Minox shutter problems, again! And how to DIY fix

For the last ten years I am a Minox 35 cameras user. I am very satisfied with

the print quality of them but I have very disappointed with the shutter

problems they have! I use especially Minox GT or ML. Last years I have tried

more than ten different cameras but have the same problem! I like ML more than

GT because it has the AE shutter lock which is very useful for the street

photography. I have also a GT-E soft touch which is very reliable and never

had the shutter problem, but in this camera I am not satisfied with the lens.

I believe that the old Color-Minotar is by far better than the new MC Minoxar.

The old lens is sharper and you can make easily 40x60cm b&w enlargements. On

the other hand the Minoxar perhaps produces better color shades and rendition

but it is softer. So in order to conclude I will ask the following questions:

1. Is there a good camera repair shop in Europe which can repair the

shutter problems of my GTs and MLs?

2. I believe that the poor sharpness of the new MC Minoxar is an effect

of the built in UV filter. So perhaps if I pull out this filter the image

quality will be better. Has anybody tried to pull out this filter?

3. The last question is very interesting. Now I have a good working GT-E

with a soft lens and a lot of Minox 35 cameras with the shutter problems but

with the very good Color-Minotar lens. Is there any camera repair shop which

can replace the MC Minoxar on my GT-E with a Color-Minotar? This will be the

perfect solution for me!

 

I am waiting for your help and comments!

 

Best regards from Athens, Greece

 

Dimitris

Dimitris, you may check this out with DAG at http://dagcamera.com

Early models of ML has shutter problem, but with later version, the

circuit was upgraded, no more shutter problem. You better have the

electronics of you ML upgraded

IMO the best thing to do with these lovely little cameras is to throw them in the trash. When the shutter fails, there is no way to know it, and you can waste many rolls of film and lose many great pictures if you happen to be using it on a trip.

"When the shutter fails, there is no way to know it,", not true.

 

When any Minox 35 shutter fails, the failed shutter makes only a feeble "click" sound, an experience user can easily recognize the

difference.

 

A ML is worth repairing, I spent CAD 175 to get mine repaired by

Kindermann Canada in Toronto, they replace the magnets and upgraded

the electronics. And it works smoothly ever since.

"waste many rolls of film and lose many great pictures if you happen to be using it on a trip.".

 

If you bring one camera on a trip, that could happen. It unwise to bring only one camera without backup.

 

On travel, I usually bring three 35mm cameras, a Leica R5 with Vario Elmar 28-70 as main shooter, a Contax T3 and Minox 35ML as second shooter or backup. Every outing at least two 35mm cameras, two 8x11 cameras, the chance of four cameras all failed is practically zero.

If any one of the 35mm pair or any oen of the 8x11 pair fails, I replace the failed camera with a 35mm camera or one 8x11 camera kept at hotel.

Martin, I can recognize the sound of the shutter when it fails but the problem is that I have already missed a good photo! The problem for me is that I have all the time with me a Minox GT or ML camera and I carry it as my standard everyday street shooting camera! I missed a lot of good photos due to this shutter problem! I need to a reliable one with me. I agree that MLs worth repairing and I will try to find a reliable and specialized Minox repair service in Europe.

 

 

 

Bill, I am very happy to meet you again! My new mail is dimkios@otenet.gr. Perhaps you are now in Limnos island!?

Most street shooter use Leica M for good reason

Dimitris, you does not seem to know much about Minox camera. Pull out

the UV filter from Minox GT-E ? You are doing the hard way. If Minox camera is that important for your street shooting, why not get yourself a Minox M.D.C, it has a Minoxar lens without UV filter

<center>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/5807352-md.jpg"width=600><P>

Minox M.D.C, the flagship of Minox 35<P>

35mm/2.8 Minoxar lens, without built in UV filter<P>

Exposure lock, P mode like Minox 35ML<P>

</center>

>1. Is there a good camera repair shop in Europe which can repair the shutter problems of my GTs and MLs?

 

?????? Yes MINOX !

 

http://minox.de/index.php?id=191&L=1

Martin, I believe that all the shootings are important and we must use a working and good camera every time! I use Leica M or Mamiya 6 when I have enough time for street photographs but for the every time candid shooting I am using Minox cameras.

 

I will contact with Minox for the repair of our cameras!

Martin, I remain unrepentent. If an Olympus XA shutter isn't working, the

entire film transport freezes up. If a Minox 35 shutter isn't working, there is no

way to tell it. The shutter is so silent that it can not be heard in normal working

conditions, only in a very quiet room.<P>Besides, I've put away all my little

pocket babies, (Minox, Olympus, and Konica), and have gone digital.

Bill, I suspect you may need a hearing aid

Actually, Martin, I now wear a pair of them, but in theold days when i had the

Minox 35 I had hearing like a lynx. It was just the quietest shutter I was aware

of. Great when it worked, a disaster when it didn't.<P>Incidentally, are Minox

still selling Agfapan 25 for the 8x11?

Bill, Minox is still selling Minopan 25 and Minopan 400.

 

I was mislead by one camera's shutter sound, and lost many many

valueable pictures on Huangshan. That camera was not a Minox, it was

Leica R5. Its shutter made the same loud KLIK CLAK sound as usual,

but several rolls of film were never exposed, because the shutter was

not failed in stuck, rather both the first curtain and second curtain

move at the same time, there was no slit opening. Since both curtains

move, the sound was as loud as usual. This type of shutter failure

is very hard to detect, even though I have some experience in catching

shutter failure in Minox 8x11 and in Minox 35, the shutter failure

of R5 completely caught be by surprize.

