DIY Camera Repair: Yashica Electro 35
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- čas přidán 5. 04. 2018
- I picked up a Yashica Electro 35 that was promised to be 'fully functional' but... it wasn't. Here's how I fixed it.
Warning: I'm a hobbyist learning as I go, I can make no guarantees that the information presented is correct or that the procedures are even a good idea. Consider this more as 'mechanical entertainment' than an instructional video. - Věda a technologie
Brother, I really appreciate your patience to video while you were working on a delicate task like this and educating the enthusiasts. Thanks immensely brother...
LEGEND! thanks buddy, really appreciate this. I thought my Yashica Electro 35 GT was dead, until i fixed the top wire problem and i only used hot glue! haha thanks again!
czcams.com/video/FkJ4Im6mPDw/video.html
You explain so clearly in word AND picture what you're doing! Thanks a lot.
Thank you! Just fixed mine based on this video. Had exactly the same issues. Now just a quick light sealing and it's good to go. It's a good feeling to bring stuff back to life.
Hi, thank you so much for this video - the steps taken are clear, the video and sound quality are great and the voice is actually pleasing to hear. Keep on the good work! I'll subscribe right now.
Thanks for this! My dad passed away 17 years ago, and I was just going through some of his stuff and found one of these, and I see he started taking it apart, but I think couldn't get the top off and left it.
Indeed has the POD, but the Duracell px32a battery that was with it, still popped up the battery test light, for a second, so I have hope to get it operating again!
You got a subscribe. Your procedure was detailed, well illustrated, and expertly done. It was like watching a Yashica technician training film. Great job. I've been wondering about what to use when my POD wears out and your solution of cloth tape seems a good fit.
This clip is really what I need to fix my yashica. Thanks Jason.
Thank you Jason! I was chasing the red wires. It was the white wire, as you showed. I'll re-attach it tomorrow and my camera will be perfect!
Nice direct, complete, and clear explanation, and excellent video quality. Thank you.
This is exactly what I need to fix my Yashica Electro 35. Thank you so much.
Great tutorial, and easy to follow. I'm sure this will help a bunch of people!
i bought one that has power problems and your vid is making me brave enough to take it apart and look around....
Thank you for this video, you exactly identified the problem with corroded white wire. You are a saviour.
Great video. I have one working Yashica Electro (that I actually sent out for a CLA), and one non-working one that I just picked up. The meter has a charge, but is showing wonky exposure timings, so I'll attempt this POD fix and see what happens. Thanks for the tutorial!
Just bagged a 35 GSN on ebay. Seller indicated its working, but you never know. I can see from your excellently presented video that if you don't know what to look out for it may appear fine. Great video clearly explaining all the steps to check if no power and, importantly, what the Pad of death issue is. I feel confident to do this if when I receive the camera I don't hear that clunk. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed in hope. I hope it is not in vain.
I had given up on my Yashica Electric 35 GSN because, of the battery which was no longer being manufactured.
However, I learned I could use an mod extender with an ultra alkaline 4LR44 6v battery.
And to my surprise the cameras power wasn’t working as it once had.
So, I decided to do a search
on CZcams and came across your video which was on point with what was going on with my camera.
Now i’m contemplating if I’m up for doing what needs to be done. 🤔 With that said I still would like to thank you for your post. 👍🏾
this really helped because my iso dial fell off and i havent had a chance to look for parts, so i just had to look at this video to see where the dial actually points and all that. thanks!
Thank you your video was the best video I have seen to trouble shoot and fix simple wiring issues on my Yashica Electro 35, and the best part was the Pad of Death check and easy fix..Now to check my camera..
I couldn't work out why my film wasn't exposing, turns out it was the pad of death and was able to fix it easily enough with your video! :)
My grandmother gave me one of these and im starting to really enjoy photography this helped
That's exactly the problems I have with my GT!! Definitely going to give this a try
Awesome repair video. I just fixed gsn, I had the same white wire problem and POD. Just subscribed to your channel. thanks
I opened mine up and found a "jammed" screw causing my "pad of death". Now to figure out where that came from. Thanks for the information as I would have never known about the first "clunk".
Excellent vid! Very informative and easy to follow
Very nice and informative video, thanks!
Hi Jase
Great tutorial mate ! Having recently purchased a GSN I am happy to service now ....
also looking at replacing the view glass ... any tips ?
Respectfully
Steve (Adelaide , Australia)
Thank you for your time this, much appreciated! From Hobart, Tasmania
Hiii im desperate for help i have a yashica mg1 that dont seems to work
Do you have any idea If the process is similar?
Sorry for my english is no my lenguaje thanks!!!!
