Just got me an Autocord!

[Way]

Finally got my hands on a Minolta Autocord and I'm pretty excited. Smaller and lighter than my Rollei 2.8f. But the Citizen -MVL shutter needs work - seems OK but at 1/15 and below it's really sticky. Self timer doesn't work but I'm not worried about that. I'm going to try to just excercise the shutter a bit and see if it loosens up.

I know that repairman Mark Hama would be great but are there any other repairmen on the West Coast that you RFF folks would recommend?

 

[Al Kaplan]

Welcome to the club! The shutter will most likely loosen up with excercize.

 

[Darkhorse]

You're joining a happy family.

Contact Karl Ryan at karl.kathy@verizon.net. He's the Autocord expert.
I wouldn't send to Hama, I wasn't happy with the last repair I had from him. Hopefully he'll get it right though.

 

[KoNickon]

I agree wholeheartedly with the recommendation of Karl Bryan (not Ryan). He's fixed up three Autocords for me.

 

[Way]

The shutter is much better since exercising it a bit. I'm going to run a roll through it and see how it comes out. It also came with an exposed roll of Kodak Vericolor II and I'd like to develop that to see if anything interesting might be on it. I'll keep you folks posted on the results.

Thanks for the info on Karl Bryan!

 

[Way]

It was yor posts about your Autocord that made me want one!

You're joining a happy family.

Contact Karl Ryan at karl.kathy@verizon.net. He's the Autocord expert.
I wouldn't send to Hama, I wasn't happy with the last repair I had from him. Hopefully he'll get it right though.

 

[Al Kaplan]

There's a little button on the side of the camera near the wind handle. Slide it towards the rear of the camera and you can make a backwards rotation of the wind handle, which cocks the shutter for a double exposure.

The little flash synch selector lever (if you use flash) is easy to move when you don't want it to move. Put it on "X" and cover it with a bit of masking tape. If you're a neat freak blacken the tape with a Sharpie.

The selenium meter on some older Autocords or the CDS meter on later models seldom if ever works. A metered Autocord with a non-functioning meter is usually a lot cheaper than an unmetered Autocord. Save some money and pretend that the camera never had one.

 

[Way]

Thanks Al,

My camera doesn't have meter. The shutter is better but if I let it sit for a bit and try it again, the shutter starts slow. But after a couple of firings the speeds gets faster. I hope it becomes more consistent the more I exercise it.

Way

There's a little button on the side of the camera near the wind handle. Slide it towards the rear of the camera and you can make a backwards rotation of the wind handle, which cocks the shutter for a double exposure.

The little flash synch selector lever (if you use flash) is easy to move when you don't want it to move. Put it on "X" and cover it with a bit of masking tape. If you're a neat freak blacken the tape with a Sharpie.

The selenium meter on some older Autocords or the CDS meter on later models seldom if ever works. A metered Autocord with a non-functioning meter is usually a lot cheaper than an unmetered Autocord. Save some money and pretend that the camera never had one.

 

[Darkhorse]

Karl Bryan (not Ryan).

oops

It was yor posts about your Autocord that made me want one!

😎 cool!

 

[PMCC]

If the shutter works OK only after lots of exercise and then defaults to its old sticky ways after a rest, then it could really profit from a shutter service. Karl Bryan does great work, knows all there is to know about Autocords (and Diacords), is reasonably priced and usually provides pretty quick turnaround. He can relube the focusing helix as well.

 

[Way]

I've contacted Karl Bryan and looks like my Autocord will be seeing him next week. Going in for a shutter and helix relube.

 

[smiling gecko]

congratulations !!!

congratulations !!!

enjoy, enjoy, enjoy !!!

a million years ago I did my first professional portrait of a young couple with an autocord. ended up horse trading it for who-knows-what....aaaarrrgghh.

got another one a few years ago - yay!!! ended up having to sell it to take care of "bills"....aaaarrrgghh.

they are such great cameras and I hope to have another - and hold onto to it this time.

anyway, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy !!!

kenneth
NEVER FORGET BESLAN
neverforgetbeslan.org

 

[novum]

Count me as another happy Autocord user. I've purchased a couple of keepers this year via RFF: the Autocord and a Serenar 50/1.8 (v. 1). A helix relube is a great idea if you want to prevent the focusing lever from breaking.

That Rokkor 75 f/3.5 lens is wonderful. I've only taken B&W photos with it so far and have been very pleased with the results. I may try some Ektar 100 in it soon.

 

[popstar]

Karl Bryan is amazing with the Autocord. You'll be pleased with how quickly he turns it around. Mine was in amazingly good condition when he returned it. I'd recommend his Autocord work to anyone.

 

[Way]

Anyone have trouble fitting in a roll of film into the Autocord? I couldn't get 400TX to physically fit. Fuji Acros did.

 

[Al Kaplan]

I never had a problem with any roll or brand that I've used.

 

[estudleon]

It also came with an exposed roll of Kodak Vericolor II and I'd like to develop that to see if anything interesting might be on it. I'll keep you folks posted on the results.

Hi way.

Two positions about it:

1- Don't get the secrets of the dead man 🙂

2- Let the images to live. They are waiting for your rescue.

I choose second 😎