minolta autocord

[georgedoun]

Hello! I was recently bought a minolta autocorde export model. When i advance the film i realized that without taking a shot i can advance the film again and again! Any idea if this is a mechanical problem or it's normal? Thank you in advance!

 

[removedacct1]

So, let me get this right: you put film in the camera, and advanced it to the first frame, yes? Did the film advance winder actually STOP at frame one? You appear to be saying that you can keep advancing the film through the camera without actually firing the shutter, is that correct? If that's what you're seeing, then no, that is NOT normal. Something needs repair.

 

[georgedoun]

I advance the the film to the next frame by winding the crank as far as ti goes and i return it its position(anticlockwise) with the handle snapped in to its holder.Without firing the shutter i can repeat the procedure by moving to the next frame.

 

[snapguy]

autocord

I don't know how it works with the Autocord but the somewhat-similar Rolleiflex and the Yashicamat load very differently. With one you have to feed the film under a roller and with the other you have to feed the film over the roller. If you don't, the film just winds through the whole roll without stopping. Have you consulted an owner's manual?

 

[Sirius Glass]

Welcome to APUG

You can get a manual at http://www.butkus.org/chinon/minolta.htm Please remember to pay $3 to the volunteer who provides the manuals if you find the manual useful.

 

[georgedoun]

I ca not find the manual of this actual version although the one i have does not mention anything about this.

 

[jspillane]

I believe the Autocord doesn't have the third roller, but instead you align the arrow with two red dots before closing the back... not sure why that would allow you to roll through if you do it wrong though, I would just expect strange spacing.

If you double check your loading technique and you are still getting the problem, I'd say send it in for a CLA.

Maybe this would be useful:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL-CG_M2XIQ

 

[Rick A]

http://www.butkus.org/chinon/minolta/minolta_autocord/minolta_autocord.htm

There are several models, but I think this is the one you need.

 

[Dan Daniel]

To be clear- you do have film in the camera, yes? Without film, the double exposure mechanism doesn't engage and it will behave as you describe.

With cameras like the Rollei and Yashica, an empty film spool in the takeup chamber will make the camera operate as if there was film (well, you still need film to kick the automat mechanism in a Rolleiflex). But the Autocord, with its top loading and reversed film path, won't be fooled by an empty spool.

There is no roller to put the film between on the autocord.

Anyway- film in camera? Than you have a jammed or broken mechanism inside the wind side. There are small levers that should drop/be pulled into a locked position when the wind action is completed; sounds as if yours is not going into place. If the winding is going ok, sounds as if you can still use the camera but just remember to not wind until after a shot.

The interior of the camera- the levers you need to be concerned with are to the bottom and right of the main wind drum.

 

[georgedoun]

I saw the video you posted and i am doing it right. the camera is already CLA. I know that when you advance the film you have to take a shot and then the camera allows you to advance the film to the next frame. but in my case i can advance the film continuously without taking a shot. The frame counter is working properly.

 

[removedacct1]

If you can advance past frame one to frame two, three, etc when there is film in the camera, and without firing the shutter, then something's broken and needs repair. Take it back to whoever did the CLA and show them what they missed.

(I have an Autocord and it is NOT supposed to do what you've described)

 

[georgedoun]

Thank you all.You are very helpful!

 

[komla]

Before adding the film, make sure the arrow shows in the frame counter window. Page 22; http://www.cameramanuals.org/minolta_pdf/minolta_autocord-02.pdf
If the arrow is not there the frame counter is not reset
(move the 'cogwheel' that moves with the film and to show the arrow).

 

[mooseontheloose]

I have owned several Autocords over the years but the one I just recently bought (also CLA) has this same issue -- sometimes. I find that BEFORE I load the film I have to fire the shutter and wind the mechanism, I guess to reset the frame counter. Then, I load the film and the camera behaves normally. If I don't do it, then the film will just go past every number and I end up with a blank roll that I have to respool. I've never had this problem with any other Autocord (or any other TLR for that matter) before. Maybe it's an issue with the CLA? Or perhaps it's a quirk of the Autocord that I haven't heard of before.

