timer for minolta 7s keeps jamming

[chaitanya tamayo]

hi all!

the timer for my 7s keeps on jamming. can anyone advice me as to why this keeps on happening so i can avoid it?

thanks,

chaitanya das

 

[FallisPhoto]

hi all!

the timer for my 7s keeps on jamming. can anyone advice me as to why this keeps on happening so i can avoid it?

thanks,

chaitanya das

Using the self-timer on any vintage camera that is not freshly CLAd is a really seriously bad idea. Forcing the lever, in order to make it finish counting down, is an even worse idea. It is how most Hi-Matics get broken. In Hi-Matics, as in so many other cameras, dried and hardened lubricant and crud is usually the culprit. However, with older Minoltas, the tolerances tend to be very tight indeed, so they tend to stick a lot more easily and solidly than most. Also, that self timer mechanism is a real bear to get to and the Hi-Matic's shutter is perhaps one of the most difficult to work on that anyone ever made (only serious rival for difficulty would be the Canonets). In addition to all that, given half a chance, the self timer will jam the camera solid, rendering it entirely non-functional. Leave it alone until you can either CLA it or get it done. Incidentally, Several of the Hi-Matics I have seen in recent years had the self timer removed entirely, undoubtedly because of this problem, and probably because someone had tried to force the lever and broken the mechanism beyond repair. I'm surprised that you were able to unjam it without breaking the camera or taking it apart.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

If you are comfortable doing some light camera repair, squirting some lighter fluid into the opening for the self-timer might help. I use just a few drops to lube things up. Otherwise, a CLA (Clean-Lube-Adjust) will put it right.

 

[FallisPhoto]

If you are comfortable doing some light camera repair, squirting some lighter fluid into the opening for the self-timer might help. I use just a few drops to lube things up. Otherwise, a CLA (Clean-Lube-Adjust) will put it right.

That only works if the self timer is not stuck. Once it gets stuck, that won't work and you have to disassemble pretty much the whole front of the camera to get at it.

 

[kuzano]

For your consideration.

For your consideration.

Consider how old the camera is? Consider how old and the poor characteristics of the lubes that were used in the 70's, in terms of ability to age well? Now, consider that in all those years you may have been the first person to ever push the lever on the timer.

Now, for your further consideration, I used to use the "ronsonol" flush to loosen up these old camera, but usually only when the camera was a loss otherwise, ie shutter not working and a CLA more than the value of the camera. That usually means, for the camera's I trade in, any CLA costing over $50.

But I learned a valuable lesson from an Automobile Automatic Transmission repair person. If you buy a car that has an automatic transmission with 150,000 miles on it, and if you do not know the last time it was serviced, DO NOT SERVICE IT. The best way to kill an old transmission is to interrupt the service cycle, or rather the "lack of service" cycle. The crud you knock loose in an old transmission is simply going to lodge somewhere else and damage the transmission. He told me, at the very least, if you are determined to take that risk and put the transmission back on a service cycle, you should do three services, filters and full flushes at 500 mile intervals.

Somehow, I can see knocking the crud loose from the self timer, as being a risk of crapping up the shutter and losing the camera or forcing a CLA. I consider the self timer to be expendable, if not worthless on these old bodies. So, I no longer do lighter fluid flushes only for the self timer.

So I say, either CLA the camera, or quit using the self timer. I simply never even push those levers on any camera I buy any more if everything else is working and it takes good picture. (Well, at least as good as I am capable of dragging out of it.)

 

[FallisPhoto]

Consider how old the camera is? Consider how old and the poor characteristics of the lubes that were used in the 70's, in terms of ability to age well? Now, consider that in all those years you may have been the first person to ever push the lever on the timer.

Now, for your further consideration, I used to use the "ronsonol" flush to loosen up these old camera, but usually only when the camera was a loss otherwise, ie shutter not working and a CLA more than the value of the camera. That usually means, for the camera's I trade in, any CLA costing over $50.

But I learned a valuable lesson from an Automobile Automatic Transmission repair person. If you buy a car that has an automatic transmission with 150,000 miles on it, and if you do not know the last time it was serviced, DO NOT SERVICE IT. The best way to kill an old transmission is to interrupt the service cycle, or rather the "lack of service" cycle. The crud you knock loose in an old transmission is simply going to lodge somewhere else and damage the transmission. He told me, at the very least, if you are determined to take that risk and put the transmission back on a service cycle, you should do three services, filters and full flushes at 500 mile intervals.

Somehow, I can see knocking the crud loose from the self timer, as being a risk of crapping up the shutter and losing the camera or forcing a CLA. I consider the self timer to be expendable, if not worthless on these old bodies. So, I no longer do lighter fluid flushes only for the self timer.

So I say, either CLA the camera, or quit using the self timer. I simply never even push those levers on any camera I buy any more if everything else is working and it takes good picture. (Well, at least as good as I am capable of dragging out of it.)

Well, yes, if you're going to flush it, flush it thoroughly. That is just good sense. If you don't, the stuff dissolves, but then redeposits when the naptha dries.