Fix or replace?

[ChrisN]

A few months back I bought my first folding field camera (Nagaoka 4x5) which came with a Fujinon W S 1:6.3/150 lens in a Seiko shutter. Last weekend the shutter stopped working - it cocks and clicks but doesn't open the iris at all.

I like the focal length and the compact size of this lens, which I can leave attached (reversed) when I fold the camera. Performance is probably adequate for my novice skills at this stage, although a bigger aperture (to aid focusing) would be nice.

What are my options for a replacement?

Can I fit the existing lens elements to a new or replacement shutter which will fit my existing lens-boards? Is this shutter a standard size?

Repair is a possibility - is there someone in Australia I can send it to?

Or am I better to look at replacing lens and shutter? I also have a 90mm lens so a 150 or somewhat longer would be my preference.

Thanks for your suggestions - cheers!

Chris

[Mark Sampson]

Shutters can almost always be repaired. They're fairly simple mechanical devices. Repalcement would be uneconomical, and the lens is too good to let go to waste. There are a number of Australian members on this forum; perhaps one of them can tell you who does repairs local to you.

[venchka]

If local repair isn't possible, send just the shutter to Carol Miller at Flutot's Camera Repair. The shutter and a bit of bubble wrap shouldn't be too expensive to mail to-from California. Go to the Flutot's web page for instructions on mailing the shutter to Carol.

http://www.flutotscamerarepair.com/ContactUs.htm

Cheers!

[Mick Fagan]

Chris, I have two Fujinon•W f/6.3 150 lens in Seiko shutters, they are extremely nice and so far reliable, as is my Seiko watch.

I note in the picture you supplied that the aperture lever is in the 5 O'Clock position, which is effectively f/90. The hole is extremely small, so small in fact a casual look and you think the shutter doesn't open.

Are you sure that the mechanism works, but the aperture doesn't open?

I'll make a telephone call in the morrow regarding getting one of these pulled apart by a local Melburnian.

Mick.

[Steve Goldstein]

Some shops (I don't know about Carol Flutot or SKGrimes, both in the US) will simply tell you that Seiko shutters are not repairable. This may be true in the event crucial spare parts are needed and donor shutters are unavailable.

Having said that, I recently had a non-working Seiko completely overhauled and repaired by ICT Camera in Mountain View, CA, USA. All speeds are now within 10% of spec. It had been brutalized internally by a prior "repairman", so took a bit more work than a standard CLA. The cost of the job was US$150, exclusive of return shipping. Fred had previously repaired a Copal 0 deemed "unrepairable" by another shop, and at a very reasonable price of around US$65 as I recall - the problem was easily fixed following disassembly, which the first shop had apparently not bothered with.

If you decide to replace rather than repair, don't forget that you'll need aperture scales for the new(er) shutter, and figure that in to your cost.

[Pete Watkins]

I'll second Carol at Flutots. Fantastic service and excellent workmanship.
Pete.

[drew.saunders]

You might be able to find another Fuji 150/6.3 for less than the cost of repair. Keh.com in the US has one for US$119. Then, if you wanted, and were feeling brave, you could "teach yourself" shutter repair.

[FilmIsNotDead]

I agree with Drew. These are indeed fine lenses but, alas, way under appreciated so you can buy another one for a song.

May I suggest you remove the cells (front and rear) and try cleaning the shutter with Ronsinol before you try anything else? It's a cheap/easy thing to do and it just might solve the issue. Make sure it's drained and completely dry before reinstalling the cells.

Also, should you decide to buy another exact replacement, be sure to hold onto the old one so you can swap the cells in case they're better than the replacement (don't 'mix' cells though). If you find one with an excellent shutter but scratched cells you should get it for well under $100US.

[ChrisN]

Thanks to all for your advice and the recommendations - it looks like repair is the preferred option.

Drew - the KEH lens is a Fujinar - is that the same thing?

FIND - I've actually soaked the shuuter in lighter fluid to free it up when it first arrived! It worked fine for a while ...

Mick - I have a Seiko watch too, that I bought when I started my first job, about 33 years ago - still ticking! Were you a BMW rider in the mid-late 80's? I think I might have offered to buy a fuel tank from you at one time. Yes - the fault is definitely within the shutter - the cocking lever cocks with very light pressure; just the return spring holding it, and I can hear and feel the escapement moving when I move the shutter speed ring. It feels like the shutter is cocked but the mechanism to release the shutter has broken or become disconnected. The shutter-release releases the cocking lever, but the shutter blades do not move. If you can recommend a Melbourne-based repairer I'd be grateful.

Thanks very much to all - cheers!

Chris

[drew.saunders]

The Keh picture shows it as "Fuji Optical Co.," but I don't know when they called that particular lens a "Fujinar," so it might be quite old, and the shutter is likely to be quite off at high speeds. Keh also has a newer looking (as in black ring Copal shutter, making it newer than a silver ringed one) 150/6.3 Rodenstock Geronar for a little more.