minicoop's Rollei 35

dxqcanada · May 10, 2016

So, Michael sold me his not so working well Rollei 35. It has a problem locking/unlocking the lens.

Knowing that this is a very complicated camera, I jumped right in with a screw driver.
... and I think I have found out what the problem is. I found a screw lodged in the mechanisms close to the area of the lens locking collar. I think someone tried to fix it and did not go about it the right way (not that I really know the right way either). Now I am not sure if this is the real cause but it appears to lock and unlock cleanly now.
... though now I have a problem putting this back together properly (winder is now stuck).

tirediron · May 10, 2016

Have fun with that!

jcdeboever · May 10, 2016

dxqcanada said:
So, Michael sold me his not so working well Rollei 35. It has a problem locking/unlocking the lens.

Knowing that this is a very complicated camera, I jumped right in with a screw driver.
... and I think I have found out what the problem is. I found a screw lodged in the mechanisms close to the area of the lens locking collar. I think someone tried to fix it and did not go about it the right way (not that I really know the right way either). Now I am not sure if this is the real cause but it appears to lock and unlock cleanly now.
... though now I have a problem putting this back together properly (winder is not stuck).

View attachment 121335

Nice. Oh, it goes back the way you took it apart... [emoji6]

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tirediron · May 10, 2016

I should dig mine out of the cupboard and run a roll through it....

dxqcanada · May 10, 2016

I should not have been drinking Beer while I took it apart.

dxqcanada · May 10, 2016

Hmm, I wonder where that screw is supposed to be ?

tirediron · May 10, 2016

dxqcanada said:
Hmm, I wonder where that screw is supposed to be ?

On the table, in the parts tray. That's the screw that was supposed to be left-over during assembly, and some idjit assembled it.

dxqcanada · May 10, 2016

Good thing they over-engineer sometimes.

minicoop1985 · May 11, 2016

That is a good question. No screws fell off while I took it apart. That I'm aware of, I should say.

astroNikon · May 11, 2016

Just so you know.
I never took it apart.

dxqcanada · May 11, 2016

minicoop1985 said:
That is a good question. No screws fell off while I took it apart. That I'm aware of, I should say.

I doubt you did it ... it is really internal, so I can't see you dropping a screw in there ... and also you had the lens lock problem before you took it apart.

minicoop1985 · May 11, 2016

I thought I saw a loose screw there, not one that had completely fallen through. I wasn't about to dissect it to the level you have, however, because I'm afraid of doing that lol

compur · May 11, 2016

You probably didn't need to take it apart. The shutter has to be cocked before the lens will collapse. Until the shutter is cocked the lens is locked in the extended position. Just advance the film advance lever and the lens can then be collapsed.

Don't you just love German engineering?

dxqcanada · May 11, 2016

Yup, I figured that out after Reading The $%$^ Manual ... only took me 30min to think about doing that (shorter time than the Primo-Jr issue).

What was happening is that there was something blocking the left side of the lens ... sometimes. This caused a lot of confusion as it was not consistent. When the lens did lock, it could not be unlocked (when the shutter has been cocked).
That loose screw I located happens to be in a position that it would keep the lens from extending to the final position and also it would prevent the lens from turning to unlock it.
I have no problem with the lens lock/unlock after I took the loose screw out.