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Pathologyprincess
Tinkerer
Username: Pathologyprincess
Post Number: 1
Registered: 01-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 20, 2009 - 02:58 pm: | 
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The '68 Ricoh XR-S camera that my mother gave to me (and which worked previously) is having issues. The film advance lever won't work and when I put the film in, the number in the counter just stays at the red "S"
Anyone know how to fix it or what's wrong? |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 771
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 20, 2009 - 05:45 pm: |
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Do you mean that the lever won't move, or that it moves but doesn't wind the film and shutter?
If it won't move, it may be that the shutter is already wound but won't release. The most likely cause of this would be a dead battery. In spite of its solar cells, the XR-S has a battery that will not last forever, and if it's dead the shutter will not fire. Another possibility is that it's just dead because the camera has been in the closet for 20 years and hasn't gotten a lot of sun to the solar cells. Try leaving it in the light for a day or two and see if it fires.
Also, it's not as old as you think: the XRS was introduced around 1980. |
Pathologyprincess
Tinkerer
Username: Pathologyprincess
Post Number: 2
Registered: 01-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2009 - 01:02 pm: |
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Ah, thank you! It turns out it doesnt have the solar battery anymore. I took the bottom off with the help of a friend and found out that it was a lever that had stuck in one place so it couldnt rewind. We fixed that and now it will wind the film. But NOW it wont take a picture (the shutter button depresses, but there's no resistance behind it and no click). I put two new SR-44 Silver Oxide batteries in it, but no luck. Any ideas? |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 773
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2009 - 09:40 pm: |
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Does the viewfinder display come on? It looks like a meter needle, actually it's an LCD segment that disappears when you shut the power off. If you don't get any power anywhere, you could have a corroded/broken power line at the battery box; if you do have power but no shutter, you might have a stuck release magnet. Either way, a shop visit might be in order. I don't know if the cost would be within the value of the camera or not. |
