To say that I am bummed is...

[GrantH_PSI]

an understatement.

I bought a GSN off eBay froma guy in New Jersey that said it was in great condition and fully functioning. What I got, to my knowledge, is a camera that is in pretty great shape...but the aperture blades won't open and the camera won't power on. I went to batteries plus to find a PC164A battery for it (found it, tried it) but the camera wouldn't show signs of life.

My questions are as follows:

Should the aperture blades open/close without power to the camera? I'm under the impression the shutter system, metering system, and monitor lights are the only electrical systems in the camera. Is there any diagnostics I can do, outside of tearing into the camera body? Is there a site for the guy who repairs these, or a general price rundown? I bought it for 50 shipped...and very much want to use it. The only flaw I see, and it may not even be a flaw, is the battery door. A few LOW res photos are posted below.

 

[it'sawhat?]

You got a bad one . It should work at 1/500 without a battery. If nothing powers on with a new battery something is wrong. I would return it without bothering to try and fix it for one reason Sandy.

 

[denizg7]

return it..


I recently won a bid on a cheap konica rangefinder like yours..

Said fully functioning and I am scared same will happen to me..

 

[GrantH_PSI]

You got a bad one . It should work at 1/500 without a battery. If nothing powers on with a new battery something is wrong. I would return it without bothering to try and fix it for one reason Sandy.

I've already ordered the adapter from Yashica_Guy, so I'd be out that as well. Nothing looks rusted or anything, which salt water should cause rather quickly. Maybe I'm far too optimistic on this...I am just really wanting to get a RF in my lineup and I already loaded some film in it 🙁

 

[Harlee]

You may want to remove the bottom plate and then remove the battery chamber to check the white wire soldered to the bottom of it. Often, with time, the wire detiorates and either breaks or gets corroded. You can resolder it to the battery chamber which will then give you a circuit. It also looks as though you may have a bad battery cap. Clean it off as best you can with white viniger and a toothbrush. It may bring it to life.

 

[farlymac]

Send it back. You can recover the film by just winding it back into the canister, and making sure you don't wind it all the way. When you feel it come off the take-up spool, STOP. And you can use the adapter on your next Yashica purchase. There are plenty of them around. Check the ratings on the seller before you get your next one, and keep an eye out for them at the flea markets. But if you decide to keep this one, our own Russ Sisco (b1msgt) can redo it for you.

From the looks of that battery cap, you most likely have corroded wires, which will have to be completely replaced, as the corrosion travels all the way up to the meter. You should be able to see the aperture from the back of the lens. The shutter will work on 1/500 without a battery (built-in default speed), so if you have one that the battery craps out in the middle of a shoot, you can always revert to Sunny-16. Good luck.

PF

 

[davgur]

Return it, if its not too late. I've always liked this camera for its looks but, unfortunately, it is a stinker. Owned it...hated it. See this YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftR-LOdRyzM&feature=plcp. Sorry.

 

[zuiko85]

All these cameras from the 1970's are......well they are from the 70's. Many have not aged well and quite a few have lived most of their lives just sitting. Any camera, and especially leaf shutter cameras do not do well sitting unused. If you cannot hand inspect a potential purchase then at least try to pay little enough so that you can afford to have a competent camera repair person give it a proper going over. The cost of return postage on bad cameras can quickly eat into the income planed for such a purchase.

 

[GrantH_PSI]

I looked through all his feedback, and it was all positive and he was at 100%, but I guess people can lie starting yesterday. I'm going to return it if he will respond again.

I've read a lot of positive on these models, so I figured I would enjoy it. I may still, but can you suggest something on the cheaper in to get my feet wet with RFs?

 

[Pickett Wilson]

And then there is the dreaded POD problem. I've always just stayed away from these old Yashicas.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

You wrote:

but the aperture blades won't open and the camera won't power on

I wrote an article on how to check out these Yashica cameras. Most of these need work to be reliable or to take a photo at all. Most of the time they are fixable. You can try it yourself, lots of info on the web, but I've just sent them off to the experts. PM me and I can give you names.

 

[GrantH_PSI]

You wrote:



I wrote an article on how to check out these Yashica cameras. Most of these need work to be reliable or to take a photo at all. Most of the time they are fixable. You can try it yourself, lots of info on the web, but I've just sent them off to the experts. PM me and I can give you names.

Actually, I had a (long lasting) blonde moment, on that front. All things work, I just need power. Blades open and close easily and smoothly, and the shutter does indeed work. Maybe with a little luck, and a little white vinegar, things will turn into what I was hoping for.

 

[farlymac]

I looked through all his feedback, and it was all positive and he was at 100%, but I guess people can lie starting yesterday. I'm going to return it if he will respond again.

I've read a lot of positive on these models, so I figured I would enjoy it. I may still, but can you suggest something on the cheaper in to get my feet wet with RFs?

