That 1972 Rolleiflex that fought me for 3 days straight

Picked up a Rolleiflex from an estate sale in Portland for $40, thought the shutter was just sticky. After 3 days of cleaning and re-lubing, I finally realized the actual problem was a bent clutch spring the size of my pinky nail. Lesson learned, I now check the winding mechanism before I even touch the shutter blades. Has anyone else found a tiny part like that which just wrecked their whole troubleshooting flow?

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robertsmith15d ago

That bent spring is such a classic. The thing is, most people don't realize Rolleiflex clutch springs fail way more often than the shutter blades do. I've fixed maybe 20 of these cameras and the shutter is rarely the actual problem. The winding mechanism has that little ratchet gear that gets worn out too, so even if you fix the spring, you might have another issue right next to it. I'd say check the whole film advance path before you open up the lens board. That one tiny piece can make you chase your tail for a whole weekend, trust me.