Found old Minolta Autocord

oldbob · Feb 11, 2012

Watching a TV show about cameras, and remembered that I have an old one somewhere....haven't used it since about 1964. Found an Autocord RG (I believe) sn 3507xx. Case was rough, stitching rotted out, but all the controls seem to work fine. So, would like to know if there are manuals for this critter available anywhere, and hopefully, a case. I'd like to use it again, as I remember it took great pictures. Any help would be appreciated.

summicron1 · Feb 11, 2012

try this:

http://www.butkus.org/chinon/

and although it is free, it is good karma to toss the guy a few bucks if you find the manual useful.

jeff786 · Feb 11, 2012

I have one. It is great beautiful pictures with a very sharp lens. I had mine cla'd. The main thing about them is the lubricant for the focusing lever gets hard and people then break the lever pushing too hard. If it's very stiff I'd recommend a CLA so you don't kill it. One of the best cameras I've used.

average-guy · Feb 11, 2012

If the camera has been stored for decades and you said the stitching on the case is "rotted out", it makes me wonder about the temperature and humidity conditions it was stored in. I don't know anything about the Autocord, but if it has a bulb setting it might be worth while to set it to bulb, set the aperture wide open and open the back of the camera. Then while looking through the front of the lens, open the shutter and shine a flashlight through from the back and look for fungus on any of the lens elements. I had this happen on a Rolleicord that was given to me after being stored for decades, the lens was covered in fungus. Good luck

Mike Wilde · Feb 13, 2012

I have rebuilt leather cases that have had the stiching rotted away.

Treat the leather with a leather conditioner meant for leather boots. Use the stuff applied with a rag; not the spray on stuff.
After a few weeks, rub on more stuff. I usually leave it a month, and in the second two week period start to flex the leatehr and then rub the conditioner (mostly lanolin I think) so it gets into any micro cracks the flexing has openned up.

The usually thick black lacing thread can be found at shoe repair places. Explain what you are doing and ask for a few meters. My shoe repair guy was more than pleased to see me fixing something old and leather up again. They might want a dollar for the thread. Get two large needles, and a good thimble, and start double stiching.

oldbob · Feb 18, 2012

The camera was stored inside the house for 10+ years, then when I retired from the Army, in my garage in Arizona, so mostly, if not all, in dry air. Inspection reveals no growth or fungus at all, and all settings and controls, with the exception of the depth of field scale, work freely. That was easily loosened up

oldbob · Feb 18, 2012

Thanks, I'll start treating the leather, then begin to re-stitch.

misok · Feb 25, 2012

my 1959 autocord is my main medium format camera and still keeps shocking me with perfect performance. in fact i cant even imagine better sharpness on cca 40x40cm enlargement (schneider componon).

Nick Merritt · Mar 2, 2012

With regard to the DOF scale, maybe just a little bit of penetrating oil (or WD40) to loosen it up. Glad to hear all is working well -- great cameras! Enjoy it.

Ian Grant · Mar 2, 2012

You may find the camera needs a CLA. I have an early 1960's Rolleiflex which until I began using it 4 years ago had only had about a dozen films through it sonce bought new, (I knew the original owner), as a consequence the film advance and shutter were erratic because lubricants had dried up. After a CLA it's as good as new.

Ian

Dan Daniel · Mar 3, 2012

The guy to contact for cleaning an Autocord in the US is Karl Bryan in Oregon. Email- karl.kathy@frontier.com
He's one of the good people out there. Honest, helpful. Only works on Autocords and a few Ricoh TLRs. Fast!

Use the camera a bit, and then send Karl an email describing its condition. He'll tell you if sending it for an overhaul is worthwhile or not. He also makes replacement focus levers, a weak spot in a great design. If you send the camera to him, ask about getting him to install one of his stronger levers. You'll get the camera back in a week, I bet.

Great lens. Great design. Unlike the focus rails of so many other TLRs, the Autocord has a brass helicoid system that makes it pretty darn impossible to knock out of alignment. Here's a set of photos of what is going on under that lens panel- http://www.flickr.com/photos/18067251@N04/sets/72157626869741228/

Zathras · Apr 22, 2012

Dan Daniel said:
The guy to contact for cleaning an Autocord in the US is Karl Bryan in Oregon. Email- karl.kathy@frontier.com
He's one of the good people out there. Honest, helpful. Only works on Autocords and a few Ricoh TLRs. Fast!

Use the camera a bit, and then send Karl an email describing its condition. He'll tell you if sending it for an overhaul is worthwhile or not. He also makes replacement focus levers, a weak spot in a great design. If you send the camera to him, ask about getting him to install one of his stronger levers. You'll get the camera back in a week, I bet.

Great lens. Great design. Unlike the focus rails of so many other TLRs, the Autocord has a brass helicoid system that makes it pretty darn impossible to knock out of alignment. Here's a set of photos of what is going on under that lens panel- http://www.flickr.com/photos/18067251@N04/sets/72157626869741228/

I sent my Autocord to Karl Bryan a few days ago, 4-19. It arrived at his house today. I was checking checking my email for confirmation that he had the camera, and found an email from him saying that the camera was repaired and ready to ship back to me. Wow!!! That's fast! I should have it back by Wednesday, 4-25. I can't wait to load the old girl up with some film and have some fun. Judging by the speed that the repairs were completed, I wonder if he set his tools out as soon as I notified him that I was shipping a camera to him. I wish all camera repairs could be this quick!

rolleiman · Apr 22, 2012

Can anyone recommend an Autocord servicing guy here in the UK?....The focussing lever on mine is rather stiff and I want to preserve it, the results are easily on a par with my Rolleiflex.

mr rusty · Apr 22, 2012

Can anyone recommend an Autocord servicing guy here in the UK

Give Michael Spencer a call at camerarepairs-r-us.co.uk. I'm not sure if he does TLRs but he's old-school - been in the camera repairs business for a very long time. He mainly specialises in SLRs (mainly OMs), but he'll give you an honest answer.

rolleiman · Apr 23, 2012

mr rusty said:
Give Michael Spencer a call at camerarepairs-r-us.co.uk. I'm not sure if he does TLRs but he's old-school - been in the camera repairs business for a very long time. He mainly specialises in SLRs (mainly OMs), but he'll give you an honest answer.

Thanks for that, I'll look him up.

Mike645 · Apr 27, 2012

I have 2 autocords - and a box of spares... lens bits, shutter bits etc... sorry, keeping the focusing arm rings/levers because you never know, but if anyone needs something else let me know, I may just have it.

Mike E W

Found old Minolta Autocord

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