Konica S3

[jpa66]

My father-in-law just gave me an Auto S3 ( I'm fortunate to have a cool F-I-L, who's also into cameras ). The camera is in very nice condition and the shutter works, but he thinks that something's wrong with the meter and/or the electronics. I'd like to test it on my own, but I need some info on it.

Ergo, an owner's manual. Does anyone know where I can get one? I tried the places that I usually look for them, but could only find one for an S2.

Thanks,
JP

 

[amateriat]

I can e-mail you a PDF of the manual, if you'd like.

What sort of battery is being used in the camera for the meter/auto-exposure system? It normally takes a mercury cell, which is no longer available in the US on environmental grounds. I had my Auto S3 modified to use silver-oxide cells. If you have a mercury cell in the camera, have it checked for voltage; it's probably an old one.


- Barrett

 

[Morb1]

A scanned version of the manual can also be found here:
http://www.thecamerasite.net/web/AutoS3man.pdf

For the exposure meter, it is designed to be used with PX675 mercury cells. I have put a weincell PX675 in mine and it works great.

 

[jpa66]

I can e-mail you a PDF of the manual, if you'd like.

What sort of battery is being used in the camera for the meter/auto-exposure system? It normally takes a mercury cell, which is no longer available in the US on environmental grounds. I had my Auto S3 modified to use silver-oxide cells. If you have a mercury cell in the camera, have it checked for voltage; it's probably an old one.


- Barrett

Barrett,

Thanks for the offer. I got one from the site posted by morb1, though ( my thanks to you, also ).

I think that my father-in-law tried to stack some hearing aid batteries or other type of cell in the camera - I'm not sure what type he tried, other than the fact that it wasn't a wein cell. There isn't a battery currently in it.

Where did you get your S3 modified? Were you happy with the work?

JP

 

[ludoo]

I have an Auto S2 and it runs perfectly on hearing aid zinc-air cells. They don't last long but are really cheap, and an o-ring or some rolled tin foil works well to compensate for their smaller diameter. It runs so well on them, that my repairman checked the meter after fixing its lens wobble, and when I asked him if it worked ok he replied "no, it's not ok, it's amazingly precise".