Weebles wooble, but they don’t fall down.

While researching the Konica Auto S3 I kept encountering people discussing that the lens woobles … well my two cameras do the same. Since one of them is now my parts camera I decided to take a closer look.

Both S3’s that I got had this issue … if I adjust focus the entire lens moves a bit. Hmm, I wonder if this is because cameras were for repair.

Ok, so first thing I thought of is that the securing ring is loose … well that did not fix it, so that means the lens is not held on to the body entirely by friction.

Looking at the lens I can see a pin (the pic shows it at the bottom end)… and the body side (pic shows it at the top) there is a register slot.

It appears that the lens is secured to the body and the register notch keeps it in place … but it appears to be wide enough to let the lens move.

A larger pin would solve the problem … or possibly add some shims before the securing ring to add more pressure??

Konica Auto S3 … second time’s a charm.

I always enjoy stumbling … I mean fortunately stumbling upon something unexpected. In my hunts for broken cameras, this does not occur to often.

Well it happened.

First I came across a broken Konica Auto S3 that I thought I could repair … well that did not go well … and then I came across another broken Konica Auto S3 … which means, possibly, one working Konica Auto S3.

Now this post is not as complete as my others, as this camera is quiet challenging to work on, so I missed documenting some things the first time. Definitely get some experience with the Learn Camera Repair material and working on other cameras of lesser stature.

Sooooo, that first S3 … well I took it apart (as noted in my previous post about it) and learned that there many “issues”.

• Winding lever issue – there was a post broken off, most likely by someone attempting to repair it and put too much force on it so it snapped.
• The lens was removed, and many internal wires were cut
• Light meter not working (even after the wires re-attached)
• Broken focus handle

OK, so lets get together !!! Get your screwdrivers out !!! One thing I suggest you have handy is a soldering iron.

The “new” S3 came to me with a loose front element … and what I mean by that is that half of the lens was not secured anymore, not the common wobble complaint … some damaged outer parts, but the rest of the camera was working … all good news.

Well time to find out what that is all about. 

Ok so starting from the lens … the first thing is to remove the thin outer securing ring with a spanner wrench, then pry out the front cover plate (with the CDS photocell).

There will be wires to CDS that you should unsolder. Note: blue on top orange on bottom.

Now you can see there are three screws holding this part to the rest of the lens … well in my case these are missing.

Well that explains why the front was loose. I guess someone was attempting some kind of “repair”.

Well, I was able to put this S3 back into working shape by taking some parts from the first S3 … like the screws to secure the lens.

Since I have info from the first S3 (now a parts camera), lets go further into taking it apart.

Now to unscrew the front lens group, and pull off the first part.

Well I could not go much further than this on the front of the lens.

Warning !!!

Do not unscrew those three that you see here … or you will really regret it. These hold the shutter blade plate on.

To get the rest of the lens/shutter off you need to also remove some of the front cover plate that it is attached to . First you have to take the top and bottom off.

The bottom plate is easy … just three screws and the battery cover. Note that there is a spring that may/will fall out … you should remove this one which is located at the bottom right … I ended up losing it on the first S3.

Battery compartment can be pulled out after removing the two screws … Note the wires, blue positive yellow negative. Unsolder the wires.

The top, also fairly easy.

Unscrew the rewind knob.

Remove the top pig nose screw on the winding lever. Take off the multiple parts.

There is a screw on the rewind side and a notched ring nut on the winding post.

When you pull off the top cover you will find that there is a wire which is attached to the flash shoe. Unsolder it.

Yup someone else was here before me. In the image above I took off the counter mechanism (not just the number plate) to show what’s under there as the first S3’s winding lever was not being pulled back properly.

That big spring was not attached to anything … well, I’ll just put it back … hmm … one end was easy, the other end … nothing? Well it appears that someone snapped off the post, probably too much tightening as I can see the threaded part still in the hole. I did drill out the hole and tap a new thread in order to screw in a new “post” for the spring.

The black paper cover.

Time to take more stuff apart.

Front … unscrew pig nose screw on self timer … remove leatherette covering on both sides …

Now you can wiggle out the lens/shutter if you really want to.

