In my quest for the smallest possible SLR package, I think I've probably gone through six total Konica TC-X bodies. ALL of them had non-functioning electronics and a healthy amount of rust/acid in the battery compartment. It's a real shame, since if size/weight is all you care about, the combo of the TC-X and 40mm pancake is pretty fantastic. It's not for everyone functionally and aesthetically, but it's definitely small and light.
Finally, I managed to get my hands on a NOS TC-X, still wrapped up in its box. Lo and behold, the meter worked! O happy day! Unfortunately, the lens mount was badly shimmed, resulting in an uneven focal plane and an inability to focus all the way to infinity. So what did I do? I bought another copy just to swap mounts...which, unfortunately, had a totally different shim arrangement inside. Swapping them just led to it being bad in a different way. So I bought another one, and the same thing happened. I now, officially no longer have the patience to try and get it right. I'm sure someone could, though, especially if they have the means to measure the flange distance properly and precisely. So, if you feel like taking up that mantle, you can buy:
- Three TC-X bodies. One is essentially new and fully functional, but will as I said need the mount adjusted. It also looks like I might have nudged the focusing screen out of alignment while fiddling around. The other two work mechanically (which means they're totally workable as cameras, since they don't need the electronics to function) but have no meters. And, of course, since I messed around with the mounts, neither of them is properly calibrated.
- A little bag of shims that came from all three cameras.
- Two 40/1.8 pancake lenses. One is fine but has a harmless chip in the aperture ring. The other has a bit of haze that doesn't affect anything, and the filter ring has been slightly skewed.
This wondrous bounty can be yours for the low low price of $70 including shipping and PP fees. That's probably around as much as you'd pay for the two lenses alone. Of course, I'll listen to offers!
Finally, I managed to get my hands on a NOS TC-X, still wrapped up in its box. Lo and behold, the meter worked! O happy day! Unfortunately, the lens mount was badly shimmed, resulting in an uneven focal plane and an inability to focus all the way to infinity. So what did I do? I bought another copy just to swap mounts...which, unfortunately, had a totally different shim arrangement inside. Swapping them just led to it being bad in a different way. So I bought another one, and the same thing happened. I now, officially no longer have the patience to try and get it right. I'm sure someone could, though, especially if they have the means to measure the flange distance properly and precisely. So, if you feel like taking up that mantle, you can buy:
- Three TC-X bodies. One is essentially new and fully functional, but will as I said need the mount adjusted. It also looks like I might have nudged the focusing screen out of alignment while fiddling around. The other two work mechanically (which means they're totally workable as cameras, since they don't need the electronics to function) but have no meters. And, of course, since I messed around with the mounts, neither of them is properly calibrated.
- A little bag of shims that came from all three cameras.
- Two 40/1.8 pancake lenses. One is fine but has a harmless chip in the aperture ring. The other has a bit of haze that doesn't affect anything, and the filter ring has been slightly skewed.
This wondrous bounty can be yours for the low low price of $70 including shipping and PP fees. That's probably around as much as you'd pay for the two lenses alone. Of course, I'll listen to offers!
