[pure-silver] Re: Help?! Minolta Autocord

Thanks to all who have responded to my plea.  I will try to answer your 
questions in this single post.

Richard Knoppow wrote:

>   I am not very familiar with the Autocord. Does it have
> automatic shutter cocking or must you cock it manually?

Manually.  It has a crank, like a Rolleiflex, so you turn the crank forward to 
advance the film and back it up a quarter turn to cock the shutter.


> If
> its automatic the cocking mechanism may not be completely
> cocking the shutter. The shutter will click but not actually
> fire. I've had this happen in Rolleiflex's when the cocking
> lever stroke was too short.

I will play with that some more, and see if I can get it to behave 
consistently.  I am puzzled, because I have shot quite a few films with it, 
with no problems at all, and no harm
(such as mule kicks) has befallen it.

============================================

Dan C wrote:

> I guess the moral is, try using it a bit, the lubricants might soften up
> and flow around a bit.

I have been using it, for over a year and a half.  It is my main shooting 
camera, so I don't think it suddenly dried up.  I think it is more likely that 
a chunk of goo has come loose
and is floating around in the shutter, or that possibly a rod or a gear or a 
cam in the firing mechanism has become worn to the point that it fails to do 
its job intermittently.

============================================


Ryuji Suzuki wrote:

> My best guess is grease contamination of the shutter blades.
>
> A few questions for additional clue:
>
> - can you charge the shutter immediately after the false firing?

Yes.


> - does the true firing probability change in cold/warm place?

No.  One film was shot at about 40 F, the other at about 60 F, and today I was 
playing with it at about 70 F, and in all cases, the shutter blades opened 
something over half the
time.  When they don't open, they don't even twitch.


> - can you control the shutter speed over the entire range
>   whenever the blades open?

Not sure.  I haven't tried the whole range yet, but will test that.


> Shutters in TLR and rangefinder cameras like Minolta Hi-Matic 7S,
> Konica Auto S2, Canonet QL series, etc. are among the easiest to work
> on, but I wouldn't expect to do anything without damage on your first
> camera to repair.

I agree.  It isn't my first camera to repair, but it is my favorite, and is in 
pristine condition, so I am reluctant to start tearing the leatherette off 
without being quite convinced
that the problem isn't accessible from the outside.


> If the problem is indeed grease contamination, the only sure fire
> method is to take the shutter off, take the blades off, immerse the
> blades in cleaning solution (most common is lighter fluid. I used to
> use a mixture of xylene and acetone, and dry methanol in alternating
> way, cleaning at least once in each solution), wipe off the grease,
> and dry.  Of course you'll have to put them back on, which also takes
> skill.

Yeah, the first one I tore into was a Kodak 1A that had belonged to my 
grandfather, and I was trying to be really careful not to wreck it.  I did 
great until I had it halfway back
together, and then I couldn't figure out how a particular spring went on.  I 
bought another similar camera, and took better notes as I disassembled it, so 
that I could get them both
back together correctly.


> Another common symptom of grease contamination is variable shutter lag
> when shutter fires. In cold weather, the lag tends to become long, and
> eventually the shutter ceases to open. But if you fire repeatedly, the
> lag may shorten temporarily.

That has not been a problem, even when I was shooting in -30 F temperatures 
last winter.

Thanks again for all your ideas, guys.  I'm going to ponder for a while longer 
before I start surgery.

Leigh

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