Carena camera problems

[MattKamineko]

Hi,

I've recently been given an old Carena camera (I'm afraid I don't know the model, but I'm told it's similar to a specific Minolta camera) and it appears to be jammed, or broken.



The film advance lever works, but the shutter button doesn't. If I reach inside and give the mirror a little push, the shot completes. Does anybody have any insight into why this may be?

Is it worth me trying to get this camera fixed?

Cheers,
-MK

[Canuck935]

I'm not familiar with this camera, but I'd say the best bet is to have a professional look at it. It may be simple, and if is a quick fix have them check all of the seals and calibrate the shutter. If it's not a cheap fix though then I'd say it isn't worth fixing.

[MattKamineko]

Sorry to bring this up post again, but I'm trying to find a manual for this type of camera so I can properly use the viewfinder gauges, and I can't seem to find any indication of the model on the camera itself.

According to camerapedia, it could be a porst camera... but I can't figure it out. Can anybody help identify it?

[Photo-John]

Matt-
It's likely you can buy a new, or at least much newer film camera for what it would cost to repair this one. At the minimum, it will be much easier to just buy another camera. Since I've never heard of it, I doubt it's a great camera. It's the lenses that really count. And without seeing some good scans, it's really hard to know whether it's worth messing with. But like I said, since I've never heard of it, I have my doubts.

I realize that's probably not what you wanted to hear. But maybe it will help you make a decision about what to do. If you absolutely want to fix it, my guess is it just needs some lubrication in the mirror assembly. Personally, I wouldn't try to fix it myself. But since I'm suggesting you buy a new camera anyway, maybe it's an acceptable risk.