POD Finally Kicking In?

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BNLee

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Last week after getting a bunch of film, I decided to load my Electro 35 GSN with some Ultramax 400. I haven't been shooting with this baby for quite a while so I thought it was about time!

I popped the in battery and then loaded the film. Next I checked the battery- the counter lit up just fine. So I adjusted the aperture and watched for the over/under exposure light. At f/2, the warning light was silent, I closed the lens stop by stop but it wouldn't respond. I thought that the camera could handle it so I set it to f/4 and took a picture anyway. Keep in mine that I was shooting under a tent at that time.

Later, when I was indoors, I was planning to take a shot again, this time, was waiting for the exposure to come on. Guess what- the meter was silent when I set to f/16! I walked outside where it was still sunny and set the aperture to f/2, still dead! Dang! So there goes my camera?

The ISO dial was set to 400, following the film, and the camera was in auto mode. I did try taking out the battery and putting it back in again, but it still produced the same result- a fast shutter speed in a dimly lit room at f/16.

Another shocking thing was when I placed my camera into Bulb mode, and held the shutter button down, the camera still fired as if it was 1/500 per second! In other words, I had the back of the camera open and when I held the button down when it is on B mode, the leaf shutter just budged a little, and closed...

A thing or two to note is that the meter did come on occasionally, at certain positions of the shutter button. If I remembered correctly, both lights was on and when I looked through the viewfinder, the underexposure light was on, but the shutter speed sounded as if it still as a fast shutter speed. Oh, and my camera has the Yashica "Thump" too... When you pull the advance lever a bit, it will first give a thump, then wind on and it will let out the usual gear sounds... Strangely, it was like that when I first got it and the camera could expose the pictures correctly!

So is this a case POD or just simply weak batteries?

Sorry for the long post everyone, and have a nice day.
 
1/500@Bulb alone speaks for POD. I hope people maintaining diagnostic routine will include that Thump isn't indicator of healthy POD, bad ones also do Thump.
 
Oh, I understand, thanks for letting me know the situation, I think it is about time I DIY or send it in for repair... I didn't know it would be so soon huh.
 
BNLee said:
...
Another shocking thing was when I placed my camera into Bulb mode, and held the shutter button down, the camera still fired as if it was 1/500 per second! In other words, I had the back of the camera open and when I held the button down when it is on B mode, the leaf shutter just budged a little, and closed...
...
Click to expand...

Are you sure the battery is o.k.? Mine does that when the battery is dead. Also, when you take the battery out B runs as 1/500s.
 
I am pretty sure that the battery is okay because the film counter window illuminates brightly when the battery is inserted and the battery check button is pushed. Looks like it is really the Pad of death, unless I have another battery to check. My battery is the Duracell alkali type cell which fits the chamber just right. Before this the camera has been giving me good or just slightly under exposed shots, but now that I think of it, the irregular voltage of the alkali cell may cause the readings to be off, but I still suspect it is the P.O.D...
 
Thanks for the links, greatly appreciate it.🙂 Seldom do this sort of D.I.Y work but when I do it is really nerve wrecking... Though the service manual page is full of annoying ads! Who am I to say that when it is free!😀

Anyhow, thanks again, really saves me the trouble foe hunting for one online.
 
As I recall, you could have a good Battery Check circuit, and a bad Meter Circuit at the same time, as they take different paths to complete their work. You didn't mention if you had to remove an old battery from your camera, or the condition of the battery well. When the batteries go bad, the corrosion can travel all the way up the meter circuit wire to the meter. Could have even happened before you got your camera, but took this long to finally eat at the wire innards. Another thing is the contactor not being in the best of shape. I had an MG-1 that sounded like an arc welder when I depressed the shutter button for a meter reading. This can be fixed by just rapidly cycling the shutter release for 50 or 100 times until the contacts are running good again. But I'm thinking you have a bad wire from the battery well to the meter.