Actually, about the cheapest way to get into rangefinders is to haunt the flea markets and yard sales. That way, you can hold the object of desire in your hands, and give it a good assessment. See if the viewfinder is cloudy, the rangefinder agrees with the distance scale on the lens, the knobs all work, the shutter and aperture both operate as designed, and if the body is clean. A non-metered camera will sell for a lesser price than a metered one, and I would shy away from any that the seller says he doesn't have a battery to test it with, unless it's something that is rare, or usually expensive.

Interchangable lens capacity is nice, but there are a lot of fixed lens rangefinders that give really excellent results when in good operating condition. In compacts, I'd look for an Olympus 35 RC for it's ability to operate in Manual or Shutter Priority Auto, and it's seperate shutter speed selector dial mounted on top the camera instead of around the lens barrel. Runner ups would be the Ricoh 500G, Minolta Hi-Matic E, and Canon QL 17 G III. In a full size, the Yashica Lynx 14E is a fast, sharp performer that though it has a metering system, can be used in straight Manual. Runners up : Canon QL 17(older version), Ricoh 519 (with it's quirky bottom trigger winder), or an Agfa Super Silette/Ansco Super Memar with the 2.0 Soligon (as long as it has been serviced).

For a truly retro/deco experience, the Kodak Signet 40 is a beautiful model, and it's lesser Signet 35 sibling is just too cute to put down. The Bolsy line is in the same size of the Signet 35, though a bit more handsome in build. The Argus C-4 is a very good choice, with so many of them out there, it supresses the price. And there are a few folder 35's out there as well, though they tend to draw "antique store" prices. Agfa Karat 36/Ansco Karamat all had good lenses, no matter the price range. And the Kodak Retina line somewhat qualifies, since only the front lens group was interchangable, but they do tend to draw a premium price.

PF

 

[GrantH_PSI]

That is good info, but I have no idea of places in my area that qualify as a flea market and craigslist stays dead unless throw away cameras or premium cameras are listed. Never any mid-range stuff. I don't live in a big city where things seem to be easy to find. My camera shop didn't even have a lens pen when I went in for one, if that tells of anything. It's just one of those things where I have to hope what I buy is as I was told.

If anyone could put their hands on a battery locally, that would help as well. RadioShack offers it as a web only, and the Batteries+ is across town. I will be waiting on the mail to come, in hopes that it will be here tomorrow.

 

[Frontman]

Looking at the photo, I can see the battery cap has too much corrosion to make any electrical contact. You need to scrape away the crud until you expose bare metal. The spring inside the battery chamber will also need to be scraped clean. You can make your own adapter using a Chapstick container, aluminm foil, and four LR44 batteries.

With a good battery, the check lamp should light up when you push the button, though on some cameras the bulb may be burned out. Make sure the camera is set to A, not B or flash. Also, fully wind the winding lever, and hold it at the end of it's travel, then rapidly push the shutter button many times, this will help clean off the contacts if they are dirty.

The GSN was prooduced for a few years, the last models had a plastic bezel around the viewfinder window on the front of the camera, older bezels are made of metal. Models with the plastic bezel rarely have POD problems, as they are the newest.

If you can't get the camera to work, send it back and get a new one, a working GSN s a great camera for the money.

 

[b1bmsgt]

I have to disagree with davgur about the Electro being a "stinker". Of course, he's entitled to his opinion, but I believe him to be in the minority. There are many people, including myself, who consider these cameras to be a "poor man's Leica". Considering their age, you are probably more likely than not to get a non working model from ebay, no matter what the seller says (they usually know absolutely nothing about cameras, and think that if it clicks, it's good) but the majority of them can be brought back to the land of the living, and will serve well for many more years! 😀

Russ

 

[one90guy]

I have used many GSN's and MG-1's, I finally got the Lynx 5000e, the battery is for the meter only. Gave my last MG to grandson, love the Lynx. Using "Sunny 16", hand held meter quit, less to carry.

 

[Aapo]

Actually, I had a (long lasting) blonde moment, on that front. All things work, I just need power. Blades open and close easily and smoothly, and the shutter does indeed work. Maybe with a little luck, and a little white vinegar, things will turn into what I was hoping for.

That's marvelous 🙂

I'm sure your Electro will live long. Frontman gave you few easy tips to follow which might help you to fix it without a need to go deeper. Seller deserves bad rep and I hope he didn't robbed you too much by selling that Yashica.

It's good to know few tricks or willing to learn them if you are about to start playing with these things 😛

Also welcome to RFF

 

[tase]

What a coincidence - my recently bought yashica electro 35 GS came today!

And it goes even further - my shutter blades are stuck too. -.-

 

[farlymac]

Grant, I understand about you're not being able to find cameras. Most of my usual haunts have dried up and closed, so everytime I'm on the road somewhere, I'm on the lookout for junk and antique stores. You just never know what you will come across. A friend of mine out in Iowa found a Canon IVsb in a charity shop for a very low price. Said he couldn't get it out the door fast enough.

PF