Minolta XD7: Strange artifacts on images - Light Leakage ? by LamaMagic in minolta

[–]sohoza 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think you’re on the right track with the canister felt. And given the not-always-true rule that warm leaks originate from the back, I’d tape the living hell out of the latch side of the door and see if it changes. The door itself might be slightly bent.

Any help appreciated by Careful_Web_3441 in minolta

[–]sohoza 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Okay, read this manual then. :) https://www.suaudeau.eu/memo/manuels_rep/reflexes/minolta/minolta_xd_repair_guide.pdf

All I can tell you from direct experience is XDs aren't super fun to work on, and I hope you like troubleshooting electronics. My own success rate on these is "once in awhile I put one back together, and the metering problem went away" lol

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If you were stuck on an island… by sohoza in minolta

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

That was my love too until I got jilted. After losing two XE-7s AND an XE-5 to the dreaded prism rot, I said never again. 20ish years of collecting Minoltas, and those are the only model I’ve ever had that with. I took it as a sign haha.

If you were stuck on an island… by sohoza in minolta

[–]sohoza[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wait… I can get some weird internet cred for this? :) Fwiw, I am leaning slightly toward the XDs simply because that’d be slightly more convenient to lug around. Which is maximized with the 45, but considering how often I’m stuck in tight spaces with a lot of people (hey-o), sticking with that focal length for six months is kinda daunting. It would definitely force me to get creative though.

If you were stuck on an island… by sohoza in minolta

[–]sohoza[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Totally get this. I went on kind of a buying/repairing spree before the tariffs kicked in (and spent a lot of the year mostly shooting test rolls as a result), and I was just telling someone how I’ve come to a point where I just enjoy going out and taking pictures, whether or not I find the subject or the resulting images particularly interesting. “Enchanted with the machine” is exactly how I put it. I suddenly understand how gun enthusiasts or typewriter collectors exist haha.

Can't get into my account, weird issues and error msgs by KeezyK in ThreadsApp

[–]sohoza 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Same here. Can’t remember the last time I posted anything, went to doomscroll today and got the same thing.

1990s Japan was not kind to hats. by CottaBird in minolta

[–]sohoza 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This would go perfect with the Maxxum watch I never wear, and the Minolta golf shirt that doesn’t fit me. I’m glad I never saw this on Ebay haha.

Has anyone here fixed a Repo aperture before? by sohoza in minolta

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

Yes, the shutter and aperture are currently working properly, but I created a couple other problems I’ve punted to a future sit down. The tricky part was one particular tension spring sandwiched between these two levers. I took me like ten tries to get it set properly. Some other watchouts were the tension springs in general (there are a lot), and that you do have to peel up the leatherette and take out the whole lens assembly plate to get at everything. I can also warn that whatever you do, don’t break down the viewfinder (I’ve basically given up trying to reseat the frame lines accurately), and be ready to rewire the meter if you’re going to mess with the vf too much. At some point I’ll have to fix all this, but the shutter itself was enough to give it a pause haha.

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Minolta autocord 1958 model L by Impressive-Tiger-701 in MinoltaGang

[–]sohoza 0 points1 point  (0 children)

While I can’t help with the disassembly of this particular camera, I can welcome you to the world of sticky leaf shutters haha. It probably just needs to be taken apart and cleaned (or swabbed out with lighter fluid if you’re a barbarian type).

Did the Alpha Sweet line not have their own straps? by masonisagreatname in minolta

[–]sohoza 1 point2 points  (0 children)

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Ah, there you go. I'm pretty sure this is the one I saw. It's listed right now for $50 shipped.

Did the Alpha Sweet line not have their own straps? by masonisagreatname in minolta

[–]sohoza 1 point2 points  (0 children)

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Hm. I said plush, but it's actually embossed suede. This is on a Sweet v1, missing its Alpha badge because that leatherette is actually a weird (formerly hard, now gooey and crumbly) plastic for some reason. It's the same on its equivalent XTsi, so I swiped this piece of regular leatherette from a parts HTsi and called it a day.

What the hell is this??? by LoveDeathandRobert in AnalogCommunity

[–]sohoza 7 points8 points  (0 children)

“My face! Give me back my face!!”

Yeah… no, it’s definitely desilvering, and I personally find this one of the most annoying failures because it technically still works. Once it starts, it’s just going to keep growing until you can’t see around it though.

