Minolta XK AE-S finder troubleshooting

[Bearman]

So my new flea market find -- a late-model Minolta XK in excellent condition -- has an issue I'm looking to fix. The AE-S finder's "aperture follower lever" is stuck to the right (as you face the camera, next to the red dot as in the photo below).

When I remount the finder to the body, the aperture lever remains in this position and is unable to properly engage the lens' aperture ring.

Above is the correct and only position when mounting the finder to the body. The finder will not snap mount if the aperture follower lever is on the left side.

There is a springed plunger button in the middle of the finder's bottom front that is supposed to unlatch the aperture follower lever, sending it back to the left (so that it might engage with the aperture ring tab on an MD lens).

I was able to trigger the plunger button with a small screwdriver, however, the plunger was not depressing far enough when I remounted the finder. Pictured below is the button circled in yellow, with the aperture follower lever "unlatched" on the left from the red-dot side:

As this is my first XK I'm not sure how this mechanism should work.

I cocked and triggered the aperture follower lever several times to see if it was just gunked up. No change.

The finder won't mount unless the aperture follower lever is on the right side next to the red dot. But how should the lever swing back so that it catches and controls the lens' aperture ring??

I guess that in my example the button circled in yellow is not depressing enough under normal circumstances. Maybe it needs to be adjusted from the inside?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions...


A few notes:

• The camera otherwise is in fine shape.
• With new batteries the meter LEDs in the finder work only in stop-down mode.
• The shutter works at all speeds although haven't calibrated yet.
• Finder does not appear to be dented or otherwise damaged.

 

[xkaes]

This is a common "problem". Usually it just means that the finder was not put on to the camera straight enough. Since the plunger works, it's just a matter of getting the plunger to connect correctly with the edge of the camera body. If inserted at an angle, the connection won't occur.

The plunger does not look dented/bend/worn-out/etc. Give it a few more tries. My guess is that putting the finder on straighter will solve the problem -- but what do I know?

 

[Bearman]

Thanks very much, xkaes, for looking at this. Further searching led me to what I believe is the issue and a solution that I'll try.

It's described here:

Minolta AES Viewfinder repair – thingummybob.com

(Start reading halfway down the page at the paragraph beginning with "Below is a very different problem which afflicts almost every Minolta AE-S and AE viewfinder...")

His solution is to build up the body edge where the plunger strikes so that the plunger depresses more deeply into the finder, thus releasing the cocked coupler lever to the proper post-mount position.
gummybob uses a bit of wood covered with electrical tape

 

[xkaes]

Good luck.

Maybe the camera ended up at a flea market because the owner thought he had a dead head -- apologies to the Greatful Dead.

 

[Bearman]

Fixed it. Following Gummybob's instructions, I cut a small piece of a wooden matchstick and electrical-taped it to the front body panel like this:

The nub there is enough to trigger the aperture arm when the finder is mounted.

I'll go back later and improve my taping but for now, I can meter/shoot with MD auto lenses and further test the camera.

THANK YOU XKAES, ANDREAS, AND GUMMYBOB

Ready to test a roll...!

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Fixed it. Following Gummybob's instructions, I cut a small piece of a wooden matchstick and electrical-taped it to the front body panel like this:

View attachment 389635

The nub there is enough to trigger the aperture arm when the finder is mounted.

I'll go back later and improve my taping but for now, I can meter/shoot with MD auto lenses and further test the camera.

THANK YOU XKAES, ANDREAS, AND GUMMYBOB

Ready to test a roll...!

View attachment 389636

Congratulations from Vienna – well done!!

 

[xkaes]

Do you have the user manual for the AE-S head? It's not as easy as a bicycle.

 

[Bearman]

I saw the regular AE finder manual during my search but didn't download it.
If I need to go inside the AE-S I'm going to send it to Andreas in Vienna

 

[Andreas Thaler]

If I need to go inside the AE-S I'm going to send it to Andreas in Vienna

Don't make yourself unhappy!

The XM/XK and their viewfinders are among the most complex things Japan has ever built!

Our Minolta expert @xkaes will certainly confirm this.

