Mamiya 6: help me!!

[Giorgio_23]

Hello, I recently got a mamiya 6 with 50 and 75mm lens.
The camera is beautiful and seems to work fine. But sometimes it has a problem. I see the led red in the viewfinder and the shutter doesn't fire. I check if the lens is extended, the light shield curtain open etc. etc. and they are ok. But there is the red light and the shutter doesn't work. It is for me incomprehensible because i have this problem sometimes without a reason. I don't use the camera for 1 hour, then I try again and the camera works fine. I don't understand what is the problem, I also cleaned electronic contatcs and I changed batteries.

Please help me, this is a fastidious problem beacuse while i work the camera suddenly doesn't work.

Giorgio

[delphine]

Had you wound/cranked the film when you saw the red light?

[Giorgio_23]

I'm sorry but my english is very bad. What does wound/cranked mean?

[delphine]

Don't worry, my english is not great either.

Had you advanced the film to the next frame?

[RH Designs]

If you see the red light in the viewfinder, the shutter will not fire. There are several reasons why this might be:
1. The film is not advanced (in other words you already exposed that frame)
2. The lens-change curtain is closed
3. The lens mount is not properly extended

You said though that if you leave the camera for some time, then the shutter might then fire. Maybe there is a faulty contact somewhere in the camera making the electronics think that one of the interlocks is set. You could try looking through the viewfinder and seeing if pressure on the lens mount, winder or lens-change curtain knob makes the light flicker - that would identify where the problem lies. Good luck!

[Giorgio_23]

thanks! yes i check always that the film si advanced, light shield curtain closed and lens mount extended.... but nothing!!! I tried looking through viewfinder, and I think the faulty contact is in extended/collapsible lens mechanism... Do you think this problem can be fixed?
thank you all

[Steve Goldstein]

Perhaps there is some dirt on the electrical contacts on the lens or camera body. You could try to use a pencil eraser to very gently clean them. I have used this method on gold-plated electrical contacts many times (I'm an electical engineer). Be careful not to get any dust inside the camera or lens.

[keithwms]

Yes, clean the electrical contacts between the lens and camera. Also check for any corrosion in the battery compartment.

Try to be patient, it is a wonderful system and you'll love it when the issue is resolved.

Does it always work properly right after you install new batteries?

[Giorgio_23]

yes I cleaned the electrical contacts and I check battery compartment and it is ok. I think the problem is the button of collapsible mechanism under the lens... I love this camera and I have to work with mamiya 6 for a project... but this problem is really fastidious... i hope a photorepairer can be fixed this problem... If some of you had this problem, please contact me, I would like to know how I can fixed mamiya.

thanks!

[keithwms]

Well, as a short term solution, once you get it to work, why not leave the lens extended and leave the curtain open.

One of my 6es has the issue that the power switch doesn't work- it is always on. I got that camera for next to nothing because whoever had it thought that issue made the thing useless! But I am very happy to have it as a backup beater, it works perfectly and it turns out that the battery consumption is very small when the camera is left on. I thought I'd have to take out the batteries to preserve them but that proved unnecessary.

Of course, you may eventually want a permanent solution and a CLA sounds like the best course of action, or at the very least I'd find another 6 user nearby who might find the issue. But if you're in the middle of a project right now then do what you need to do....