Preview Lever on Copal #0 shutter is broken

**thechrisproject** · 5-Jul-2009, 17:32

My preview lever no longer opens the shutter so I can focus. When I move it up and down, it doesn't move all the way and nothing happens. I think its behavior is similar to when you have the shutter cocked and the preview lever is sort of locked out.

I've tried opening and closing the aperture a few times, as I read this somewhere and feel like I've done that before and it made the problem briefly go away.

To get around this, I've been setting it on T to compose and focus and then closing it and setting it on the right speed. It works, but it's clumsy. The lens is fairly old (it's a 135mm Nikkor 5.6) and I probably should just get the shutter overhauled, but that costs about $150 and a new shutter is only 70-80 more.

Any ideas on how to fix this other than taking it to the shop?

**BrianShaw** · 5-Jul-2009, 17:38

Shop around -- there are better deals than $150 for a shutter overhaul.

**David Karp** · 5-Jul-2009, 17:48

Who did you talk to about the shutter overhaul? Did you contact Carol Miller?

**thechrisproject** · 6-Jul-2009, 09:33

I took it in to my local repair shop. I had them check the timings when they mounted it for me. It was slow all around and they quoted about $150 to have it overhauled.

Who is Carol Miller? I'm looking for short turnaround times. MPEX fixes LF lenses and shutters, don't they?

**David Karp** · 6-Jul-2009, 09:41

Carol Miller is a shutter repairer and proprietor of Flutot's Camera Repair: http://www.flutotscamerarepair.com/. Many forum members use her services. She is good, very responsive, and a pleasure to deal with. I don't know if you will get short turnaround times here, sometimes she is swamped with shutters to repair.

Here is another alternative that I have heard that some forum members use: http://www.lensn2shutter.com/.

There is also S.K. Grimes: http://www.skgrimes.com/index.htm.

I don't think that MPEX does their own repairs. I believe that they send them out. Certainly, I trust Jim and expect that he would pick a good technician for this work.

**thechrisproject** · 6-Jul-2009, 11:05

Carol's is cheap and SK Grimes seems in line with what my repair shop said. My repair shop's estimate was based on actually having the lens on their bench...

Here's who I've been using:
http://bdccamerarepair.com/