Yashica 124g flash only fires on M!

[finjkerr]

Hi all, bit of an unusual one today, I have a pretty beat up yashica 124g which I am trying to connect a flash to, today I picked up a Nikon sb22, which works fine when connected via the flash sync cable I have to other cameras, but won’t fire with my yashica. I had a go at cleaning the pc sync contacts which proved unfruitful and then I pretty much gave up and switched it to the M flash sync mode as a last ditch effort. The flash miraculously fired on the M mode but not on the X mode.

This is baffling to me and I can’t find any documentation online of this issue. Could anyone point me in the right direction or suggest a solution? I understand I am not to use electronic flash on the M setting and I also don’t have the time for a CLA right now as I’m going on trip to Berlin where I hoped to use my yashica with the flash. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[F4U]

I'm afraid the shutter is going to have to be opened up to investigate. Although I'd try an old flash from that era first.

 

[Dan Daniel]

Confirm that it isn't syncing. Open the back, point camera and flash at a wall. Fire the shutter while looking through the lens through the back of the camera. If it is syncing, you will see a bright mark. Could be that the sync is so messed up that it works for X.

 

[F4U]

Confirm that it isn't syncing. Open the back, point camera and flash at a wall. Fire the shutter while looking through the lens through the back of the camera. If it is syncing, you will see a bright mark. Could be that the sync is so messed up that it works for X.

Frankly I'd be suspecting a bent or burned contact or wire inside the shutter.

 

[Dan Daniel]

Frankly I'd be suspecting a bent or burned contact or wire inside the shutter.

Most likely but the OP says time isn't there for digging in, so worth a shot at least. If he can use shutter speeds of 1/30 or slower, even M sync working properly might work.

 

[ic-racer]

This photo may be of some help. Reference below.

Yashica Mat-124 CLA Tutorial
Eugene Pate learncamerarepair.com