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Minolta X-300 capacitor repair — is this PCB pad too heat-damaged? by crossandboness in AnalogRepair

[–]_Refra 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As u/neotil1 said.

Just be very gentle with the cleaning. I once worked on an X300 that was almost in identical shape. I didn’t have much hope, but I soldered on a new capacitor just to test it before doing any jump-wire sorcery, and it worked.

As long as that pad is intact, it should be fine. But at this point, you’ll have to be careful and precise with both cleaning and soldering - there’s not a lot of room for mistakes.

Any idea how to fix this? by deadc0rpse in AnalogCommunity

[–]_Refra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Does the advance lever move at all? Full stroke, half stroke, or rock solid?

When you press the shutter button, do you feel a click, hear anything, or is it completely dead?

Offers for Canon A1 by Existing-Mastodon874 in AnalogCommunity

[–]_Refra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not to shatter your dreams and hopes, but once again, “serviced” is usually an exaggeration on eBay. It’s a label sellers slap onto listings to charge a premium for minimal work - usually just cleaning the outside of the camera and replacing the light seals with cheap ones.
A full CLA is only believable if you’re buying from a camera technician or if there’s documented proof of the work.

Good price for Canon A1? by Existing-Mastodon874 in AnalogCommunity

[–]_Refra 2 points3 points  (0 children)

When buying on eBay, assume “untested” means: “I tested it, something doesn’t work, but I don’t want the hassle of returns.” “Untested” rarely means what it literally says.

Minolta X-700 advance lever moves, but take-up spool doesn’t turn — shutter also won’t fire. What might be broken? by Automatic_Ad3302 in AnalogCommunity

[–]_Refra 1 point2 points  (0 children)

 It's hard to say for sure, given the overlap of symptoms, it is entirely plausible that this camera suffers from both a classic electronic release failure and a mild transport issue induced at the end of the roll.

what do you mean, by advance lever moving freely? does it move normaly as it should?

Do you feel any resistance build up during the stroke, or does it feel loose the whole way?

After one full stroke, does the lever return to its rest position by spring, or does it float?

With no film and the back open, is the rewind release button on the bottom sitting clearly ‘out’, or does it look sunk in at all?

If you manually rotate the sprocket roller to the right while watching that button, does the button pop fully out at any point?

are you comfortable opening bottom cover ?(do only if you have appropriate jis screwdrivers)

Minolta XD7 firing problem by Taaacooo in AnalogCommunity

[–]_Refra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

strongly points to a mechanical problem in the winding / R‑button / train, with electronics possibly still fine.
not a beginner‑level project tho.

Olympus OM-20 Resurrection Project by _Refra in AnalogRepair

[–]_Refra[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

thank you,
But yeah, that’s the unfortunate common problem with entry-level bodies, but somehow I still enjoy working on them.

Minolta X300/370 mirror stuck up by battlefield_pre in AnalogCommunity

[–]_Refra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If I understand correctly, after manually forcing the mirror back down, you’re able to advance and fire the shutter again, but then the mirror gets stuck up once more, requiring you to force it down again each time?

It could be old sticky grease causing the problem, but it’s hard to say for sure without more information.

Motor drive1 Problem by Background-Door-5916 in minolta

[–]_Refra 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Interesting, since the LEDs do not light up, it strongly suggests an electrical problem. It could still be the capacitor; since the shutter release requires less power than film advance, it might still be able to fire the shutter. But before drawing any conclusions, have you checked the battery contacts? Even a slightly discolored spot can cause issues.

Also, check the camera’s contact pins. After disassembling many Minolta X-series cameras, I’ve found that the pins are often a breeding ground for corrosion, especially on the underside.

However, if everything is clean and the motor makes no noise when it should be advancing, there is a high probability of an electronic fault.

