet it's as simple as this.  Also you can't fire the shutter with no film loaded and the back on.  You can put the dark slide into the back, take it off and fire the shutter w/out the back on.

[moominsean]

yeah i haven't tried too hard, but you shouldn't be able to turn the crank at all after the shutter has cocked. it takes a bit of effort to actually cock the shutter, so give it a go.

[Chalky]

Thanks for the help all! Turns out it was me, I wasn't actually cocking the shutter! Rather embarrassing. But id read about stripping the gears, so was really cautious not to damage it. Anyway, other than having to pay more shipping, no harm done! Doh!

[Chalky]

thought I'd quickly bring this back to life.

I have the camera back in my hands and it is working as it should - it was me being too gentle with the winder!

thanks all

[Late Developer]

Hi Matt.

Glad to hear  that all's well that ends well.........

Paul.

[jojonas~]

phew! glad this settled. I just bought a bronica c and I'm both excited and nervous haha

anyway, this is good. I'll remember to be gentle but expect to put a little force to cock the shutter

[Chalky]

Yes - first time it definitely feels like you're winding it harder than you would like to. and it makes a satisfying CLICK when cocked!

about to send my first roll of portra for processing...

I have the instant back too and the quality is amazing on that so looking forward to seeing some scans.

lovely camera...

enjoy yours jojonas, look forward to seeing some results...

[tkmedia]

I updated the description of film advance and shutter cocking. Maybe this will help people just getting the system for the first time.

http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Bronica_S2

[jojonas~]

Okay now I seem to be in a real jam withmy Bronica C(2)

It won't advance past 0, the advance lever is stuck. And the shutter button is stuck too. I've tried unloading, reloading the film, changing between normal and double exposures and between 12 and 24 mode but nothing seems to help. It's like it's winded on and cocked but it can't release the shutter

[Francois]

I don't know if it's a bit the same as on my Minolta, but there was a small hook that jumped a lever locking the entire camera. I had to open it and slowly figure out what was linked to what in order to put things in their right place...

[jojonas~]

Yeah, I'm afraid it's something like that. Won't be able to finish that up before going away this weekend.