hexar help -- shutter release problem

[broadie]

Does anyone have any help to offer with this:

My Konica Hexar AF (Black original) has recently started konking out on me, after a couple years of perfect use. By konking out I mean this: Simply, the shutter release has become very unreliable. I press it down, in the act of focussing, and half the time it won't respond, or it will respond for a second and then just reset (it's supposed to stay on a particular focus point when held down but often it just gives up). And in these cases it just won't fire when pressed down fully--I have to press it more than once to get a response.

One other thing: it may or may not have anything to do with it, but I noticed this problem the day after I used the flash (the dedicated Konica one) quite extensively with the Hexar the previous night.

So, has anyone experienced this before? I did some preliminary googling and found that this may be a shutter contact problem. Is it fixable? Any help/advice is appreciated!

 

[Nick R.]

Try replacing the battery.

 

[broadie]

Yeah, I should have mentioned that...I replaced the battery with a fresh one but that didn't do the trick. I really wish that was all it was...

 

[Doug]

Heh heh, I bet Nick has it right!

These auto-everything cameras can leave a guy feeling quite helpless when they don't. I was away on vacation when my GA645Wi gave me a scare... It just quit working, showing a mysterious error code on the LCD; "E" it said. Cycling the power on and off didn't help, nor removing batteries and cleaning the contacts. Gave up and returned to our lodgings, where I found a dark place and opened the back. Well, the film was all wrapped around the takeup spool, as if I'd come to the end of the roll in shooting. Hmmm... on slow thought, that's exactly what had happened! I hadn't heard or felt the longer ending-run from the wind motor. Duh.... E is for empty. 🙂

Edit: Wups, sorry to hear you'd tried that. Sure the replacement battery was good?

 

[Taipei-metro]

Does anyone have any help to offer with this:

My Konica Hexar AF (Black original) has recently started konking out on me, after a couple years of perfect use. By konking out I mean this: Simply, the shutter release has become very unreliable. I press it down, in the act of focussing, and half the time it won't respond, or it will respond for a second and then just reset (it's supposed to stay on a particular focus point when held down but often it just gives up). And in these cases it just won't fire when pressed down fully--I have to press it more than once to get a response.

One other thing: it may or may not have anything to do with it, but I noticed this problem the day after I used the flash (the dedicated Konica one) quite extensively with the Hexar the previous night.

So, has anyone experienced this before? I did some preliminary googling and found that this may be a shutter contact problem. Is it fixable? Any help/advice is appreciated!

The Hexar came out in 92, 5 years before Silver. So yours maybe 14 years old.
The button like shutter is very sensitive in it's own way, you sort of need to apply a balanced 'force' onto it, or it will loose the focusing point and needs to be re-press to focus again. Try press the shutter, and when the green light's on inside the finder, re-aim the camera while holdind the shutter and try to keep the green light on, because if the green's out, you loose the focus and have to re-press the shutter.
Use M mode, different speeds to see if your Hexar's shutter button respond or working in the proper way.
I bought the Silver 5, 6 years ago, no problems at all, and try several different brands of flashs( used M mode), they didn't ruin the camera 'yet'.
I didn't use the Silver too often, I have a Canon Elan 7 and it's a handsome superb machine.
Hope you don't have to send in your Hexar.

 

[broadie]

Thanks for the thoughts....it's weird but I never realized how old the hexars are, as they seem so damn hi-tech and up-to-date (for film cameras at least). I should amend my original description however...it's actually the black hexar date model, which may have come out a bit later than the true original. Anyway, the problem seems to exist in all modes, and it just isn't acting like before, so it seems that I will indeed be sending it in...the problem is to where? I think Sony is taking over the Konica repairs these days. well, I'll find out soon.

 

[broadie]

Oh and I am sure about the batteries--they were both good and powered well in other "control" cameras. Going to call Konica today.

 

[meyman]

A late answer, sorry, but I've only started checking around on this when my own Hexar went down with the ssame disease. The problem you have is consequence of shutter contacts wearing out. Konica used to do the repair for ca $150 but seemingly not anymore. There exists a procedure for doing this yourself and quite a few people have fixed their Hexars this way, but I haven't found this anywhere yet and am a bit afraid to experiment. If I get eny info, I'll post here. Maciek

 

[Finder]

My Hexar Silver had this problem and I sent it to Konica to be repaired four years ago. It works fine now. Since Konica (Minolta) has shut down their camera division, I am not sure where you can go to fix this. I would find out if Konica Minolta used any third-party repair services and see if they can help. You may also try Sony as they are handling some camera servicing of Konica Minolta products, but it is limited and most likely will not include the Hexar. Or contact Konica Minolta and see if they can recommend a place.

 

[Guy Mann]

I haven't really had any issues w/ my Hexar Silver but I plan on keeping it forever so I would be interested in locating someone qualified to service it should the need ever arise.

 

[ampguy]

Just got my Hexar AF yesterday (classic original) from another forum member here. Great camera, will have my first roll processed today.

I read stuff on the hexar for a couple of hrs. yesterday, and read where a few people have had their shutters fixed, I think a guy in Europe twice. It does feel like it needs just the lightest touch for partial depression.

I also would like to know where I can get this serviced, should it need it in the future.

