Yashica GSN, metering issue, always at 1/500 with new battery

[Daewon774]

Hi everyone, this is my first post. I have a Yashica GSN that my father bought quite some time ago. I always held onto it wanting to eventually use it, and here I am. I recently purchased a 28L battery and an adapter from ebay, threw it into the GSN and found out the battery check light doesn't work... although, I did notice that the red over light worked fine when cocking the shutter and depressing the shutter button while on AUTO. When in a dark room or with the meter covered, I noticed that the orange slow did not turn on, nor did the shutter speed change. Also, when changing from AUTO to B or flash, the orange light comes on. So... I know that the red and orange bulbs are working, but the metering is not working correctly to change the shutter speed while in AUTO. Any thoughts on what I should look for or try to do? I am a DIYer and do not mind opening up the body.

Thanks!

 

[nparsons13]

First of all, read up on the Electro 35: Yashica-Guy, Feuerbacher, the Yashica Electro 35 and Classic Camera Repair & Maintenance groups on flickr, the archives of Classic Camera Repair Forum, and of course previous posts in this RFF section. RFFer Col. Sebastian Moran has provided useful intructions on how to methodically test your GSN to determine what might be wrong with it.

You'll find out that the weakest point in any Electro 35 is the so-called pad of death (POD). You'll learn how to check the POD and replace it if necessary. If the POD is good, you can find out how to adjust the release switch rods at http://www.monopix.co.uk/yashicarods.shtml. If the 36+ year old foam light seals have never been replaced, you'll undoubtedly need new ones.

Check the condition of the wiring, especially of the two red power wires from the + end of the battery well and the brown or white ground wire at the - end under the rangefinder. Over time, battery corrosion can cause damage to those wires and their solder joints. The battery check circuit and the aperture/shutter circuit are separate (thus the two red power wires), and one can be disconnected and the other will still work.

If you need to go further into repairs, a service manual can be found at www.scribd.com/doc/19302555/Yashica-Electro-35-Service-Manual. Other members of this forum are qualified E35 repairers, in case you get in over your head.

Good luck, and enjoy your camera. It's fun to get into working condition and fun to use.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Thanks, parsons! My article on how to test a Yashica Electro is here. Hope it is helpful.