akptc
Shoot first, think later
Ok, just so I understand this correctly - could someone confirm that's possible to clean all the typicaly sticky parts of the shutter without having to cut/solder anything? If so, that is GREAT news.
ferider
Veteran
Yes. Andy. In fact, I'll clean your camera if you like.
Roland.
Roland.
akptc
Shoot first, think later
YES!!! and thank you! I was going to PM you but was a bit shy about askingferider said:
PM on the way dawgfoto
Newbie
Hi, I just bought a Hexar a few month ago for quite a reasonable price.
It arrived with the known erratic shutter and a faulty aperture selector, which would only switch between aperture 2 and 22. The latter luckily solved by finding a bad SMD solder connection. I then cleaned the shutter with thinner. Happy about the fully functioning camera, the shutter shutter went bad a few weeks later. Set me back quite a bit. This time I bent the feets of this little metal plate, which makes the contact and the click to get better contact. Didn't work well, in fact i needed to put some paperboard between the plate and the boss and now have a very soft switch withnearly no pressure point. At all I just want that damn switch replaced. I really like the camera but I can't handle the unreliable switch. Has anyone ever got the ALPS switch. I found the biggest problem to be is getting one rather than replacing the switch.
Anybody knows a distributor, which sells single items and is located in europe.
Mouser would bill 35 Dollar for shipping.
Martin
It arrived with the known erratic shutter and a faulty aperture selector, which would only switch between aperture 2 and 22. The latter luckily solved by finding a bad SMD solder connection. I then cleaned the shutter with thinner. Happy about the fully functioning camera, the shutter shutter went bad a few weeks later. Set me back quite a bit. This time I bent the feets of this little metal plate, which makes the contact and the click to get better contact. Didn't work well, in fact i needed to put some paperboard between the plate and the boss and now have a very soft switch withnearly no pressure point. At all I just want that damn switch replaced. I really like the camera but I can't handle the unreliable switch. Has anyone ever got the ALPS switch. I found the biggest problem to be is getting one rather than replacing the switch.
Anybody knows a distributor, which sells single items and is located in europe.
Mouser would bill 35 Dollar for shipping.
Martin
akptc
Shoot first, think later
Try http://mouser.com/ they should have an equivanlent part.
Arjay
Time Traveller
Forgive me to warm up an old thread, but I hope that some of the folks who provided valueable info here are still around ...
I had my "new" Hexar AF CLAed, and at first sight everything looks ok. The old problems were fixed and my camera almost looks like new. But now, the camera has picked up the wiggly aperture blades syndrome. Before I send my camera back to the shop (it would need to travel from one end of Germany to another, wasting precious time), I want to find out whether I might be able to fix it myself:
I presume the culprit is the control dia PCB sitting on top of the shutter release switch (http://www.silvergrain.org/wiki/Konica_Hexar#Get_to_the_switch, scroll up one picture) - it must be the large rotary coding switch on the left that probably has some contaminated contacts.
I had my "new" Hexar AF CLAed, and at first sight everything looks ok. The old problems were fixed and my camera almost looks like new. But now, the camera has picked up the wiggly aperture blades syndrome. Before I send my camera back to the shop (it would need to travel from one end of Germany to another, wasting precious time), I want to find out whether I might be able to fix it myself:
I presume the culprit is the control dia PCB sitting on top of the shutter release switch (http://www.silvergrain.org/wiki/Konica_Hexar#Get_to_the_switch, scroll up one picture) - it must be the large rotary coding switch on the left that probably has some contaminated contacts.
- Has anyone of you ever disassembled this switch? Any precautions or special tools necessary?
- What cleaning agent would you suggest to cure the switch of erratic behavior, or should pressurized air be enough?
- I see that the PCB can only be taken off the rest of the camera by opening the flexible PCB connector on the right. Can I just pull it out or is there some locking mechanism I first need to open?
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enthusiast65
Newbie
Hexar Af Shutter Problem
Hexar Af Shutter Problem
Fixing the shutter problem is very easy to do.
Follow the disassembly instructions on Ryuji Suzuki's Silvergrain website.
This includes the 5 external screws, and the 3 short screws holding the aperture ring, shutter mechanism and exposure comp functions PCB in place.