PF
 
It is highly unlikely, as the camera came with a battery, and it metered quite well. I am still using the same battery till today. As far as corrosion goes, I have not checked the battery well thoroughly, but as far as I can remember, the battery well was pretty clean the last time I took the battery out to "store" the camera. Anyway, I have not checked the insides of the camera, the circuit boards etc. so I am not too sure either, hopefully it is good. Thanks for the information!
 
The contacts for the shutter button mechanism can become dirty over time, which can cause the meter lights to become erratic, or not work at all. Push the winding lever to the end of it's stroke, then work the shutter button rapidly for a minute or so, it may help. Some of the old Yashicas I come across come back to life after doing this. Vapors from the battery can cause oxidation or crud to accumulate on the contacts and other parts.
 
I have been a bit busy lately, but I will find the time to try that method out, as well as opening it up (If it needs it)!🙂

As far as advancing many times go though, I feel like the camera is going to break every time I hear the thump... And to hear that thump so many times? Oh boy... But I will still try it out, I guess...
 
What you describe doesn't really sound like a POD problem to me. Bad POD's usually cause strange things to happen, but normally not a complete lack of shutter activity. This is more indicative of a serious electronic failure somewhere in the metering system, especially since it came on suddenly...

Russ
 
Which means that most probably I will not get even exposures even if I change the POD, and that only the replacement of the circuit board is the only way?

I do get shutter activity, but it is stuck at 1/500 of a second, even on bulb. The meter lights up occasionally, and says slow but it shoots like 1/500 of a second too...
 
The shutter reverts to its mechanical default of 1/500 second if no power is getting to it. I don't know of anyone who would replace the metering system, myself included. Mark Hama maybe, but I'm sure it would be pretty expensive if he did. IMO, the best bet would probably be to get another one.

Russ
 
I fear I may have a POD problem too.

I've bought a GS and a GSN off ebay. I've jury-rigged a PX28 battery & spring into each, and the GSN seems to be OK. However, the GS doesn't have the thump.

I've tried testing it, but haven't had a chance to do it in daylight. As far as I can see, with wide apertures, it's a fast shutter speed (1/500?), and, with narrower apertures it defaults to a Bulb setting. When I turn it to Bulb, that works as expected, but so does the Flash position.

It'll be a right PITA to send it back, but would that be the best course of action?

Is there anyone in the UK who can mend an Electro 35?
 
b1bmsgt said:
The shutter reverts to its mechanical default of 1/500 second if no power is getting to it. I don't know of anyone who would replace the metering system, myself included. Mark Hama maybe, but I'm sure it would be pretty expensive if he did. IMO, the best bet would probably be to get another one.

Russ
Click to expand...

I think you are right... But the shutter, I found out, doesn't seem to be working at all I think, as after rewinding the film from the camera, I transferred it to my M3 and ensured that the frame that I caught through the Electro 35 was preserved (it was about frame 2). However, after I developed the film, the frame was totally blank... So I am suspecting that the shutter, although seemed working, is actually not... Or I just underexposed the shot too much...

@ Rodchenko, just follow the links in this forum to see if you are brave enough to repair the POD on your own...
 
Rodchenko said:
I fear I may have a POD problem too.

I've bought a GS and a GSN off ebay. I've jury-rigged a PX28 battery & spring into each, and the GSN seems to be OK. However, the GS doesn't have the thump.

I've tried testing it, but haven't had a chance to do it in daylight. As far as I can see, with wide apertures, it's a fast shutter speed (1/500?), and, with narrower apertures it defaults to a Bulb setting. When I turn it to Bulb, that works as expected, but so does the Flash position.

It'll be a right PITA to send it back, but would that be the best course of action?

Is there anyone in the UK who can mend an Electro 35?
Click to expand...

OK, I sent the GS back. It won't be missed. The GSN seems to be working nicely.

Just realised that I left my new battery in there :bang:
 
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