 

[Dan Daniel]

I have owned several Autocords over the years but the one I just recently bought (also CLA) has this same issue -- sometimes. I find that BEFORE I load the film I have to fire the shutter and wind the mechanism, I guess to reset the frame counter. Then, I load the film and the camera behaves normally. If I don't do it, then the film will just go past every number and I end up with a blank roll that I have to respool. I've never had this problem with any other Autocord (or any other TLR for that matter) before. Maybe it's an issue with the CLA? Or perhaps it's a quirk of the Autocord that I haven't heard of before.

It's not a 'quirk.' It's a defect. Something is wrong. The status of the shutter cocking should not affect the counter reset and proper functioning. I don't know what you can do with whoever sold it to you, but it is not working properly.

 

[georgedoun]

The camera responds perfect and i wouldn't have noticed the problem. But i didn't remember if i had advance the film after the previous shot.
My anxiousness is if this will cause further problems in the future...

 

[Trask]

The OP doesn't say that the film actually advances, if I've read carefully. He says he can crank again, and the numbers advance -- but when you get to 12 and wind on, then open the camera, has the film actually moved?

 

[Dan Daniel]

The OP doesn't say that the film actually advances, if I've read carefully. He says he can crank again, and the numbers advance -- but when you get to 12 and wind on, then open the camera, has the film actually moved?

The flipped film path of the Autocord- top to bottom, not bottom to top as on most TLRs- and the way the wind and counting mechanism are designed make it pretty impossible for the counter to move without the film moving. The motion of the upper spool drives the counter mechanism. The upper spool, in turn, is driven by the film being pulled away from it onto the lower spool. The lower spool is driven by the winding lever.

On a Rolleiflex and YashicaMat, the upper spool drives the counter mechanism as in the Autocord. But the upper spool is also driven directly by the winding lever, so no film is needed to make the counter move forward.

 

[georgedoun]

The film advances as it should be and the counter works exellent.The thing is that i dont know if it is logical to advance the film again and again without firing the shutter.
It is possible my bad english make the conversation dificult....

 

[georgedoun]

Dan Daniel,without film in the camera the film counter does not move forward from 1 to 2 etc.

 

[Dan Daniel]

The film advances as it should be and the counter works exellent.The thing is that i dont know if it is logical to advance the film again and again without firing the shutter.
It is possible my bad english make the conversation dificult....

Well. let me try to rephrase it in my own version of English and see if this is what is happening.

You load film in the camera, close the back, and wind the lever forward until it stops. At this point, you wind the lever back until it stops, and the counter says 1.

If you now try to wind the lever forward- without firing the shutter- the lever will go forward, the film feels as if it is winding on. When the lever stops going forward, you wind back until the lever stops. The counter now says 2.

This operation- no firing of the shutter but the lever winding forward and the counter moving to the next number- is possible at any frame number in a roll.

When you have finished the 12th frame and wound the film on and open the back, the film is now in the bottom chamber.

Well, if this describes the problem, then yes, it is a problem. Something is wrong. You paid for a working camera, and you do not have a working camera.

 

[georgedoun]

Dan,thanks a lot. This is exactly what happens...

 

[OAPOli]

Well. let me try to rephrase it in my own version of English and see if this is what is happening.

You load film in the camera, close the back, and wind the lever forward until it stops. At this point, you wind the lever back until it stops, and the counter says 1.

If you now try to wind the lever forward- without firing the shutter- the lever will go forward, the film feels as if it is winding on. When the lever stops going forward, you wind back until the lever stops. The counter now says 2.

This operation- no firing of the shutter but the lever winding forward and the counter moving to the next number- is possible at any frame number in a roll.

When you have finished the 12th frame and wound the film on and open the back, the film is now in the bottom chamber.

Well, if this describes the problem, then yes, it is a problem. Something is wrong. You paid for a working camera, and you do not have a working camera.

I'm reviving this old thread since I have a very similar issue with my Autocord.

I'm able to get a correctly spaced film, but the camera allows winding between frames. After the film is advanced and the shutter is cocked, but before the shutter is fired, I'm able to wind the film about one half-frame, then the crank stops. I can return it to park, then advance again and the crank stops at the next frame number. And so on...

Not a huge problem (I may lose a frame) but wondering if people have repaired this specific issue?