Rest the camera on its back, using a very fine bladed screwdriver, prise the metal top enclosure off the Misaki shutter switch assembly, taking care not to lose the tiny black button when the metal enclosure comes away. A firm action required to do this for the first time, as on mine at least it was on tight. Prise from the front, at the leading edge where the metal enclosure is secured onto the plastic mounting below the plastic flange that holds it in place.
Using a cotton bud, and ether, rubbing alcohol, Permaclean record cleaner or similar, wipe the corrosion off the contacts of the switch assembly plastic base, as well as the loose internal metal contact part that acts as a trampoline. With the domed side facing upwards, check the 'legs' of this piece are all bent the same way (they appear to invert through use causing many of the problems with AF focus and intermittent operation. If they do not appear to stand up the domed metal part equally all round, bend gently at the noticeable fold and using tweezers, away from the domed side, so that it forms a perfect 'trampoline' for the black button. Reassemble, snapping back on the metal switch assembly top cover, and reassemble the camera.
Follow Ryuji's advice to ensure the hot shoe wire slip into the gap that stops them getting squashed by the top cover of the camera as you gently put it back. Please remember to do this whole operation with the battery removed.
I am no repair expert, have no experience mending delicate electronics, but this job was easy for me to do - all without desoldering the switch assembly.
Hexar Af Shutter Problem
Fixing the shutter problem is very easy to do.
Follow the disassembly instructions on Ryuji Suzuki's Silvergrain website.
This includes the 5 external screws, and the 3 short screws holding the aperture ring, shutter mechanism and exposure comp functions PCB in place.
Rest the camera on its back, using a very fine bladed screwdriver, prise the metal top enclosure off the Misaki shutter switch assembly, taking care not to lose the tiny black button when the metal enclosure comes away. A firm action required to do this for the first time, as on mine at least it was on tight. Prise from the front, at the leading edge where the metal enclosure is secured onto the plastic mounting below the plastic flange that holds it in place.
Using a cotton bud, and ether, rubbing alcohol, Permaclean record cleaner or similar, wipe the corrosion off the contacts of the switch assembly plastic base, as well as the loose internal metal contact part that acts as a trampoline. With the domed side facing upwards, check the 'legs' of this piece are all bent the same way (they appear to invert through use causing many of the problems with AF focus and intermittent operation. If they do not appear to stand up the domed metal part equally all round, bend gently at the noticeable fold and using tweezers, away from the domed side, so that it forms a perfect 'trampoline' for the black button. Reassemble, snapping back on the metal switch assembly top cover, and reassemble the camera.
Follow Ryuji's advice to ensure the hot shoe wire slip into the gap that stops them getting squashed by the top cover of the camera as you gently put it back. Please remember to do this whole operation with the battery removed.
I am no repair expert, have no experience mending delicate electronics, but this job was easy for me to do - all without desoldering the switch assembly.
Audioslave
Newbie
Thanks for your post, helped me to fix my Hexar Silver with the erratic shutter problem.
Took me about 20min to fix, really easy.
iamskye
Street Meat
I just did the in-situ switch cleaning procedure (my AF worked always, but shutter only released 1/2 of the time). It took about 30 mins and was very easy. The camera works perfectly now.
The procedure was described well 2 posts above by enthusiast65 and the photos at Ryuji Suzuki's Silvergrain website. Read and follow their instructions carefully.
All I would add is the following: use an x-acto craft knife to lift the metal cover off the switch from the bottom left. The metal cover snaps on to tabs on the side of the plastic housing so once it's clear, the cover is free to be lifted off. I used a magnifying glass to place the x-acto point between the metal cover and plastic housing while ensuring i didn't mark the flexible PCB the switch is attached to.
You do NOT have to de-solder anything.
Now I can use this camera for street shooting again!!
The procedure was described well 2 posts above by enthusiast65 and the photos at Ryuji Suzuki's Silvergrain website. Read and follow their instructions carefully.
All I would add is the following: use an x-acto craft knife to lift the metal cover off the switch from the bottom left. The metal cover snaps on to tabs on the side of the plastic housing so once it's clear, the cover is free to be lifted off. I used a magnifying glass to place the x-acto point between the metal cover and plastic housing while ensuring i didn't mark the flexible PCB the switch is attached to.
You do NOT have to de-solder anything.
Now I can use this camera for street shooting again!!