Electro 35 GSN - Batt Test OK - No Over/Under

[astroturtle]

Hi everyone! I just got a Yashica Electro 35 GSN last Friday and spent much of the weekend tinkering with it to get it going but I'm coming up blank...

I got a brand-new 4LR44 in the camera and the battery test works fine (nice bright light too!) but for some reason the Over/Under lights light up only very sporadically. When the lights do come on with a half-press of the shutter (this has happened all of 5 times so far) the shutter seems to work normally but the semi-working state doesn't hang around for long. When the over/under lights don't come on, the shutter seems to default to 1/500sec despite the battery check being fine.

I'm ok with a multimeter so I pulled the top and bottom off of the camera and everything seems to be good as far as I can tell from online resources like this forum, the Yashica guy, etc. I did check that the CDS cell is working. The resistance goes up and down if I point it towards or away from the light.

I haven't gotten into the guts inside the lens yet as I don't have the appropriate tool to pull off the lens ring. (anyone have a good source for those lens-wrench thingies?)

I was hoping someone had any suggestions about what bits to poke and prod next. This camera is in such nice shape cosmetically it's a real shame to shelve it seemingly so close to working.

Thanks in advance! 🙂
Astroturtle

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Hello Astroturtle... See my other thread "GTN Shutter Intermittent"...

Sounds like we have similar problems, although in my case the over/under lights are working just fine.

Don't know if you have found the repair manual which has a circuit diagram and explanation on pg. 59-64. What failures in this circuit would lead to the shutter not staying open?

http://www.scribd.com/doc/16600004/Yashica-Electro-Repair-Manual

I would be very interested in anything you find with the meter. You might set the mode to B, then hold down the shutter release to find out whether the circuit is trying to send current to the solenoid which is supposed to hold open the shutter.

 

[astroturtle]

Hi Richard. Yeah, I saw your thread. Mine seems to be more of an all or nothing thing. When I do get metering, everything works a dream.

The only lead I have is the last post on this thread: http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/forum/messages/2/14581.html

In both our cases I think the issue is likely in there. I don't have the tool to open that lens though... This weekend I might make the version the Yashica Guy suggests: http://www.yashica-guy.com/document/repair.html#twelve

I'm kinda hopeful whatever is up is easy to fix. On mine the metering cell is alive, the battery cell is clean and the mechanics and shutter seem fine... With a little luck this just some dinky little wire or gummed up connection.

In any case I'll post pics if whatever I do actually fixes anything. lol. 🙄

 

[b1bmsgt]

Could be as simple as dirty contacts, possibly coupled with a bad POD...

or it could go deeper into the electronics like Richards. :bang:

Check out this link for tools:

http://www.micro-tools.com/store/SearchByCategory.aspx?CategoryCode=30


Good luck!

Russ

 

[astroturtle]

Hi Russ. Thanks for the reply and that link is super handy. 😛

I think the pad is ok... At least it sounds fine - there is a nice reassuring *clunk* when the film advance lever is pulled as shown here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7ZmzL3ojZc

 

[astroturtle]

Hi Russ. I had a question... I'm having a heck of a time getting the lens-ring off this thing. I tried the method the Yashica Guy suggests on his page but try as I might the thing won't budge. I'm going to hit up a local camera store at lunch to see if I can pick up a lens tool. Other than that obvious gem, 😉 any tips on pulling this sucker off?

 

[b1bmsgt]

Is the filter ring dented? That would keep the ring from turning easily. Other than that, I have never had too much trouble getting them off. You definitely need a proper tool for it, though. Hopefully the camera store can help you out...

Russ

 

[Frontman]

I normally use a rubber tool to remove the name plate ring on the big Yashicas. A rubber stopper of the correct size works well, but the rubber must be kind of soft so as to get a good grip. A lens spanner with narrow slotted tips will also work well, just be care that the tips don't jump out of the notches and scrape the faceplate.

 

[astroturtle]

Quick update on this gorgeously defective Electro 35...

I finally managed to get the lens-ring off the camera. After much huffing and puffing with a home-made rubber tool I gave up and walked away. When I came back to it a couple of hours later the lens ring was nearly loose enough to remove with just your fingers. Go figure! lol...

So, now I've checked all the pertinent bits in the lens assembly and everything seems fine! :bang:

At this point I'm stumped and earlier this week, after having no luck locating a lens-tool locally, I thought that instead of spending $40+ the tool, I might as well go back to eBay and just get another Electro! So for $35 I have a slightly less attractive GSN on the way, this one guaranteed working by the seller with a 15 day return.

Once it arrives I'll put a roll of film through it and if everything looks good I'll put the working camera through a re-pretty-en-ing using parts from my current one. I'll likely keep the broken GSN for parts in case anything else decides to fall off.

Ahh, the joys of $35 cameras! 😀

PS: Russ, I loved the gallery of Yashica cameras on your web page. That last photo with the "organ donors" is a hoot.

 

[astroturtle]

Richard, not sure if you're still following this thread but I found another post with an interesting lead:

http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/forum/messages/6901/3268.html

I might very well keep going with this tear-down, replace the pad as a preventative measure and check those slide contacts. This sounds exactly like the behavior I'm seeing. It might apply to yours also...

 

[b1bmsgt]

this one guaranteed working by the seller

I've heard that one before... :bang:


Russ

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Yup, I'm still here. And, I'll continue to follow.

I read the article you reference, astroturtle... That's not what I'm seeing. In my case, all three lights work A-OK all the time, but the circuit isn't holding the shutter open. More like what you saw in the first link you posted... The last msg in this thread:

http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/forum/messages/2/14581.html

Russ has been through my camera. It's not the POD, and not something obvious.

You said you are handy enough with a multimeter... Have you groked the circuit diagram? I want to put a meter on the capacitor and on the lead that goes to the solenoid. It's either a bad wire or a bad transistor, I think. Take a look... What failure would keep the shutter from staying open?

 

[astroturtle]

Quick final update from me on this thread:

http://astroturtle.com/wp/2011/03/yashica-electro-35-gsn-rangefinder-replacement/

😀

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

So... Yashica #1 had bad electronics, try #2 had a bad rangefinder, and you were able fix #2 with a rangefinder-transplant. Sounds great. Congratulations and enjoy the camera.