Bessa R stopped functioning,. HELP!

[lesged]

Jorn,

Good idea! My twin grandkids Ben & Maggie would find it for sure, but they are in Louisville. Not many kids here at Ocean Gallery to help.

This AM I will make a methodical search using Jame's vacuum cleaner suggestion. Plan to send Bessa-R to Eddy Smolov or KEH for repair as soon as I get quote from Eddy.

Thanks for your continual interest and help in getting  poor, sick, Bessa-R back to 100% good health. I'm sure she'll be my constant companion of a camera and I'm eager to work with her.

I'd never have the patience of Job you had waiting so long to get Leitz to properly fix your Leica w/a lens. Hope the Bessa get back soooon.

[Justin Smith]

Les,

I feel your pain.  This is exactly what would happen to me in the same situation.

Suggestion: Put a new bag in your vacuum cleaner and thoroughly go over the rug and surrounding area.  You may or may not hear the spring go up.  Then go through the contents by eye or magnet.  Good luck!

James

Les, if you haven't already tried this, you might want to first use the "find my dropped contact lens with the vacuum" method. Place a portion of old pantyhose over the end of the vacuum hose, and then vacuum your rug. The pantyhose will allow plenty of air for good suction, and will prevent the spring from going into the bag. If you can't find it this way, then I would try James' suggestion, as the spring might be slightly tangled in the rug fibers and the vacuum's beater bar may loosen it.

[lesged]

Thanks Justin and all the others folks who offered excellent suggestions and advice. I appreciated all your helpful comments.

I did a thorough vacuum of the living room floor and sofas and found no spring.
Didn't read about your panty hose at that tim. No problem as the wife hasn't used panty hose in decades. She wears shorts or pants only.

I'm taking Raid's advice and sending the Bessa-R to Eddy Smolov for repair. He knows the spring is missing, but I made a better detail of it, so he can count the coils and see how the two gears were oriented. He said it won't be a problem to get (or make) a substitute spring.

Here is the improved detail with Bessa's late spring in sistu.