Hey Jason I just got a gsn and the light meter and the battery test light wouldn't work. Well I figured out the battery test light but don't know where to start on the light meter. Nothing looks corroded any ideas where to start?
Thank you very much. Very useful video. One of the best.
The battery cover has spokes that break. What can we use to replace these?
Amazing video! Thank you so much, do you usually do repairs for people too?
Awesome video. Just having a hell of a time soldering the wires back to the battery tray
Hey Jason -- just caught this video. Have been collecting various Yashica Electro 35 models (addicted to shopgoodwill.com!) and so far the battery compartments work OK (battery test works, can get the slow/over lights to work -- sort-of) -- but most of these cameras have an issue where neither light (and within the viewfinder also) light just on, or off -- the lights "flicker" (and I hear almost a "scratchy" noise from withing the camera when this is happening) -- making it difficult to know when the camera is really indicating under or over exposure. Comparing with a handheld light meter the overall indication on the cameras do seem right -- but it's really aggravating not having the lights just go "on." In fact on one camera, the yellow light does not actually come on until the shutter release is fully pressed, thus taking a picture. Soooooo -- would these symptoms also be part of the "Pad Of Death" issue? Also -- where can I get/what do I look for, for the tool to take off the covers with two dimples in them? I don't have anything like that -- I have jewelers screwdrivers and a set of dental picks, but I am stumped on removing those covers. Thanks!!!!
Hello there,
A friend of mine is having difficulties to open the door of the film compartment. When we lift the rewind knob up to open the camera's back, nothing happens. Any idea ?
hi Jason I was trying to fix the path of death problem the way you showed us and I realized when you look at the post you can insert a flat screwdriver in it :) just a couple of turns counter-clockwise and the post stays where it should every single time you press it! easy as that :)
Cool! I'll have to try that if I ever end up with another broken Yashica
I still don't really understand what the PoD does. I mean does it engage the light meter, or why does the latch need to engage that pole near the base of the camera? P.s. Did your exposures come out ok with this fix?
I want to ask you something Jason. My yashica 35 GSN is very mint condition but just a couple minutes ago it turns weird. The shutter opened as i wind the film advance. When winding is done, the shutter keeps opened and to close it i must push fire button. What can i do? Is it still POD related error? Thanks a lot Jason
I have an electro 35 gt and the film back wont pop when i pull up on the rewind crank. what could be the issue?
Thank you, this is exactly the video I needed to see. I have just discovered that the GS I bought the other day suffers from both of these problems. I think I'll be able to fix the pad of death, but I have no hope with the soldering. Even if I could solder properly (I can never get a clean joint) I wouldn't stand a chance in that tight space! How did you get to it??
Does the Yashica MG-1 has the pad of death too?
Brilliant video! the pad of death was certainly part of my problem, but i'm getting no response from either of the light meter bulbs :( woe is me. thanks for being so informative anyway
Mine isn’t exposing the photos correctly and when I put it in bulb mode and hold the trigger down the shutters don’t stay open. I hear the click you talked about in the video when I push the trigger and wind the film lever so that seems to be fine. Also the slow and over lights don’t seem to turn on, but the battery check button works fine. Anyone have any suggestions on what could be wrong
Thanks a lot forma Colombia, man. Best regards
I just picked one up after being promised that it worked. My advance lever mechanism seems to slip so film does not correctly advance. Do you know how to fix this issue?
Excellent
Hi Jason,my shutter is not at the 5 o'clock position, what could have happened, how can I fix it?.
my camera has the same issue with the wire.. its corroded (greenish blue) and does look very difficult re-soldering it.. other than the tight space, how did you manage to fix it?
I bought a exell a32px battery but it's not working. Should it be working?
I bought 2 mint Electros 35 for a few dollars each and they both had the POD. Took them apart and sure enough the pad was gone, I was able to fix both cameras but you need a lot of patients and a lot of time to replace the POD, not an easy job and it did take me quite some time to do this but at the end both of these cameras work like new.
Great video, super helpful. So far, mine has the issue with the white wire at the top AND the pad of death. I was able to touch the wire to the terminal and I'm still not getting anything via the battery check light so I'm hoping it will work once I solder it.
I’m having the same issue with the wire not working even when it’s touching the terminal. Did you figure it out?
@@jas4823 One of my wires were bad and corroded all the way through. I had to replace it.
Jonathan W okay thanks!
I have a problem with my yashica mg-1. The shutter blade doesn't want to close automatically until I release the shutter button. Do you know how to solve this? Thank you
super helpful this video!
thank you! now i just need a yashica electro 😂😂😂
that is actually the Yashica Electro 35 G, not the original 35. You can distinguish it because of the G marked next to the Yashica mark on the left. Also it has an ASA from 12-500, the original electro 35 has only 12-400 as well as no plastic on the winder. very good video though! These problems pretty much exists and affect any Electro 35 version so thumbs up for your video.
