Minolta X-700 Completely Dead

shika01 · Oct 1, 2020

Hey!

I have a Minolta x-700 that I bought off of eBay. It was working perfectly fine for the first month and a half I had it. The shutter was working fine, film advance, timer, and the sensor on the shutter.

It unexpectedly died on me 2/3rds of a roll of film in. The batteries are perfectly fine and the camera shop says it's not a problem with the capacitor. The lights don't come on at all, the shutter doesn't shoot and film lever won't advance.

Does anyone know what the problem might be and how much it might cost? The store charges 50 dollars to just take it apart and inspect it without repairs and I don't want to splurge on something that might not be fixable.

Bikerider · Oct 1, 2020

If it is wound on already will answer why you cannot move the lever. The shutter is usually very reliable unless it has been caned. Considering that the X700 is at least 30+ years old it may be well overdue for a service. My Ex had a X300 which did the same and it was down to a corroded wire close to the batteries hence there was no life anywhere. I cannot remember, does the X300 have a battery check, is this how you know the batteries are OK? If so the solution I mentioned before may not be the problem.

Bikerider · Oct 1, 2020

I have just looked at a copy of the X700 instruction booklet. It seems when the batteries are reaching the end of their life, although there is current, this will also mean the LED's in the viewfinder will not light. Try another set of fresh batteries. Look at page 12/13 if you can find a copy of the instructions.

neilt3 · Oct 1, 2020

If it's not a power supply issue , it's the capacitors that need replacing .
A common fault .

4season · Oct 1, 2020

Besides agreeing with what's already been said, it's not just the capacitor under the bottom cover which causes problems, but some under the top cover as well. Failed tantalum capacitors won't necessarily show any visible signs of failure, and capacitance and ESR tests may look fine. And BTW, resist the urge for force the wind lever or attempt to manually complete the shutter's cycle in an attempt to un-jam, because you can easily make things much worse.

Pentode · Oct 1, 2020

This directly from the manual: When battery power decreases to a point almost insufficient for camera operation, the LED display will no longer light up, serving as a warning to insert fresh batteries as soon as possible. When battery capacity is no longer sufficient,the shutter will not operate.

A battery tester might show the batteries as being good even when they are no longer good enough to power the camera. A pair of LR44 batteries will work in the X-700 but you're much better off with either SR-44s or a CR-1/3N.
Try fresh batteries first, as it's the easiest and cheapest solution. For extra credit, clean the battery compartment with a little isopropyl alcohol on a q-tip before putting the fresh batteries in.

If a fresh pair of batteries doesn't solve the problem it's likely that there's corrosion either in the battery compartment or in the wires right where they connect to the battery terminals. If a battery leaked in the camera in years past, this can be the result. If the battery compartment is corroded it should be thoroughly cleaned and coated with a very light application of conductive grease. If there's corrosion in the wires they'll need to be replaced.

As Bikerider points out, these are 30+ year old cameras. They can be very reliable with routine maintenance but age takes its toll and maintenance can become more and more 'routine' as they get even older. The X-700 is a very solid camera and a pleasure to use. Well worth the cost of a CLA if that ends up being necessary.

AgX · Oct 1, 2020

4season said:
Besides agreeing with what's already been said, it's not just the capacitor under the bottom cover which causes problems, but some under the top cover as well. Failed tantalum capacitors won't necessarily show any visible signs of failure, and capacitance and ESR tests may look fine. And BTW, resist the urge for force the wind lever or attempt to manually complete the shutter's cycle in an attempt to un-jam, because you can easily make things much worse.

How can a low-voltage capacitator pass a low-voltage capacity and resistance test and nonetheless got a failure?

4season · Oct 1, 2020

AgX said:
How can a low-voltage capacitator pass a low-voltage capacity and resistance test and nonetheless got a failure?

I don't know, but that is exactly what I saw in my own X700: Capacitance of tantalum capacitors measured within spec, and Anatek Blue ESR Meter indicated no fault. But if anything, ESR hadn't increased, it had decreased to the point that it was quickly depleting the batteries.

David Brown · Oct 1, 2020

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...n-a-minolta-x-300-370-500-570-600-700.149035/

CMoore · Oct 1, 2020

shika01 said:
Hey!

I have a Minolta x-700 that I bought off of eBay. It was working perfectly fine for the first month and a half I had it. The shutter was working fine, film advance, timer, and the sensor on the shutter.

It unexpectedly died on me 2/3rds of a roll of film in. The batteries are perfectly fine and the camera shop says it's not a problem with the capacitor. The lights don't come on at all, the shutter doesn't shoot and film lever won't advance.

Does anyone know what the problem might be and how much it might cost? The store charges 50 dollars to just take it apart and inspect it without repairs and I don't want to splurge on something that might not be fixable.

Did they install new batteries, or did you.?
How do they know it is not the Cap.?

shika01 · Oct 1, 2020

CMoore said:
Did they install new batteries, or did you.?
How do they know it is not the Cap.?

We both did. I've tried to replace the batteries multiple times. The store tested the batteries and said they were completely functional.

The guy at the store said something around the lines of he's never seen this before and would have to open it up and check it out but it doesn't seem like a capacitor issue considering LED lights won't turn on at all

shika01 · Oct 1, 2020

David Brown said:
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...n-a-minolta-x-300-370-500-570-600-700.149035/

Yup checked it out. The first 3 seem right. But the LED doesn't come on at all. Even if I click the shutter button

shika01 · Oct 1, 2020

Pentode said:
This directly from the manual: When battery power decreases to a point almost insufficient for camera operation, the LED display will no longer light up, serving as a warning to insert fresh batteries as soon as possible. When battery capacity is no longer sufficient,the shutter will not operate.

