Nikon FE fires immediately after winding, mirror locked up — can it be fixed?
Asked 4/2/2016
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2 answers
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My Nikon FE originally jammed with the shutter release and advance lever stuck, and moving to M90 or B didn’t help. I removed the bottom cover and reset the release linkage so the advance lever worked again, but now the camera fires as soon as I wind it, even without pressing the shutter button. The mirror can stay locked up and the shutter behavior seems incomplete. Is this something I can realistically fix myself, or does it point to a fault that usually needs service?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
1
It sounds like what you did inside the bottom cover only solved half your problem. You can now advance the film, but the shutter button (or linkage between the button and the shutter) seems to still be stuck in the "fire" position.
Given the price for this body is quite low on the internet, is it possible to fix it myself so I don't have to send it to a repair shop?
That being the case, why not just buy another used FE? You seem to be mechanically inclined enough to be able to take advantage of the fact that with two FEs you would have a parts camera to keep one of them working.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This sounds like the camera is only partially unjammed. Based on the reports here, the advance is working again, but the shutter release linkage may still be stuck in the “fire” position. Another user with the same FE symptoms found the issue was likely related to the self-timer mechanism sticking from old grease.
A simple DIY thing to try first: operate the camera repeatedly with the self-timer engaged many times in a row. The idea is to work the mechanism free if dried lubricant is causing it to hang up. If that helps, the problem may be intermittent rather than a broken part.
If it still auto-fires after winding, the camera likely needs deeper mechanical service, not just resetting the bottom-cover lever. Since used FE bodies are often inexpensive, a practical alternative is buying another FE and keeping one as a parts body if you’re comfortable working on cameras.
So: yes, you can try a limited DIY fix, but if exercising the self-timer doesn’t resolve it, proper repair or replacement is the more realistic path.
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