Sometimes, the mechanical Hasselblads can become jammed. Here is an easy way that you can un-jam them yourself. You can do this anytime, anyplace. By proper handling, jamming should not occur. But if it does, here is the fix.

Jammed Body

Ordinarily the lens and body are both cocked. You cannot install a lens unless both the lens and the body are cocked. However, you cannot remove a lens unless both units are cocked. When the condition is otherwise, the lens cannot be removed. This condition is called "jammed." It is really not that way. It is just that the cocked-cocked combination is no longer present. I have found that the lens is the normal culprit for getting the pair out of sync. Sometimes the lens can fire without being told to do so. This causes the lens and body to be out of sync.

Your lens is on the camera of course. But if it were not, this is what the front of the camera body would look like. Note that lens cocking tab is pointed away from the red dot. When cocked, the tab will look like so:

Note that the tab is pointed at the red dot.

To set things straight, here is what to do.

Remove the magazine. Remember, it can't be removed unless the dark slide is inserted. Then look at the rear of the camera body. The split rear curtain (auxillary shutter) will probably be closed as shown below. If not, all that much better. If it is closed, it will look like the photo below:

In this case, push the bottom half of the curtain down with your finger as shown above and hold it down.

Looking from the rear of the camera body, you will see a small slotted shaft as indicated by the arrrow above.

While holding down the lower rear curtain, insert a screwdriver into the slotted shaft and rotate it clockwise until it clicks to a stop. This will cock the body/shutter. Try winding the camera body. If it will cock, do so. If not, then the body is already cocked. Now you can remove the lens. That's it.

There are several companies that advertise a small tool to do this. I have not seen it for awhile. However, you may run across an ad in one of the photo magazines. It is probably a good idea to get one of these tools since they have a small slotted cavity on the end of a long shaft. The slotted cavity prevents any chance that your screwdriver might slip and poke the rear lens element. If you are very careful, this will not happen. But jams aren't suppose to happen either. If you are unlucky enough to experience many jams, I'd suggest you buy one of the tools.

A source for the tool is the CameraKey (tm) and is made by Visual Departures, Ltd., Box 427, Riverside CT 06878 (800-628-2003). This tool sells for ~$25 and is available at various Hasselblad dealers.

Jammed Lens

The lens is not cocked. Body is cocked but when putting the lens on the body, it jams about half way in the process. Use a pair of small pliers to rotate the central shaft coming out of the tube at the bottom rear of the lens. It will rotate one way, not the other. Looking at the rear of the lens, rotate clockwise until it cocks (clicks). Then, make sure the body is cocked and the lens will fit on. If you touch the central shaft (press on it), that will fire the lens. Then cock it again to get the feel of how it works. Always remove the lens first, then, anything afterwards.