A battery tester might show the batteries as being good even when they are no longer good enough to power the camera. A pair of LR44 batteries will work in the X-700 but you're much better off with either SR-44s or a CR-1/3N.
Try fresh batteries first, as it's the easiest and cheapest solution. For extra credit, clean the battery compartment with a little isopropyl alcohol on a q-tip before putting the fresh batteries in.

If a fresh pair of batteries doesn't solve the problem it's likely that there's corrosion either in the battery compartment or in the wires right where they connect to the battery terminals. If a battery leaked in the camera in years past, this can be the result. If the battery compartment is corroded it should be thoroughly cleaned and coated with a very light application of conductive grease. If there's corrosion in the wires they'll need to be replaced.

As Bikerider points out, these are 30+ year old cameras. They can be very reliable with routine maintenance but age takes its toll and maintenance can become more and more 'routine' as they get even older. The X-700 is a very solid camera and a pleasure to use. Well worth the cost of a CLA if that ends up being necessary.

Yup I loved using the X-700 for the short period of time that I could and want to try to salvage it. I don't have isopropyl alcohol, but someone mentioned vinegar which I tried and put in fresh new LR44 batteries with no response either on the LED or shutter. There's a millisecond burst of the sensor sound but that's about it

Dennis-B · Oct 1, 2020

Unless the battery tester is one which puts a load on the battery, I'd be suspicious of the batteries.

You should also ensure that the battery compartment is clean. Use a pencil eraser to clean the bottom of the battery compartment. Wipe out the inside of the battery compartment with some fine Scotch Brite, inluding the inside of the cap and the threads of the cap. A moist Q-tip with isopropyl alcohol can be used to wipe down the surfaces, after the cleaning. DC connections can be iffy, especially on the negative side. There can be a thin, invisible film which can inhibit the current flow.

Pentode · Oct 2, 2020

Dennis-B said:
There can be a thin, invisible film which can inhibit the current flow.

True. I have run into this problem with other Minolta cameras that have electronically controlled shutters. Everything tests out fine but the camera is unresponsive. A really good cleaning of the battery compartment brings things back to life. This has happened to me on XD and XE series cameras numerous times. I'm not quite sure what it is about Minolta but I've not had the issue with other cameras. At over 40 years old, I've just accepted it as a quirk of these models, but it is a nuisance.

That said, I think it's safe to say the problem isn't the batteries themselves if you and the shop both replaced them with fresh. There's still the possibility that a leaky battery in the past damaged one of the wires. It's also possible that one of the other contact points in the camera - shutter speed dial, exposure compensation dial, film speed selector or aperture linkage - is dirty or oxidized. Getting into the camera to clean those parts is just about the same amount of work as replacing them (not quite, but almost) so it's likely to run you the cost of a CLA either way. Since it costs nothing to try it, you could move those controls back and forth through their full range of motion about 50 times each and see if it knocks some oxidation off of a contact and gets things going again. A bit of a long shot, but it can't hurt to try. Another thing to try is to put new batteries in the camera and leave it for a few days, then check the battery. If the battery is dead it would indicate that there's a short somewhere in the camera. These are just grasping at straws, but they're things you can try for free while you decide if you want to get a CLA for the camera.

Bikerider · Oct 2, 2020

The batteries on a lot of Minolta cameras operate using magnets. The main problem with this is is mal adjusted speeds and ultimately the camera refuses to fire A good clean will usually sort out the 'sticky' magnets. It will live to record on film another day.

focus_on_infinity · Oct 5, 2020

Garry's Camera Repair brought my trusty old X-570 back to life last year. He just did a Spotmatic for me. I have an X-700 that's ready to go to him, also. $50 + shipping. He's really fast. Sometimes he gets it back in the mail the next day, and that's with a complete CLA, repair, calibration, and replacement of the seals.

http://www.garryscamera.com

mklw1954 · Oct 11, 2020

I would also recommend Garrys Camera for Minolta manual focus cameras. You can email or call him beforehand to describe the problem.

I've read that a capacitor problem is indicated if the LEDs will light when touching the shutter button but go off after one second, so that appears not to be the problem here.

DF · Oct 13, 2020

I've been using nothing but X-700's since '84. There is an endless supply on the used market, and you can find a good one for the $50 the guy wants just to take it apart. Try Craigslist first, if none available, then go to Ebay.

neilt3 · Oct 13, 2020

DF said:
I've been using nothing but X-700's since '84. There is an endless supply on the used market, and you can find a good one for the $50 the guy wants just to take it apart. Try Craigslist first, if none available, then go to Ebay.

Only for the chance that the capacitors in that one will pack in at any time .
And no , there's not an endless supply .
And they frequently sell for over £100 , not just £50 .
Have them replace the faulty capacitors with a new new pair and have piece of mind your not going to have to keep spending £50 or more on another camera .

focus_on_infinity · Oct 13, 2020

DF said:
I've been using nothing but X-700's since '84. There is an endless supply on the used market, and you can find a good one for the $50 the guy wants just to take it apart. Try Craigslist first, if none available, then go to Ebay.

Yeah, that's what I did when my X-570 croaked in the early 00's. I got a great looking X-700, which lasted about 3 months and then froze up exactly like my X-570 did. For $50, my X-570 is as good as it ever was. For another $50, I'll have an X-700 also.

harley2878 · Oct 18, 2020

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1044106/Minolta-X-700.html

Service manual.

Minolta X-700 Completely Dead

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