Why won’t my Hasselblad A12 back lock onto a 500 body?

Asked 5/29/2018

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2 answers

I removed an A12 film magazine from my Hasselblad 500 after unloading a roll, and now it won’t lock back onto the camera body. It looks like the two coupling holes on the back aren’t in the correct position for the body to engage. There’s no film loaded at the moment. Is there a way to reset or fix this?

hasselblad troubleshooting film-camera medium-format camera-backs

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

8y ago

2 Answers

If the camera was not properly cocked before the magazine was removed, you need to set the camera and magazine so that the indicator circles on the side of the camera and magazine are both white or both red.

The magazine slide must also be fully inserted into the side of the magazine.

These and other instructions can be found in the Hasselblad 500C/M Manual.

Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user15871

8y ago

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Yes—this is usually a synchronization issue, not a broken back. On Hasselblad 500-series cameras, the body and A12 magazine must be in matching states before the back will mount correctly.

Check these points:

Make sure the camera body is properly cocked.
Make sure the magazine is also set to the matching position.
On the side of the body and magazine, align them so the indicator circles are both white or both red.
Confirm the dark slide is fully inserted into the magazine.

If the body was not properly cocked before the magazine was removed, the back can refuse to lock on until both are reset to matching positions. The lack of film does not matter here.

If needed, consult the Hasselblad 500C/M manual for the synchronization procedure.

Why won’t my Hasselblad A12 back lock onto a 500 body?

2 Answers

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