Yashica Lynx 5000

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AlTheKiller

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This morning while out at the local flea market my wife came across a Yashica lynx 5000 and a Rico. The Rico's focusing was all jammed so I skipped it but the lynx looks great and seems to function properly. However when looking through the view finder, you're suppose to see a small box that allows you to focus by aligning the multiple subjects into one. I do not see this so I'm not sure when I'm in focus. Sorry for the lack of technical terms. New to the rangefinder side of the forum. Anyone have any idea as to why I'm not seeing what I'm suppose to through the view finder? Could it just be really dirty? It does not seem to be as bright and clear as it should be.
 
It has either too faded semi-silvered piece in RF or small mirror has fallen off, then it should rattle inside as you shake camera.
 
I had this on my Minister 700. Don't use the winder at this point! If it is similar to the Minister D/700 then you risk getting the mirror jammed stuck in the winder mechanism.
 
Must be faded. I can see the mirror piece inside the view finder. If I look through it at a very bright light, I can see the double of the bright spots. Its exceedingly dim. Is it possible to have the silvered piece replaced?
 
Sure. Either rescued from used camera (Electro RF's have aged much better than on Ministers and Lynxes) or cut new (don't remember who supplied them). Takes some efforts to remove old piece, install new and most probably, recalibrate RF to compensate shift in placement and thickness.

Also try old trick with putting piece of electrical tape or just mark with marker on glass in center of viewing piece, in shape of mirror (rectangle of rhombus). It's a workaround only, but who knows, some people say it helps enough to accept it as a solution.
 
I'm going to attempt the electrical tape for now. I'm excited to run a roll through this thing. Everything else on it seems spotless and functioning great.
 
The one surface inside a rangefinder you don't want to mess with is the semi-silvered mirror in the viewfinder. No more than a puff of air to blow any dust off it. Anything harder, and you risk removing the silvering. Other surfaces, like on the swinging mirror, view and rangefinder ports are okay with a normal lens cleaner and lens paper process. And a light touch.

Older Yashicas do have a problem with the semi-silvered mirror not aging very gracefully, so like bgtc says, replacement is an option. And probably the best one.

PF
 
Thank you all for the help!

The tape method seems to be working ok as long as its very bright out. I still need to clean the inside of the glass though. Bit foggy looking through. I got all the screws out of the top plate other than the film advance lever. I need to get a hold of snap-ring pliers to get that one out.
 
I pulled the top plate to clean the glass (not the mirror) and found that someone in the past decided to wipe the mirror down removing a lot of the chemicals on the mirror that allow it to work properly. Oh well.

I put everything back together and thumbed the film advance lever and it locked on me with the lever out. There is a little back and forth and I can hear a little bit of a buzz sound like the self timer when I move it back and forth.

I pulled the top plate again and used a little flat head screw driver to release the lock on the lever and it went back to the resting position. I thumbed it again and again it locked. When pressing the shutter release, it does nothing like the film advance never fully actuated.

Any idea as to why this is happening? Is it a shutter issue? This camera is starting to frustrate me hahaha
 
You probably accidentally set the self timer while the MX sync selector was at M
You will have to disassemble the front lens and inspect the little S spring (clutch?) in the self timer mechanism. It is probably bent out of shape. The self timer mechanism is held back with only one screw. Search for Yashica Minister D, it's got a lot of the same mechanism. Even the Electro 35 shares components.

Do not force anything at this point!
 
Turns out that a piece of glass (no idea from where) got caught up in the film advance gears. It took a little rocking of the lever back and forth and some shaking of the camera and it came out. Everything works great now. Gave me the opportunity to get everything else cleaned up as well.
 
The exact same thing happened to my Minister 700, though I had to pry it loose.

The piece of glass is most likely the tiny rangefinder mirror.

You probably can't see a yellow square through the viewfinder and thus you'll be unable to focus. If the mirror is still intact you can glue it back on.
 
the yellow/orange square is still there. I think a small piece came out of the glass directly to the right when looking through the view finder. I can see the cut circle and then what looks like a missing chuck from it. Ill snag a pic when I get home from work.
 
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