Any Miranda Sensorex EE users out there? I need advice

p.giannakis

p.giannakis

Pan Giannakis
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Hi everyone,

I just got a nice black Miranda Sensorex EE - boy, what a magnificent camera this is.

The shutter speed and spot metering seem to be accurate, once i switch the level to "A" (for average metering) the camera underexposed by at least 3 stops.

Has anyone come across something similar? Any ideas what might be going wrong?

Thank you
 
Might be....

Might be....

If you're using the EE function with that averaging setting, it might be the restricted range of the speed dial. I forgot about it once, and the stop difference was similar... here's a bit from miranda.com on it:

"Beware of the fixed range of the automatic meter coupling, see the table above. This causes the top or bottom speeds not be available for some ASA values, and it appears as if there is a problem with the camera in selecting the extreme speeds. There isn't. Just push down the little button in the centre of the shutter speed dial and any speed can be set, although the automatic meter will be disconnected. Turning the dial back into the automatic range will cause the button to pop back up, and the camera will operate normally again."
 
Thank you for your reply, I am not sure this is what is happening as it is always showing underexposure by 3 stop. Even if i select a speed range between 1/15-1/1000.
 
It sounds like an indexing issue with the lens. With the old Nikon meters you needed to set the fastest aperture manually, later called AI (Auto Indexing) or the Nikon-Shuffle. I looked at Miranda cameras before I went Nikon many moons ago and don't remember if you had do to any thing as silly. Not sure how the information is transferred to the camera's meter.

B2
 
If "S" is right exposure and "A" wrong exposure, this looks more like an electrical issue. "A" seems to use an additional CDS-cell behind the mirror: http://www.mirandacamera.com/_modelinfo/_EE/EE_vf_2.jpg
So there might be something wrong with the cell or the switch or some other electrical component.

I suppose the meter needle in "S" and "A" shows different apertures?

Do you use the appropriate type of battery: PX675 1.35 V mercury cell? Or an adapter? A 1.5 V cell without adapter might do terrible things!
 
Hope you figure out the problem. Those Miranda cameras are quite underrated in my opinion. Some pretty fine lenses, too!
 
Didn't the Mirandas with mirror mounted metering have some issues with the flexible wire from the mirror to the body? What does this look like? As I recall it is a known weak point. I have the model in question and had to clean parts of the electrical system to get accurate reliable metering. I suggest inspecting the cleanliness and condition of battery contacts and switch operation for sticking and so on. I'd have to get mine out and run through it to recall precisely what I had to do to make it go but on arrival it needed some persuasion to function well. It was a one owner that had simply been unused for a few years so it was a decent prospect to repair.

I've yet to run a film through my own and may want to replace the light seals before doing so. There are a lot of features I like about it however I would not call the controls or wind action the smoothest and sweetest I have ever used. Not that this makes it a poor or unreliable camera, of course however I'd be happier if the mechanicals worked more smoothly. Maybe my example had a lot of use or is atypical? It's the only Miranda I have ever handled.

You could also try the archives for the Classic Camera Repair Forum. I'd be surprised if there isn't a bit of Miranda discussion there. In fact I'm fairly sure various models are mentioned a few times.
Cheers
Brett
 
Thanks everyone for your replies, the battery compartment looks clean and I managed to remove the rewind crank and the switch and all contacts look clean under-neath it.

Brett, when you said that you had to clean parts of the electrical system, which ones did you mean?

Regards.
 
And they look nice too if you ask me..
IMG_6123.JPG
 
p.giannakis said:
Thanks everyone for your replies, the battery compartment looks clean and I managed to remove the rewind crank and the switch and all contacts look clean under-neath it.

Brett, when you said that you had to clean parts of the electrical system, which ones did you mean?

Regards.
Click to expand...
Honestly, I don't recall the specifics. I've worked on so many cameras it can be hard to remember the details, sometimes, you do what you have to do to make them work again and move on to the next one. But I'll get my own example out for you, to try to jog my memory.
Cheers,
Brett
 
MRohlfing said:
If "S" is right exposure and "A" wrong exposure, this looks more like an electrical issue. "A" seems to use an additional CDS-cell behind the mirror: http://www.mirandacamera.com/_modelinfo/_EE/EE_vf_2.jpg
So there might be something wrong with the cell or the switch or some other electrical component.

