hey ET,

i thought i had the same problem when i shot my first TZ film (exp. 09/09) but then i remembered that, when shooting indoors, 100 asa at f8 does take a few seconds of light to fill the lightsensor.
and 2-3 seconds is a long time, if you expect the photo to come out right away. Then i took a picture outdoors, and it came out rightaway. The same happens after i modified the flash and used that to overcome long exposures. So i would say: try your camera and film in better light conditions, you should notice the film comes out much sooner after taking the picture (shorter exposure). My guess would be that a defect battery should slow down the motor, but not delay it to start.

regards,
maarten.

Hi Maarten, thanks for that. I tried taking a picture outdoors today, and it did make the shutter speed faster, but the camera still doesn't eject the exposure. I asked at a different repair shop today, and while they don't do polaroid camera repairs, they said it might be a gear problem. Is that possible?

maybe you could try this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3ZU5-Ue5Hc

i have it from another discussion: http://support.the-impossible-project.com/entries/354354-sx-70-spit...

regards,
mm

Thanks for the video. I tried adjusting the pick arm (hopefully I did it right) but it doesn't seem to have any effect. The ejection phase itself sounds really slow, like the camera doesn't have enough power to push out the exposure. Would you happen to know if there is anyway I can perhaps clean the battery contacts without having to open up the camera? Thanks!

to clean those contacts, you will have to get the cartridge out.
there's a handy video on how to do that without losing a frame on the site, but i can't find it right away.
you need to carefully re-insert the darkslide first and then take out the box.

then tape a q-tip to the end of a screwdriver or thin wooden stick and tip it in vinegar.
very gently, without touching the upper mirror, clean the two contacts inside the camera.

good luck!
mm 

http://vimeo.com/16630738

Thanks so much Maarten, I'll give it a try tomorrow. Hopefully it works. :)

Okay it seems I spoke kind of prematurely. The camera is not ejecting film again. Not sure if I might have overdone it on the pick arm?

sorry, can't help you any further.

It's all good, seems to be working again. I guess it has its moods. Thanks so much, Maarten.

The problem you describe seems to be the same one I am having. I also did some tests with empty packages and here is what happens:

- the dark slide always pops out just fine

- with an empty package the shutter speed seems to perfectly ok and is reacting to lighter/darker scenes with shorter/longer exposure times.

- as soon as I put in a PX70 film cartridge the shutter takes a lot longer or even freezes completely. Nothing happens after the mirror popping up: the viewfinder stays dark and no mechanical noise can be heard. I then have to collapse the camera, unfold and press the shutter release again. The cycle then continues: the mirror pops back down and the picture is then exposed. Of course it is hopelessly overexposed.

What could be the problem here? The problem described in the pick arm video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3ZU5-Ue5Hc) sounds much different from what I am experiencing.

Any suggestions?

cheers

Alex

Alex -

From your descxription, this sounds like the light-sensor may not be working. Does the camera behave differently if you take a photo outdoors, or if you use a flashbar? You'll have to waste a flash, but performing a flashbar test would be helpful, since using a flash disengages the electronic eye. If the camera cycles properly when using the flashbar, then I would suspect that the light sensor isn't working.

Hey Tom,

thanks for your help. I couldn't get a hold of a flash, but I did some more testing with an empty cartridge. It would seem that the one of two things happens when I press the shutter release:

1: everything works fine and the exposure seems to react nicely to the light conditions

2: the cycle grinds to a halt with the mirror in the "up" position and continuous at a randomly alter point (one second to several seconds later). Sometimes it takes even longer and can be helped by closing and opening the camera and then pressing the shutter again. The cycle then continues. Once, when I picked the camera up while the mirror was locked something rather heavy seemed to move inside the camera and the cycle continued. I retested it with a slight shake when it happened again and it works: a shake seems to loosen whatever is stuck, whenever the mirror gets locked.

Does give anybody any clues?

cheers

Alex

In this case, Alex, I keep coming back to the possibility of a problem with the light sensor. Allow me to ask some specific questions:

1. Outdoors, when you press the shutter release in bright daylight, what is the behavior, and is it consistent?
2. When you do the same indoors, what is the behavior? Is it consistent in the same room, pointing at the same object?
3. If you press the shutter release indoors, and then you point the camera out of a window during the daytime, does the cycle finish once the camera is pointed outside through the window?

The "heavy object" that you described as moving inside is most probably the mirror itself. The fact that you move the camera and the cycle completes itself might be due to the photo sensor in the camera being pointed toward a bright light source (e.g., a window during daytime, or toward a switched-on light source such as a lamp.

If you could answer these three questions in as much detail as possible, it would give considerably more insight.

Regards,
TRB

Thank you Tom, for the answer. As nice and shiny daylight has been a scarcity lately and time has been as well, I had to wait to do the testing. But here are the results (tested often with empty packages)

If the mirror doesn't get locked up the exposure seems to react well and consistently to varying light sources. Once it works, it usually does so for quite a few exposures. If the cycle does get stuck, pointing the sensor at a bright light source (sun, light bulb) doesn't have any effect. I have only found the mirror to get stuck after the camera has been resting for a day or so. So my workaround is this:

I pop in an empty package and make sure that everything works with a couple of test shots. I then swap for a package with exposures left on it and take the picture.
Alas they still turn out to be somewhat over exposed even though the dial is turned all the way to dark but I still got some nice shots that way

Hello Alex -

To me, this sounds more and more like a problem with the camera. I know of two service providers in the USA, but I don't know any elsewhere. I don't see in any of your earlier posts about your location. If you happen to live in the UK, I know that Sendean Cameras in London contract with my friend Roger Garrell in the U.S. to make repairs.

I wish that I could be more helpful, but this sounds increasingly like a problem with the camera itself.

Kind regards,
Tom

It kind of does, doesn't it?
Alas, I'm not in the US, but in Germany, so I think sending it in for repairs is probably not worth it. The workaround is sufficient for me though.

After all, with the current prices for film I shouldn't be taking too many pictures anyway ;-)

Thanks for all the help and useful suggestions.

Cheers,

Alex