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Mrroger
Tinkerer
Username: Mrroger
Post Number: 1
Registered: 02-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 13, 2008 - 01:26 am: | 
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I have a dud X-300. They can be had so cheap it is not worth having it repaired professionaly (in fact I have another working one now).
But the old one is sitting in a draw screaming "fix me". I am an electronics enigineer and I am used to repairing/restoring all sorts of old equipment, but I have never tackled a camera.
I have obtaining a service manual for the camera, but I wonder if anybody could give me any tips or tricks for the specific problem:
What happens is that the metering works correctly, but when I press the shutter, the leds go dead and nothing happens. I attached a lab PSU to the battery contacts and observed that when the shutter is supposed to fire, consumption increases by about 10mA, and that's it.
Any help appreciated! |
Mrroger
Tinkerer
Username: Mrroger
Post Number: 2
Registered: 02-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 13, 2008 - 02:58 am: |
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Problem fixed!
I started by opening the bottom cover, and immediately saw an electrolytic that had leaked, so I switched it and it works.
Good news for them camera, but in a way not for me......I was looking forward to doing something really impressivly twiddly with fine tweezers etc:D |
Markus
Tinkerer
Username: Markus
Post Number: 27
Registered: 08-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 13, 2008 - 01:44 pm: |
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That's exactly how I got started with camera repair a while back, trying to fix an X300 that had the exact same problem as yours. |
Mrroger
Tinkerer
Username: Mrroger
Post Number: 3
Registered: 02-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, February 14, 2008 - 12:44 am: |
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Hmm, now I am hooked thougth! I would like to have a go at something more challenging, like doing a full service on a completely mechanical camera.
Any recommendations as to a model which is:
1) Readily available and reasonably cheap.
2) Easy to service.
3) Easy to obtain necessary parts/tools. |
Adrian
Tinkerer
Username: Adrian
Post Number: 134
Registered: 08-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, February 14, 2008 - 03:03 am: |
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If you are in the US, Argus C3 fulfills all those requirements. Less certain elsewhere - perhaps something with a Compur or Prontor shutter, as these are well documented?
Adrian |
Markus
Tinkerer
Username: Markus
Post Number: 28
Registered: 08-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, February 14, 2008 - 10:51 am: |
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My first project after the X300 was a Yashica 35 GSN. That one is far from fully mechanical and I would not recommend it as a first project. I have never touched an Argus, so I cannot comment on that. However, recently, I enjoyed restoring a Kodak 35 RF, which cost me around $20 on ebay. It is pretty easy to get to the shutter which is more easily cleaned than a Compur or Prontor, I think. Adjusting the rangefinder is is a bit more tricky but eventually I managed. This camera has a very nice lens, I would look for the one with an Anastar, rather than the older Anastigmat Special lens (the difference is probably just the coating of the lens). That one is also very well documented online. |
M_currie
Tinkerer
Username: M_currie
Post Number: 109
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 16, 2008 - 09:16 am: |
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Another good one might be the Argus C-four, which is a really functional and decent camera when it works. A little less quirky to operate than the C-3 "brick," but like the brick, its insides are more like a steam engine than a computer. Brass gears and things like that, that you can actually see. These turn up pretty cheaply sometimes. |
