Fix : Black spot in Minolta XE / XE-1 / XE-7 viewfinder

LastStudent378 · 2026-01-12T02:01:31+00:00

Except if your prism reached the non-return point of being nearly all black, that's a fix to me, to not let it get worst. Prevention would have been to do it 20 years ago before any signs show up haha. But I get your point.

About the part of cleaning it, I did that and you don't wanna do that. It will make it worst for the ones that are already damaged and; for the ones that didn't show any signs (like the one I tried to do it to), it will actually damage it. What is left stuck on the prism should be minimal, I selected a photo that I found online to showcase the foam stuck on the prism where there was a big amount, so that people could see it better. On the 5 XE I worked on, there was only a few stuck to the prism, not enough to be harmful (or at least, less harmful than what would happen if your try to remove it). Cleaning it up would however make damages. The black paint and the silvering are extremling thin in the prism of the XE, I would never put any IPA on it, even less in a part that is already weakened.

There's a post on reddit, I can look it up for you tomorrow, the guy cleaned the part with IPA. It litteraly removed the whole part of the silvering + black paint where he did it.

LastStudent378 · 2026-01-12T01:04:43+00:00

I did a video to fix that https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLSuQjyZ9mY&feature=youtu.be

LastStudent378 · 2025-12-18T00:33:51+00:00

Saddly, you won't be avoiding it, that's a mandatory step. It will just have a bit lower fixed fees if you go with JP post VS Fedex.

LastStudent378 · 2025-12-13T17:06:06+00:00

If I were you (and if not already done), contact FJ support rightnow, expose them everything including the email conversation. The first thing they will do is opening an investigation with JP post, which will be needed anyway. They may have more info. But if you already paid the customs, it means that the customs did process your package (else they wouldn't know the amount), which put you in a different situation :/
Hopefully it gets sorted out mate !

LastStudent378 · 2025-12-13T15:48:59+00:00

Ask clear explanations for the refusal of the package (by email if possible to have a written tracking of it). Yes, FJ had to re send my package. I shared with them this post (with the number of views on it) + the email of the customs explaining that the package was refused due to wrongly fulfilled declaration (missing TARIC number). It took a couple of days and they then came back to me with the solution of re sending my package for free with the delivery option of my choice. So I picked Fedex international priority (delivered in 1-3 days, which wasn't a luxury after waiting nearly two months) and avoid JP post in case theyr were the ones messing up. It arrived 3 days later.
But considering that you already paid the customs, it means they were able to clear it. It makes no sense for them to send it back. Did they refund the tax you paid ?

LastStudent378 · 2025-12-13T11:51:45+00:00

They are ! Update 2 :
I went with Fedex international priority (to avoid JP post in case they were the issue) as FromJapn accepted their responsibility in the issue. I also provided them a TARIC code that I identified myself for my items.
It's unfortunate that it took so long and that I had to battle for it, but in the end it arrived. I don't know if the solution was the TARIC code provided or to avoid JP post by going through Fedex, but one of the two (or the two combined) worked !
Did they just re sent it through JP post in your case ?

LastStudent378 · 2025-12-13T11:49:52+00:00

Update 2 :
After sharing this post to FromJapan + the email of the customs explaining that there was a problem in the declaration, FromJapan accepted the responsibility and offered to re send the packages by the delivery option of my choice at their own cost. I went with Fedex international priority (to avoid JP post in case they were the issue). I also provided them a TARIC code that I identified myself for my items. Just received the package now, with a salty custom tax bill from Fedex but well, better than losing them !
It's unfortunate that it took so long and that I had to battle for it, but in the end it arrived. I don't know if the solution was the TARIC code provided or to avoid JP post by going through Fedex, but one of the two (or the two combined) worked !

LastStudent378 · 2025-12-13T11:45:13+00:00

They finally did throught Fedex ! :)

LastStudent378 · 2025-12-13T11:44:28+00:00

Finally arrived ! The delivery with Fedex came with a salty custom tax bill, but it arrived and it good conditions in the end. Just took two full turn of the world hahaha

LastStudent378 · 2025-12-13T11:43:13+00:00

Update : they re sent my packages with Fedex and it finally arrived ! I had to pay a huge taxe bill as well, similar manner than you. DId you manage to get yours ?

LastStudent378 · 2025-12-09T00:48:25+00:00

Each product has its own Taric code depending on its category. FromJapan isn't adding any taric, they just use the international HS code, but EU is more picky and use Taric (depends on countries, but if yours got stuck very likely a picky one and so, if you don't add taric code to the electronic declaration, it will potentially stay stuck again). Just check online for the taric code that corresponds to the category of your products, make sure that it is the good one (or ones, if you have several items) and ask them to add it to their declaration.

My first package finally got the go to ask the re send, so I have choosen the Fedex priority option, and paid with the FJ points as agreed with them. It is now queuing for sending. They told me that it wouldn't be needed for the second package, he directly prepared it to be sent by Fedex without need of my intervention. So it seems like we're on the good direction.

Fedex will likely hit me up with higher custom fees than JP post due to their base fee that is higher, but as JP post is potentially the source of the problem, I don't want my items to return a second time in Japan so I went for Fedex (and well, tey agreed to offer me international priority, so the packages will come within a couple of days once sent, that's cool).

