Minolta Hi-Matic 9 - Speed issue

[Malkolm]

Hello,

I found a Minolta Hi-Matic 9 yesterday, it looks like new and the light meter seems to work fine. The issue is the speeds don't seem to work correctly. In both manual mode and A mode, the shutter speed seems very fast and identical at any settings ( 1 2 8 15 30 60 125 250 500). SO I think this does not work as it should. I tried to find a service manual on line but nothing.
Is there someone who could help to see how I could fix that?
Or someone with a similar issue on a Hi-Matic camera?
Thanks

 

[Malkolm]

Hello I just noticed something. When I put the camera upside down, the shutter speed seems to be correct.Not very convenient to take a picture
But it sound like a loss part problem.

 

[Kino]

Could be a spring in the shutter that is out of place or a sticky speed pallet that needs the extra help from gravity to fall into position.

 

[Malkolm]

It seems that in Auto mode the speed is not adjusted. Even using the camera upside down, if I go in a dark place or a brighter place, the shutter speed sound the same. not sure what to do at the end without a service manual. I have never open this type of camera, so I don't really know where to look at.

 

[Kino]

http://www.oocities.org/zzhuy/hiMatic9/hiMatic9.html

It's not a trivial camera to disassemble, but it can be done with patience.

 

[Malkolm]

Thank you Kino, I opened the front part of the lens and the bottom of the camera, all clean. I decided to close it as I don't feel like going through that for the moment.
Anyway, since I played with it a lot this morning to understand the problem, the shutter speeds seem correct now even not using it upside down. Perhaps the lose part or what ever it was needed to work a bit. Just the A mode seems to not be working for the moment.

 

[Kino]

Sounds like it has been inactive for a long time.

I would continue to exercise the camera as long as nothing seems to bind or be overly stiff. Maybe you could put it under an incandescent lamp for awhile to get it warm and then exercise it more. The lubrication has no doubt stiffened-up...