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twosmooth
3-Aug-2016, 14:32
I'm new to LF and have been playing with my new-to-me Shen Hao HZX-IIA. I love it so much and I haven't even taken a picture yet.

I have noticed that some of the movements are really tight. When I'm moving the front standard to extend the bellows, the knob that I'm turning takes a little more muscle than what I've seen from folks on YouTube with the same camera. I am talking about the knob that is camera right, I know that the other knob is the lock. In the rear, the locking lever for rear swing will fully swing to the left (unlock) but I can only move it about half way in the other direction to lock it. I'm scared that if I push it, I'll crack the camera some how. Is this normal? Will these movements loosen with time or do I need to lube something?

Thanks!

I just wanted to add that I might have some of the wording wrong, so forgive me.

David Schaller
4-Aug-2016, 06:58
I can't say with the Shen Hao specifically, but the varying temperatures and humidity in the summer can have this effect on wooden cameras.

twosmooth
4-Aug-2016, 15:38
I can't say with the Shen Hao specifically, but the varying temperatures and humidity in the summer can have this effect on wooden cameras.

I hadn't thought of that David. Thanks.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Drew Wiley
4-Aug-2016, 16:15
Never force anything. Contact them first. Gears etc are often intended to be lubricated, typically with a dry lube, from time to time. A correctly made and sealed
wooden camera doesn't have these problems. Humidity variances are factored in. But hardware itself differs, and sometimes needs a bit of help.

Mick Fagan
4-Aug-2016, 16:31
I have that exact same camera, had it for maybe 10 years or so.

Your description of the right hand rack knob being hard to use is correct, but there is a solution. As you are racking the camera bed out, the smaller locking knob on the left, tightens ever so slightly, making it harder to rack the bed out. The solution is simple, if you are racking the bed out a fair way, undo the left smaller locking knob a fair bit. This will allow you to rack out, or back very easily. Once near your focusing point, tighten up slightly the left hand smaller knob enough to let you still focus with a bit of resistance. Once you have your critical focus, you simply twist the smaller locking knob on the left a touch and your camera focus is locked.

If you have your camera on a tripod, stand at the lens end with the focusing bed racked completely or nearly completely in. Loosen very slightly the smaller locking knob, then by using the larger focusing knob, slowly rack the bed out. On my camera one can see the locking knob tightening up, eventually binding the rack making any adjustments with the larger focusing knob difficult. Simply undo the locking knob further and keep focusing. Interestingly, when racking the bed back in from full extension, the locking knob opens up so that by the time you have the bed all the way in, your locking knob is undone by at least two full revolutions.

Let me know if your camera is the same as mine.

As for your lever at the rear under the rear standard, yep, mine was the same, sort of still is. I did find it was always difficult in cold weather, like this morning when I was out shooting in 3ºC at dawn. I did move the rear standard this morning, having to take my gloves off to move that little lever. As I sit here warming up with the camera sitting about 1m from me, the lever is back and hard up against the little screw, which I believe is the purpose of that screw.

Mick.

twosmooth
8-Aug-2016, 08:05
Thanks Drew, I will try to shoot them an email.

Mick, that's a great tip! I tried it and it is a little easier, but it's still not as smooth as it looks in some videos. I'll mention that in my email to them. As far as the lever at the rear, I can't get mine close to the screw! It will easily move to the left, but about half way to the right, it tightens up so the lever is sticking straight out from the camera.

nlambrecht
8-Aug-2016, 08:31
I have a second hand Shen Hao HZX45-iia and the sticky focus racking was a problem for me when I first got the camera. The rack and pinion on mine was a little dirty when I received it, so I cleaned it up and lubricated in with a petroleum based high-impact machine grease. If you are unfamiliar the high-impact grease is thicker and is less prone to moving off the gears. I placed a small amount of grease on several parts of the rack and worked the pinon over it several times and the problem was solved. If you go to locations with a lot dust in the air this part will get mucked up every now and then. Also, as Mick mentioned, while racking out the bellows the locking knob will tighten if you just barely loosen it. Hope this helps.

-Nathan

andrewch59
8-Jan-2017, 02:35
I have just received my Shen Hao hzx45, unfortunately that locking nut on the left hand side is a feature of a lot of wood cameras and does the same thing on most. Even my big Hunter Penrose does the auto locking by itself. I have been very impressed so far, although not a shot has been fired from it, it is built like a tank. First thing I did was polish it with a wax based polish and most of the fittings seemed a lot smoother. Also affords it protection with light inclement weather as Mick would experience in Melbourne. The finish and joinery is first class.

Andrew