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Basselope1
Tinkerer
Username: Basselope1
Post Number: 2
Registered: 05-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 10, 2011 - 07:54 am: | 
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I have purchased a Minolta Hi-Matic F from Ebay and the camera "looks" gorgeous. BUT when you press the shutter button it clicks but the shutter does not move. I have just gotten into the classic cameras recently and am slowly learning about repairing them. Is this a stuck shutter problem where the blades need to be cleaned? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Don |
Waynemel
Tinkerer
Username: Waynemel
Post Number: 70
Registered: 08-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 10, 2011 - 10:59 am: |
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Sounds like the blades need a cleaning.
Remove the front lens element(s) so you can place a few drops of lighter fluid on the blades. |
Basselope1
Tinkerer
Username: Basselope1
Post Number: 3
Registered: 05-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 10, 2011 - 12:40 pm: |
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Thank you! I was thinking that might be the problem after reading several of the posts on cleaning the blades but was not sure. Many thanks! |
Monopix
Tinkerer
Username: Monopix
Post Number: 214
Registered: 11-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 12, 2011 - 02:26 am: |
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Nope. Very unlikely to be anything to do with the blades (but not impossible). The Fs are well known for this type of problem and, in my experience, it's always to do with the shutter mechanism. Note that the F uses a combined shutter and aperture and there is only one set of blades. The system works by slugging the rate at which the shutter opens. The duration of the shutter being open thereby also controls the aperture - the longer the shutter speed, the more time it has to open and the larger aperture you get.
The shutter is electronically controlled but the slugging of the rate is mechanical. There is an escapement that runs once the shutter has been triggered and that controls the rate at which the shutter opens. An electro magnet holds the mechanism in its opening mode until the end of the exposure and then releases which closes he shutter. The problem can be either that the electro magnet isn't holding, and that maybe caused by several things such as the face of the magnet being dirty or dirty electrical contacts (also a common problem on these) or a failed coil, or by the escapement not running.
The camera as a whole is a pig to work on - too small, too many wires. It's been a while since I did one but I think you need to remove the top cover (remove the hot shoe first) and then remove the leathers. Unscrew the lens plate and pull it forward (there's lots of wires) and you'll find a PCB mounted behind the lens. The PCB needs to be dismounted to get at the shutter mechanism.
Here's a link to a picture that might help.
http://www.monopix.co.uk/images/himaticf.jpg |
Monopix
Tinkerer
Username: Monopix
Post Number: 215
Registered: 11-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 12, 2011 - 02:58 am: |
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Of course, what I completely forgot to mention is that the camera needs batteries to work. No battery power will give you exactly the same symptoms as the magnet won't be doing anything. Corroded wires from the battery compartment are common with these.
Check your battery and battery connections before doing anything more drastic. |
Basselope1
Tinkerer
Username: Basselope1
Post Number: 5
Registered: 05-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 16, 2011 - 10:19 am: |
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Thank you VERY much for the advice. I will start with the batteries and work my way through if that does not work. Don |
Denny
Tinkerer
Username: Denny
Post Number: 66
Registered: 08-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 16, 2011 - 08:55 pm: |
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I just went through the same thing. Battery - I took 2 - 357 silver oxides and taped them together into one stack which fits nicely in one battery bay. In the other battery bay, I stuffed a spring to short the two contacts. I know that I have a little more voltage than the original mercury cells, but since I only intend to shoot B&W film, I am going to at least try it.
The wire that went to one of the battery contacts was corroded in two. I removed the bottom plate, slipped the terminal off of the base and soldered the wire back on. Every thing came to life and the shutter works fine. The battery test button and light will confirm a good connection.
Good luck and I hope yours is as easy to fix as mine was. |
Sdedalus
Tinkerer
Username: Sdedalus
Post Number: 11
Registered: 04-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 17, 2011 - 04:06 am: |
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One thing I've noticed with my F is that it won't work properly with zinc air batteries, as the current draw seems to be too high. Silver Oxides work great though. Definitely try a different type of battery if you have the same problem when using ZAs. |
Ludwigvan66
Tinkerer
Username: Ludwigvan66
Post Number: 7
Registered: 02-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 - 03:20 pm: |
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Mine works right, maybe 90% of the time. Certain shutter/aperture combos I suspect not working, usually near the high end of the scale. |
Ludwigvan66
Tinkerer
Username: Ludwigvan66
Post Number: 9
Registered: 02-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 - 10:05 pm: |
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Well actually, it's been several weeks since I used it last, and curiously enough, it seems to be working properly now. I opened the back so I could see the shutter open and close, cycled it through at least 50-60 exposures, varying the ASA setting several times, as well as pointing it a very light, very dark, and all scenes in between. The shutter opened every single time, from the full 4 seconds wide open, all the way up to higher speeds closed down to f14. Maybe having the batteries in it for a while, as well as "exercising" it has solved the "problem"
I get the low light warning in the finder, when appropriate, and the battery check light works as well. Time to load it up and hit the streets! |