Couple of quick questions for you experts -- does the hexar classic use a backup battery? The manual I have shows a pic of changing the backup battery right in between the basic camera functions, and the date-back camera so I'm not clear if the non-date back camera has a backup battery, or just the date-back camera? Weird, no indication of battery type or anything, but it looks one of those disc type 2032s or something, and like it's in the camera back.

Also, some folks on the photo.net forum have done some programming mods to give the classic addl. features such as bracketing, 1 touch exp., IR meter support, etc., this mod used to be available only by sending it in to Konica.

Also, for any silver users, this mod supposedly enables the super silent mode capabilities.

Finally, does film have to be loaded to go through the features? For example, mine doesn't correspond to the manual by turning from off to P, then pressing select, then down or up to set the min. user defined shutter speed, but another hexar user I met yesterday thought you just go to manual and set your min. sp?? I'm good with the default 1/30 min setting, but just trying to figure out how all these buttons work.

 

[foto_mike]

I picked up a black Hexar AF in what seemed like a good deal on eBay. The camera has the same problem that you are reporting (unreliable shutter release). Sometimes it will focus and shoot and other times it'll focus and then the frame lines will return to their infinity position and the shutter won't release.

When triggered by the self-timer, the focus and shutter release works just fine.

I sent mine to Greg Weber (www.webercamera.com). He's probably the best Konica repair guy out there. He thought it needed a new "system board" but he didn't have the replacement part. He was trying to acquire the leftover parts from Konica Minolta after they left the film camera business. Ultimately, he was unsuccessful getting the parts. They told him they threw the spare parts away! Thanks, Konica.

My Hexar is being returned to me unfixed. I'm watching for an eBay special where someone broke thier lens or otherwised damaged their camera. I may take a chance on getting something like that cheap hoping some of the internal parts are salvagable.

Let me know if you come up with a better fix.

 

[rpsawin]

Maybe a new wrist strap???

Bob

 

[ampguy]

Hi Mike

Hi Mike

I just spoke with Greg, and he thinks he is still a month away from getting hexar parts. My shutter works well, but is hair trigger sensitive, I hope it is a tension thing, and not in need for a replacement. My immediate need is to get my little button contacts cleaned, but Greg says that even that could require new mini switches on a circuit board, so didn't want to accept the camera in until he got parts.

I did see an ebay "parts" hexar, don't know if it's there yet. I'm going to contact Greg in a month, then see if he can do a look over on mine.

I picked up a black Hexar AF in what seemed like a good deal on eBay. The camera has the same problem that you are reporting (unreliable shutter release). Sometimes it will focus and shoot and other times it'll focus and then the frame lines will return to their infinity position and the shutter won't release.

When triggered by the self-timer, the focus and shutter release works just fine.

I sent mine to Greg Weber (www.webercamera.com). He's probably the best Konica repair guy out there. He thought it needed a new "system board" but he didn't have the replacement part. He was trying to acquire the leftover parts from Konica Minolta after they left the film camera business. Ultimately, he was unsuccessful getting the parts. They told him they threw the spare parts away! Thanks, Konica.

My Hexar is being returned to me unfixed. I'm watching for an eBay special where someone broke thier lens or otherwised damaged their camera. I may take a chance on getting something like that cheap hoping some of the internal parts are salvagable.

Let me know if you come up with a better fix.

 

[foto_mike]

Hexar shutter release temporary fix?

Hexar shutter release temporary fix?

I just got my Hexar back from Greg Weber unfixed. In an earlier response, I wrote that he can't get the parts he needs to fix the balky shutter release.

The problem with my black Hexar is that when the shutter release button is lightly pressed, the framelines will move to indicate it is focusing and then they will usually return back to the infinity position and the shutter won't release when the button is pressed all the way. The focus and shutter work fine by themselves because when triggered by the self-timer, the camera focuses and the shutter releases just fine (10 seconds later).

I figured I couldn't do too much harm to the camera, so I tried operating the shutter over and over quickly to see if that would have the effect of cleaning the contacts. No luck.

Then I tried to be much heavier handed with the shutter release button. I noticed that when I pressed very firmly (maybe very, very firmly), the camera acquired focus and the shutter released just fine. I did this very firmly about 20 or 25 times, each time successfully releasing the shutter.

Now, with my normal, light touch the camera focuses correctly on the half-press and the shutter releases correctly on the full-press. Eureka! It seems to work fine now.

I'm not sure how long it will keep working. Maybe if I use the camera enough, the contacts will stay clean or whatever it takes to keep it working properly. Or maybe I've just accelerated the inevitable demise of the shutter release contacts.
I dunno, but I'm going to take some picture while it works.

 

[broadie]

Interesting development...I never sent my hexar in, and its been sitting useless on my shelf for a while. But I will give that hard pressing thing a shot tonight.

 

[meyman]

A simple and quite effective cure is to put something between the shutter release and the black plastic button it presses to trip the shutter. I used a folded piece of aluminum foil ca 0.2 mm thick. To do this you need to take the camera top plate off: five screws, two of which are under the rubber body covering next to the lens - peel the corners of the rubber gently and you'll see the screws really soon. And easy when taking the top off in order not to tear away the hot shoee cables. The whole fix takes 5-10 minutes and the improvement is really big. My Hexar's shutter used to fail 9 out of 10 shots, now the ratio is the reverse [or better] which I can easily live with.