Nikon F4 shutter and MF-23

[one90guy]

I may be the last to know this, but my shutter stopped working when I changed to fresh roll of film. Tried two different rolls and replaced the batteries. Last night I decided to strip parts to maybe help cost to replace camera. I had bought a MF-24 about a year ago, just for the heck of it I replaced it with regular back and shutter worked:idea: Exchanged them several times with same results. All functions seem to be still working on the control back, but it now is a paper weight. Yeah my old friend is working again.:thumbsup: Anyone else ever experience this?

[drg]

The obvious question is did you change the battery in the MF-23 back? If the battery is low the functions work but they don't always let the camera body know that the door is closed among other error messages.

I'm going from you title that you are using the MF-23 and not the monster MF-24. If the later try mounting and remounting it a few times as all those 250 roll backs had sensor and indicator faults from time to time. At the age of this gear a tiny piece of dirt or film flake could have covered something or gotten into a pawl and it isn't quite seating properly.

Back to the '23 data/control back.I'd also take the battery out and let the back stand for a day or so to discharge everything and start over with a fresh one. If any of the Interval or Bracketing features 'hang' the camera won't function or so I recall from the 'olden days'.

Also make sure that the seals haven't degraded as they can prevent the film door from closing fully and disabling the back and camera. The F4 was known to be sensitive to the film faults from improper closure. I vaguely remember one F4 that always wanted to rewind at an inopportune moment.

Let us know how this works as having the extra functions of this style of data back really enhances the use of these bodies.

Good Luck!

[one90guy]

Thanks for the information, it is the MF-23, short out from between shoulders and fingers.:blush2: I was so happy to get camera working I forgot all about the back. I will take batteries out and let it sit a few days then try new batteries.