Hi, I have a 35 fc model.Can you tell me what battery can I use for it?
I used a CR123 and a 1/3N battery stacked on top of each other, plus a little wad of tinfoil on the end to make sure they had good contact with the camera. They might be tough to find in a store but you can order both of those batteries online easily.
in my camera the battery compartment cover is rusty and i think that's why the battery doesn't work. could it be fixed?
Hey mate, by far best camera fix video! Just working on mine now. Several issues as well. For one that I can't seem to figure out is the battery check button wont budge...there for no battery checking ability... also only the OVER light comes on...faintly...So it could be the battery is old or wiring is worn like in your case. Any thoughts would be appreciated!
Boris
Hey Jason, just an update: fixed the POD, got good batteries. Still however only the Over light comes on in all situations. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Excellent video! Helped me get mine working!!!!! Soldering in the top is tricky but do-able!
When I pull the lever to pass the film, the shutter opens and closes only when I take the photo. The shutter remains open at all times between the moment I pull the camera lever and take the picture. Do you know how to solve this problem?
Can you possibly cover how to fix the counter - doesn’t reset. Seems to be a common problem with this model. Or possibly recommend a different tutorial that tackles this? Though I haven’t found any anywhere... thanks for your video :)
Thanks to your video my investment was not in vain. Thank you.
Great instructional video! Found my Yashica Electro 35 at an antique mall. Unfortunately, I have the battery power and pad of death problem too. Want some more guidance on new pad size (length/height). May experiment with cloth tape and thin furniture pads. Does it need to be spongy or firm? Please advise. Thanks.
My homemade pad was pretty firm. I stuck the cloth tape together tightly and I'm sure the glue made it even harder. I don't know how firm the original pad is supposed to be, but that worked for me.
As for size, I just eyeballed the original one. I suspect anything reasonably close would work. IIRC I started with only a few layers of tape and did a test without glue, then added more layers until it worked.
@@musubk Just spent some time opening mine up from the top; indeed the battery wire was corroded. But to my surprise, the mirror was broken inside; also screws to the bottom cover weren't serviceable. Going to find a more qualified technician to get this camera operational. Thanks a bunch!
Hello friend, your video is helping me fix my Yashica, thank you! Explain to me one thing if you can, where did you weld the white wire of the battery and how did you get access to it? Mine is the same as yours, even loose place. Thank you !!
The author worked underneath the rangefinder assembly to solder the wire back on, but it can be removed and you will have clear access to the pin sticking up from the battery compartment. It is easier to clean the contact wire and solder a new wire in place with the rangefinder removed. Care must be taken when removing the rangefinder assembly. There are two screws holding it in place, one on the left side of the assembly (film rewind knob side), the other is in the middle of the assembly under the rangefinder cover. Those are the only two screws you should remove. There is another screw on the right side of the rangefinder assembly (film advance lever side) and you should not try to unscrew it; leave it alone. That screw is the adjustment screw for the rangefinder. With the rangefinder cover lifted up from removing the center screw, you can clean old foam particles off the interior viewfinder lenses with a QTip. It's from decayed foam padding around the film rewind tube. You can see it crumbling in the video when he removed the top cover. The battery corrosion can, and likely will, corrode the entire length of the white wire and it may have to be replaced with a new wire. It connects to the top/rear circuit board just to the right of the battery check window. Look at the circuit board to see if corrosion is present there. If so, you may want to replace the wire. Good luck.
How the heck did you get the soldier iron in there? I spent an hour on this and couldn’t get it.
Maybe my iron has a thinner tip than yours? Mine isn't a 'precision' iron, but it was just thin enough. It was a really tight fit and I burned myself a couple of times trying to hold it just right. I guess an iron with a long skinny tip would make it easier.
More camera related videos please :)
Will do! I've got a bunch of old film cameras I plan to kind of review in videos
Great Vid. Question: When you put the camera back together how were you able to get the ISO dial back in the correct position so as to be accurate when you place different ISO films?
I ask because I bought a yashica camera from ebay and the guy that sold it to me stated it was in great shape. When I put my roll of film in it and fired the first shot the shutter button stayed stuck and did not depress. After looking at many videos it looks like its the pad of death... Need help here since I really like this camera alot considering the negative rap it gets all over..
Thank you in advance
Ah, I should have showed that in the video. I turned the dial all the way to one side, it has a hard stop on either end. So if you turn it clockwise until it stops you'll be at ISO 12, and if you turn it counterclockwise until it stops you'll be at ISO 500 (or whatever the min/max ISO is on your model). Then just put the little label back on and line it up so it reads the correct ISO.
