New Member with Yashica Minister III

[jamievespa]

Hi all,

I'm new here having just received my Yashica Minister III, which I'm very excited about however upon closer inspection I have found the shutter to be stuck closed. I have done some reading and found a fix is possible however as an experiment I set the self-timer and the shutter opened normally without a problem - does this mean the shutter problem is in the linkages?

Sorry to jump straight to a query but I'm very eager to get out and shoot with this thing 🙂 Have wanted to try a RF since getting my Praktica SLR a year ago 🙂


Thanks all


Jamie


EDIT: Hi again, well immediately after posting I tested the camera without the self timer and to my amazement the shutter now operates perfectly at all speeds! That has certainly lifted my spirits about this camera 🙂

Thanks 🙂

 

[farlymac]

Glad you got it working, Jamie. It could be the Self Timer was partially set, which immediately locks out the shutter until the timer runs down. Most usual problem with older leaf shutters with Self Timers is the timer gears are gunked up, and won't run down.

Hope to see some images from your first roll soon.

PF

 

[Frontman]

The shutter blades probably have a bit of old lubricant fouling them. You need to remove the front lens group, and put a drop or two of lighter fluid or lacquer thinner to dissolve the old oil, and free up the aperture blades. Revove the round lens plate below the filter ring with a spanner or a rubber stopper, then use the same tool/s to remove the lens group, and then you should be able to access the shutter blades.

 

[jamievespa]

Hi again,

Thank you for the advice, the shutter is now working perfectly, however I return with a new problem... Getting back from work today I was eager to try out the camera so loaded some film in however as I turned the film advance lever it was not pulling the film, and so I took the film out and tried empty and sure enough the film advance doesn't work at all, or only if I turn the take up spool to a certain point and then it seems to catch the gear... Is there anyway I can repair this?

Thanks again

Jamie

 

[b1bmsgt]

Take the bottom cover off and check that the screw in the middle of the wheel on the winder mechanism is tight.

Russ

 

[jamievespa]

Hi Russ,

Sorry for my late reply, it has taken me until now to get a decent set of jeweller's screwdrivers! 🙂

You were bang on, tightened up the middle wheel screw and now there is no more play between the cogs and catches every time and advances the film, can't wait to go and shoot with this thing now!

Thanks for your help Russ 🙂