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Minolta Hi-matic 7


frank_wasson

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<p>I recently acquired two 1960's Minoltas - a Hi-matic 7 and a Hi-matic 7s. The Hi-matic 7s is missing the shutter release button, but works fine otherwise. Where can I find a replacement for it and is it straightforward to install. Now, the trigger (or film advance lever) of the H-matic 7 won't automatically return to its original set position. Initially the trigger was stiff, but I took the base cover off and applied some silicone spray. This helped a little, but the problem still largely remains. Also the shutter is very lethargic on this (the 7) camera. Can anyone offer assistance here. Many thanks Frank.</p>
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<p>Hi Frank. </p>

<p>Replacing the shutter button on the 7s is pretty simple. Finding a replacement may be a different story. It's unlikely that anyone has any replacements laying around, so you'll probably need to acquire a parts camera. However, you probably already have one in the Hi-matic 7. As far as I know, the only difference between the two is that the 7s has a hot shoe added. So, should you desire, you could probably use the button from the 7 on the 7s. </p>

<p>To get at it, you need to remove the screws on the back and film advance side of the top plate. Next remove the rewind crank by opening the back of the camera, stick a screwdriver in the forks of the rewind shaft and unscrew the rewind crank from the top. Lastly, unscrew the top of the advance lever and lift that, the lever, and a brass washer off, paying attention to what order they go back together in. A lens spanner is the proper tool to remove the top of the advance lever. If you don't have one, you'll have to improvise. With that done, you can lift off the top plate and the shutter release button will probably fall out. It sits on top of a rod under the top plate and is only held in place by gravity and the top plate itself.</p>

<p>The shutter on the 7 is good deal more complicated. When I got my Hi-Matic 7 several years ago, the shutter was completely stuck. I took the easy way and just unscrewed the plastic front plate of the lens (using a spanner), lifted that out, and unscrewed and removed the front lens group. This gave access to the shutter blades which I then cleaned with Ronsonol (lighter fluid) and Q-tips. This worked for a while, but after sitting on the shelf for a couple of years, the shutter has frozen again. At some point in the future I'll need to completely disassemble the shutter and give it a proper cleaning. If your shutter is just slow and not completely stuck, this method may be sufficient for you. Just remember to let the lighter fluid dry before re-assembly and check that it is still moving like it should.</p>

<p>Hope this helps.</p>

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