resealing Konica C35

I have a sample of these cameras. Their operation can cause confusion as they are an all automatic camera in both outdoor and flash mode. Reading the manual doesn't help much in understanding how the camera works. The camera does require a battery for the light meter to work. If the meter moves up and down then the EE auto system is working. The auto system adjusts both the shutter and aperture to obtain the correct exposure. I use Zinc-air batteries which gets around having to re-calibrate the system for alkaline batteries. Put a battery in it, set it to auto GN14 and the film speed on the front and you're ready to go. The camera is an EE only which means that it is not possible to set the aperture or shutter speed manually.

If you put a flash on the top, the camera senses, via small lever, that there is a flash. Set the GN on the auto dial and you're good to go. The camera adjusts the aperture depending on how far the subject is away. It picks up this information from the focus dial. There is no need to adjust the flash output settings.

To select B, hold the auto button down and turn the B ring to index mark. It should click into a detent and lock in place.

I should take this one for a walk around the town on the weekend.

Hi Greg,

Thanks for your help. It looks like the only way I'm going to be able to find out if this thing works is to get the right battery. Is there a number for the Zinc-air battery? It seems like the bulb on this camera doesn't work. It does lock into place, but doesn't keep the shutter open, when the shutter button is held down. But I don't think that's a big issue. Thanks for the primer on operation. I have not been able to make sense of the dials.

.... john

I think #625 is a zinc/air battery. They are smaller than some mercury cells and you may need to put a rubber O-ring around the outside to keep it in place. I forget the O-ring number but in most store the bins get so scrambled that you should bring the battery to get a proper fit. I think the O-ring thickness is .073. (The memory is only partly gone.)

Yeah weak battery causes overexposure.

C35 takes a 675 cell.

It looks like the only way I'm going to be able to find out if this thing works is to get the right battery

Yes you are right.

The Zinc air battery is 675 or ZA 675.

Two choices on the 675 cells- more expensive Wien cells produce the exact 1.35 volts the C35 works best with. Much cheaper hearing aid batteries produce 1.4 to 1.45 volts so YMMV with them.

Thanks again guys.

.... john

Hi again,

I bought the Zinc Air (Enerstar) 675, and the needle moves, but only barely. It looks like it wants to move further but is blocked. Has anyone seen this before? What do I have to do to unblock it?

Thanks,

...... john

P.S. The Zinc Air package says 1.45 volts. They were very cheap ($1.25 for 2). I wonder if they're knock offs?

Lens cap off ? Point it at the sky opposite the sun. If that doesn't work you will need to start troubleshooting. Measure the cell voltage with a meter, check battery contacts. Camera in auto position, no flash mounted. I can't suggest much else you can do without taking the camera apart.

Hi Greg,

Thanks for your help. I have pointed the camera at a strong flourescent light. When I depress the shutter button, the meter quickly moves a very short distance, then abruptly stops. Surely this indicates some block of the meter?

... john

Bottom line- is ASA is set to 400 and camera is taken outside on a sunny day the meter needle should go close to the 1/650 at f 14 setting in the viewfinder. That's the equivalent of 1/500 at f 16 on a camera that has manual settings. If the needle stops well short of that position then there likely is a problem.

Any further advice from me would be speculation. My C35 has film in it so I can't have a peep inside. Maybe when I finish the roll.

Cheers

I bought the Zinc Air (Enerstar) 675, and the needle moves, but only barely. It looks like it wants to move further but is blocked. Has anyone seen this before? What do I have to do to unblock it?

 

Just some follow-up info for this thread: Matt Denton's site describes a similar issue with the Konica C35 Automatic, which in his case was due to a loose ground wire from the battery chamber. Might be worth looking into. Here's the article:

 

Konica C35 Automatic - Matt's Classic Cameras