Sinar P shutter question from novice

[Crowfriend]

I just received this camera and do not think the copal shutter is working.

The shutter blades are not closed. Should they be closed until released by the cable release? When the cable is fully pressed, shouldn't that activate the shutter? It doesn't seem to trip the shutter.

The dial for the aperture will only run through half the dial.

One online source indicated the shutter works only when the apertute is at one setting, is this true?

Has anyone taken the shutter housing apart to trouble shoot it?

I sure could use help with this.

[Leonard Robertson]

I can't answer directly, but here are a couple of resources which may help:

http://www.cameraeccentric.com/info.html About 3/4 of the way down the page is the instruction book for the Sinar Copal shutter.

Pictures of the inside of one:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jones-ben/sets/72157626113820180/

Hopefully someone will have an idea that doesn't require a teardown.

Len

[Sevo]

There is a manual online at the Butkus site: http://www.cameramanuals.org/prof_pdf/sinar-copal_shutter.pdf - you should go through that first, to verify the state of your shutter. IIRC there also is a service manual online (I vaguely remember it to be at one of the UK Sinar distributors) - perhaps someone else remembers the address.

[Crowfriend]

"you should go through that first, to verify the state of your shutter."
I have this manual, but the trouble is, I do not know what happens when it does work properly. I think the blades are snagging. I think the gears are in need of cleaning as per the set of photos on flickr. The shutter does nor click and operate when the cable is fully depressed. I do not know what to clean or lube the gears with if I take the device apart. This is daunting to say the least. Thanks for the help.

[Leonard Robertson]

Are you using the original Sinar cable release to fire the shutter? A regular cable release doesn't have enough travel to cock and fire the Sinar shutter. Even with the Sinar cable, it takes quite a strong push, since you are cocking the shutter before it fires. But you still could have a problem with your shutter.

Len

[Crowfriend]

I am using the sinar cable, but it does not seem to be tripping the shutter.

[Steven Tribe]

The sinar copal should be locked open for transport! Moving the red long lever on the side up should close the blades. The side top bent lever will release the blades again out of view.
Although reliable, problems do crop up. It is not the worst of shutters to put right.

[Crowfriend]

The sinar copal should be locked open for transport! Moving the red long lever on the side up should close the blades. The side top bent lever will release the blades again out of view.
Although reliable, problems do crop up. It is not the worst of shutters to put right.

I have unlocked the shutter. The blades close about half way. When the shutter is cocked it does not close. When the cable release is pressed, they close to about two thirds of the way. I think the shutter is released when one releases the cable? I was expecting to press the cable ubtil it releases on it's own, but I do not know what is supposed to happen. They never close all the way. The aperture will not dial down lower than 11 and will not dial up all the way.

[Leonard Robertson]

I looked at my Sinar shutter. It works as Steven described - the upper, flat red lever is pushed in to open the blades all the way. As it does, the lower lever with the red round knob moves down toward the bottom of the shutter. Lifting the lower lever back up closes the shutter blades, and the flat red lever pops back out. With the blades closed, the Sinar cable release fires the shutter when it is depressed all the way (the knob on the end of the cable goes all the way to the cable housing). The aperture knob dials all the way from one end of the scale to the other with the shutter either open of closed. So I'm thinking you may have a problem with your shutter. I didn't look closely at the Flickr pictures, but I seem to recall it is fairly easy to take the cover off to look inside. Maybe there is something obvious you can see. I don't know if just cleaning and lubing some parts will solve your problem, or if something may be bent or a broken spring. Given how much these shutters are worth, it may be a good idea to send it to a trained professional.

Len

[Crowfriend]

Thanks Len, I suspected that the correctly functioning shutter operated as you described. Looking at the service manual, I am none too keen at working on it.

Is there any one you can recommend for this?

[Ken Lee]

I just had my Sinar shutter serviced by someone who I have used for several other Sinar-related tasks: George Brown.

He goes by the name apogeebee (http://stores.ebay.com/apogeebee) on eBay.

I have purchased Sinar equipment and db-mounted lenses from him, and he has mounted lenses in Sinar boards and serviced my Sinar P camera. I recommend him hands-down.

[Crowfriend]

I will give him a try, thanks

[Sevo]

The sinar copal should be locked open for transport!

Right. As a Sinar representative once explained to me, this is to protect the exposed blades from damage, and not because of tensioning issues (the springs are in tensioned state that way, but that does not do any harm).

[Sevo]

Before you hand it in for service, you might want to control whether there are any issues with the other (back connector) cable socket - people sometimes attempt to force that with unsuitable objects when they fail to figure out with what cable release to operate the shutter. As it interacts with the red lever, a foreign object (or bent plunger) in there could cause problems like the one you describe.

[Bernice Loui]

Sinar shutter should be stored shutter open, time set to 8 seconds.

Hold the cable release button down for the duration of set exposure. This will reduce the walloping kick when the shutter closes.


Bernice



Right. As a Sinar representative once explained to me, this is to protect the exposed blades from damage, and not because of tensioning issues (the springs are in tensioned state that way, but that does not do any harm).

[Crowfriend]

Sinar shutter should be stored shutter open, time set to 8 seconds.

Hold the cable release button down for the duration of set exposure. This will reduce the walloping kick when the shutter closes.


Bernice

Thanks for the tip!
I am sending the shutter to George, by recommendation and he will work his magic!

[Louis Pacilla]

I just had my Sinar shutter serviced by someone who I have used for several other Sinar-related tasks: George Brown.

He goes by the name apogeebee (http://stores.ebay.com/apogeebee) on eBay.

I have purchased Sinar equipment and db-mounted lenses from him, and he has mounted lenses in Sinar boards and serviced my Sinar P camera. I recommend him hands-down.

+1