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Mjtolan
Tinkerer
Username: Mjtolan
Post Number: 6
Registered: 04-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 29, 2011 - 09:24 pm: | 
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A friend picked up one of these and 6 prime lenses in South America and proceeded to use them extensively, trouble free for the last year. He asked me to clean it up, double-check everything, then look for a 2nd body of the same. When I started looking around, I found only comments regarding the camera was prone to failure - though specific failing parts were never identified. Several people told me to keep the lenses, and get a better -almost any- Konica mount body. When pressed, they did not know what was allegedly so bad with this early FX model. I have watched the big auction site for a year and the only 5-6 I cam across were all listed as "repairables", though what was wrong wasn't specified and the seller didn't offer details, etc. Any one know? Is this a weakly designed camera? If so, what is a common failure? Only visible issue I could detect was that after advancing the shutter, with the door open you can see curtain roller or foam residue stuck to the outside edges of the curtain material. It nevertheless functions perfectly. Took a while to locate the battery, a 6-volt PL28 that is recessed down under the film rewind crank. If this camera isn't all that tough or is known for weak shutter or electronics, then what is the toughest, older, reasonably priced body for the Konica mount, given that he has a set of really nice 6 prime lenses? |
Ron_g
Tinkerer
Username: Ron_g
Post Number: 77
Registered: 07-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 30, 2011 - 03:57 am: |
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The Konica Autoreflexes T/T2/T3 are very robust cameras and given the quality of the Konica lenses make a very nice package for the 35mm film buff.
I always carry one when shooting film.Ron G |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 929
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 30, 2011 - 05:43 am: |
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Exactly which model Konica are we talking about here? My Konica records for the early F models, fitted with the first Konica bayonet mount (F), makes no mention of a FX-1 model, (a designation more commonly associated with other well known manufacturers). Another point of confusion arises with the mention of 'curtain roller' or 'curtain material' in the original post, the F series bodies used the very reliable Copal S, vertically opening metal bladed shutter.
As Ron states, Konica produced sound and very robust SLR cameras, so it is important to tie down these reports of supposed failure to a particular era or period of time. If they appeared during the manufacturing lifetime of the particular model(s) in question, then this may be of major concern, unless the manufacturer addressed the problem on the production line. In general the small niggles one found in the 60s, 70s and 80s were addressed during series production. If the comments come from more recent times, I would suspect poor or inappropriate servicing as the cause and thus nothing to do with the original design concept.
The fact that your friend has been giving this piece of kit a bit of a hammering over the last 12 months, suggests that the model is very sound. However; one should note that if it is an early F mount collection, you will need an adapter to use these lenses on the Konica type II bayonet mount fitted to the later Autoreflex and subsequent Konica SLR bodies. |
Ronnies
Tinkerer
Username: Ronnies
Post Number: 19
Registered: 09-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 30, 2011 - 07:52 am: |
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From the battery info it sounds like an FP-1 not an FX-1 (no info on that model). In which case Ron G has the answer though I'd ad the T4 or TC models.
Ronnie |
Mjtolan
Tinkerer
Username: Mjtolan
Post Number: 7
Registered: 04-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 30, 2011 - 04:40 pm: |
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Sorry for the confusion. I had a Praktica, Yashica and Konica F*-bodies open the same time and mixed them up in the post; the camera in question is a Yashica FX-1, not a Konica FX-1. |
M_currie
Tinkerer
Username: M_currie
Post Number: 261
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 30, 2011 - 10:35 pm: |
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My FX-1 had a problem with the shutter sticking and lagging, but it took years to develop. I was told it could be fixed, probably more of a clean and lube than repair issue, but the cost was more than I felt it was worth. It's deep down on my "someday I'll rip it open and see if I can fix it" list.
My FX-1 was a 5 dollar purchase at a yard sale from someone who apparently could not find the battery, so assumed it was dead. Until the shutter went bad, it performed well and I thought it a very nice camera. The metering was good, the features decent, etc., and it was solidly built. I didn't pursue the repair because I never found many lenses for it, and for the couple I have, I found a serviceable FX-7 at another yard sale.
One problem Yashicas seem to have is foam deterioration. For some reason they couldn't seem to design a camera that didn't require more foam than any other I've seen. If possible you should get that foam replaced before it gets caught up in the works and gums things up.
For a backup, you might consider an FX-3 or FX-7 (basically similar, I think, except for finish). They're very basic mechanical shutter SLR's with almost no features, just a match-LED meter. Also likely to need foam, and the leatherette covering falls apart and looks awful, but they're simple, and might make a good second camera to utilize extra lenses.
Don't forget too that those Yashica mount lenses will fit a Contax. Many people get a Yashica body as a cheap way to utilize Contax glass, but one could swim against the current and do it the other way around. |
Br1078lum
Tinkerer
Username: Br1078lum
Post Number: 95
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 31, 2011 - 10:59 am: |
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Go to YashicaForum.com to see what they think about the various models.
PF |
Michael_linn
Tinkerer
Username: Michael_linn
Post Number: 9
Registered: 04-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 31, 2011 - 11:50 am: |
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I don't recall the Yashica FX-1 as being troublesome. The only recurring problem was a plastic mask part which would come loose in the viewfinder and block part of the viewscreen.
The FX-1 and FX-2 were design throwbacks to previous Yashica models which predated the then-new Contax-Yashica bayonet mount. |
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