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Sbrennan
Tinkerer
Username: Sbrennan
Post Number: 1
Registered: 08-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 10, 2010 - 04:11 pm: | 
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Someone just gave me a Minolta Hi Matic 9. This is my first rangefinder, and the first camera I've ever held that has issues.
First, I replaced the battery with a 1.35V that is supposed to be a substitute for the 1.3V mercury battery. However, when I moved the lens rings to the battery check position, the needle in the viewfinder stayed at the very top in the red and didn't move. Does this mean the light meter is broken?
Second, I figured, what the hey, I'll load some film in it anyways. The film advance lever feels weird...not like my manual SLRs. It feels kind of jerky...I'm not sure how to explain it. But it does advance the film. The shutter release, however, will not depress. I've tried everything and I can't get the button to push in. I moved all sorts of things around on the lens, etc. and it just won't work.
Does anyone know of any solutions to these two problems? I looked at the service repair manual, and most of it is confusing to me but I'm sure I could figure it out if I needed to. There is no camera repair facility where I live. Thanks a lot!! |
Greyscale
Tinkerer
Username: Greyscale
Post Number: 11
Registered: 07-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 10, 2010 - 05:33 pm: |
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Which battery are you using, the 1.4 volt zinc-air hearing aid battery? I had to but a small piece of tinfoil across the top of the battery in order to get a good contact with the smaller battery in mine.
I'm not sure how to unjam the shutter, hopefully someone else in this forum will have some suggestions. |
Waynemel
Tinkerer
Username: Waynemel
Post Number: 133
Registered: 08-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 10, 2010 - 07:12 pm: |
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I have the same camera, and I have tried to reproduce the same situation as you have. The shutter release should depress at any time (frame not advanced, no battery, auto mode).
This sounds like something mechanical is jammed internally.
Is the self timer engaged and stuck? (at the "V")
This is the only time I could get the shutter button to be "jammed", when I tried to press the button with the self timer operating. |
Sbrennan
Tinkerer
Username: Sbrennan
Post Number: 2
Registered: 08-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 10, 2010 - 07:45 pm: |
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Okay, I tried the tinfoil and the needle moves when I attempt to take a picture, but not in battery check mode.
The camera isn't stuck in self timer mode, or stuck anywhere else. I unjammed the release by pressing it and moving the film advance lever several times, but it re-jams after I move the lever again. When I am able to depress the release, the blades do not move, so I'm guessing it just needs to be cleaned or adjusted? The repair manual only tells me how to take it apart, etc., no real info on what to do to fix what. |
Guitstik
Tinkerer
Username: Guitstik
Post Number: 1
Registered: 09-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, September 20, 2010 - 08:32 pm: |
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Are you moving the film advance lever all the way? This camera has a loOoooooOng stroke all the way to the front of the camera or you can advance in two steps. If the film advance is not advanced all the way the shutter will not fire.
I have the same problem with the light meter and i am trying to figure it out myself. |
Scott
Tinkerer
Username: Scott
Post Number: 112
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 - 09:29 pm: |
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Perhaps you know already that the shutter function is completely unrelated to the electronic funtions. The shutter is completely mechanical.
The Hi-Matic 9 is the best of the mechanical hi-matic series, I think. But old leaf shutters are prone to sticking. If there is too much friction (caused by oil or dirt) then the blades cannot go through the complete cycle, which results in a "jammed" release (and sometimes advance lever).
A careful cleaning (NOT flooding!) with naptha will usually get the shutter working again. |
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