Minolta 35 Refurb

1952 Minolta-35 Model F Rangefinder Camera Repair - including the making and installation of new focal plane shutter curtains plus slow speed shutter timer clean and lubrication.

[@Themetalscrunchie]

Thanks so much for posting this video! On another note, I'm surprised no one else has pointed out that this camera is Serial Number 23456.

[@Americas_Laziest_Photographer]

Just bought a Model F with a jammed shutter, thanks for posting this video, it will likely be handy when I fix that camera!

[@rolandthomasset1713]

Hi Michael, Thank you very much for your encouragement to go ahead with the new curtains. Also, I just received your last notes about the young man who sold you the camera. I thought the sane thing too but….he would not be a “young man” anymore ! we, “Korea vets” are slowly become like the WW II Vets ! rare specimen ! My friends bought mostly the Canon (copy of the Leica) and the new Nikon which was a copy of the Contax. On the way back home, we stopped for 3 or 4 days in Sasebo, Japan. I was free every night..I already had my Minolta but also had some $180.00 in my pocket…just enough for the Nikon at $163.00. Tough decision but I made the right one !! I could always buy a Nikon later on but could never get these 4 days in Japan again !!!!

[@crawshaws]

Wow, that’s great. So good to hear you found ways of enjoying a tough situation in Korea back in the 50’s. I spent three months in Korea recently - you should know your efforts and sacrifices were not in vain. The South Koreans appreciate the USA’s support in building one of the great economies of the world.

[@rolandthomasset1713]

Hi ! I’ve been looking for such a great video on the Minolta II Model F.I bought this very same camera in Korea at the PX in early 52. I was real happy with it and still have it in top condition except for the curtain. I am good at working on cameras but I feel scared to tackle this !! The only problem with my curtain is that it is pretty thin in places and strong light could go through it if left long enough in place. However, in real life it is not bad enough to be a problem. My camera took a shot of Eisenhower in the distance ! I keep it on a shelf. I love it just as much as my M-6 for sure. I would try the replacement of the curtain if not for the necessary adjustment of the spring !!!!! thank you for your video.

[@crawshaws]

That's great to hear Roland. You'll be interested to learn that I bought this camera off Facebook marketplace, off a nice guy who said his father bought it from a commissary while he was serving in Korea! It sounds like yours and mine were from the same batch. It's not a trivial job, but don't be put off by the spring tension adjustment. I just wound them up until the springs were taught enough to pull the curtains across...and then just added a turn for good measure. The shutter speed measures fine, so I can only conclude that the roller tension is not a big contributor to shutter speed accuracy.

[@victormontes3564]

That's a beautiful camera!

[@innstikk]

Thanks for sharing! Oh, what a lovely looking camera! Much nicer than the Minolta Super A. It seems rare as there is none to be had today.

[@crawshaws]

It is a pretty camera!

[@martinandreaschristensen9895]

Thank you for the video. Very informative 👏

[@rolandthomasset1713]

I wanted to add that my camera's number is so close to yours ! #22006 I still have the negatives of my photos taken while in Korea. I was stationed in Uijumbu. Was with I Corps, most of my friends were also into photography, Great guys !

[@crawshaws]

I've just tried to track down the name of the guy from whom I bought the camera. Sorry that record is lost. Intriguing to think his father may have been one of your photog friends. Sadly, I do recall he said he'd "inherited" the camera.

[@martinandreaschristensen9895]

Hi. I just received mine🥳. It has an even closer no. #23453. The seller didn't have any history to give me😕. It is in pretty good condition. No Curtain issues. Anyway it'll enter my collection of Minoltas here in Denmark 🇩🇰

[@PetalumaHandyman]

Just received the same camera today in beautiful condition. Thanks for taking the time to make the video. Mine has a shutter button stuck down and the curtains were both open. Curtains are in good shape. I have just taken the metal curtain cover off and am able to lift the horizontal bar that lifts the lower gears and shutter button just enough upwards to wind and set shutter curtain. It fires, but curtain on right returns very slowly. Any advice would be appreciated.

[@crawshaws]

Hmmm, it could be a curtain roller tension problem. Hard to imaging how this might have become mal-adjusted on its own, but someone might have fiddled with it. I'd try removing the bottom plate, adding a little tension to that roller and seeing if the curtain speed improves.

[@crawshaws]

The roller spring adjust screws are visible at 15:32 - two hexagonal screws adjusted by a small flat bladed screwdriver slot. Good luck!

