Yashica Electro 35cc meter issue

[rlevine]

I just picked up a (seemingly great condition) Yashica Electro 35cc. Everything seems to be in really good condition (including internal wiring). However, the meter is acting funny. It is definitely responsive to light (and changes in light), but seems to be skewed several stops. I.e., at ISO400, outside on a cloudy day, the meter is still telling me I need f/1.8 in order to get adequate light.

Based on the searches I've done, I can't seem to pin down what could be the cause. At first I thought perhaps I was using a non-ideal battery (a 6v Duracell), and a different battery would help. But I tried a 4 stack of LR44's with the same result.

Any ideas?

Also - Hi! I'm new here! 👋

 

[retinax]

Hi,
I don't know anything about the electrical workings of the meter, but might a bad contact be the cause? Can anyone chime in on that?
Does the "aperture" in front of the meter cell work as it should? I.e. does it change with every change in shutter speed, reaching the largest opening with the slowest speed and highest ISO and the smallest one with the shortest speed and lowest ISO?
I have one with broken wiring that I've been unable to fix because I can't get a new wire through the lens. If it turns out that you need parts, let me know.

 

[willie_901]

I have experienced the more common Yashica Electro problems (meter is jumpy and eratic), but not the one you mention.

From what I've read, the first step is to carefully clean all the camera's internal electrical contacts.

However. it's possible your CdS cell is shot (worn out).

 

[rlevine]

The aperture definitely works across all ranges, and it does respond to changes in light. So at f/1.8, the aperture is wide open, and the shutter speed is longer than at f/16. It just seems like the whole thing is shifted.
I opened it up yesterday and the internals are remarkably clean. All of this leads me to believe that it's the CdS cell...but what do I know.

 

[ForestCap]

I have Yashica Electro 35 CC, FC, MC and a GX. The ones with CdS meter cells all underexposure for 2/3 to 1 stops, which can be easily compensated by shifting the ISO setting down a bit. The GX has spot on metering.

It seems that your CC is overexposing a lot. That is a problem I haven't encountered.

 

[retinax]

wait,

at f/1.8, the aperture is wide open, and the shutter speed is longer than at f/16

that points what I meant, read my previous comment again please, wasn't talking about the aperture in the lens but the one in front of the meter cell. If the cam with these varying openings is shifted from it's normal position, I'd expect the kind of behavior you describe.

 

[Frontman]

If you remove the bottom cover you will see a couple of pots which you can turn to fine-tune the meter. These are small, round switches which can be turned one way or the other to adjust the voltage, they can be moved with the tip of a pencil.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Here's a circuit diagram for a similar camera, the GS.

If the meter looks good at other f-stops but not at 1.7, I suspect the contacts on the switch at lower center-right.

If it's the contact, then exercising it to-and-fro f/1.7 might help.

I have had several Yashica 35s, and I believe I've seen this problem on one.