A "mercury-free" replacement battery?

[koniczech]

Hey there,

So I just got my first Yashica GSN off ebay for $38 (its sooo clean and the case is impeccable) but the guy threw in a (possibly) dead battery. Here's it:

http://www.batteriesinaflash.com/sp...v32pxa-a32px-px32a-tr164a-6v-alkaline-battery

So I was wondering, despite his claim that the battery is new from when he shot a roll in the recent past, does anyone know if this battery actually works "in cameras such as Yashicas (Electro 35GL, Electro GSN, Electro GTN, Electro AX, MG-1)" As an excuse, I told myself that the check-battery light was probably pressed during shipping, or he just got a dead battery, etc.

In short, has ANYONE used this battery? I don't think the Yashica Guy makes any mention of it (otherwise he wouldn't sell an adapter). And it seems too good to be true 'cause it fits right in!

Thanks,
Koniczech

 

[newspaperguy]

Looks to me like it would.

The original battery was a PX32 at 5.6 v

Diameter was roughly 16mm and length was about 45mm
measuring an old battery with a cheap ruler.

The replacement in my GSN is 6v Duracell 28L with lots of shims.

 

[xwhatsit]

I did a whole bunch of research when I was working out what battery to use for mine; like newspaperguy, I use a PX28 alkaline 6V with cardboard and springs and all sorts of nonsense to make up for the much smaller size.

Anyway, I came across some forum posts from a very clever fellow who'd done a lot of testing and concluded that the battery voltage makes very little difference to shutter operation and/or metering. He did not recommend the PX28 among a list of replacements, as it had the least capacity and would run out all too quickly. However I see Karen Nakamura reckons hers lasted a year or more, so that's fair for a $NZ10 battery I think.

I searched for those larger PX32A batteries like what came in your eBay camera, but couldn't find any in NZ; some international sources had them but for lots more money. Shouldn't be an issue, check it with a voltmeter, it's probably just dead.

 

[koniczech]

Thanks guys,
Now I'm on the hunt for a voltmeter!
If the replacement (same battery [new]) that I ordered doesn't work, I'll have to consider getting a refund from this guy who said everything (including battery) was working.

 

[kuzano]

Yashica Guy site.... $15

Yashica Guy site.... $15

I have in the past and recently purchased the adaptors for the Yashica GTN and GSN from Yashica Guy. A rather simple, even crude, adaptor that allows one to use contemporary batteries.

The adaptor is re-usable forever. It works for me.

battery page link:

http://www.yashica-guy.com/document/battery.html

 

[xwhatsit]

I saw those; for $US15 and international shipping it was easy enough for me to bodge my own adapter out of some springs and bits of cardboard. If you only change the battery once a year it's an adequate solution I suppose. His adapter is a very nice solution though of course.

However I only payed not much more than the equivalent of $US15 for the camera anyway 🙂

I'm going to sell my Electro; I bought it broken with POD, fixed it up a couple of weeks ago. I'll stick another roll or two through it then sell it. Can't really get along with the whole electrical/battery-driven/auto-exposure thing. The Minister D and Lynx 1000 are holding much more charm for me, despite taking objectively worse photos.

 

[eli griggs]

I am using four button batteries taped together, LR44 IIRC and it works just fine this way.

Eli

I forgot to add, there's a small wad of aluminum foil in the top of the compartment.

 

[russelljtdyer]

I have a Yashica Electro 35 I bought a few months ago on e-bay with the same battery problem. I bought a PX38A (6volt) at local store, and on ebay I also bought a tube like adapter to widen and lengthen the new batteries. It didn't work for me at first.

Tonight I tried again. This time I scrapped the underside of the battery cover, the contact point with a small piece of sandpaper. I also pulled the small circular spring or insulator around the underside of the battery cover. I'm not sure if that can't be bent or touch the top of the cover. Whatever I did right, it works now. Give that a try on yours and see if it solves the problem.