[@peterbarth1479]

Hello Michael, thanks for this helpful and informative video. I'm in the process of replacing the shutter curtains for my Minolta-35 Model II, but to me it seems incredibly difficult to do this in-place. I already removed (destroyed) the leatherette and removed the shutter unit but even with the shutter unit removed, this must be incredibly difficult without removing the rollers from the shutter unit(?). Regards, Peter

[@crawshaws]

Peter Barth I do the minimum disassembly. On the iiif the baffle removal necessitates a major disassembly. On the Minolta-35 the baffle comes off easily and that (along with the bottom plate) was all I removed to do the curtain job. I’ve never removed rollers.

[@peterbarth1479]

@@crawshaws Thanks for the quick reply, I really appreciate it. The fact that you never attempted to remove the rollers is pretty fascinating to me. You have to mark the exact spot where the curtains/ribbons are glued, clear the rollers, glue again to the right spot, all this in-place, wow. Amazing! Good job.

[@crawshaws]

Peter Barth lots of trial and error positioning the ribbons and curtains on the rollers with tape before finally bonding them securely. Thanks for the interest - good luck with the 35 - nice camera and worth the effort!

[@peterbarth1479]

@@crawshaws I replaced the shutter curtains over the weekend with the shutter unit removed and the rollers left in place. I still prefer to take out the rollers if possible, it is less trial and error when glueing the curtains and ribbons, but on the other hand it can be daunting to put all the gears back together in the right position. Still need to adjust the speeds, will do it today after work. I also noticed that the film transport sprockets are touching the second shutter curtain, which makes kind of a slight zipping noise when you fire the shutter, I think that's kind of a design flaw, you can see the problem also here: www.kitamura.jp/photo/repairer/2015/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2015/05/08/1224_j_l.jpg

[@pierre-yvesp3769]

I agree. It's fascinating to me that you were able to replace the curtains without disassembling the shutter unit. Kudos! @Peter Barth: I put the camera on its side (i.e. on its hinge) and squirt just a bit of isopropyl alcohol on the top & sides of the leatherette with a syringe. Then I try to pry the leather off, just a few millimeters; if successful, I squirt a little more alcohol, and so on. The key here is going *slow* - and don't over-do it with the alcohol, just a little bit is needed. It's not a 100% success rate: the alcohol disolves the glue, but sometimes the leatherette is just very brittle. :-( Also, if you happen to have any pictures, I'm interested to know if you found some casting marks on your camera - bottom plate and/or top plate (next to the shutter release).

[@mariomantovan3866]

Hi Michael! Thank you for share this video. Appreciate. I have a Minolta 35, older than your one, and I also have to replace the curtains. I already received the material from Asahi Japan (less the glue). The old curtains in my camera was only a piece of cloth, I mean, each curtain and respective ribbon is only a piece, and not connected and glued. Apparently you used the ribbons from Asahi and glued to the curtains. After this I noticed that is necessary to use a pair of rivets in each curtain and, if it is correct, I do not know wich material use to these rivets. Your refurb is fantastic and I would like to do the same as you did. Thank you very much. Mario

[@crawshaws]

Mario - I re-used the old laths, but I didn't re-rivet. Based on a tip I found online, I carefully drilled out the old rivets (once I'd removed some rivet material they popped out). I did ponder about how to re-rivet, but once I'd started working with the Super-X adhesive it became clear to me that the rivets wouldn't be needed. I just cleaned off the lathes with a scalpel (without prying them open) and bonded the new curtains and ribbons into them. They are quite robust. Best of luck!

[@mariomantovan3866]

@@crawshaws Hi Michal! Thank you for your message. I just finish the refurb in my Minolta 35. It works pretty good and I am testing with a film in. I had to make news laths , drillet them with a 1mm drill and used lead solder wire as rivets. I had to this because I did not buy de Syper X and instead I used the E6000 glue. Now I have a operational and beautiful old camera. Without your video I even would not start to do this refurb. Thank you very much for your video and your attention. Mario

[@crawshaws]

@@mariomantovan3866 Wow, great to hear Mario! I discovered an odd and intermittent light leak on mine, but it's now fixed and taking great pictures. Always a talking point! Enjoy yours. Well done!

[@pierre-yvesp3769]

A piece of copper wire would also work I guess.

[@stuartlusher8810]

Hi Michael. I have a Minolta II that also needs new shutter curtains. My question is - how do you get at the lathe behind the silver film advance gear to change that screen. On min it looks like is has been doubled over, but I can't get at it. How much did you dissemble to get at that curtain? do you have any pictures or a good guide that you used?