I only did a superficial job on mine, but thankfully it was enough to fix the problems:

Minolta XM with automatic viewfinder AE-S: electronic contact problems resolved

My Minolta XM recently got an AE-S automatic viewfinder - completely by chance. The viewfinder was offered to me when I bought a Canon T90. Since this viewfinder is very rare, of course I couldn't say no. In addition, the piece was in mint condition 😍 The AE-S has a silicon measuring cell...

www.photrio.com

 

[steved]

I have the exact same problem with my XK AE finder. My investigation after taking the top off, looking around and pressing the detent button on the finder itself indicates mine needs repair. No amount of forceful pressing on the finder will release it.

I'm glad yours found another way to be successful. Don't know the distinction between the two units and quite possibly they are different problems.

I'll let you know the result of my repair as I've already sent it off. Could be a while. Nevertheless, when I get it back I'll give a result.

On a slightly different tangent, I should think even if a finder was totally unrecoverable, one could use a waist level finder as a substitute. Yes, you'd lose the metering but at least the camera body would be a successful and productive machine.

Steve

 

[xkaes]

First, the AE and the AE-S heads are very different. It's not just the super-sensitive silicone metering cell. For example, in LOW light, there is a button you press, and an LED scale appears in the viewfinder -- great for low light. So if you have an AE-S finder, the AE manual will be of only limited use.

You can use the head even if it's dead in manual mode. That would be the same as with the plain finder or the waist level finder.

The release tab not working MIGHT be something that could be fixed by taking the cover off and seeing if something is BENT inside -- but I would not mess with anything more involved than that.

 

[Bearman]

@xkaes: I hear you. I found and downloaded the AE-S finder user guide from Butkus.
The low light button on the AE-S is very cool, showing shutter speeds in the LED scale as long as 8 sec!

 

[xkaes]

The low light button on the AE-S is very cool, showing shutter speeds in the LED scale as long as 8 sec!

OK. You've convinced me!

 

[xkaes]

I should have thought about this earlier -- but better late than never.

The AE-S head manual tells you to lock the metering tab before you place the AE-S on the camera body, but this isn't the only way to put it on the camera.

It depends on if a lens is on the camera.

If there is a lens on the camera, the best way is the lock the head before placing it on the camera.

But if there is NOT a lens on the camera, you can put the AE-S head on the camera with or without locking the head.

And especially if your AE-S release tab has trouble "releasing" when put on the head on the camera body, simply avoid the problem (and IFFY repair) by never locking the metering tab on the head. Put it on UNLOCKED. Just take the lens off of the camera before you swap heads -- DON'T lock the AE-S head -- and put the lens back on when you are done!

Problem solved.

 

[Nimbus62]

But if there is NOT a lens on the camera, you can put the AE-S head on the camera with or without locking the head.

No , you have to always arm the lever. There is an internal mecanism to block the locking of the head on the body if you done arm the lever.
Many head have a problem because the user force and lock the head.

Second point there is an exentric screw head to adjust the release of the diaphragme coupling lever. You have to adjust it to release the lever when you lock the finder on the body. The exentric is behind the front plate on the right.

 

[xkaes]

All I can do is refer to the three AE-S heads that I have, and I don't have to lock the aperture tab on any of them before a put them on the camera body. They work the same whether I lock the tab or not. Of course, I have to lock the tab if a lens is on the body, but without a lens either way works. Maybe I just have three flukes.

 

[Nimbus62]

Yes, well understood but this is not normal I will say. I had the same position in the past, thinking that we have to arm only in case there is a lens on the body. But when I open a AE or AE-S, I discover that the mecanism block the finder if we do not arm the diaph coupling lever. I check the AE I aquire in the past and for shure the blocking mecanism was bent!!! I agree it is more convenient the way you use, arming only if a lens is mounted but it is not the way Minolta designed the finder. Only to clarify.

 

[Nimbus62]

It is clearly describe in the original documentation from Minolta 1974 for AE finder and 1976 documentation for AE-S. Each XM, X-1 or XK body sold had an additional documentation, 4 pages, called: "HOW TO ASSEMBLE CAMERA COMPONENTS" explaining clearly how to install Focusing Screen Finder and Lens. AE Finder coupler arm must be armed before installing with or without lens.

 

[xkaes]

Yes, the manual for the AE-S states that the aperture lever should be locked before installing, and that not locking the lever will damage the head.

I always lock the lever before I attach them.

Why mine seem to work fine either way is surprising.