# Adventure with Auto Wide



## dxqcanada (Apr 28, 2012)

So, I decided to get my wife a new addition to her Minolta collection ... the Minolta Autowide.







I bought it as "unknown working condition".

It was dusty. Looking over the mechanisms I immediately noticed that the "program" shift was not working properly ... it would not go to either extremes of aperture. This is when I noticed that one of the aperture blades was stuck.
I then started to disassemble the camera to get at the aperture.
I warn others not to attempt this yourself without prior experience ... in my case it had been reported that I successfully unbolted a toilet at the age of 8, to figure out where the water went ... fortunately I was stopped before I completed my disassembly.

The design of these cameras is very tight. After removing the front element, casing, and retaining rings, I encountered the aperture layer. It appeared that one of the blades was damaged. After taking it apart and removing the one blade it took me hours to put it back together ... every time I put things back I would knock either the aperture blades out of the slots or I would knock the shutter blades out of their pins. I was able to get the shutter/lens assembly back together on day two (for some reason they made the selftimer gear mechanism on a pivoting bracket that keeps popping out preventing the case from fitting). That's when I realized I had somehow shifted the exposure coupling, so I had to figure out how to reset it. While I was doing that I figured out how to calibrate the exposure meter.
Finally it was done !!!, cleaner and working (less one aperture blade).
Now I am looking at two small screws sitting on my desk ... I don't think I want to go back in to figure out where they came from.

Looking back at this ... I really should have documented the disassembly from the beginning so I could figure my way back.


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## apples (Apr 30, 2012)

Sample pictures!

I should get an old junker of a camera and see if I could put it back together...


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## Derrel (Apr 30, 2012)

"Cool story, bro!" as o hey tyler is prone to saying. Yeah...taking apart a camera on the kitchen table and winging it, getting stuck, trying and failing, trying and failing, cussing, sweating,muttering under one's breath, "Are you done yet honey?",taking a break, "sleeping on it", and so on...yeah, uh-huh. Been there, done that, after about three such endeavors vowed never to do it again...did it again, vowed never to do it again...oh what's one more time?, oh why not just onnnnne more...etc...uh-huh.

I've waded into a Koday Pony, an Argus C-3, a Cosina CX-2, various old Agfa 35mm's, a Practika SLR, various old TLR's...overall record...like my brother used to say, "More screw-ups (_substitute coarse euphemism for the 'real' quote_) than fix-ups!"

I have a small box with lots of extra camera parts and screws, if ya' happen to need some...


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## dxqcanada (Apr 30, 2012)

Sample pictures of the repair ... no way I am going back into that thing !!!


Derrel ... hmm, you could make a "Frankenstein" camera with all the extra bits.

I will call you up when I lose that incredibly small spring that goes underneath the thingamabob which is humanly not possible to place back into the mechanism.


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## invisible (Apr 30, 2012)

dxqcanada said:


> Looking back at this ... I really should have documented the disassembly from the beginning so I could figure my way back.


So I take it this is a "before" photo? 

Beautiful little camera. I wouldn't mind having one in my collection.


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## dxqcanada (Apr 30, 2012)

What ... this is the "after" photo, as you cannot see the layer of dust. You should get your eyes checked. :greenpbl:

Actually the camera is very big for a rangefinder ... I think it is larger than my Sony A55 body.


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