Help! Yashicas freezing!

[john_van_v]

I have been wanting to suss out the Lynx 14, espeically to compare its lens to two other 1.4s, Zuiko and Minolta, and it won't shoot. Cocks, releases, but the iris won't budge.

And it's not just Yashica RF; when my Electro X halted mid way through its cycle (I guessed it froze like my Konicas do), and I tried to twist of the prized Brussels Grand Prix Jupiter off, as it would instantly fog up in my humid apartment, I heard a snap -- the stopdown pin on the lens cracked the mirror.

And I was starting to like that SLR!

I am less concerned about the SLR even though it is broken, I am really wanting to test the f1.4 Yashinon.

Is this a common issue? Have any of the CLA masters addressed it? Can it be done at home? In fact, what would you do? My Nikons, Olys, and Cosina RF have never frozen. What is the difference?

I will bet dollars to donuts that Zorkis don't freeze! (or at least from cold 😉 )

Thanks in advance, John

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The Yashica Electro-X has an electronic shutter, same mechanism as a Nikkormat EL, and manual-only operation. I was surprised when Mine locked up on certain speeds. Turns out the Shutter Speed Dial is a variable-resistor "-or something comparable-, and dirt/corrosion causes the resistance and corresponding shutter speed to be infinite. When it locks up, I found that moving the shutter dial around would help the camera cycle. Working the shutter-speed dial to clean the contacts seemed to help.

On the Yashica Lynx- sounds like it needs to be flood-cleaned. Take off the name ring and unscrew the front glass to get access to the blades. I used Ronsonol (lighter fluid) on mine.

 

[john_van_v]

It's amazingly steady. I use it w/ a Jupiter 135mm, and have never seen lens shake. The cracked lens will probably be only bad luck. I have some really strong double-stick tape from a grocery store (to stick up specials on the fridge doors).

The extinction meter takes getting used to. And it is very slow to react, but I have yet to take a bad picture with it.

Getting back to the f1.4 fixed-lens RF....:angel:

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Are the shutter blades operating on the Lynx? That is usually the problem. Typically they jam, but the aperture works. If the aperture blades are not moving, I would suspect the linkage with the F-Stop ring is undone. This has never happened on my three Lynx 14's. All three of them required the shutter blades to be cleaned. I have pictures of the procedure on one of my computers. As I recall, fine-tipped needle nosed pliers worked well as a spanner to remove the name ring. After that, a regular spanner is used to get the front optics block off. Blades easily accessible.

 

[Trius]

"Help! Yashicas freezing!" ... buy a warm scarf or feed it some whisky ...

 

[john_van_v]

"Help! Yashicas freezing!" ... buy a warm scarf or feed it some whisky ...

I was thinking some lighter fluid, and throw in a match! I am warming it up right now to test the hypothesis. I put it in a ziplock before bringing it in, and the ziplock is covered with condensation.

In my experience, that is how you wreck a lens, changing temperatures with humidity.

 

[john_van_v]

Are the shutter blades operating on the Lynx? That is usually the problem. Typically they jam, but the aperture works. If the aperture blades are not moving, I would suspect the linkage with the F-Stop ring is undone. This has never happened on my three Lynx 14's. All three of them required the shutter blades to be cleaned. I have pictures of the procedure on one of my computers. As I recall, fine-tipped needle nosed pliers worked well as a spanner to remove the name ring. After that, a regular spanner is used to get the front optics block off. Blades easily accessible.

I thawed it out, and 🙁 still not working, unlike my Electro X and Konicas.

As it happens, this is my spare 14, one that I bought to fix my first one that only has a bent focusing ring (which is very common, as apparently people tend to drop these beasts).

I have to go get some art from a closed exhibit today, then go to church, so I won't have time to dig out my other 14.

The delay is starting to cause me some distress, as I am beginning to realized that most of my pictures have been w/ a 50mm Jupiter, and might have benefited from a slightly wider angle more open lens, such as a 1.4 40mm.

A related problem I am having is with the wildlife, it usually won't hang around till I get the 135mm Seranar or Jupiter screwed on, so I am thinking of making an LTM camera a full time telephoto tool. As it happens, I snagged a Canon 7 that fell through the cracks on ebay for a lot less that people are normally paying for them, and the Canon 7 has 135mm framelines.

Despite what some supposed know-it-alls say:angel:, you cannot fudge framing with approximate framelines, as framing is composing, which is much of photography. And timing is also a big deal, so you want all your pistons firing, and not fudging.

This limits the operation to two RFs, which is managable! And the LTM will remain flexible all along for other lenses, though besides the 50 and the 135mms, I only have an elmar 35mm, which, as I posted before, is a disappointment. (I would like to do further testing with it to see if it is acceptable stopped down. But if anyone in the NE wants to trade a (rare) elmar for a (usable 35mm) please contact send me a message.)

 

[btgc]

I have to go get some art from a closed exhibit today, then go to church, so I won't have time to dig out my other 14.

The delay is starting to cause me some distress, as I am beginning to realized that most of my pictures have been w/ a 50mm Jupiter, and might have benefited from a slightly wider angle more open lens, such as a 1.4 40mm.

Lynx 14, if you mean it earlier, with it's 45mm lens is barely wider than 50mm Jupiter...

 

[john_van_v]

Lynx 14, if you mean it earlier, with it's 45mm lens is barely wider than 50mm Jupiter...

Actually it is the f1.4 that should be making a significant differerence.

But still, little differences are the difference between good and great, which is what I am, or we are, attempting to achieve here! I found a photo on flickr of a guys sitting at a square table that showed the subtle but yet important effects of Yashinon 45mm lenses on perspective.

 

[john_van_v]

Update on the lynx 14s. The one that froze got thawed and still doesn't work, most of the time -- sometimes the shutter engages, but usually not.

The other one, meant to be parts for the first, is really an "I C," but still an f1.4. The back seems a little loose, so I am worried about light leaks, but it came w/ a case, and I can apply some tape for the comparison tests, especially with the Zuiko f.14.

Like the rest of us, I have developed a long list of repair projects, but, in my case, I have yet to get the proper screwdrivers!