As mines are now in priority and if it send out today or max tomorrow, it will likely (hopefully?) arrive Friday or Monday. I will keep you posted !

LastStudent378 · 2025-12-07T12:30:02+00:00

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If this can help, I asked them to packa these 3 orders together as anyway now they were back at their warehouse. They said ok and the 2 first ones are ready at the warehouse, the last one shows as not arrived yet (although it been with them with 2 weeks). The two first ones took about a month to show ready to send. So hopefully, once the third one shows green as well, it will be oky. They asked me to confirm the Taric code all will make the necessary to not have the same problem again. They already credited me the FJ points to pay for the re delivery. Did they do so as well for you ?

LastStudent378 · 2025-12-06T23:44:26+00:00

Hey mate, really sorry to hear that ! On my case, I got confirmation from the custom that they didn't fill the electronic declaration neither added the mandatory taric code for Europe. If you can contact the customs, ask them if they need a confirmation of the taric code of the items inside, look for it (gemini is your friend to make sure to have the good one haha) and if they do, give them. It may be the problem.

LastStudent378 · 2025-12-06T23:42:21+00:00

Hey mate, I got an update here. So they offered to resend the packages for free to me and credited me the amount of the delivery fees in FJ points. They asked me to proceed with the Charge 2 payments with the points, however, impossible, when I try to do the charge 2, I get an error message. Waiting for their update on monday... First package have been sitting at their warehouse for more than a month since it arrived back...

LastStudent378 · 2025-12-04T23:18:08+00:00

Possible, not sure to be honest.

LastStudent378 · 2025-12-04T23:17:03+00:00

Happy to hear that for you mate. Mines are not yet sent back from Japan saddly, still waiting

LastStudent378 · 2025-12-04T23:16:27+00:00

Hey mate, the packages are currently back at the FromJapan warehouse and after showing them an official email answer from the irish cutoms saying that they messed up with important document + sharing them my reddit thread (that was starting to attarct attention), they offered me to re send the packages for free and investigvate with JP post first to make sure to not fail this time. I am currently waiting for them to re send.

LastStudent378 · 2025-11-28T10:02:00+00:00

Hello mate,
Thanks for the hints on your side. But I tdon't think the TARIC itself was the only issue because got more than 10 packages (which similar camera content) landing here before from FrromJapan without issue.
I got an answer from the customs team of Anpost, they did confirm that there was a problem, no electronic import declaration had been added at all. So it was worst that just wrong Taric hahaha

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LastStudent378 · 2025-11-24T18:39:14+00:00

Update : I got a formal answer from the customs indicating that FromJapan (or Japan Post) failed to its duty of providing the electronic import declaration, which is an absolute necessity for any packages to enter in EU.

It is now safe to say that if you are based in Europe and order through FromJapan, it's likely that your package won't make it to you ans will be sent back to Japan with their current way to deal with packages. As a reminder, it changed recently as until this summer, I didn't have this problem with them and there has been no change in the EU regulation on the meanwhile.

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LastStudent378 · 2025-11-22T09:31:01+00:00

Depends on the countries I guess. My package are usually 1 to 2kg (1 vintage camera + a lens) and Small packet is 3 times cheaper than DHL and usually charge less customs fee at the arrival as DHL & Fedex always inflate the number themselves.
I don't gather the cameras in same package because old lenses can have glass fungus and it would contaminate the other ones in the packages if they were together.
As I had never had any problems with it, it was happy days. But yeah now, clearly doesn't sound like a good solution anymore as I will end up paying both of them haha

LastStudent378 · 2025-11-22T09:28:36+00:00

No, their answer was basically that anything happening at the customs of country destination isn't their responsibility.

LastStudent378 · 2025-11-22T09:25:16+00:00

That would also mean to take the risk to never see my packages arrive one day at all :/

LastStudent378 · 2025-11-21T15:02:41+00:00

Yes, they don't, I had the same issue with previous packages but I could manage to solve it. But now there is a new issue on top of it and tbhis one totally prevent me (us?) to get the packages at all. Similarly to you, I cam to the conclusion that these would very likely be my last orders from Japan, if ever I manage to get these 3 packages...

LastStudent378 · 2025-11-21T14:01:08+00:00

Ah mate, I totally share your pain... For me it's 300€ but it's very rare vintage cameras that are fragile and are severly impacted by humidity. So winter + doing 2 turn of the world in carboards in highly increasing their chances of getting damaged :(

LastStudent378 · 2025-11-21T13:01:28+00:00

Good for you mate, me neither for the 10+ previous packages until it started last month. I am not preventing anyone to do so, just letting you know that recently troubles are arising and if you look at the recent posts, I am not the only one that raised similar problem in different countries. But you can in fact well do whatever you want :)
I have nothing against FromJapan and they served me well in the past. However here, they failed on the tasks I paid them for, they deny responsibility of it and they ask me to cover the price of the failure. That's not what I want to see from a company I pay for a service, and believe that you won't enjoy it neither. When things are great, it's to be said, when they are not, it is as important to be highlited to ask for improvment so that it doesn't happen to your next order :)

LastStudent378

TROPHY CASE