Another Konica C35 question

Does anyone here own a Konica C35 or one of it's many clones? The one I just bought has it's shutter blades completely exposed on the back side of the lens! Is this normal, or do I have a parts camera due to a missing rear lens element?

I think you will find that normal. My Chinon 35EE is a supposed clone with exposed shutter, but doesn't like being called that

Forgot to ask,

How are the light seals and is the focus stiff.

I've a few rangefinders but I really enjoy using the Chinon,........so will you

Thank you very much. They certainly cut a lot of cost corners on these.

The focus is good, and the light seals are pure crap. There's black sticky stuff all over the edges of the camera internally and on the back door edges. I need to address the latter, but until I run a test roll of film through it, it's tape up the back w/ electrical tape first.

The light meter is also way off w/ a 1.5V battery, but I was able to work around that by lowering the ISO setting on the camera. 400 ISO on my hand held meter needed to go down to 25 ISO on the camera, which was as low as it will adjust to. My preference is to go that route rather than use the hearing aid batteries, or buy an expensive adapter that would cost more than I paid for the camera itself.

I think your Chinon is actually built a little better than the Konicas.

Hi Momus.

The first thing I did with mine was to change the seals, a horrible sticky mess. I thought I might have "oversealed it" by putting in the seals too thick, but they bedded down nicely.

Now, the meter. I had a Gaf Memo which is essentially the same camera and the meter was playing me up all the time, in the end I threw it away!

When I got the Chinon I realised what the problem was. The screw in battery cover plate wasn't pressing the battery down enough to make a good connection, so I packed it out and the meter seems ok against other cameras now.

I know I should have the 1.35v battery but it seems ok.

The battery compartment diameter in the Chinon also gives a lot of slop when using the hearing aid battery.

Might be worth a try as the meter read very low when it was playing up.

Sewin said:

Hi Momus.

The first thing I did with mine was to change the seals, a horrible sticky mess. I thought I might have "oversealed it" by putting in the seals too thick, but they bedded down nicely.

Now, the meter. I had a Gaf Memo which is essentially the same camera and the meter was playing me up all the time, in the end I threw it away!

When I got the Chinon I realised what the problem was. The screw in battery cover plate wasn't pressing the battery down enough to make a good connection, so I packed it out and the meter seems ok against other cameras now.

I know I should have the 1.35v battery but it seems ok.

The battery compartment diameter in the Chinon also gives a lot of slop when using the hearing aid battery.

Might be worth a try as the meter read very low when it was playing up.

Click to expand...

Plumbers o ring will stop the smaller batteries moving.
If you do use an alkaline or silver cell you need to check it in bright light and dull light cause the error and compensation can be variable.

I once had a little GAF Point Five, probably the same as your Memo. Mine was black, which was neater than my current Konice C35, but since I got this one for free, I ain't complaining. Besides, I have lots of paint.

Thanks for the info on the light seals. I usually use black yarn from Walwart, and unravel it until I have just one thread. One yarn roll should last me several lifetimes, and as you said, it may feel over stuffed initially, but leaving the camera closed for a few days will fix that.

Here's a neat little GAF Memo 35EE for a great price, or best offer, from a real camera store (I know nothing of them except for that). I PM'd them through ePrey's messaging deal, and he said the meter on this one was working fine, it just needed to be reset on the camera's ISO to be accurate. Cute lil booger, and I especially like the redesigned film advance lever. Very stylish, and it has the film frame counter inside the lever. Otherwise the lens area is way too busy for my tastes, so it might need a cheapo slotted hood to cover that up (or the aforementioned paint). I wish someone would buy this, as it's been tempting me for a while.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/141682619089?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649

That top plate is the same as the Chinon with the built in frame counter. Mine is silver.

I was lucky with mine, I paid £12 for the all black Gaf, which I stupidly threw away and only 99 pence for the Chinon, so bargains are out there.

I agree that the lens is a bit fussy looking comapred to the Konica, although its very similar on the Chinon, but doesn't look too bad in the flesh. I've a 46mm UV filter on mine which doesn't make it so obvious.

Xmas, good idea, rubber O rings are also good to use on the circular Kiev eyepieces for spectacle users, glue on with a removable glue as they are like cheesegraters on specs apparently.