Contessa 35- Help, Melek!

Talk about rangefinder cameras, lenses and accessories.
Santiago Montenegro
Enthusiast
Enthusiast
Posts: 244
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2014 10:06 am
Contact:

Contessa 35- Help, Melek!

Post by Santiago Montenegro »

I just got my "new" Contessa 35 in the mail. WOW. I love the way this thing looks and feels. But... the interlock between the shutter and the film advance is crazy. It needs me to roll about 5 frames before it lets me trip the shutter, and then the film transport remains locked until I manually rotate the film sprockets and fire the shutter again. Also, sometimes the interlock just lets go, and you can use the shutter several times without advancing the sprockets. Is there a reasonably simple fix, or shoudl I send it back ($$$ from Venezuela)? It was advertised as working perfectly and freshly CLA'd. BTW, it is the early, Compur model, and in very good external shape.


titrisol
Frequent Poster
Frequent Poster
Posts: 726
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2014 9:14 am
Contact:

Re: Contessa 35- Help, Melek!

Post by titrisol »

Somehow the advance interlock is gunked up; my guess is that a dab of grease gunked duroing the temperature changes in transport between Venezuela and you
I'm not sure if the contessa 35 lets you fire without film, but try to exercise the camera many times


If you can't fix it with a hammer... you got an electrical problem
even duct tape can't fix stupid.... but it can muffle it (SilentObserver)
My Flickr -ipernity
Thanks CE Nelson ;)
Santiago Montenegro
Enthusiast
Enthusiast
Posts: 244
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2014 10:06 am
Contact:

Re: Contessa 35- Help, Melek!

Post by Santiago Montenegro »

"I'm not sure if the contessa 35 lets you fire without film"

It lets me if I fool it by rotating the film sprockets manually, but it takes an inordinately long time, and my fingers are starting to feel tender :mrgreen: . I already started a return procedure on Ebay (no response so far).


Santiago Montenegro
Enthusiast
Enthusiast
Posts: 244
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2014 10:06 am
Contact:

Re: Contessa 35- Help, Melek!

Post by Santiago Montenegro »

Hmm, now the seller is offering 40% of the price back, and I keep the camera.


titrisol
Frequent Poster
Frequent Poster
Posts: 726
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2014 9:14 am
Contact:

Re: Contessa 35- Help, Melek!

Post by titrisol »

Lucky dog!!!!!


If you can't fix it with a hammer... you got an electrical problem
even duct tape can't fix stupid.... but it can muffle it (SilentObserver)
My Flickr -ipernity
Thanks CE Nelson ;)
User avatar
PFMcFarland
Super Member
Super Member
Posts: 2391
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2014 11:02 pm
Contact:

Re: Contessa 35- Help, Melek!

Post by PFMcFarland »

If you have a good repair shop there, I'd take the partial refund (maybe ask for a bit more), and put it towards getting the camera fixed. Whomever worked on it didn't know what they were doing.

PF


Waiting for the light
Santiago Montenegro
Enthusiast
Enthusiast
Posts: 244
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2014 10:06 am
Contact:

Re: Contessa 35- Help, Melek!

Post by Santiago Montenegro »

PFMcFarland wrote: Whomever worked on it didn't know what they were doing.

PF
That is also my diagnosis :mrgreen: Of course, I am my own repairman. Good, not so much :lol:
Now, does anybody have a trick for unscrewing the pesky rewind button?


Mike Kovacs

Re: Contessa 35- Help, Melek!

Post by Mike Kovacs »

can't remember the exact details of this model but normally I just jam a small screwdriver into the forks and twist the rewind knob.


Santiago Montenegro
Enthusiast
Enthusiast
Posts: 244
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2014 10:06 am
Contact:

Re: Contessa 35- Help, Melek!

Post by Santiago Montenegro »

Mike, the rewind knob is easy enough. But the rewind button doubles as a smooth, cruel screw that holds the winding knob in place. Try as I might, I haven't been able to budge it.


Mike Kovacs

Re: Contessa 35- Help, Melek!

Post by Mike Kovacs »

sorry I just can't remember though I've done several of these.


Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests