Interested in Minolta X camera repair reports?

Andreas Thaler · Nov 13, 2023

Thanks again to everyone for the feedback regarding Minolta-X repair reports!

The last days I've posted a few reports on other topics that I hope you'll find useful. Some more will follow.

Things will continue with Minolta-X repairs starting tomorrow (CET).

I have no idea what surprises the 13 Minolta-X have in store for me here. Anyway, I'm excited

Andreas Thaler · Nov 17, 2023

I always have the unpleasant but motivating feeling that I don't understand enough about my cameras. How exactly does the shutter work, how is the mirror charged, which switching process controls the aperture magnet, etc.

The electronics of the X-700 should be able to be explored to such an extent that the essential connections become clear.

What happens in each of its five ICs is not documented anyway. There will be logic gates, analog/digital converters, registers driven by the oscillation clock of a crystal … In addition, the mechanics are similar in all SLRs but are never the same.

Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to do an apprenticeship at Minolta. I am also not aware of any training to become a camera technician. Unfortunately, the course on Learn Camera Repair stopped short of SLR technology. So all that remains is self-organization to learn.

For the X-700 I should have gathered all the technical information that is available. I will therefore try to understand more here and use my existing X-study cameras for this.

Since I don't want to do this alone in our kitchen, I'll report it here. The goal is to have a basic understanding of the X-700 and to be able to troubleshoot the common mechanical/electronic problems.

So I am expanding my original goal of repairing by acquiring some engineering knowledge.

I am grateful for any help on this way and excited

Minolta93 · Nov 17, 2023

xkaes said:
I'm familiar with the Seagull cameras -- since Seagull made several Minolta cameras -- but which Chinon cameras look like Minolta SLRs?

I might have been thinking of Centon.

Andreas Thaler said:
If we assume that it is rarely the ICs that fail, as already noted by reddesert in another thread:

Post in thread 'Little information about repairing electronic cameras'
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...airing-electronic-cameras.202829/post-2739999

only mechanical and electrical problems on individual electronic components remain which should be remediable. Unless the camera has been damaged by a fall or impact.

Although the top and bottom housing covers almost perfectly protect the electronics from dust and dirt, the Minolta X cameras are not sealed against moisture. This means corrosion can cause problems.

Or the contacts on the outside of the hot shoe are oxidized.

Maybe one of the cables from the hot shoe to the circuit board has come off inside or a soldering point has become cold. You could take off the top cover and take a look.

I remember cleaning the hot shoe contacts to the point where I'm confident in ruling that out as the problem. I do suspect it's a broken cable or solder joint, but I've just never gotten around to trying to diagnose it because I have a feeling it'll be a lot of work and I might damage something in the process.

Minolta93 · Nov 17, 2023

xkaes said:
I've heard of this problem before, but I can't remember how it was resolved. Tell us what flash you are using, and what camera setting you are using. I think this has to do with TTL "problems".

The flashgun is a Minolta Auto 360PX, which works fine on my X-370. I don't remember exactly what setting I was using on the camera but as far as I know I was following what the manual told me to do.

_T_ · Nov 17, 2023

Andreas Thaler said:
Since I don't want to do this alone in our kitchen, I'll report it here. The goal is to have a basic understanding of the X-700 and to be able to troubleshoot the common mechanical/electronic problems.

So I am expanding my original goal of repairing by acquiring some engineering knowledge.

I am grateful for any help on this way and excited

I just want to thank you for doing this. As a user of x series cameras your efforts could one day be of great use to me. No doubt it’s just a matter of time before I need to call upon the knowledge you’ve gathered in these threads.

Andreas Thaler · Nov 17, 2023

_T_ said:
I just want to thank you for doing this. As a user of x series cameras your efforts could one day be of great use to me. No doubt it’s just a matter of time before I need to call upon the knowledge you’ve gathered in these threads.

Let's try it together

Next Monday (CET) I will dissect one of my abandoned X-700s.

I would like to expose the mechanics to such an extent that the processes in motion are visible.

Actually, an SLR is not that complicated. But a large part of the functions are either not visible because they are located inside the housing. Or the functions are formed electronically. You can't see anything there.

Once the essentials are clear, only details remain.

