Who are we?  Featured Cameras  Articles  Instruction Manuals  Repair Manuals  The Classic Camera Repair Forum  Books  View/Sign Guestbook

Vivitar V50 Log in | Log Out | Topics | Search
Moderators | Register | Edit Profile

Classic Camera Repair » Archives-2008 » Vivitar V50 « Previous Next »

Author Message
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Harlee
Tinkerer
Username: Harlee

Post Number: 38
Registered: 07-2006

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Sunday, December 21, 2008 - 02:23 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Among a number of 35MM cameras I have, I have a Chinese clone of a Minolta 370. It gave up the ghost in London two years ago and it's been sitting on my office shelf since then. Yesterday I removed the bottom to see which capicator it has, and I found a small screw jamming the film advance gears so that the film advance wouldn't travel its full length thereby resetting the shutter. When I removed the screw and placed new batteries in it, it began working again.

However, today in firing off a couple of shots, I noticed that in the viewfinder, the red "A" appears at the top of the shutter speed column, along with a blinking red arrow pointing upward. No matter what I do, change the aperature, shutter speed, turn it on and off, replace the lens, it keeps blinking, and will not indicate what shutter speed I'm shooting at.

I'll try a new set of batteries first, but I'm wondering if anyone out there can tell me what's causing the red arrow to blink.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Msiegel
Tinkerer
Username: Msiegel

Post Number: 73
Registered: 03-2008

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Thursday, December 25, 2008 - 08:27 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Hi,

"A" with the red up arrow blinking means camera is on automatic and out of the faster times - meaning faster than 1/1000th required.
"A" and the lower arrow blinking means out of the slow times range (or below 1 second - not shure what exactly).
When changing the shutter speed setting from A to anything else it should change the following:
"A" changes to "M" the recommended shutter speed is indicated by a non blinking light, the set shutter speed by blinking one.
So if you set e.g. 1/1000th and need 1/2000th the following is to be seen:
"M" up arrow blinking, 1/1000th blinking.

I just tried it on my X-300 which is the European name of the X-300, the Seagull version (under it's various names)is identical.
But unfortunately I have no idea what is causing the misbehaviour of your camera. Maybe it's really the batteries.

Regards
Martin
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Msiegel
Tinkerer
Username: Msiegel

Post Number: 74
Registered: 03-2008

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Thursday, December 25, 2008 - 08:29 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

erratum:
it should read: ... which is the European name of the X-370

Sorry

Add Your Message Here
Post:
Bold text Italics Underline Create a hyperlink Insert a clipart image

Username: Posting Information:
This is a private posting area. Only registered users and moderators may post messages here.
Password:
Options: Enable HTML code in message
Automatically activate URLs in message
Action:

Topics | Last Day | Last Week | Tree View | Search | User List | Help/Instructions | Program Credits Administration