I got the shutter of R5 repaired at Kindermann

Now, before I load new roll of film into R5, (or any film camera )

I always point the lens at sky and release the shutter one or two times just to see whether the shutter is working; in this way

if there is any shutter failure, I will catch it in time.

The "failure" of Minox 35 shutter in most case is caused by dust

get into the magnet which control the shutter, see

<a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=003HWa">Dust causes Minox 35 shutter to fail</a><P>

 

My failed MInox 35ML was bought used, it was very dusting in the viewfinder, I have no doubt that the magnet must be very dusty.<P>

 

If you use a Minox everyready case or belt case to protect the Minox 35, and avoid the temptation of put a bare Minox in the pocket, which is full of dust and lint, you go a long way to avoid dust accumulation

in the Minox camera magnet and greatly improve the longevity of Minox

35 camera.<P>

 

I alway use Minox everyready case for my GT-E and ML.

Martain, my "other" irregular shutter failure is with my oldest Pentax LX. About

once a roll, it will fire at 1/2000 second (maximum speed), regardless of the

actual meter reading from the shutter curtain. Pentax/Denver couldn't/

wouldn't fix it, and at least there is always SOME image on the film to print.<P>

With a digital camera I know for sure if I got the picture.<P>The time delay

after pressing the shutter release on a digital camera is about the same as

taking my Minox LX out of its case and pulling it open to shoot. A no-win

situation!

I recently purchased a GT on EBay, after reading various posting on this Forum I was well

prepared for the "shutter problems". So first of all I purchased a battery adaptor to

maintain the 5.6v, then proceeded to test the camera without film and guess what the

shutter did not work. So I removed the cone from the rear and cleaned the inside must say

that it was fairly pristine for a 1983/4 manufacture. But during my previous exploration I

noticed that the ASA rating selector had some influence on the shutter none function, so I

removed its cover and gave that a clean also and guess what it works perfectly know.

Guess what I am trying to say is that maybe the ASA selector has more to do with the

shutter failure than actual dust etc on the magnets, Looking forward to shooting some film

with it now. Hope it proves to be a good companion to my Konica Hexar AF.

I have ALL the Minox 35mm cameras. I have also being using many. I like the ML because I prefer the way the meter works and the results are stunning. The Goldtop, GTE, GT-X match the quality and sharpness but there is not the same visual impact when I review the results.

 

I have purchased and sold many ML and MB cameras. The later ML has the improved circuit and units repaired by Minox may have been 'upgraded'.

 

I only had a few cameras needing attentions, and only a couple came back having developed a fault after the second or third roll of film. Andrew Britton, cf. MS Hobbies, repaired them for a typical modest price of 40GBP. This is roughly the cost of the camera from Germany but well under the typical UK price for one second hand. Only one camera was beyond repair and was stripped for working parts for other cameras.

 

When Minox repairs a camera they must offer a warranty by law. This means that they must check more than is really needed to just fix the current fault, and so the cost is higher. Minox will advise you if they think the cost is too high and may offer you an exchange deal on a current model (if there is one). On the very positive side you get back a camera that works like a new one and will continue to run with out trouble for another decade or two.

 

I think it is wonderful that Minox can and will still repair most of the cameras they have ever sold. Some companies can't repair your camera even if it under warranty because parts are no longer made and have to supply you with a different model.

 

Gerald

When I retired 12 years ago I bought an ML which developed the historic shutter problems, but by then had acheived sufficient high quality results to warrant proper repair by Minox in Germany. Full overhaul cost 200GBP but came with 2yr warranty. A lot of cash but well worth it. Recently I acquired a virtually unused GT for 30GBP as back up. It's had 12 films thro it all exposed OK. But when the shutter 'goes' I shan't hesitate to have it properly serviced; something Canon can't or won't do for my EOS 600 & 620! Minox suit my street photography style that surreptitiously I can still get away with in the UK's PC strangled society and more easily in less paranoid cities of the world. Minox, TriX in Xtol will do me nicely for any years granted beyond my present 72. We must all make choices and modify them with experience. You will do the same with a little help from your Minox friends.

By the date this is posted you've probably got your answer. Good luck

I too had the occasional blank frame problem with my Minox GT. Just the other day I decided to investigate and was surprised by what I found. I was able to make an adjustment to the shutter cocking mechanism by loosening two screws, adjusting and then retightening. The adjustment really was very simple. By making small adjustments I could make the shutter fail all of the time, some of the time or not fail at all. After seeing how the cocking mechanism is adjusted in this way my theory now is that most shutter problems are caused by a gradual movement or wear of the mechanism over the years. If anyone is interested in some instructions and pictures then please get in touch.

Hi Stephen, let us all know. Any tip is appreciated that will add to my GT's longevity. Regards.

Stephen, thank you for your answer. Sure, I am interesting in reparairing some of my out of order GTs and MLs. I am not a technician but I will try! I am waiting fot the details!

Stephen. Details of your shutter cure. Yes please. I've just sent my ML off to Germany via Minox UK, after 4 film failures on return from Barcelona. Before passing it on Minox UK confirmed they could not get the shutter to operate. It will probably cost me again as I'm one year out of a complete factory overhaul 3 years ago that cost 200GBP!* Meanwhile I've still got a GT in mint condition that I paid 30GBP for a year ago. Win some lose some. Still I love the cameras they are so discrete for street photography - something difficult to practise in the UK, particularly in London. It seems anyone using a camera, taking shots with people in them, is considered a terrorist.

I can try to describe the fix by referring to 3 pics. First remove the plastic cone by using your finger nail at the positions marked by the red arrows. This will reveal the shutter mechanism.<div></div>