No slow ss on new Yashica D

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marke

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Never having used a MF before (except for a Kodak Brownie as a child), I decided to bid on a Yashica D and got it for $41. It looks to be in pretty good shape, except for the slower shutter speeds. 1/15 and under just don't seem to fire. Are they any things I can do other than sending it off for a CLA (which just doesn't seem practical for a $41 Camera).
 
You can do it yourself - wash slow speeds escapement in lighter fluid bath. I did it for Lynx 5000 and KAS2 Copal shutters.
D.Mitchell's resource is useful to read before. I'm sure google will dig out top results for you; sorry for not giving links.

btw what a pricey Minister! But you'll like it.

P.S. Initially I read "Minister D", now I see it's different thing. But slow speeds should suffer from same dirt and crud as in Minister.
 
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I disagree with your economics.

If the camera is a good one then why not repair it? IMO not everything is about resale and market value. I just had a great old Nikkormat CLA'd because it is a great camera that will work beautifully for many more years. The "market value" is about the same as the CLA cost. You can't buy a new camera today that is made like that old warrior......at any price.

If its worth buying its worth servicing.

Ray
 
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I'm inclined to agree with Ray. Having the shutter cleaned professionally won't cost a fortune, and I very much like the line, 'If it's worth buying, it's worth servicing' (consider it stolen, Ray!)

Admittedly I've occasionally bought cameras that weren't worth servicing, simply because they're pretty or because I can turn a profit on them, so I'd modify Ray's statement slightly to, 'If it's worth using, it's worth servicing (or at least repairing)'.

I'd not ask for a full CLA, because a good repairer will do some mucking out anyway, but if the rest of the camera works OK and he hasn't got to strip it (eg wind-on mechanism, film counter) the repair will be significantly cheaper.

Although I've done the lighter fuel/trike clean bit, I normally only do it with LF shutters (no camera to strip) or cheapo cameras that aren't really worth using anyway, but might be amusing.

Cheers,

R.
 
I also think a Yashica-D is worth getting fixed if you can get it done not too expensively (I'd agree that a full CLA is over the top).

But before that, I'd try firing the shutter a few hundred times - start at fast speeds and work down to slower ones. I have a Yashica-D too, and shamefully have to admit to leaving it stored for a couple of decades without use. I got it out a year or so ago and the slow speeds were sticking, but after a good bit of exercise it all loosened up and has stayed ok since.
 
I think you ought to give it a full CLA despite it only cost you $41. It is a good enough camera with a competent Yashicor 80/f3.5 lens which will be a good workhorse for years to come. I won't say this if yours was a rubbish TLR. My philosophy is that if I am to use the camera I will give it a full CLA. If you just send it away to have the shutter cleaned, and you use the camera and find it is not so good, you will probably send it out again to do the rest. If you find it is good, you will wonder if it will perform even better with the full works done. Either way there will be this thorn to unpluck sooner or later. The sooner you get it done the sooner you start to enjoy the camera. The D is a relatively simple TLR, a full CLA ( cleaning and adjusting the lenses, shutters and checking the film advance) won't cost too much more than just doing the shutters.
 
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