minolta xd11 shutter sound/mirror kachonk

chij · Jun 18, 2011

is there something wrong with my minolta xd11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se5po1-timo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl3YlAjcpwg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-WIqhWLuB4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1olSiAU8Hyo
those were all at 1/1000 sec

i just picked this up today from the post office bought off of ebay - excellent condition even the light seals are only a few years old
ran a test roll through it on my way back from the post office - picking that up tomorrow from the lab
went home and cleaned the lenses
and used a can of air to blow away any dust inside the camera

the shutter goes "ka-chonk"
and when i put my hand on the lens when i press the shutter i can feel the vibration of the mirror lifting up and returning down through the lens - its a pretty significant vibration - doesn't seem like i should feel that

i'm going to run another test roll through it tomorrow
am wondering if the air can i used to blow away dust did something to the camera
like maybe dry out lubricant that makes the mirror less ka-chunky
i didn't notice it when i was shooting my test roll today, but maybe i just wasn't paying attention
it seems different now that i blew air inside it, but its also like 2AM and i'm tired
to me, it seems like something funky is going on with the mirror and not the shutter blades
should i try baking this in the oven

couldn't find any xd11 vids on youtube to compare but this srt101 sounds way less kachonky - go to 7:20 point
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnQexxX3M14

benjiboy · Jun 18, 2011

Sounds O.K to me, but you don't say what the shutter speed we are listening to is.

chij · Jun 18, 2011

those were all 1/1000 sec

chij · Jun 18, 2011

here's 1/15 sec
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwTeWLVUUUc
and 1/2 sec
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73buwd7Q9hw
to compare with the srt101 video

chij · Jun 18, 2011

i think its better now
this vid is 1/1000 sec again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NMeuSyKpiM
but notice how the latch at the bottom doesn't go all the way to the end like it did in the original 4 vids
an hour ago it was going all the way to the other side for all shutter speeds - as you can see in the first four vids i posted (1/1000sec)
and now there's less vibration and its not kachonky, just ka now

but the latch goes all the way to the other side when the shutter speed is 1/30sec or slower
so its still very kachonky at 1/30 or slower
if someone has an xd11 and can see if theirs also goes all the way to the end on shutter speeds 1/30 or slower

chij · Jun 18, 2011

weird, if i hold it upright in its normal shooting position the latch goes all the way to the other side at 1/30 or slower
but if i lay it on its back pointing up, the latch goes all the way to the other side for 1/60 or slower

what the heck is going on

chij · Jun 18, 2011

uh oh
if i have it on shutter priority it does what i just wrote - so maybe that wasn't 1/1000sec in that last video because shutter priority will change the shutter speed if the exposure is wrong
but ifi have it on manual than the latch goes all the way to the other side for all shutter speeds and its very kachonky

benjiboy · Jun 18, 2011

chij said:
uh oh
if i have it on shutter priority it does what i just wrote - so maybe that wasn't 1/1000sec in that last video because shutter priority will change the shutter speed if the exposure is wrong
but ifi have it on manual than the latch goes all the way to the other side for all shutter speeds and its very kachonky

A camera is a machine for taking pictures stop torturing yourself trying to find faults with it shoot some film before you jump to any conclusions, enjoy using it and get a life.

fstop · Jun 18, 2011

mirror damper foam could be bad,hence the noise

I won't even try to explain how you can't determine shutter speed from mirror sound.

that lever is for the aperture diaphram, in shutter priority it will move to differnt points based on the light levels, thats how shutter priority works, you set shutter and the camera adjusts aperture to get the correct exposure.
RTFM

upnorthcyclist · Jun 18, 2011

I compared the sound my XD makes to your videos, and there is a difference. The quality of your recording my explain it, but my XD makes a kind of shuffling noise when it's fired - quite muted - there is no clacking sound like I'm hearing in the video and no vibration that I can feel. I just had mine CLAd, but I don't recall it sounding like that even before the service was done. Not being able to actually compare the cameras side-by-side, this may not be a valid guess, but I agree with fstop - the mirror foam bumper may be shot.

Are there any black specks in the viewfinder that would indicate deteriorated foam flying around in there? The way the camera is built, it's difficult to see the mirror bumper and some disassembly is required to replace it, so if the seals weren't replaced by a professional, there's a chance that the bumper wasn't renewed.

The XD is a great camera and well worth the cost of a CLA to keep it hummin'.

Mike

chij · Jun 18, 2011

upnorthcyclist said:
I compared the sound my XD makes to your videos, and there is a difference. The quality of your recording my explain it, but my XD makes a kind of shuffling noise when it's fired - quite muted - there is no clacking sound like I'm hearing in the video and no vibration that I can feel. I just had mine CLAd, but I don't recall it sounding like that even before the service was done. Not being able to actually compare the cameras side-by-side, this may not be a valid guess, but I agree with fstop - the mirror foam bumper may be shot.