I am not going to say much about the insides … actually I am not saying anything about the insides.

The only thing I will say is that I have not figured out how to get rid of the lens wobble … even though the lens is secured to the body, there must be some design intolerance somewhere.

S3 … for parts or repair.

Sooo, I got a Konica Auto S3 that was for parts/repair … what else is new.

The Auto S3 started life in 1973 … as the Japanese know it, the C35 FD. The Japanese model was available in chrome and black, while the Auto S3 (export version) was only made black. It was a shutter priority auto exposure camera.

Due to a Modern Photography article the Auto 3S became a “famous” camera for it’s optical quality, the Hexanon 38mm f/1.8 lens with 6 elements in 4 groups … “One item on the S3 that passed our tests with flying colors is the lens – one of the best semi-wide angle optics of its speed we have ever tested.” Many today still swear by it.

It is a small camera, but it does feel good in the hand as a compact camera. You will find many good “reviews” online about this one.

Ok, so … hmm, looking at online info about common problems … like Family Feud, the number one answer is … battery contact wire.

I took a look at the bottom, and the battery compartment can be take off with a couple of screws. Ok, lets take it out  … well no wires connected!!! Now I should be able to wind and trip the shutter without power (shutter speed and aperture will be fixed at ) … well can’t wind, can’t release the shutter.

Ok … so out come the tools.

Hmm, not a simple camera to take apart … lots of parts …

Well, I found that it is has some broken/missing parts … some non-working parts … and I lost a spring.

Now it is a parts camera … maybe lucky to get another cheap one.

… well, it appears that I did get lucky as I now have another Konica Auto S3 … this story to be continued.

Konishiroku … numero uno.

Konica … it still exists today, better known as a copier company merged with the iconic company named Minolta … but both companies have old origins … most people do not realize that Konica is one of the oldest camera companies ever! The History of Konica Minolta

Konica originated in 1873 by Rokuemon Suguira, and his son Rokusaburo. Rokuemon was a pharmacist with a drugstore in Tokyo, and Rokusaburo initiated the start of  the store into selling imported photographic materials. His is considered the very first camera company in Japan.

They opened a second shop and company name became Konishi Honten in 1878.

1882 they started producing photographic supplies and subcontracted camera manufacturing … note, in 1888 the Eastman Kodak Co. was founded in USA.

1902 founded manufacturing branch Rokuoh-sha.

1903 first photosensitive paper manufacturer in Japan

1903 Cherry Portable Camera, a simple box camera becomes Japans first brand name camera.

1907 Sakura Reflex Pano, the first Japanese SLR.

The company name changed to G.K. Konishiroku Honten in 1921.

1923 opened the first professional school of photography in Japan.

1925 Pearlette medium format folder, becomes the Japans first mass produced camera.

1929 started producing Sakura brand B&W film.

1931 first commercially available lens in Japan … Hexar, based on Carl Zeiss Tessar design. which later on became the Hexanon in 1959.

1936 another name change to K.K. Konishiroku

1940 first Japanese colour film

1943 … yes another name change … Konishiroku Shashin Kōgyō K.K.

1948 they make The Konica, which is their first 135mm format rangefinder camera.

1960 Konica F, worlds first SLR to hit 1/2000s shutter speed by creating the worlds first metal bladed shutter … it was also the first SLR to have a built in light meter.

1965 Autoreflex, first focal plane shutter 35mm SLR to feature an auto exposure system.

1968 Autoreflex T, first with auto exposure and TTL metering.

1972 … company became K.K. Yamanashi Konica

1975 C35 EF, world’s first compact 35mm camera to feature a built-in flash.

1977’s C35 AF, which was the wolds first mass produced autofocus 35mm compact camera.

1978 FS-1 … worlds first 35mm SLR to have a built-in motor drive.

1983 name change K.K. Konica Denshi

1987, finally to Konica … company name to Konica Corp. in 1987

Merged with Minolta 2003 … stopped camera production in 2006

 

Note: last 35mm film camera they made was the awesome Konica Hexar RF … for those not familiar, it has a Leica M-mount !!

Oh, I forgot … they made an AiBorg! One of the most difficult camera’s I ever had to sell. Just look Google it and you will know why.