Rolleiflex 35SL STUCK WINDER AND OPEN MIRROR

[G River]

Hi anyone with experience using a rolleiflex 35sl ,i just got one but the winder seems to only **** half way and the mirror won't release.

I thought it was broken and missing but then realized that it was raised flush to the roof of the camera.

I tried a new battery and checked the manual but no luck so far.Any ideas.

Thanks

 

[Rol Lei Nut]

Hi anyone with experience using a rolleiflex 35sl ,i just got one but the winder seems to only **** half way and the mirror won't release.

I thought it was broken and missing but then realized that it was raised flush to the roof of the camera.

I tried a new battery and checked the manual but no luck so far.Any ideas.

Thanks

The Rolleiflex 35SL doesn't have a motor/winder... Which camera do you have?

If it's really the SL35-E, first take the winder off, then try setting the shutter speed to B or X. The winders tend to be buggy (the cameras too, though those which are still working will probably keep doing so for a long time). If that doesn't work, try very, very, very, very, very lightly and carefully to lower the mirror with a fingertip. That's usually something to avoid, but those cameras aren't economically repairable, so you have nothing to lose.

Also, if you use an adapted lens on the SL35-E (via the M42 to QBM adapter, for example) in "A" mode without pressing the depth of field preview button, the camera will freeze with the mirror up for 20 seconds or so. Try also pressing the DOF preview button on yours to see if that does anything.

 

[G River]

This is what i got...

 

[Rol Lei Nut]

This is what i got...

I misunderstood when you said "winder" instead of advance lever...

Open the back of the camera (take the film out first) and look at the shutter curtains: is one half open or stuck halfway? If they are stuck open, see if there's something blocking it, like a small fragment of film. If there is nothing blocking it, very, very carefully try to push the curtain close.

If the curtains look normal, do what I said in my other post about very carefully trying to unstick the mirror (in this case, hold the shutter release down).

There might be a little catch holding the mirror up, if so try to release it.

 

[G River]

Ahh yes i wasn't sure i was describing it right myself..i'll give your instructions a shot now.

 

[G River]

Woohoo,ok so far so good,i ended up getting it released only a few mins ago...it ended up being something locked up underneath the camera ,i followed a post from this thread on the rangefinder forum.

https://www.rangefinderforum.com/classics/forum/messages/6900/4263.html?1147455916

last post on the page.It was a three screw removal and then carefully look for anything frozen or locked up.i used my a thin screw driver to carefully move something and the mirror released.

New batteries and my metering works ..still only cocks halfway though but i don't know if it's because i have film in.

But mirrors down though. Thank you for the advice.

I'm guessing you have a more advanced model?

 

[Rol Lei Nut]

Woohoo,ok so far so good,i ended up getting it released only a few mins ago...it ended up being something locked up underneath the camera ,i followed a post from this thread on the rangefinder forum.

https://www.rangefinderforum.com/classics/forum/messages/6900/4263.html?1147455916

last post on the page.It was a three screw removal and then carefully look for anything frozen or locked up.i used my a thin screw driver to carefully move something and the mirror released.

New batteries and my metering works ..still only cocks halfway though but i don't know if it's because i have film in.

But mirrors down though. Thank you for the advice.

I'm guessing you have a more advanced model?

Take the film out* to check if the advance is smooth enough.

If so, put the film back in carefully and make sure it's advacing smoothly.

I had the SL35 for a while, then moved to the SL35-E (basically an electronic shuttered auto exposure camera with full aperture metering) as my main Rolleiflex 35mm camera (also have the 3003). On one hand the SL35-E is a very sweet and nicely handling camera with a very good viewfinder and smooth mirror & shutter movements, on the other it's a bit plasticky, clumsy with adapted M42 lenses in A mode and prone to electronic problems (though one which is now still working was either a good one in the first place or was properly fixed at some point) .

The SL35 you have was Rollei's take on the Pentax Spotmatic. What I didn't like was the murky viewfinder, the stop-down metering and how the metering button is actuated.

*To not waste an unfinished roll of film you take out, you can note which frame you're on, rewind the roll, listening carefully for when it leaves the take up spool (=almost in), so that the film leader is still sticking outside the casette. Later, you can put the film back in, put on a lens cap (and for safety, shoot at 1/1000 and f/16) and advance & shoot your roll until you're at the frame you had before + 2 to avoid any overlapping.

 

[G River]

Ahh genius idea for the film..will give that a shot.

The help is much appreciated.

Btw a lil off topic but what do you think of the rollei tele tessar 135 f4..stellar performance or nothing exceptional?

 

[Rol Lei Nut]

Ahh genius idea for the film..will give that a shot.

The help is much appreciated.

Btw a lil off topic but what do you think of the rollei tele tessar 135 f4..stellar performance or nothing exceptional?

That's one of the few I haven't tried.

There were some recent threads here on the 135mm lenses.

If I recall correctly, some people said the Rollei mount 135 Schneider Xenar was even better.

I just recieved a M42 Zeiss Jena 135 3.5 MC, which has a very good reputation and I'm looking forward to try. One of the nice things about the rollei mount is that you can adapt M42 mount lenses to it with a cheap and simple adapter ring. For example:

http://www.lippisches-kameramuseum.de/Objektive/Rollei_M42x1_Adapter_fuer_QBM-Bajonett.htmhttps://www.ebay.de/itm/19-Voigtlander-Adapter-M42-automatic-an-Rollei/302253288948?hash=item465fb32df4:g:REcAAOSwax5YyUZv

 

[G River]

Whaaaaaat,all this time and i never knew that (adapter) thank you will give it a try,if i'd known earlier i might not have bought a QBM adapter.

I'd never heard of the tele tessar either it just came up on my feed today and though i have a minolta MC PG tele rokkor 132 2.8 i'm kinda getting into QBM mount lenses now.

Edit...i typed before clicking the link this is even better now i can use all my m42 lenses on my SL still working on it though,only just got back in gonna give it a try with the film now.

 

[G River]

Ok think it's fixed ,followed your instructions,the curtain was ever so slightly open..so i shut it carefully and that did it ,was able to fully **** back and fire the shutter again.

It kept sticking though so i had to do that a couple times.I opened the bottom again and watched what was moving ,i think something needs cleaning or regreasing or something...anything you would recommend to do a light clean with.

I think i got it working properly but i think there was either dust build up or something.

 

[Clem9295]

Hello, it seems that the link that was attached to your last message is no longer valid.. I have a Rolleiflex SL35 E and the cocking lever and mirror are stuck. I was hoping to follow the instructions at that link to release the mirror. Would you have any instructions available?