[@crawshaws]

Hmmm, I don't recall having the get the lathes behind the silver advance gear. The lathes park at the right edge of the frame (back looking forwards) when the shutter is cocked, and park at the left edge of the frame when the shutter is released (first the front lathe, then the rear lathe. Adjust the attachment of the curtains/ribbons on their rollers to make this happen. The video shows how little I disassembled the camera to change the curtains. Just that frame cover(s) - 8 screws.

[@petercooper9054]

Hi Michael. When you bought from aki-asahi did you use the website ordering forms in Japanese? It says my postcode is wrong which it is not so guess I'll try to email them. They are cheaper than any today on eBay. I'm surprised they don't have a eBay shop. Your camera with that lens is worth a lot. I was lucky and picked up a model ii with its lens for under a £100. The last one I just bought which only works when warm ( needs a CLA) was only $38!! Its in mint condition with good shutter curtains. I've a stripped down nicca type 5 which has pinhole curtains and the ribbon has snapped hence me buying from aki- asahi

[@crawshaws]

Yes, I did order from the Aki-asahi online. I take it from the GBP notation that you're in the UK...I live in the US and the website may be set up to only recognize zip codes (all numeric). Good luck with your projects!

[@petercooper9054]

@@crawshaws yes I'm English man living in rural france! He got back to me by email and I can pay him by PayPal he said and just tell him what I want. Many thanks for getting back to me..

[@iwctoys1]

Camera lube is dried out, you can hear metal grinding sound when you fire the camera.

[@crawshaws]

Terry Van you’re probably correct - I tend to err on the side of too little lubrication. I’m doing a similar shutter curtain refurb on a Leica IIIf right now - I’ll use a bit more oil. Thanks.

[@iwctoys1]

Michael Crawshaw not just lube, real work is cleaning out old dried oils and grease in the camera.

[@stephengibsontaylor]

Hi. Very helpful video ad I've just acquired a Model B from 1947. Luckily on first inspection the shutter looks good. Can I ask how you removed the top cover as my rf needs some vertical adjustment. Many thanks

[@pierre-yvesp3769]

Top cover from left to right : - Remove the screw next to the rewind knob - Remove the rewind knob - Remove the eyepiece (on the early models there's no diopter ajustement so it just unscrews, contrary to this model F which has 2 tiny set screws) - Remove the 4 screws of the flash shoe - Remove the main shutter speed dial (the one on top, not the slow speeds one) - 1 big set screw on these early models; 3 small set screws later on. - Remove rewind lever and the screw next to it - Loosen the setscrew of the winding knob, then unscrew the knob There are some components under that winding knob - a round spring, a couple of washers, the film counter dial itself. Maybe a couple of washer under the counter dial? Can't remember right now. And there should be a screw (2 maybe?) under the counter dial - same size as the one next to the rewind knob and rewind knob - however be careful I think there's one of these that's longer than the other two. All done - *no need to remove the viewinder nor the rangerfinder windows!* Also, could you please let me know if you find a casting mark on the top cover, next to the release button (casting mark & serial number would definitely help! :-) Thanks

[@JoseLPimienta]

I just found a model F and definitely needs a new curtain and CLA. Do you offer this service? I’ll replace the leather too because they are dry and crumbling

[@crawshaws]

No sorry, I'm a hobbyist, I don't do it as a service. Enjoy your camera!

[@JoseLPimienta]

@@crawshaws Thanks, i'll try to repair it myself. Your video definitely helps!

[@antoinechapon8003]

Hello thanks for making this video. I have also myself a 35 model II but it arrived without curtains at all only. Shall you give me the dimension so I can repair my camera as well?

[@crawshaws]

Hmmm, I don’t have the dimensions. The lengths of the curtains and ribbons doesn’t matter because the number of turns on the drums doesn’t matter and the positioning is trial and error. The width does matter, but provided you are wide enough to cover the opening but not too wide for the edges they’ll work. Your biggest challenge will be the lathes - I reused my old ones, but it sounds like you don’t have them.

[@crawshaws]

Sorry, missed this comment! I'm afraid I can't give you actual dimensions, the lengths aren't critical - you can just wrap more or less around the rollers as you adjust them. The width is important, but its not difficult to figure out - just wide enough to sit in the shouldered space available. Good luck!

[@iwctoys1]

Real value is in the lens. Quality off the lens is equal to a Leica lens.

[@crawshaws]

Yes, I've used the Rokkor on my M3 with nice results. I also value the camera...particularly since I did the refurb myself.

[@Gabez82]

Mr. Crawshaw, where can I send you my Minolta 35 Model II to have you fix the same issue? I've got a pristine 35 that needs loving care as well. I can send you lots and lots of money for your time !! :)