Hasselblad H2 and 120 Macro intermittent connection issues

[logan.egbert]

Hi All,

I just got a very mint used 120mm Macro lens for my H2 and I've been experiencing a strange issue. Sometimes, not often, when I turn the camera on the lens and the camera are not communicating. I'm able to set the aperture to any setting I want, despite it being a max f/4 lens. The autofocus also stops working entirely. If I dis/reconnect the lens, it's back to normal and often stays that way until the issue crops up again.

I've cleaned the contacts with an eraser head. I don't have any q-tips or alcohol right now (i'm at the coast) so that's as far as I've gotten.

No errors showing on the camera itself.

Has anyone had this issue or might now what the culprit might be?

Thank you!

 

[RodK]

Hi All,

I just got a very mint used 120mm Macro lens for my H2 and I've been experiencing a strange issue. Sometimes, not often, when I turn the camera on the lens and the camera are not communicating. I'm able to set the aperture to any setting I want, despite it being a max f/4 lens. The autofocus also stops working entirely. If I dis/reconnect the lens, it's back to normal and often stays that way until the issue crops up again.

I've cleaned the contacts with an eraser head. I don't have any q-tips or alcohol right now (i'm at the coast) so that's as far as I've gotten.

No errors showing on the camera itself.

Has anyone had this issue or might now what the culprit might be?

Thank you!

@ things spring to mind:

First one should not clean contacts anymore with a ordinary pencil eraser. There may be a gold or other conductive material deposited them and the standard eraser just wipes it completely off.

Second if you are near the coast, as you say, there may be a tiny layer of condensation forming on all of the metallic surfaces of the camera and this will drain off the power and signals being transmitted form body to lens. This is especially true if camera goes from warm indoor/auto atmosphere to outdoor damp/cooler atmosphere. This is when the film forms on the contacts and removing the lens and remounting sort of wipes them off. Then it works.

Use a lens cloth or kleenex to gently wipe contacts and you should be good.

Hope this helps.
Rod