I suppose the meter needle in "S" and "A" shows different apertures?

Do you use the appropriate type of battery: PX675 1.35 V mercury cell? Or an adapter? A 1.5 V cell without adapter might do terrible things!
Click to expand...
I tend to agree with the above. If the lens aperture is not being indexed correctly then this ought to affect readings taken either in spot or average modes, surely?

Nevertheless, the Miranda metering system is quite sophisticated for its time. Although the technicalities of it are different it shares some of the abilities of Eg. a Minolta SRT, in that it's able to open aperture meter with its own dedicated lenses, but may also be used to meter with other types of lenses stopped down. Hence, the indexing levers inside the lens throat must be able to move freely and easily. Therefore, despite the likelihood that the issue is an electrical one I think it would be prudent to ensure that the mechanical parts of the exposure system that are easily accessible such as the levers are OK, because in order for the meter to be accurate all the components in the system must be in optimum condition and adjustment.

Cheers,
Brett
 
p.giannakis said:
Thanks everyone for your replies, the battery compartment looks clean and I managed to remove the rewind crank and the switch and all contacts look clean under-neath it.

Brett, when you said that you had to clean parts of the electrical system, which ones did you mean?

Regards.
Click to expand...
OK. I've taken a look at Miranda for the first time in six months or so. I'd forgotten how solid she feels. She's a pretty gal, too. In good repair now, and the metering seems OK. Some new light seals and I can load a film, and I think I might actually have to do that, soon.

In terms of what I had to do to mine, the meter system was not completely non-functional on arrival. But it was erratic and prone to cutting on and off by itself suggesting an issue with battery and/or switch contacts. I tackled this by cleaning the parts of the electrical system accessible without a full strip down. Mainly because even though I don't generally use a cameras built in meter, I can find it annoying sometimes if I've made a camera work well but the meter is faulty. I like them to work 100% if possible even if I hardly ever use them.

I recall spending an hour or two trying to pinpoint why the meter would cut in and out. The control switch around the rewind crank was obviously a prime suspect and it didn't move crisply. Clearance between the control ring of the switch and the body on mine is not super tight. I'd not be surprised if decades of time on Earth permit ingress of dust and maybe a bit of wear may factor into its condition. Like you I removed the rewind crank and cleaned the parts. This helped somewhat but the needle would still jump around randomly and fluctuate in its reading. There was more going on. Ultimately I worked out that the interchangeable finder system was a part of the problem. Wiggling the pentaprism induced a response from the meter needle. I had to remove this and clean the components that locate and lock the finder into place.

I've confirmed this a short time ago by re-checking my own EE. Inspecting things with the pentaprism removed reveals that squeezing the left side of the housing with thumb and finger can affect the meter reading. Similarly, squeezing the cover in the vicinity of the PC socket can deflect the needle. I can only assume it's possible to slightly move the interior components enough to impact the circuit somehow. You might want to conduct some tests of the two modes with the camera on a tripod, to eliminate any chance that the way you're holding it is somehow influencing the readings you get.

Assuming that:
  1. The control switch contacts are clean and functional at all settings, and;
  2. The installed battery is of the correct size and voltage, and the contacts are clean and providing good continuity
I would be inclined, as MRohlfing has previously mentioned, to wonder if one of the CdS cells (or its wiring circuit) is sub-optimal. Which possibly brings us back to that flexible wire I mentioned originally and its condition apart from other considerations. Is the mirror clean and in good condition? With a lens off, does gently touching the flexible wire off the mirror cut the needle on/off? Etc. You're going to have to look at these sorts of things, if the general problems I had that I've mentioned above all check out OK.

Hope it works out. Handling the camera again confirms that whilst the wind action is not smooth as butter, there are a lot of things about my EE I really like (it was a cheap score ex-eBay for about AUD $20). I'd like to try it out, now.

Keep us posted.
Cheers
Brett
 
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This camera is driving me crazy. I removed the top plate and all contacts seem clean. But i noticed this bizarre thing.

When i remove the prism and place a cup on the lens, the camera will meter the correct exposure. This means that the light hitting the mirror as it comes from the top of the camera is correct.

If i place the prism again and try to meter from the lens, it gives the wrong exposure. So does if i completely remove the lens....

WTF? :bang:
 
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