Yashica 35 CC question

[lexster]

Hi there

I hope someone might be able to shed some light on this. I've had a few batteries drain from new in a few days with my 35 CC. Puzzled by this, I noticed that the meter seems to be on continuously (ie the arrow indicator in the viewfinder is always on) unless the shutter is uncocked when it switches off. Do I need to leave the film unadvanced to conserve the battery or is this a fault with my camera?

thanks,
Alex

 

[btgc]

I think it's a problem, like some full-bodied Electro users report (battery drain if camera left with cocked shutter).

 

[jesseleary]

Mine doesn't do that.

 

[nthearle]

My 35 GT's instruction book (p11) says "When the camera is not in use, do not leave the shutter cocked. If it is left cocked, the electronic exposure control system is set to ON position, which causes the drainage of the mercury battery".

The only time I left my camera cocked for a couple of days, when I came to use it the battery was flat.

 

[btgc]

My 35 GT's instruction book (p11) says "When the camera is not in use, do not leave the shutter cocked. If it is left cocked, the electronic exposure control system is set to ON position, which causes the drainage of the mercury battery".

This explain how my niece trashed PX28L in GSN. I thought that thing is broken.

 

[sevo]

The GT may be a different beast, but as far as the CC and GSN are concerned, that is plain wrong - the metering circuit there is off until the shutter is pressed, unless a decayed POD is messing with the switching logic.

Sevo

 

[lexster]

Thanks all for your replies. So it may be the Pad Of Death? A bit annoying as I just had the camera CLA'd...
I suppose I could have a go at replacing the pad myself...

 

[btgc]

The GT may be a different beast, but as far as the CC and GSN are concerned, that is plain wrong - the metering circuit there is off until the shutter is pressed, unless a decayed POD is messing with the switching logic.

GSN and GT are slightly different externally, though I believe innards are same.

I have to look up manual and read myself what it says about cocking/drain, I still haven't read it.

 

[sevo]

Thanks all for your replies. So it may be the Pad Of Death?

It is possible, but if it was recently cleaned, any competent camera service technician should have replaced the POD unless it was at no risk to break down. Of course, with a camera of that age, any other flaw could have developed as well. A tiny leak current, too small to detect with a standard multimeter, will still zap a 500mAh battery within less than a week - and these will rarely be found unless already reported by the customer. A profitable service shop can't test a camera for weeks, nor will it hook it up to more fancy equipment or unsolder it and test individual parts just to look for unreported flaws.

Sevo

 

[b1bmsgt]

The GT and GSN are basically identical internally. When the shutter is cocked and the electrical contact brush rod is released to it's up position, ( the fabled "clunk) the meter circuit is energized, even though you have to press the shutter button to get the over or under lights.

Russ

 

[btgc]

Manual for 35 G has obscure notes like "remove battery when not using camera for a long time" and "don't store a camera with cocked shutter".

Looks like in later models, as nthearle shared and Russ confirmed from experience, Yashica decided to tell people biting truth.

 

[nthearle]

I've just wasted a frame of Tri-X and measured the battery the drain current with the shutter both uncocked and cocked. Uncocked the drain is zero, cocked the drain was about 48mA! Altering the aperture ring and covering the CdS cell seemed to make no difference. With a PX28L (~160mAh), I reckon this would flatten my battery in just over 3 hours if I left it cocked. I wonder if this is typical?

Nick

 

[sevo]

I've just wasted a frame of Tri-X and measured the battery the drain current with the shutter both uncocked and cocked. Uncocked the drain is zero, cocked the drain was about 48mA! Altering the aperture ring and covering the CdS cell seemed to make no difference. With a PX28L (~160mAh), I reckon this would flatten my battery in just over 3 hours if I left it cocked. I wonder if this is typical?

Sure it is not µA rather than mA? If any of my Yashicas had depleted within three hours when cocked I'd certainly have noticed.

With unpressed shutter there is no measurable drain current on my CC, regardless whether cocked or not - which means any drain must be below 100µA (the range limit on the pocket multimeter here, for smaller drain I'll have to check again tomorrow with lab tools), i.e. about 100 days or more, a more likely figure.

Sevo

 

[nthearle]

Well, I did see it as 48mA briefly but I can't repeat it. It must have been filling a capacitor at the time. I agree that under steady state it seems to read zero now. It's tricky getting a good contact with my probes, but when I get one, I see 60mA when I press battery check and zero when I let go. I think that if 48mA was the steady state drain, then it would be a serious design flaw.

Nick

 

[sevo]

Ok, metered the battery drain in detail:

Battery check: 47 mA
Open shutter: 14mA
cocked and release half pressed with lens cap: 32mA (yellow light and a bit for the meter)
cocked and release half pressed with lens pointed towards light: 7mA (41mA with red light on)
No current (i.e. less than 0.05µA) if the release is not pressed, regardless of cocking.

There are brief peak currents around 70mA as the circuits activate, too short to actually read them without peak hold - presumably some caps charging.

YMMV as to the actual currents in your device, the lamps range within 30-50mA load in mine, a bridge circuit can be calibrated to low or high drain, and a camera that old can have extra unintended loss currents.

Sevo

 

[warpy]

I know its a bit late and this post is dead, but the same thing happened to me. I am using a P28L.

my readings are:

not cocked: 0mA
cocked only + lens cap on: 26.5
cocked only + lens cap off, directed at a light source: 8.7 to 9
*note, since the lens cap on cap off changes the amount of current, without the lens cap, the current may vary with strong or weak light sources.

cocked + half pressed + lens cap on : 47
cocked + half pressed + lens cap off + directed at a light source: 47
cocked and exposing (shutter button clicked, f16, long exposure): 46.5
cocked and exposing + directed at light (quick exposure) : 30-32 peaked (may go to 47 if its a longer exposure)
battery check: 47

 

[Chinasaur]

Is that with the shutter lock on or off?

 

[warpy]

the shutter lock has no effect on the battery drain issue. if you cock the camera and lock the shutter button it will still drain the battery.
the camera designers made a few mistakes, this is one of them.

 

[sevo]

the shutter lock has no effect on the battery drain issue. if you cock the camera and lock the shutter button it will still drain the battery.
the camera designers made a few mistakes, this is one of them.

There won't be any cameras where the release lock provides a second independent power switch on top of the release button - blocking the release mechanically is all that is needed.

That is, it is no matter of the release button - I suspect it to be a side effect of the dreaded POD, as that governs the states of the camera. As posted some years ago, my camera has no measurable battery drain regardless whether cocked or not.

 

[warpy]

are you implying that the POD is bad? (i can hear a click sound right before cocking the camera as it should be with a proper POD)

are you absolutely sure that your camera doesnt use the battery when its cocked? (can you double check with a lens cap ON)

There won't be any cameras where the release lock provides a second independent power switch on top of the release button - blocking the release mechanically is all that is needed.

That is, it is no matter of the release button - I suspect it to be a side effect of the dreaded POD, as that governs the states of the camera. As posted some years ago, my camera has no measurable battery drain regardless whether cocked or not.