 

[Rollmo]

I can also recommend YashicaGUY...he supplied me with an adapter for my GS and my GX and I'm happy with them.

Please support Joe if you can.

 

[ampguy]

here are a couple of alternatives using a short screw, and some plastic tubing:

here

 

[Carterofmars]

http://cgi.ebay.com/YASHICA-ELECTRO...ViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item2305d9f2d1

 

[xwhatsit]

Please support Joe if you can.

That's a good point actually. He's supplied all of this wonderful, invaluable information on the Lynxes and Electros; not only the history but really really useful tear-down descriptions -- all for free. I really ought to buy an adapter just for that reason, it's the least you can do.

 

[koniczech]

I finally got the replacement battery that I linked in my original message. The light for the frame count works fine and the shutter doesn't just fire at 1/500, but I have yet to see the Slow/Over lights illuminate at all. I have tried setting extremes such as ASA25 in a dark room, then ASA 1000 in bright light, and they just don't turn on or show up in the viewfinder. I am almost to the point where it just doesn't seem worth it to figure this out.

Anyone have similar problems with Slow/Over, or have any tips?

Thanks a ton,
koniczech

 

[b1bmsgt]

Well, it could be some extremely dirty contacts, but I've never seen them so bad that there was no light activity whatsoever. Have you seen even a small flicker, or are they totally dead? If they don't show any signs of life, it's possible that the bulbs are burned out. I've never come across both of them being bad, but I'm sure it could happen. Only remedy would be to change them.

Russ

 

[xwhatsit]

Does the shutter change speeds though? If I hold my hand over the light meter and click the shutter in a dark room, I can hear the shutter open and it'll stay open for many seconds until it eventually closes (or I expose it to light again).

 

[koniczech]

Yes, I actually just finished a roll of color, and the shutter ranges from a quick snappy click to a click-wait-wait-wait...-click, so I assume everything (except the slow/over) is in working order. Am I right in thinking that if the shutter stays open in low-ish light, the light meter is working? If so, do I even need the slow/over lights to work? From the video I saw of it on youtube, it just seems like a hassle. I imagine it can't be that hard to learn how to judge the aperture by myself after a few rolls.

 

[xwhatsit]

The `slow' light means it's going to use a shutter time longer than 1/30th, which could mean potential difficulties in hand-holding (especially with that long-travel shutter release!). I've only put 400 speed film through my Electro (and only three rolls at that), so I found the `over' light to be of more use, as I have no photographic skill in the slightest and go for the cheap shot of using the widest aperture possible 😉

I suppose the thing to do is to stick a piece of masking tape over the light meter, and put a multimeter onto the slow bulb leads and hold down the shutter. Just try a lot of halfway positions with the shutter release, as mine only lights up the bulbs in a narrow range.

 

[koniczech]

I guess my next question would be, how often do you find yourselves using the lights? And if you use them often, do you find that it takes away from your experience of taking photos? Or does it help you get the most out of a roll of film? Do the lights even come on very often?

And a less 'spiritual' question, do you think it would be worth spending $X to just fix the lights if the photos come out mostly ok?
(I realize now that lots of my f/1.7's sounded like a 1/500 shot, which probably means that they are going to be underexposed... (i think.)

How many of you actually rely on the lights over intuition?

Sorry about all the questions, I just think it's interesting that the lights are there and possibly not even necessary.

 

[btgc]

koniczech, if your Electro exposes propely and absence of lights is only cosmetical issue, you are right, after a few rolls of same film you will not need lights.
Electro 35 MC doesn't has exposure lights, just set aperture and fire away, it's even better and faster, no temptation to check against electro-o-brain.

 

[koniczech]

If this is of any help to diagnosing the problem, I have recently noticed that after I re-close the back and wind once, the yellow light goes on until I slightly press the shutter release, then it turns off and stays that way. This usually happens from f/2 - f/16.

This has got me thinking that it is a contact problem, because it also turns off sometimes when I tap the sides.