Minolta xg-1 shutter stuck open

[lrlebron]

I recently purchased a Minolta XG-1 at a rummage sale. I placed some new batteries in and and clicked the shutter. It worked the first time but the second time I tried the shutter remained open. I tried taking the batteries out and replacing them with another fresh pair but nothing seems to work.

Any ideas?

thanks,

Luis

 

[xkaes]

When you remove the battery and re-install it, does the shutter fire once?

Try this. Remove the battery and re-install it. Turn the camera on. Lightly press the shutter release halfway. Does anything light up in the viewfinder????.

 

[BMbikerider]

The Minolta's from that era right through to the X700 were prone to the magnets that work the shutter becoming 'sticky' but they can usually be rectified with a clean and resetting the speeds. It isn't a task for the amateur I'm afraid unless you have some knowledge how to adjust the shutter afterwards.

 

[dynachrome]

I think the problem is not oily magnets, a common Olympus OM10 problem, but bad capacitors. An X700 with new capacitors and a general overhaul can give many years of good service. The XG series is not made nearly as well as the X700/X570 series. I still have some working XG cameras. They have nice bright finders but mechanically and electronically they are weak and not worth fixing.

 

[xkaes]

The problem with "Minolta's" capacitors is primarily with later X-cameras -- after the XK, XD, & XG series -- when manufacturing was moved in China. If the OP follows my inscrtuction above:

Try this. Remove the battery and re-install it. Turn the camera on. Lightly press the shutter release halfway. Does anything light up in the viewfinder????.

It will be easy to see if the capacitor is the problem. Usually, the shutter will not fire with a bad capacitor -- not enough electricity for the shutter to fire.

 

[lrlebron]

I reinstalled the batteries and nothing lit up in the viewfinder. I do not thinking it's worth fixing.

thanks

 

[xkaes]

Assuming that the camera was turned ON and nothing lit up in the viewfinder, it suggests that the capacitor (an inexpensive fix) is NOT the problem, unfortunately.

The good news is that you can get good, used XG-1 (or XG-A, etc.) for under $20. I'm assuming you don't need a lens.

If you'd like to compare Minolta's various SLR cameras, check out:

http://www.subclub.org/minman/slrtable.php