Yashica Electro 35 GSN

Hi I'm writing from Ushuaia, Argentina. My father in law has given me an Electro35 GTS because I like photography (I'm not a photographer anyway).

I've changed the battery and it seemed to work ok (it is almost new becouse wasn't used until now), so I've shooted some films, with some good pics and a lot of wrong exposed pics... most of all becouse I shoot lots of my pictures indoor.


I think there may be something wrong in my camera so now I'm doing some tests without film... And I would like to know if some behaviors are normal or not before opening it. Probably some Yashica owners can help me here...


1. Everywhere says that setting the camera at flash position in the dial the speed is setted at 1/30 BUT when I press the shutter, the lens keep opened until I release it (exactly like bulb setting). I tried bulb setting and it works the same way, it also fires the flash!


2. With timer flash never gets fired... it doesn't matter if the camera is setted up with flash, auto or bulb. Strangely if I I keep the shutter pressed then it works but then Why would I use timer, if I need to stay next to the camera.


3. Lastly, without flash at the camera, this happends always... If the camera turns the slow light and I press the shutter: again, the lens keeps opened until I release it... this could be normal in complete darkness becouse the speed detected is too slow but this happends also indoor and with light... let's say with aperture 1.7 the light doesn't turn on so It work ok... at f.2 it keeps opened like bulb again... STRANGELY, there is one exception here... If I keep the shutter pressed and point to a light source then the lense closes, like if it is live-mettering or something like that.


I would appreciate if you could help me whith this. Thank you in advance.

There are other places on the internet that describe it much better - but a lot of it sounds like it is down to "pad of death", a common problem with the series of camera you have inherited.

Welcome to APUG and happy shooting - if you are practical, you can replace the pad of death (and the light seals, since they have probably deteriorated) - I know Jon Goodman (a name that will come up time and time again) sells them and has an excellent reputation, so something to consider.

As mentioned above, it sounds like what is called "The Pad of Death". Which is overly dramatic, and can be repaired.

For the repair of this, and other Electro 35 problems, the following link is a good reference.

http://www.yashica-guy.com/document/repair.html

I have no personal association with the above site, but have found it to be a good reference. A good working Electro 35 is a very good camera.

Hi and thanks for the fast replys, I was thinking on that but from what I've read "Pad of Death" make a loud sound when advancing the film and mine is very quiet, or I'm wrong?

I can send you a Nikon One Touch. Private message sent.

Umut
Istanbul

fueguino84 said:

Hi and thanks for the fast replys, I was thinking on that but from what I've read "Pad of Death" make a loud sound when advancing the film and mine is very quiet, or I'm wrong?

Click to expand...

I think you've got it backwards.

If you get a "thunk" sound when you advance the film, it usually means that your POD is ok... If you get a faint "click" sound it means that the POD is either gone or on it's way out.

The symptoms that you describe kind of lead me to believe that you have the POD problem and it's really common, but also easy to fix if you're handy.

Look for the yashicaguy's website... it'll get you up to speed on the repair. I did mine and also replaced the light seals in one afternoon. You can use a neoprene plumbing washer to cut the new pad from and it'll probably last forever.

Ed

It could be the pad of death. This pad is very old now, and it does deteriorate. In the latest version of the light seal instructions I explain a more simple way to replace the pad (you do not need to disassemble the camera if you will follow my instructions), and I provide a pad of the proper thickness and density cut to the right size for you...also the dust seal for the top cover. Good luck. When this camera is working properly it will take excellent pictures.
Jon

Jon, are those instructions online anywhere? The KYphoto site seems to have a 2005 version (http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/seal/Yashica_Electro35.pdf) that does not include the section about the POD. I'd be keen to see your simplified process. I've seen such a process with minimal disassembly described with pictures somewhere online, but would trust your version better. Your instructions that I've used on prior light seal jobs (Canonet QL17, Mamiya C330, etc.) have been great, as of course have been your materials. I'm still working through a packet of seals that I ordered perhaps four years ago. (Need to buy more cameras...)

--Dave

Jon Goodman said:

It could be the pad of death. This pad is very old now, and it does deteriorate. In the latest version of the light seal instructions I explain a more simple way to replace the pad (you do not need to disassemble the camera if you will follow my instructions), and I provide a pad of the proper thickness and density cut to the right size for you...also the dust seal for the top cover. Good luck. When this camera is working properly it will take excellent pictures.
Jon

Click to expand...

Thanks Jon, your opinion is very important for me. Are those instructions available in Internet? And what about your kits?, As far as I know you're not publishing at ebay... I would like to repair my camera soon, so I would appreciate your instructions and answer to this topic. Thank you very much!

Ok, I bought Godman's kit so I'm just waiting for it to arrive and then I will post my results

Thank you all for the help

I am halfway through repairing my POD without Jon's instructions. I'm just improvising. I have been painstakingly scraping out the old pad with an X-Acto knife. It is so decayed that it is coming out as globs of sticky glop, and what remaining intact pieces there be are no larger than sand grains. Interestingly, the total volume of this rubbish looks nowhere close to 5mm x 3mm x 2mm (i.e., the size of the new pad I've already cut), which makes me wonder where the rest of it went. Did it evaporate, or lose volume as it rotted, or ... my worst fear ... fall in bits into the bowels of the camera?
--Dave

I purchased a couple of light seal kits from Jon. They come with his instructions for the pad replacement. 100% satisfied here. Since his instructions for the Pad replacement are his work, I will not post them. However, it is an easier route than I have seen on the web sites I have visited. To be fair, I have not visited every web site out there.

Thanks...if anybody here needs or wants the pad of death instructions, please send me an email to jon_goodman@yahoo.com. I am happy to send them in an MS-Word file. When you remove the old pad, you may notice there is very little of it left. This is not uncommon. The old pad just wears down. I am happy to help anyone repair this problem.
Jon

My Electro finally bit the dust. I need this pad kit & instructions. I'll send Jon an email.

His kit is easy enough, and affordable enough, that it has crossed my mind to start buying Electro 35s to give out to kids wanting to get started in film.