Konica Auto S3 took a hard hit ...

[Matus]

Hello,

my lovely Konica which I got just some 10 rolls ago just yesterday fell out of my hands and landed rather hard on a (fortunately with thin carpet) covered stone floor. The camera does not have any external damage (thanks to the carpet), and it seems to work fine (rangefinder, shutter, film transport), but the meter-needle that shows the selected f/stop just disappeared from the viewfinder.

I will shoot the rest of the film to the end to see whether the light meter works correctly or not. I am only wondering what kind of expense I might be looking at concerning a future repair. The camera is really nice and works well, so it would be a pity not to bring her to a working shape back again.

_________
I might consider selling the camera (repaired or not) in the near future - so watch the classifieds if you would be interested.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Check for a rattling sound. A mirror is usually used to bring the info to the finder, and might have been knocked loose.

It is not hard to remove the top plate on this camera. Just keep the rewind knob together, use clear tape to heep the handle on. Advance lever, rewind knob, a couple of screws.

 

[PCStudio]

very easy to fix it . Open up top plate - just three screws ;-)
but if meter works - maybe you can live with this 🙂

 

[Matus]

Thanks. I will give it a try once I am back from my business trip. Will let you know.

 

[Matus]

OK, now I am back with a more detailed ask for a help.

In the attached image you can see the top of the K3 with lifted top panel (that was the easy part).

Fore the start - the light meter is definitely working - one can see that different aperture will be set by the camera upon pushing the shutter half way. The issue to be solved is that the little green lever does not show the aperture in the viewfinder. I found out that it does not move at all.

Description (also for simplicity) of the main parts involved:

(1) - the shutter release
(2) - small exposure meter lever - this one is not the one that shows in the viewfinder. I would say it is for "internal use only"
(3) - Aperture / exposimeter lever. The green lever that should show the selected aperture in the viewfinder is attached to this mechanism. You can not see the green lever in the photo as it is just hiding behind the top part of the lens barrel. The black "eye" in the background is connected to the shutter (on a weak spring - weak enough not to close the shutter without external action), the brass pin pushes on the steel lever which is rotates around the bigger pin visible to the left. You can also see the spring itself (the arrow is crossing it)
(4) - shows the actual position of the green aperture lever.


So - what does the camera do and what it does not:
- when the light sensor is exposed to light, the lever (2) does move according to intensity of the light, probably as it should
A) if the shutter release (1) is very slightly pressed, the (2) position is fixed - as it should as this is the AE lock for the camera.
B) once the shutter release (1) is pushed even further the lens aperture stops down to what looks like a correct value - as it should
C) pushing the shutter release (1) even further fires the shutter - as it should.
- so, what is wrong here?
D) the lever (3) does not move during action (B) and so the selected aperture is not shown in the viewfinder. I guess that the lever (1) actually serves as position-limit for the lever (4).

I am able to push the lever (3) up with a screwdriver - it is spring loaded and so it can only be moved together with the shutter action (B). It seems like this coupling is broken or simply not working. Tat, to me, seems to be the main issue.

Questions:
1) Do my assumptions sound feasible?
2) If not - what do you see as a problem?
3) Do you think the camera can be home repaired or will experienced repair be necessary?
4) How to completely remove the top plate? I failed to remove the film rewind button and on top of that there are two wire connections (one for hot shoe and one for flash X-sync)

your help will be much appreciated. I actually plan to sell this little camera, but its current condition reduces the value a lot I guess.


So the photo (even large version can be seen HERE):

 

[PCStudio]

*** everything shown above correct
!
just this is not about meter needle anymore

Aperture lever (3) goes under the lens body and are connected with aperture lever /coupling/

to get there - leather from both sides must be peeled off about 1/2"
5 screws to be removed and whole lens comes off
when screws removed Lens must go to the RIGHT Side because of
meter wires - lens has a hole under front lens Ring / on the right side/
***
probably pin came off from aperture lever
this is not very difficult - just be very careful -beware of tiny spring on the top of plate
🙂
Fujica v2 worst



*****

 

[PCStudio]

when lens removed -/ see picture /

sorry upload error

this is a next step . Piece of metal above aperture blades works with that lever from # 3 and there is a tiny spring . Good point to make a gap from the top near # 3 and maybe you will be able to fix problem already
//////////////////////
http://cgi.ebay.com/Konica-Auto-S3-C35-FD-Repair-Manual-/370429748116

 

[Matus]

Thank you.

So - I managed to get the top cover off and unmount the lens without destroying the cables. I managed to understand the functionality of some of the levers as they move once the shutter is pressed. I can not manage to find the problem though - some pin or lever that should move the selected aperture pointer.

I attach additional detailed images - please have a look whether you see something that is wrong.

So - what to do next? I have to admit that I hesitate to pay $40 for a manual (plus taxes, probably). Wondering who would be willing to get this camera in this state ... 🙁

(click on the photos to get even larger views)

Top view:


Left side view:


Right side view:


Bottom view:

 

[Matus]

One small separate issue - during the disassembly the following little part fell out of its place. I do not know whether it has only mechanical purpose or it is some part of the electric circuitry (?) :

 

[PCStudio]

Correct # 6 you should stop here and try to find out what is wrong
is it damaged ?
moves free ?
still connected with F ?
//
this lever operates AE

------------

Meter works like a gear box
needle in viewfinder and lever # 6 from the same gear box coupling with Aperture
**************
Rest of it is inside Lens /access from front ring /

 

[Matus]

OK - I have looked as close as I could - I can not see anything broken or missing. However - I have some unanswered questions that relates to the image with the number (5) on it:

-> What exactly is this plate good for?
-> When not pushed by the "teeth" it rotates freely around the pivot point marked in green.
-> The second pivot like looking piece only limits the range of the rotation
-> This part has a "tip" (or "stick") sticking up (towards the cameras top plate when the camera is put together) - but there is nothing to engage to this tip.
-> This plate seems to serve (somehow) for the aperture-showing mechanism whose "teeth" engages against the long "arm" of the plate. But the teeth is powered with a strong spring, but there is no mechanism attached to this plate that could counter-act this force.
-> Does this part has any electro-magnetic purpose? I could not find any connection to the spool (which sits directly below in a plastic box and is responsible for electro-mechanic coupling of the light meter)

**********

I am officially puzzled. Unless anybody has a bright idea or a PDF of the repair manual, I will soon be selling this cameras "AS-IS" as seem not to be able to fix it myself.

 

[Matus]

I decided to put the camera together not to induce another damage, but after doing so I realized that I failed - the film advance is jammed 🙁. I guess this is end of the story here.

The camera is for give-away in another thread in the same forum.


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