| Author |
Message |
    
Jeff
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 30, 2006 - 11:59 am: | 
|
Hello,
I have a Petri Color35 that I dearly love. My child accidently whacked my camera display case causing a rather jarring shockwave. Now the meter on my Petri Color35 doesn't work. I have read in this forum that the CdS cell "floats" in its socket which leads me to think that is my problem. But before I take my camera apart, I wanted to be relatively sure. So, my question is: If my CdS cell is knocked loose, would that cause the battery check to stop functioning as well? |
dave
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 01, 2006 - 09:06 am: |
|
The battery check button should still work.You might have a sticky meeter needle.Check the battery first,take it out and reinstall it,it might not be making good contact.To check the cell,remove the ring on the front of the lens and lift the whole unit including the focus asa ring. Watch out for the small ball bearing at about eight oclock,its the detent ball for the asa ring.The tops easy to get off to check wiring and the meter needle.Nice time to clean the viewfinder.If your pressing the battery check button and the needle is not moving ,then its either a stuck needle or no voltage getting to it. |
Jeff
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 01, 2006 - 01:52 pm: |
|
Dave,
Thanks for your reply. I don't think this is a stuck needle since I can see it moves slightly when I turn the camera upside down. The battery is fresh and full of juice and I don't see any corrosion in or around the battery compartment. (No surprise since this camera has been pampered all its life.) I think you answered my question though; pressing the battery check button should still move the needle even if the CdS cell is not in the circuit. If that's the case, maybe I won't bother pulling out the cell. So, maybe a loose wire? Any other suggestions where to begin?
Needless to say, it would be sad to lose such a reliable "old friend". |
dave
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 01, 2006 - 03:19 pm: |
|
Take the bottom plate off,the switch that turns on the meter is right there.Take off the top,the trim pots for the meter and the switch for the battery check is right there. That battery check switch is a multi stage switch and part of the reeds need to be connected for the meter to work.If you need to get to the wire under the battery compartment, the contac will pry out with a sharp instrument.Under that are two screws to remove the battery holder. Another thing is attached to the actual meter ,underneath it, is a wire screwed on with an eyelet.I do not reccomend removing the meter at all,disaterous results.Once the top is off you can check voltages and continuity to trace where the problem is.Use a dollar bill to clean those contacts with,fine sand paper will only rough up the surface and cause the contacts to corrode.Good luck. |
Dave
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 01, 2006 - 03:21 pm: |
|
Make sure you set the camera to bulb and f 22 to check the battery,if the meter moves then, go ahead and check the cds cell. |
rick
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 02, 2006 - 06:11 am: |
|
A common problem is corrosion of the (-) charged battery wire ... the corrosion is accelerated (caused?) by the constant charge on the wire when the camera is stored for years with a battery in place. If you find that the power wire has broken off from the contact at the battery box, it may be nexessary to cut back an inch or two of wire to reach clean metal that you can solder to.... patch in a fresh wire from there back to the battery terminal. |
WernerJB
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 02, 2006 - 09:49 am: |
|
Well, on the one hand dave is right, on the other hand, and if there is nothing to lose except a camera that isn't properly working anyway, even taking out the meter and resoldering of both the black and the red wire IS possible, with extreme care, of course. On two of mine I had to resolder/replace the red wire, as the meter, like in the old Konica Auto s cameras for instance, is turning when the the correct speed/aperture combination is set. The wires leading to the fully encapsuled meter coil tend to break if the camera has seen heavy use, and that is why broken (red) wires are not uncommon. I have never seen one with a broken meter. |
Dave
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 02, 2006 - 10:07 am: |
|
The reason to avoid removing the meter is that the meter is "timed" .It has a rack and pinion to engage and if that is off it can be a nightmare to set properly.With a seperate battery as a source, you can apply voltage to the meter leads to check it any how. |
Michael Linn
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 02, 2006 - 06:51 pm: |
|
Jeff, I sold a "spare" Petri Color 35 in very nice working condition on e*bay for 200USD so I would not be tempted just turn it into a "project" camera. It is too valuable. On the other hand, it has a simple and robust design and it is straightforward to repair except for being an entire category smaller than what most of us are used to.
These cameras were originally supplied with mercury batteries which outgassed some really nasty corrosive stuff as they faded away. If the battery check is not working, I would first suspect the connection to the battery holder. This is not visible without removing the bottom plate around the battery holder. The battery chamber may look great but the contact is actually stainless steel so don't go by the appearance. The wire behind it may be completely rotted.
Mike |
WernerJB
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 03, 2006 - 05:58 am: |
|
Anything you take apart can be "a nightmare"! When writing it is possible to take things apart I did not say this HAS to be done in any case, of course NOT; but the devil is a busy man, and sometimes is is inevitable to go down to the bone to correct what otherwise cannot be set right, like resoldering or replacement of broken wires.
I thought it goes without saying that one notes down ("exploded view" sketch or the like) or somehow mark (permanent felt tips) how things go back together again before you do what must be done.
In Europe Petri 35 color specimen are more affordable and selling on ebay between three(!) to 50€ apiece, no matter whether in working order, incomplete or a state of irrepair, because it is always the customer that pays the price and you can never repeat NEVER say in advance what an auction brings, newcomers sometimes bid like out of their minds! But I know by rule of thumb that half of what I paid for two of mine went to postage and/or customs. |
Jeff
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 03, 2006 - 04:50 pm: |
|
Thank you to all who have been kind enough to respond to my question. I will open up the camera this weekend to see what I can determine. The info offered here will help considerably.
Thanks again.
Jeff. |
WernerJB
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 09:00 am: |
|
Jeff, before you start: there is a repair site (in Japanese), but with probably helpful pictures of what is waiting for you inside the camera body. You can also use Google's language tools to decipher the language to some extent, the links are http://homepage1.nifty.com/fukucame/daisaku/d12.htm and http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~rd2h-ari/BUNKAI_KOGATA.htm .
You should also make good use of this forum's archives ("Keyword Search" in the "Utilities" section).
IF the camera has sentimental value it is not advised to risk anything.
But I wish you luck with your project, W. |
Dave
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 04:23 pm: |
|
Jeff, google "Petri Color 35 repair manual" , there is a repair manual available. |
juliefinkle
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 05, 2006 - 04:24 am: |
|
end of story: information is costly, of course |
Jeff
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 06, 2006 - 01:06 pm: |
|
I wanted to end this thread by stating my success in repairing my Petri Color35. The info provided by this forum was critical to my success. Thank you everyone. For the record, it was the connection of a small wire to the center contact in the bottom (underneath) of the battery compartment. Corrosion was significant. I had to do a rather inelegant repair because I could not get a decent solder connection. I have never had to solder wires that small before; Not only is my soldering equipment too large and clumsy, but there was a real difficulty getting solder to "stick". I think I have a topic for another thread.
Thanks again all.
Jeff. |
