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Harlee
Tinkerer
Username: Harlee
Post Number: 96
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 01:54 pm: | 
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Today I received an almost mint Olympus XA1, but the film advance is stuck and the red flag is in the viewfinder. The shutter will not trip and I think the film needs to be advanced. Anyone out there with some advice? |
Finnegan
Tinkerer
Username: Finnegan
Post Number: 203
Registered: 09-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 05:23 pm: |
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It has a dead meter cell. It will work if you open the back and leave it open (just to prove/test it). I have one too. |
Harlee
Tinkerer
Username: Harlee
Post Number: 97
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 06:30 pm: |
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How will leaving the back open make it work? |
Finnegan
Tinkerer
Username: Finnegan
Post Number: 205
Registered: 09-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2012 - 10:37 am: |
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I have no idea. When the back is open on mine, the shutter shoots and film winding control can be advanced. It goes back to being jammed when the back is closed again. Totally useless information. The meter cell is not working. That is why the red flag is appearing (unless you're in a dark room). |
R_a_feldman
Tinkerer
Username: R_a_feldman
Post Number: 28
Registered: 11-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2012 - 11:35 am: |
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IIRC, Opening the back puts the camera in a mode to load and wind on the film, which is why the film advance and shutter work then. |
Harlee
Tinkerer
Username: Harlee
Post Number: 98
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2012 - 01:14 pm: |
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I did attempt to load a used roll of film but unfortunately the thumb wheel remains locked as well as the shutter button. I may try to remove the bottom plate and possibly the sliding door and the top plate and see if I can manually trip the shutter and or release the thumb wheel to reset the the shutter. I've taken XAs & XA2s apart and got them back together but never an XA1, so I'm not sure what I'll run into. |
Harlee
Tinkerer
Username: Harlee
Post Number: 99
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2012 - 03:08 pm: |
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While searching Google for repair issues on my Olympus XA1, I came across a step by step procedure how to eliminate the problem I have with mine. As soon as I have ample time I'll follow the directions and see what happens. |
Harlee
Tinkerer
Username: Harlee
Post Number: 100
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, September 16, 2012 - 09:55 pm: |
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Well, I tore down my XA1 and freed up the red flag in the viewfinder which locks up the shutter and film advance. It's quite simple once you get the bottom and top off as well as the faceplate. I shot a roll and am very pleased with the results. I would say that the pictures as as good as what I get out of my XA2 and XA3. Unfortunately, the film stopped advancing about mid roll so I removed the bottom and discovered that apparently when the shutter was locked up someone tried to force the film advance thumbwheel and stripped a couple of teeth off the plastic film advance gear.
I'm in the process of rebuilding the plastic gear with epoxy and thus far it's working but noticed that another tooth is gone on the other side of the gear which I'll need to repair tomorrow. I'm presently on the lookout for a nonworking XA1 to pull the plastic gear out of it and place it in mine.
I pulled the bottom off of a non working XA2 to see if I could change gears, which are metal on the XA2 but discovered the gear from the XA2 is smaller than the one on the XA1. Hopefully the epoxy will work as there really isn't much pressure on the rewinding gear. |
M_currie
Tinkerer
Username: M_currie
Post Number: 299
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 18, 2012 - 10:36 am: |
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I just got back from a trip and things are in a bit of chaos but somewhere I think I have an XA that was taken apart, and may have the gear. Will look. Meanwhile, are you in the US? I tried once before to send a bottom plate and came up against complex international problems and it never happened, but if I find the innards might do better in US. |
Marco_abujamra
Tinkerer
Username: Marco_abujamra
Post Number: 4
Registered: 05-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 18, 2012 - 01:47 pm: |
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Hello.
I want to dismount my XA 3 and i don't know how to begin.
Can someone help me ?
Greets from Brazil ! |
Harlee
Tinkerer
Username: Harlee
Post Number: 101
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 19, 2012 - 09:03 pm: |
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I did pull off the plastic film advancing gear, used some epoxy to fill the gap where the two broken teeth were on the plastic gear and then when it hardened, I very carefully recut the teeth with a jewler's file, replaced the gear and it works like a charm. I have some sample shots taken with the XA1 on Rangefinderforum under the name of Harlee. They came out as good and as sharp as my XA2 or XA3. |
Ianbutton1
Tinkerer
Username: Ianbutton1
Post Number: 1
Registered: 04-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2013 - 06:37 am: |
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Greetings from UK.
I have the same problem with my XA1 - a few stripped teeth on the plastic gear - so I'll have a go with epoxy.
Lucky finds at a local car-boot sale recently - XA2 and XA4 for 60 pence each (under a dollar). The backs are slightly scratched, but complete and only needed new batteries to work again!
XA count now stands at 17 (but half are wrecks for donor parts). |
Msiegel
Tinkerer
Username: Msiegel
Post Number: 327
Registered: 03-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2013 - 07:08 am: |
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I don't want to hear it - an XA-4 for 60 pence.
Why aren't there any in my place?
Congrats!
Martin in Austria |