I don't presume to fully understand the art of Japanese engineers. But each of us understands something about the X cameras. We'll put that together

Andreas Thaler · Nov 17, 2023

Minolta93 said:
ImI remember cleaning the hot shoe contacts to the point where I'm confident in ruling that out as the problem. I do suspect it's a broken cable or solder joint, but I've just never gotten around to trying to diagnose it because I have a feeling it'll be a lot of work and I might damage something in the process.

When it comes to removing the top case of the X-570, it shouldn't be too difficult. The cables from the hot shoe lead directly to the flexible circuit board above the prism. If there is something wrong with the solder joints, you can tell straight away.

On the other hand, the soldering points in the X cameras are very well done. Nothing should break on its own, unless the camera has already been tinkered with, has dropped or there is corrosion.

If you want me to do, I can show the steps on one of my X-500s here.

The only thing I wouldn't open is the flash unit because of the high voltage on the flash capacitor, which is dangerous.

Minolta93 · Nov 18, 2023

Andreas Thaler said:
When it comes to removing the top case of the X-570, it shouldn't be too difficult. The cables from the hot shoe lead directly to the flexible circuit board above the prism. If there is something wrong with the solder joints, you can tell straight away.

On the other hand, the soldering points in the X cameras are very well done. Nothing should break on its own, unless the camera has already been tinkered with, has dropped or there is corrosion.

If you want me to do, I can show the steps on one of my X-500s here.

The only thing I wouldn't open is the flash unit because of the high voltage on the flash capacitor, which is dangerous.

I'll check the top cover once I finish my roll of film, and hopefully it's something very obvious that can be fixed easily.

Andreas Thaler · Nov 19, 2023

Gene Pate, founder of learncamera repair, has created an excellent tutorial on how to dismantle the X-700 and remove the mirror box. He shows how to repair water damage.

When the camera is disassembled this far, you can also look at the mechanics of the mirror box and the magnets there. Dirty magnets can cause malfunctions. Cleaning can help.

Learn Camera Repair

learncamerarepair.com

Detailed information on the technology of the X-700 can be found in the SPT Journal & Service Notes January/February 1984 (see link above).

This may all seem quite complicated, but if you work patiently, things will become clearer.

You don't have to know every detail to repair something, but of course it helps if you know more.

I'll do the tutorial tomorrow and I'm excited to see how it goes. Report follows.

Flighter · Nov 19, 2023

Andreas Thaler said:
I'll do the tutorial tomorrow and I'm excited to see how it goes. Report follows.

Excellent! I'm looking forward to that.

If Gene Pate's X-700 tutorial is anything like his tutorials on CLAs for the Asahi Pentax S1a and the Spotmatic SP II I can heartily recommend it.

Minolta93 · Nov 21, 2023

Also, for anyone dealing with a loose film advance lever on the X-570 or other X-series cameras, a tiny bit of blue Loctite on the threads of the screw underneath the plastic lever handle, the one that goes into the body, will fix the issue. The service manual says to use some sort of adhesive and I think blue loctite is roughly equivalent.

xkaes · Nov 21, 2023

Minolta93 said:
The flashgun is a Minolta Auto 360PX, which works fine on my X-370. I don't remember exactly what setting I was using on the camera but as far as I know I was following what the manual told me to do.

Now I remember. The problem has to do with the TTL flash on the X-570. The camera is basically waiting for a correct exposure. If you don't need TTL flash, you can turn it off. If you do, it will depend on if the flash is the problem or the camera -- or the two of them communicating.

Minolta93 · Nov 21, 2023

xkaes said:
Now I remember. The problem has to do with the TTL flash on the X-570. The camera is basically waiting for a correct exposure. If you don't need TTL flash, you can turn it off. If you do, it will depend on if the flash is the problem or the camera -- or the two of them communicating.

As far as I remember, the problem persisted in manual mode on the flash (but the flashgun worked fine on my X-370 in manual mode).

xkaes · Nov 21, 2023

Minolta93 said:
As far as I remember, the problem persisted in manual mode on the flash (but the flashgun worked fine on my X-370 in manual mode).

That points to TTL being the problem because the X-370 lacks TTL flash.

Minolta93 · Nov 22, 2023

xkaes said:
That points to TTL being the problem because the X-370 lacks TTL flash.

The TTL circuit in the camera? Why would the issue persist even if the camera and flash are just in manual mode? I figure it should just tell the flash to fire and not require any signal back from it, but no matter what mode the flash is in, the behavior is the same.

Interested in Minolta X camera repair reports?

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