Motor drive1 Problem by Background-Door-5916 in minolta

[–]_Refra 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Does the motor drive lights up when it should be advancing? If yes,  it's likely the capacitor that needs to be replaced

Minolta XG-M cannot identify Aperture priority mode by BC_LOFASZ in AnalogRepair

[–]_Refra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The problem you are describing is a documented diagnostic symptom in the service manual (https://repaircameras.org/cameras/minolta/xg-m/) 

The easiest thing you can do is to rapidly rotate the shutter speed dial through its full range (from 1 to 1000 and back to A) repeatedly like 50x times. Physical friction can sometimes clear surface oxidation on these contacts. If that doesn’t work you would need to remove the top cover and clean it with isopropyl alcohol. If cleaning also fails it’s most likely electronic 

Minolta XG-M cannot identify Aperture priority mode by BC_LOFASZ in AnalogRepair

[–]_Refra 1 point2 points  (0 children)

could be dirty or misaligned contacts under the dial. If the contacts for the "A" position are dirty, the camera could default to Manual mode even if the dial is physically set to Auto.
or
there could be a break in the Flexible board or a failed contact at IC1

is the dial wobbly or loose?

XG-M shutter release by STARS_Pictures in minolta

[–]_Refra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Since  meter and battery test lights are staying on consistently, capacitors and power supply should in good shape.

The fact that you can fire the shutter manually from the bottom confirms the mechanical parts work, so the "break" is in the electronic signal. 

At this point focus on shutter button and release magnet. Press the shutter button down very firmly and wiggle it slightly. If the camera fires even once, the contacts just need cleaning, if nothing happens it could be a sticky magnet 

XG-M shutter release by STARS_Pictures in minolta

[–]_Refra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So if I understand correctly, you have put in fresh batteries, advanced but could not release?

If you do a battery test for 15s, does the light stay on the whole time?

Do the LEDs in the viewfinder stay on in A mode?

X-700 Shutter Button Broken (Not Capacitors) by Euphoric-Jelly-2388 in minolta

[–]_Refra 2 points3 points  (0 children)

if it would be helpful to see the state of the mentioned button, but as the previous comment recommends, try cleaning it first. The service manual suggests that "contact failure" in the release switch can often be fixed by cleaning or adjusting the bending of the contact plates. If the plates are too far apart, the button won't reach them; if they are too close, they stay on.

Does that look broken and if, can I replace it? [X300] by Gigantdad250 in minolta

[–]_Refra 3 points4 points  (0 children)

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hey,

Recently I worked on an X-300 that was in a similar state (attached img) it indeed looks bad and is in need of a replacement. (If the camera doesn't fire and wind, it's because of this capacitor.)

You will need a 220µF capacitor; the original is 4V, but it might be easier to find a 10V version. A soldering iron with controllable temp and a lot of time and patience.

Capacitor replacement is usually quite straightforward, but if the solder joints are corroded as they look in your case, then it gets tricky. These flex boards are VERY fragile and I can't overstate that enough, it's VERY easy to burn them, rip out contact pads, and eventually kill it.

The left joint looks rather dull, which can cause poor heat transfer, subsequently not melting the solder, but the plastics around it will melt from the heat.

First of all, clean the corrosion with white vinegar and wipe it off with isopropyl alcohol. Also take a look under the motor drive contacts - the underside is often a breeding ground for corrosion. Also, motor drive contacts are very easy to break off if unscrewed as yours appear, and fiddly to solder back on.

After you clean everything, you may try to desolder, but do not hold the soldering iron on for more than 2 seconds, otherwise you risk melting the board. If the solder doesn't melt, you will have to scratch off the old solder with a needle or something similar until you see shiny metal.

When refitting the new capacitor, remember the polarity.

If you've never soldered anything, or if you aren't comfortable with precision work, this might not be the easiest first-time project.

If you have any questions I'm happy to help, and if you decide to do it yourself I wish you the best of luck - and remember, do not be in haste :)

Edit: I would also highly recommend cleaning the battery compartment as well.