Film Camera Repairs: Fixing up a Vintage Hasselblad
We at CameraFIX love cameras and photography. And we know you do, too. So with film photography on the rise, we decided to sit down with Alex, CameraFIX’s founder and lead repairman, to discuss his latest film camera repair project and help you learn more about film mechanics and care.
Which camera were you working on?
Well, it’s a medium-format Hasselblad film camera from the 50’s.
What can you tell us about its history?
At the start of the 1950s, this particular Hasselblad model was the go-to camera for magazines and newspapers. It became very popular very quickly because it is a relatively simple film camera to work with and because of the image quality you can achieve with it. Even now, when you look at old magazines from that era, most of the shoots featured there would have been taken on a Hasselblad like this one.
How does the camera work?
It is quite an interesting camera. It’s very uncomplicated. The whole idea behind it is a simple sequence. You actually see this sequence in many other film cameras, but it’s far more straightforward here.
To make the sequence work, you need to charge the camera. It has a lever on the camera body that you use to charge its mechanisms. The first of these mechanisms is a transporter, responsible for transporting film. Alongside this one are a few other mechanisms, including one for moving the mirror and another for charging the lens.
Essentially, these all parts work together in that sequence. You insert the film cartridge and spin the lever to charge it up. And through that process, you queue up your first shot. The main problem with a camera that works like this is its simplicity. If even one thing is off in the sequence, the whole system falls apart, blocking you from taking photos.
Another thing I would like to mention is that the camera itself doesn’t play a big part. It is not the star of the show, so to speak. Instead, the star is the lens.
How did it end up at CameraFIX?
Well, there wasn’t much wrong. It’s not very exciting, but it just simply needed a service. I did need to do some repairs on the mountable lenses the owner brought in – an 80mm, 150 mm Sonar, and 50mm Distagon – but yes. I found no major problems there, either.
I think the camera’s issue was that it had been sitting in a garage for many years. After that long a time, the lenses got stuck, the shutter jammed, and the camera didn’t work. So I dismantled the lenses, cleaned out the shutter, lubricated some mechanics, cleaned everything up, and boom, done. For the camera, it was pretty much the same process.
The good thing is that after professional servicing, it will keep working with minimal issues for a good 20 years. That’s partly the genius of Hasselblad design and partly because it’s not used professionally. For pro photographers, I’d recommend servicing at least once a year.
What would you say is the most difficult part of the process?
With a Hasselblad and cameras in general, repairs and servicing are not hard if you know what you are doing.
But, I would say the worst thing for me and our technicians is having to do re-repairs. Most of the time, camera damage from wear and tear, neglect, even drops is predictable. But you never know what you’ll find inside if someone who is not a professional tried to fix something and damaged something.
What’s your biggest piece of advice for film camera owners?
From my point of view, as a film camera repairman, I’d say don’t do repairs at home. Bring it in, and we will have a look. It is always much better and much more practical for me to examine the camera and repair it.
Because unfortunately, we do get cases where an owner bites off more than they can chew, breaks something, damages something, and I have to repair someone else’s repairs.
Especially now, more and more people are taking up film photography. And while it is great to see these old, amazing cameras coming out of storage, I don’t think many people are really knowledgeable on how to care for their camera or how it works. So for most film cameras, unless it’s a simpler model like a Hasselblad, I’d say it’s always worth it to read the manual. It’s not always easy to parse through, but it can tell you a lot about how to work your camera and keep it in good condition. Or instead, you can go to your local camera repair shop and ask how to use it and care for it. We here have 30 years of experience with many different cameras, so we can show you what to do.
And please, don’t let your camera sit for years in a garage. Even in proper storage, many parts can jam. So when you take it out, chances are that even in the best conditions under the sun, you’ll come across some problem.
If your camera has already sat for years, it’s worth servicing it before using it. You never know what the damage could be.
Bring your camera to CameraFIX
With 30 years of experience in camera cleaning, servicing, and repairs, you can trust that you’ll get good advice and that your film camera will be in good hands.
Contact us here.