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Lucadomi
Tinkerer
Username: Lucadomi
Post Number: 1
Registered: 10-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - 09:36 am: | 
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Yesterday i got a used Yashica Electro 35 CC.
I put the battery and everything seems fine. Then I noticed there is a problem in the viewfinder. The small yellow square in the center is disappearing. Sometimes the yellow rectangular framing inside the viewfinder disappears too. Moving the camera it sounds like something is loose inside the viewfinder and when I am pointing to the sky the yellow squares comes back.
Please let me know if anyone knows if this fixable. I really like the camera that i found for pure chance.
Thank you |
Ethostech
Tinkerer
Username: Ethostech
Post Number: 163
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 14, 2010 - 09:08 am: |
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The yellow square in the viewfinder center is the beam-splitter image of the rangefinder. The diagonal beam splitter glass in the viewfinder is usually very well secured for the life of the camera and is unlikely to be at fault. From your description it is virtually certain that the primary rangefinder mirror is loose. Easy to correct when the camera top-plate is removed.
Hope this helps |
Lucadomi
Tinkerer
Username: Lucadomi
Post Number: 2
Registered: 10-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 14, 2010 - 02:24 pm: |
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Thanks for your response Ethostech.
As you can see I am new to rangefinder cameras and to forums too. I was at Lincoln Center to try the camera again tonight. Sometimes the yellow beam-splitter looks bright and clear and it is easy to focus and camera feels great. Some other time it is just not there. Yesterday I went to a camera repair shop in Queens, and when I was there everything seemed to be fine.I plan to go back and ask them regarding the primary rangefinder mirror. I am not confident enough to open the camera myself.
Thanks again, and I will appreciate any additional thought. |
Ethostech
Tinkerer
Username: Ethostech
Post Number: 164
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 16, 2010 - 04:34 am: |
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A pleasure, Lucadomi ....
The primary rangefinder mirror is that immediately behind the rangefinder window and is epoxied on to the flat surface of a block which rotates slightly when you focus the lens.
It would be a very simplistic repair and should cost you very little. Say - half an hour's labour - at most.
Best/ |
Waynemel
Tinkerer
Username: Waynemel
Post Number: 169
Registered: 08-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 16, 2010 - 07:02 am: |
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Just a thought, but are you blocking the rangefinder window with your hand when holding the camera? I have also found that the yellow double image will be very small or not visible at all while using a lens hood, as it also can block the rangefinder window. |
Lucadomi
Tinkerer
Username: Lucadomi
Post Number: 3
Registered: 10-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 21, 2010 - 06:20 pm: |
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I brought the camera to CLA to a good local store on NYC. I really think that the loose mirror in the viewfinder cold be the explanation. I hope, like you said, it will not cost much. They still have to verify that. For sure they say the meter tends to overexpose, they told me. I still have to scan the negatives that I shot.
I do have big hands and I am used to larger SLR cameras, but I am pretty sure I was not putting my fingers in front of the viewfinder/rangefinder. It is definitely something to be
careful about anyway, thanks for the good suggestion.
Can't wait to get the camera back.
I appreciate the thoughtful feedback you gave. |
