I recently picked up a clean F2A body as a back-up, and I'm enjoying its simple handling compared to the newer F cameras. Everything seems to work fine, except for one thing: After I make an exposure using the self timer, the next shot cannot be made normally with the soft release button in place. But if I removed the soft release button, then the shutter release will work just fine. Then I can re-attach the soft release button, and things back to normal until I use the self timer again. This symptom is very consistent, so I was wondering if this odd characteristic is normal with the F2?

-- Bert Na (bergna@yahoo.com), January 03, 2002

Answers

Try and use the self-timer and hold your finger gently on the shutter release button while the exposure is made. You will feel the shutter release button loses its resistance gradually during the last seconds before the exposure, and can now be depressed without any resistance. If the button cannot return to its top position, you cannot cock the shutter. There must be something that impedes the button to return or stay in its top position when the soft release button is attached. Maybe some worn parts or a small misalignment somewhere. I don't know. I only know that it never happens with my F2A, and I have an old and a new soft release botton. Maybe you know already, but if you use the mirror lock-up, you must unlock it again before you can cock the shutter. This is much more annoying in my opinion, because you cannot press and turn this hard button without moving the camera slightly when it is mounted on a tripod, and you i.e. want to make several shots of the same scene with different exposures.

-- Carl Rosenvold (crosenvold@terra.es), April 21, 2002.