Are there any black specks in the viewfinder that would indicate deteriorated foam flying around in there? The way the camera is built, it's difficult to see the mirror bumper and some disassembly is required to replace it, so if the seals weren't replaced by a professional, there's a chance that the bumper wasn't renewed.

The XD is a great camera and well worth the cost of a CLA to keep it hummin'.

Mike

no deteriorated foam in the viewfinder
the cla costs more than the camera
thanks for comparing it to yours - thats what i was really after
the mirror comes up before the shutter blades - they don't release at the same time its weird sounding
like at 1/15sec for example, i can see the mirror coming up and blocking the viewfinder and then the shutter blades open - like really distinctly out of sync - a definite three sound da-ka-chonk

Gerald C Koch · Jun 18, 2011

fstop said:
mirror damper foam could be bad,hence the noise

Yes, the damper fosm in a used cameras should always be checked before you start doing anything. I cracked the mirror in a Yashica SLR because there was a machine screw under the foam. The foam not only damped the mirror return but also shielded the mirror from the screw head. When the foam distintegrated there was nothing to protect the mirror.

chij · Jun 18, 2011

i don't think its the mirror bumper foam though
seller said the light seals were replaced by a camera store in 2006

upnorthcyclist · Jun 18, 2011

The XD has an air damper that cushions the mirror mechanism - I have read that these can be troublesome. Usually it gets slow, creating a lag in the cycle. I mention this because it seems like if it isn't working, i.e. not cushioning, maybe it can cause the mechanism to clatter. Also, keep in mind that the XD has a "final check" in its metering system that corrects exposure after the camera closes the aperture down but before the shutter fires. Maybe try firing the shutter with a lens on the camera with the aperture wide open, then with the aperture stopped down and see if there is a difference.

The metal, vertical shutter used in the XD is really a fine, smooth mechanism - one of the better ones around. The only things I've read about that caused problems with this shutter are actual damage (sticking ones thumb through it when loading film) or a small bit of film getting caught in the mechanism.

You know, the actual cost of a used camera is generally thought of as the price you paid for it plus the cost of a CLA.

John Koehrer · Jun 18, 2011

chij said:
no deteriorated foam in the viewfinder
the cla costs more than the camera
thanks for comparing it to yours - thats what i was really after
there mirror comes up before the shutter blades - they don't release at the same time its weird sounding
like at 1/15sec for example, i can see the mirror coming up and blocking the viewfinder and then the shutter blades open - like really distinctly out of sync - a definite three sound da-ka-chonk

The deteriorated foam would be in the mirror box, not the shutter. At the top of the lens mount, inside the camera. They are usually the width of the focusing screen and 3-5mm from front to back.
Any SLR made, the mirror goes up first, it's actually what releases the shutter and has no effect on shutter speed.
The audio if it's accurate seems as though it's noisier than I recall. The XD cameras were the quietest Minolta made.

fstop · Jun 19, 2011

chij said:
i don't think its the mirror bumper foam though
seller said the light seals were replaced by a camera store in 2006

Thats a dirty trick used by unscrupulous sellers on ebay. The mirror foam is not a light seal so they can get away with saying the seals have been down yet the mirror cushion could be completly shot or even nonexistant and they get off scott free.

The XDs do have bumper/cushion foam in the mirror box.

Ralph Javins · Jun 19, 2011

Good morning, chij;

To my ears, in comparison with the Minoltas I have here, the mirror bumper may not be in very good shape, or not there. Others have mentioned that it is not easy to change the bumper normally. To paraphrase an old well known statement; "Some [dis]assembly required."

And, your observation about your price for the camera - with shipping - was less than what the cost of a CLA will be is fairly common. And, I normally assume that anything that I get from e-Bay will be in need of a CLA. So far from e-Bay, about 20% of what has been received was able to be put into service with just a CLA. About 60% of them have needed obvious repair in addition to a CLA to get them to work back in normal specification. The remaining 20% were so far gone that it was going to be more than what even I wanted to invest to get them operational again; they became parts cameras. I do want to point out that each and every one of these cameras was described on e-Bay as; "Used, but fully functional . . . " Even for someone who "is not a camera person," what does it take to recognize that a camera may not be "fully functional" when the front portion of the lens flops around from side to side?

Anyway, you might try Garry's Camera, Niles, Illinois, www.garryscamera.com You may find his prices to be a little more palatable. Please note that a few people have sent their cameras back for rework, but most seem to be very happy with their results.

minolta xd11 shutter sound/mirror kachonk

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