Total beginner in film cameras. Could someone help me with a question. I recently got a minolta sr1 which seems in good condition apart from the self timer being a bit inconsistent. When I fire the shutter the viewfinder goes black but returns to normal after winding on. Is this normal or have I bought a dud.
Welcome to Photrio.
That is probably normal for a camera of its vintage. That was right at the beginning of a period of rapid SLR development, and an instant return mirror was one of the advances that started showing up more frequently around then.
I'll let the Minolta specialists share their more specific knowledge, but I've taken the liberty of tweaking your thread title, in hopes that it will draw attention.
No, the mirror should return, but even so, it probably won't affect the operation of the camera; just be inconvenient.
I just pulled-down my SR-1 and confirmed the mirror returns upon shutter closing...
No, the mirror should return, but even so, it probably won't affect the operation of the camera; just be inconvenient.
I just pulled-down my SR-1 and confirmed the mirror returns upon shutter closing...
Thanks Kino.
I note from some brief research that there were several versions of the SR-1, over 8 years. Is there any chance the instant return mirror arrived in the midst of that?
Thanks Kino.
I note from some brief research that there were several versions of the SR-1, over 8 years. Is there any chance the instant return mirror arrived in the midst of that?
PS: The self timer issue is probably related to the non-return of the mirror, as they share linkages and there could be some gummy lube in the path.
The cost of a CLA is probably too much to justify when you can find good examples pretty cheap on auction sites.
If you can't return it, see if it will give you good results anyways.
That SR-1 just needs a bit of attention; it is a very, very good camera and the Minolta lenses are great, inexpensive performers.
Face it, any purely mechanical camera in your budget range stands to have some issues if it wasn't serviced and/or used for a long time.
That doesn't make them a bad camera; just a neglected camera.
If you are not going to return it, try exercising it repeatedly while viewing a favorite TV show. Sometimes, the mechanism will free up with repeated use.
There were several versions of the SR-1, but they all had instant return mirrors. You need to start by knowing which model you are talking about:
http://www.subclub.org/minman/sr1.htm
Yes, they pretty much all look the same -- they are all SR-1 cameras, after all. That link tells you what the differences are.
What cost of postage and return ?Thanks for your comments. They have been very useful. I think it has been a £40 expensive lesson on not buying blindly on eBay. The cost of postage paid and returning the camera makes me want to suck it up and learn a valuable lesson.
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