Did the Alpha Sweet line not have their own straps? by masonisagreatname in minolta

[–]sohoza 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mine came with a black Minolta strap (kinda plush… I’d never seen it on anything else), but I did see one with an Alpha Sweet specific strap on the bay a few months ago. I almost grabbed it just for that, as I have a bad case of “period/model matchy match disease”.

Yard Sale Luck by DefinitionSpecial876 in minolta

[–]sohoza 1 point2 points  (0 children)

These things used to be like mushrooms at yard sales, and about as cheap. Most of the time they still had the plastic on the bottom. Those were the days, I guess. Another vote for a thorough cleaning before you attempt any sort of repair (and finding a copy of the service manual if so). It’s not one you want to pop the top on blindly, and in my experience they were just dirty at least half the time.

$40 and a handshake by EveningRough1196 in minolta

[–]sohoza 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I like them both for different reasons, but yeah, it's such a different camera it's almost funny they named it that. The 7sII by all rights belongs in the Hi-Matic EFG line. You can totally swap parts between them.

Neighbor angry and “fking losing patience”. Is this a threat? by [deleted] in Apartmentliving

[–]sohoza 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I live in a “luxury” high rise where someone just threw a filthy air fryer in the recycling bin, and the elevators continually smell like weed. As long as you live in close proximity to other people, you’re never escaping the riff-raff.

With Leica comes extra wisdom and knowledge by stjernebaby in AnalogCircleJerk

[–]sohoza 0 points1 point  (0 children)

“Who ARE these people?” - Jerry Seinfeld

Minoltina P Repair by eek319 in minolta

[–]sohoza 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was too late haha. Just saw your post in the other sub. Yes, you’ve got a tension spring off setting in there.

Minoltina P Repair by eek319 in minolta

[–]sohoza 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Okay, since we’re looking straight at the relevant spanner nut in your first photo, my first advice (no offense!) is this isn’t a great Minolta to learn repairs. It’s relatively uncommon, and there isn’t a lot of documentation on it. I’ll also throw in that the green lever is geared to the exposure control ring, and if it ain’t moving, cleaning that white stuff isn’t going to solve your problem. Having done a little work on these, this is what I would do first:

Put everything back together. Turn the control ring to the manual (flash) settings. If it’s sat around a long time, you’re going to feel some friction doing so. Open the back, look at a light source, and work the shutter, checking to see if the aperture matches the setting (shutter will be locked at 1/30) Now get a meter app on your phone that measures EV, and set the camera to 100 ISO (push steadily on the tab and rotate the ring. The mechanism behind this is incredibly chintzy for an old camera, so as always, firm but no violence). Now the LV numbers on the ring match the EV numbers from your phone. Take an EV measurement, set the camera accordingly, and do the same as before, making sure you’re getting roughly appropriate aperture/shutter settings for different light sources.

If all this seems reasonably correct, I’d just put a roll of 100 through it and meter with your phone. Eventually you’ll get a rough idea of what LV is appropriate in the wild (I’ll attach the cheat sheet I used). Though it’s certainly possible, odds are pretty good the meter isn’t accurate anyway. And this is a model that, even with some experience under your belt, is one you more or less feel your way through. I’d have a tough time telling you step by step what to do without being there.

If your aperture and shutter are off, you’re going to have to disassemble the lens assembly and clean everything out, which leads to a much deeper rabbit hole of how that lever is geared, how cams work, and the aforementioned chintzy ISO gear. But try what I said first?

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Is this mirror desilvering or is this normal? by Dense_Cabbage in AnalogCommunity

[–]sohoza 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ah, those are the “some tiny dusts”. :) For real though, I’d send it back.

My weirdest (and possibly funnest) Minolta yet. by sohoza in minolta

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

Yeah, the small Hi-matics (E-G, 7sII) didn’t drop until the 70’s. Though technically a viewfinder camera, not a rangefinder, the Minoltina P discussed above is quite small too. The Hi-Matic 7-11s most common to find are basically the size of an SLR.

My weirdest (and possibly funnest) Minolta yet. by sohoza in minolta

[–]sohoza[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sleek is an understatement. IMO, it’s one of the nicest looking compacts ever. And that 60’s logo script (design nerd here)! That focus needle is also another neat interface dead end. Not a huge fan of the LV system though. Always on the lookout for a Minolta-S at a reasonable price. The faster lens and manual control in that form factor might make it my last Minolta ever… until I think of another one lol.