Stuck ISO selector in Minolta X-700

nhemann · Jul 23, 2011

Title says it all - I don't recall doing anything traumatic to my girl but I cannot move the dial off 100. Not a huge deal as these days I generally shoot that speed anyway and/oruse an external meter all the time, but does anybody know what the heck might have caused it? And more importantly, is there an easy way to fix it or do I need to find a surgeon?

Thanks
N

BobD · Jul 23, 2011

You know you have to lift the ISO setting ring as you turn it, right?

Sirius Glass · Jul 23, 2011

BobD said:
You know you have to lift the ISO setting ring as you turn it, right?

It has been about 10 years since I used a Minolta X-700, but what Bob said I am sure is right. When you raise the ring up, it moves way up, almost the height of the ring. Then and only then can you rotate the ring to change the ISO setting. The design was to prevent the setting from easily changing.

Steve

nhemann · Jul 23, 2011

Maybe I should have stated this in the beginning - I have owned my Minoltas for ten years, so yeah, I'm aware of the lifty portion of the show.

This just happened out of the blue as far as I can tell so was looking for slightly more indepth ideas

John Koehrer · Jul 23, 2011

Is it possible that something got spilled on the camera? Pop makes a good glue.
Or check the ISO dial retaining screw to be sure it's tight. Under the RW knob.

altim · Jul 24, 2011

I would take the knob off and take a look, I've replaced this knob with little drama in the past. I would set the exposure comp to one of the extremes so you know where things go in case you lose your place. Normally I'd say set the film speed to one of the extremes too, but that is obviously not possible. Take a pic of the step when you expose most of the workings, so you know how it goes back together.

I've had it stuck before (which is why I replaced it), a dog chewed the raised portion of the ring and kind of staked it against the main plastic knob. So check for physical damage, I fixed it by using an x-acto knife and cutting off the staked portion

Jeff Kubach · Jul 24, 2011

Could you use a drop or two of 3 in 1 oil?

Jeff

Mike Wilde · Jul 25, 2011

Crap (i know, a non technical catch all term) can get into this mechanism over time. I have an old x-700 that came to me filed with dust. The camera works fine, but the film speed adjust is a bear to move, even with a fair bit of a clean up. So perhaps a bit of lube would help, but that in turn will aid in snaring more crap as time in use builds.

John Koehrer · Jul 25, 2011

Jeff Kubach said:
Could you use a drop or two of 3 in 1 oil?

Jeff

Umm, The oil is a no-no.
The knob rotates a set of brushes on a resistor band. A drop of hydrogen peroxide might do it.

Stuck ISO selector in Minolta X-700

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