I have a new-style Hasselblad A12 film back that’s been stuck on my 203FE body for over two weeks now. I could change the film by pulling the insert, but the shell just wouldn’t move, meaning that I couldn’t clean or change the viewfinder or attach a Polaroid back. I messed with it, posted to the Hasselblad group on Flickr about it, tried different darkslides (since the back is locked onto the body when the darkslide is removed), coaxed it, and almost sang and danced for it. Nothing worked.
Expecting a long and expensive service trip, I gritted my teeth this morning and called the local Hasselblad rep to ask about repair. Oddly, the number seemed to be out of service (fast busy signal), so I hit Google and found several recommendations for Advance Camera in San Francisco. I talked to him on the phone and he told me to bring it in, which I did. He tried the release catch and noted that it was indeed stuck. Then he fiddled with the darkslide. I thought about how I’d already done everything he’s doing, that it’s not going to work and better for him than it did for me, and that I’m going to be without my camera for a while and out a significant chunk of money. I can see the film back in a million pieces on his workbench in my head, growing more expensive by the minute.
And then, after a whole four seconds or so, the back came off and is now working perfectly. He said something about how sometimes your body stops hurting when you go to the doctor, and shrugged. Magic.