@@musubk Fantastic Jason... Thank you so much and thank you again for your video.
Stay safe sir.
How long does that battery setup last?
Thanks for the tips!
Dunno, it hasn't run out yet ;)
You are seriously one brave dude.Do you do heart surgery?
I’ll try I have the same problem.
Thanks
czcams.com/video/FkJ4Im6mPDw/video.html
I need help figuring out how to open my yashica battery compartment. It currently won't open because the slit where you usually put the coin in to turn it has been wore down over time. What do i do?
Hmm, I can't think of a non-destructive way to open that. If it were me, I'd probably take a Dremel with a cutting disc and make a new coin slot. If you use the cutting disc at right angle to the original coin slot, making it like a 'plus' on the battery cover, you can eyeball how deep you can go by cutting until it's the same depth as the original slot. Then you should be able to use a coin in the new slot to open and close it.
Jason A do those dots work to open it as well? (The 2 that are seen also on the top of the flim wind lever) there's 2 on the battery compartment too
Maybe, if you could get a small hook or something in the dot and use it to crank the cover off. It depends on how stuck the cover is. It's worth a try.
Jason A thank you very much
I just got this camera and everything seems fine except the film rewind knob will not lift so I can’t open the film door, what should I do to fix this? I really need some help I can’t find anything because in order to take off the top plate you have to open the film door
The early models (Electro 35) have a small metal tab on the lower-left side of the camera to open the film compartment. Later models (Electro 35 G's, GSN's, etc) use a combination film rewind/door open switch. I've heard owners of those cameras say lifting it sometimes wouldn't open the film door, so perhaps they can get out of alignment or corroded.
May I know how to install your pad please. I attempted to do it but It’s fail
After I made the pad out of cloth tape, I pushed it into place with tweezers and a mechanics pick. It's not easy to get in because the space is so small and hard to work in, so it took a few tries, but eventually I got it. Once it was in place I put the tip of the pick on it then dripped super glue, one drop at a time, down the pick and onto the pad so it would glue in place. I wish I could show you but I couldn't get any good video of doing it, it was hard enough to do without trying to work around another camera.
Check out this page, it helped me when I did mine elekm.net/pages/cameras/repair_pad_of_death.htm
Hi
the lens does not open anymore when I push the trigger, what can i do :(
That is probably the aperture leaves. They open and close like the pupil of your eye to control the amount of light reaching the film. In old cameras, oil from the hinge points of each aperture leaf can spread out between the leaves and basically glue them together. There are videos you can search for on how to repair that as well, but this is very delicate work and it may not work every time, or worse, it might break the aperture. If you are willing to follow video instructions (search for them yourself), and you are good at delicate work, AND don't care if you might break the camera, then you could give it a try. Otherwise, send it to a skilled repairman who specialize in doing this. Good luck.
Hi Jason that POD syndrome really spooks me and puts me off buying a Yash Electro 35. A pal told me that the Electro 35 GX doesn’t have that weakness in its design, do you know if he is right? If so then for me that is the best route for me. Loved your demonstration by the way.
Hi David, I couldn't say. I thought that all Electro 35s have the POD but I don't know for sure.
Apparently latest versions of the Electro 35, such as the GSN (GTN for the black version) do not seems to have the POD syndrome. Yashica's changed the type of pad to make it more resistant.
So no pad of death - but did it prove out on film? We're the exposures pretty much correct? Should be I would guess, but there was never a follow-up so I would like confirmation.
Yes! The camera exposes film and the images look great. The only problem I have with it these days is the batteries will die if you leave it sitting for a while.
To anyone: is there a way to safely remove the viewfinder subassembly? In order to more easily identify bad connections and solder
Yeah, that's what I'm hoping to hear. Mine has the same issue, and it seems impossible to do a good job cleaning and soldering in such tight spaces.
edit: ok, so I managed. I ended up pulling on the white wire with needle nose pliers, and finding that there was a lot of excess inside the camera. This let me pull it out overtop of the lens where, with the lens shielded by cardboard, I was able to gently clean and apply solder to the wire.
I then used a dentist tool hold the wire in position while I tapped it with a thin pencil-tip iron.
The camera now has power. Though I suspect the issue will reoccur since i was not able to remove the battery acid that caused the issue. The proper solution would be to get full access and replace the damaged wires
I restore these these Yashica cameras and have a listing in my Etsy shop "YashicaCameraRepair"
Hi Mark. Hope you are well.. Do you still work on the yashica cameras. I have the shutter release button that stuck and will not depress .
Thank you
@@gabequezada2066 Yes, on etsy.com, yashicacamerashoppe
@@markhorn8878 Thank you Mark. I sent you a message via ETSY..