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Video description of the problem: https://youtu.be/DdRkNx93_rc

Without pressing the shutter release button, the camera auto fires. The bottom curtain doesn't come up at all. Mirror is locked up too.

This problem happened like this:

  1. Shooting as normal, suddenly the shutter release button and the advance lever are stuck.

  2. Moving to M90 or B mode doesn't help.

  3. I had to open the bottom cover, and reset a metal arm to get the lever to release.
  4. After step 3, the camera started auto firing.

My question: 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?

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2 Answers 2

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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.

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    \$\begingroup\$ I ended up getting another one from eBay. I don't have the skills and tools to do the expected - I'm at the state of stripping screws when I try to open the case. Thanks for the opinion though. \$\endgroup\$
    – Xiao
    Apr 12, 2016 at 3:33
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I had the same issue with a FE that I bought recently as non-functional. The shutter and winding were blocked, with the mirror locked up. I first used the method to open the bottom cover of the camera and push the level to unlock, as described in several YouTube videos, like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s7VB9p8woQ Then, when this was fixed, it noticed this auto-fire issue from time to time. When this happens, I found that the mirror would go up when cranking the shutter. The problem seems to be linked to the self-timer mechanism, so shoot several times (>20) with the self-timer activated and the mechanism would eventually work normally. Old stuck grease or gunk is probably the root cause.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I'm running in the same issue with the mirror going up when cranking the shutter. Tried the timer thing without luck. The camera was a gift from in-laws, so it'd be nice to get it working again... otherwise I'd just toss it as you can get one for less than it'd cost to fix \$\endgroup\$
    – Ellery Familia
    Aug 17 at 3:58

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