Minolta 7sii Problems

[Winks]

Hi
I am new to the rangefinder movement, I just recently picked up a super clean 7sii. The problem is that my meter is dead. I have opened up the camera to find that someone had left a battery in there and it corroded the battery cable all the way up to the resistor on the lens. The resistor is also green. Now it may not be a resistor but I am referring to the half moon shaped circuit board with the two metal lines running across it connected to the cds cell. Does anyone know how hard it is to replace that cable? Also does anyone know where I can get a new resistor or is there a comparable one I can put in?
I live in Toronto and have been calling around to repair places, all of whom want $100 or more to do the repair. I don't know but its more then I paid for the camera and seems a little steep to replace one wire and a resistor. Does anyone know a good repair place or can do the repair for me.
Thanks

 

[konicaman]

Hi Winks and welcome to the forum.
I am sorry that I can't help you with spare parts or where to find them, but maybe a piece of advice. Don't hope this sounds patronizing, but as you say that you are new to this area...

100$ may seem like a lot of money, but most repair services will give the camera a general overhaul at the same time, probably refusing just to change a single part.

Buying a rangefinder of maybe 30-60 years of age is always a bit risky; there are many things to look out for:

• Is the rangefinder aligned (test on a far away object and see if the two images come together perfectly)?
• Is the lens clear all the way through?
• Does the shutter work on all time setting?
• Is the aperture working and are the blades free of oil?
• Is focusing smooth?
• Are the light seals intact and dry (as opposed to sticky)?
• Is the viewfinder clean or foggy?

And well yes battery compartment and meter - but you know that of course🙄

Buying from an auction site is of course more risky than buying from a dealer. If a person on an auctions site is telling you that he or she does not know much about cameras, it usually means that the camera will only function as a paper weight.

Still, if you buy something that is supposed to be in working order, make sure how the return policies are.

When buying a camera below app. 50$ I usually just cross my fingers and hope. Most times it has gone well, but there has been a couple of paper weights among my acquisitions, and below 50$ it normally is too expensive to ship it back for a refund.

If you do a lot of googling you might be able to find spare parts and very often also repair manuals for the cameras. I am not handy enough to make such repairs, but a lot of the nice people of this forum are, and are usually more than willing to help, if you have a specific problem.

If you are going to look for another rangefinder bargain, I can recommend cameras like the Rank Mamiya, the Ricoh 500G or the Konica C35 (which is fully automatic as opposed to the two other). These are all good cameras that can be had for a fair price.

Happy shooting
Henrik

 

[Trius]

Yes, I would say find a parts 7Sii that has a good meter, but other problems. Otherwise, search for a fully functional 7Sii and use it. You can still shoot your first 7Sii without meter.

It's a terrific little camera.

To clean up corrosion, you can use vinegar. If you can find the value of the resistor (though it could be a small capacitor; you may have to do a lot of Googling,) it may be a job you can do yourself if you are good with soldering. Personally, I am really bad at that, much to my Dad's chagrin. 😉