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Leeh
Tinkerer
Username: Leeh
Post Number: 1
Registered: 02-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - 01:02 am: | 
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Hello all
I am new to this forum, wondered if I could ask bit of advice.
I have two Minolta high-matic-Es, one what I call standard silver and one Black one. the silver one is working perfectly but is cosmetically tatty and bit rough, What I would like to do is swap over all the inner workings of the silver one into the Black one.
I have never broken down a camera before to undertake any sort of repairs, but I have Built up from scratch and recondition a few car engines in my time, with excellent results, If this sort experience might be of help with the camera renovations.
How dificuilt would the job be to a novice like me?
The Black one has shutter and p.c board problems
lee |
Gez
Tinkerer
Username: Gez
Post Number: 256
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - 05:14 am: |
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The proposed swap should be very easy, just take off the base plate and top cover, but before being able to lift off the top you will have to unscrew the wind arm and the rewind knob. These items will need to be changed anyway. If the lens filter ring and setting rings are painted black in the black model these will require changing too if you want the full effect but I'd be inclined to leave alone.
I haven't worked on the Hi-matic ES but I suspect it uses the Seiko ES shutter. This shutter is easy to work on as it uses one set of blades that function as aperture and time control, quite clever. The circuit board partially lifts off to reveal the opening and timing solenoids,the surfaces of which may just need cleaning. A common problem with the ES shutter is pinched wires, particularly if it has been worked on. |
Gez
Tinkerer
Username: Gez
Post Number: 257
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - 05:23 am: |
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PS, just change over the cover plates and fittings, NOT the inner workings. |
Gez
Tinkerer
Username: Gez
Post Number: 258
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - 07:44 am: |
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Another solution would be to peel back the leatherettes, unscrew the 4 screws holding the front panel, unsolder the power and flash synch wires, then swap the panels complete with lens. You will still have to remove the top and bottom covers in order to wriggle the front panel free of the cocking linkage and possibly other levers too. As you can appreciate this is quite a bit of work. |
Waynemel
Tinkerer
Username: Waynemel
Post Number: 32
Registered: 08-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - 08:01 am: |
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If the lens barrel is the same on both black and silver models, you should be able to simply swap the top cover and bottom plate.
When removing the top cover, you do not have to remove the auto/manual switch.
Gez is correct. If you want to swap the lens out, you will have to peel back the leatherette. There are a few wires that will need to be de-soldered. The lens does come out in one simple piece. |
Leeh
Tinkerer
Username: Leeh
Post Number: 2
Registered: 02-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - 08:27 am: |
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Gez,
Thanks for all that info, it's most appreciated, But
I think I may of confused/mixed up models for you, when I say Minolta hi matic Es, I mean E, the little s being me meaning it in plural, Sorry!,
My cameras are High-matic E on it's own, Is there Minolta High matic ES ?
thanks
lee |
Leeh
Tinkerer
Username: Leeh
Post Number: 3
Registered: 02-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - 09:17 am: |
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I was wondering if it's worth buying one of these service & repair manuals , They have one for the High-matic E
http://www.photobooksonline.com/books/manual07.html
lee. |
Gez
Tinkerer
Username: Gez
Post Number: 259
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - 10:42 am: |
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Just disregard what I said about the Seiko shutter, but everything else should be the same. Rangefinders follow a standard design regardless of model or manufacturer, just be careful in noting the way any levers line up.
Service manuals can be helpful and are almost essential in dealing with electronic models, but in this case so long as you are not opening the lens to look at the shutter mechanism I'd be inclined to do without one. Just work slowly and stop if you find problems. Only an opinion, others who have worked on this model may differ. |
Waynemel
Tinkerer
Username: Waynemel
Post Number: 33
Registered: 08-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - 11:05 am: |
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I've looked at a photo of a black hi-matic E, and you will have to do a complete dis-assembly to get it to look correct. I have worked on a few of these, and as long as the electronics are not corroded, it shouldn't be too difficult. I can offer some advice, but I will have to take a look at my parts camera to recall exactly how to tear it down. If you need help, let me know. |
Br1078lum
Tinkerer
Username: Br1078lum
Post Number: 66
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - 11:12 am: |
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Well, at least you won't need any 3-pound hammers. Just scale down your thinking and the torque levels.
Your shutter problem may clear up with just a cleaning, but you don't say just what is wrong with the PC board. You may also wind up with differences in parts, as some of the companies would change things in the middle of a production run, either by an improved design, or because the parts changed, such as capacitors.
PF |
Leeh
Tinkerer
Username: Leeh
Post Number: 4
Registered: 02-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - 01:27 pm: |
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Well, at least you won't need any 3-pound hammers. Just scale down your thinking and the torque levels.
I like that one, Great!
Thank you all so much, your all a very helpful bunch of people
I cant wait to get on with this project,
I haven't got them here in my hand yet, they should be here in a few days,all being well, I will put some images up on here when I start, if that's be OK
The main thing I worry about when working on things with intricate workings, is springs and small clips flying out when you undo casings,that's why I was thinking on getting the Manual with exploded diagrams
The not work description with regards the P.C doesn't describe what is actually wrong with it, That's why I thought I would just bypass this problem and just do a complete inners swap.
Is there any special sort of tools I need to get hold of, or is it just rummage through my tool box and use what fits for the job?
lee. |
Waynemel
Tinkerer
Username: Waynemel
Post Number: 34
Registered: 08-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - 04:16 pm: |
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You shouldn't need any special tools.
Here are some disassembly tips:
Top removal is straight forward, there are no reverse threads or springs to go "boing". The auto/manual switch does not need to be removed. Try a piece of rubber or other grippy material to remove the screw for the film advance lever. It may save some scratches. The film rewind knob comes off in the usual way.
You may have to de-solder the wire to the hotshoe.
Bottom removal is also easy. Be careful of the hairpin shaped spring that keeps the battery door closed.
To remove the lens and shutter assembly, peel back the leatherette (from the lens barrel outwards) to reveal the 4 screws.
You will need to de-solder the leads from the battery terminal. There is also a wire that goes to the indicator light and one to the sync terminal.
The lens assembly should pull out, but be careful not to get hung-up on the linkages near the shutter release. These may take a little coaxing and wiggling about. The nice thing is that all of the lens, shutter and electronics are removed as an assembly.
When you have it apart, look for signs of corrosion in the wiring. You should also clean the contacts on the PC board as best you can. The contacts and wipers are below the shutter release.
Good luck |
Leeh
Tinkerer
Username: Leeh
Post Number: 5
Registered: 02-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 2011 - 12:56 am: |
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Thank you Waynemel
OK then, just waiting for the cameras to arrive now, then away we go!
Thank
lee |
Leeh
Tinkerer
Username: Leeh
Post Number: 6
Registered: 02-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 02, 2011 - 01:06 am: |
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Hello,
The cameras have arrived, The BLACK one, having examined it looks to be in Very near cosmetically mint condition, only thing stopping it from actually being Mint condition , is that the viewfinder the square sections pieces of glass on the front of the camera has something like what I can describe as flaky pieces of square cello-tape on the inside of the glass, still see through it but it's not meant to be like that,it's not totally clean and clear.
Now with the other(Standard) camera, this one is working properly, I was hoping that this one would be cosmetically poor condition, but it's not, I recon it's in better condition than it was described by the seller.
Should I go ahead and do the strip down and change over? In Black these do look really nice and I understand that the Black one's are quite Rare
I would also like to ask, do anybody know why they did some of these in Black? |
Olivedrab1
Tinkerer
Username: Olivedrab1
Post Number: 1
Registered: 03-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 04, 2011 - 10:08 am: |
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Hello, I like to clean up my old Canon F1 1976
and took a lot of time finding topics in the archieve of dismantling a Canon F1, there are a few but no specific handling how to get off the top cover
I like some tips about removing the little top of shutter dial and in a manner that it won't get dammaged
Like to hear from you all |
Waynemel
Tinkerer
Username: Waynemel
Post Number: 40
Registered: 08-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 04, 2011 - 11:15 am: |
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To get back to the original topic of the post....
Whether or not you do the internal swap is up to you. There is always a risk that you will end up with 2 non-working cameras. The nice thing is that the silver versions are not prohibitively expensive so you could probably find another donor (hopefully a working one).
The black version was probably to make the camera look more "professional". Pros seemed to like the black cameras because they were less conspicuous. |
