Yashica TL Electro issues

Yes, I know this camera is 2 years too young for this forum, but where else am I going to get good advice on it, eh?

 

I bought this in a charity shop for a couple of pounds, it was cheap because it didn't work, I had a look at it

in the shop and, when I saw that the battery compartment still had 2 old PX640 mercury cells in it, I thought it

was a fair bet that it just needed new batteries. It was so cheap I thought it'd be good fixer-upper experience

if nothing else. So, I ordered some replacement PC640A batteries, but it hasn't helped. I don't know if it's a

wiring problem or something wider. Here's the symptoms:

 

1. The shutter fires, sort of - the curtain seems to stick on the return so that the shutter release button only

clicks back up if I open the back and 'trip' the shutter curtain fully back into place. Wind-on obviously

doesn't work until I've done this.

 

2. Mirror lock-up weirdness - the mirror is drawn up when you wind on, and when it's in that 'up' position you

can't see through the viewfinder. Surely that's not normal - you'd have to compose your picture before you wound

on, and then click blind?

 

3. No LED display in the viewfinder. Obviously that means definite power issues but is (3) responsible for (1)

and (2) or is the poor thing just a lost cause?

 

Any advice, as always, gratefully received...

3 is not the reason for 1 and 2 because TL-Electro (unlike TL Electro X) has a mechanical shutter.

 

It seems like your camera needs a proper CLA. Whether it is worth investing in this camera depends on how much you like it, and the camera's cosmetic appearance.

if youre just looking for a camera to get into an m42 system i would look for a body that has already had a CLA. there are many many manufacturers that used the pentax screw mount that can be had for pennies

 

as for the TL electro. they are an almost copy of the pentax spotmatic but (like you mentioned) they have an LED meter readout which is much easier to use and less prone to breaking

I have used both Yashica Tl-Electro and Pentax Spotmatic. Pentax's viewfinder is much better than Yashica's, plus the meter can work with silver batteries. Pentax has much better build quality, too. Go for a nice Spotmatic.

Hi, thanks all for the responses. I actually have several other M42-fit SLRs - I really just bought this because it was really cheap and I thought perhaps the problem might be simple to fix. It's a handsome-looking camera and in good cosmetic condition - but it certainly has some major problems. I wouldn't mind taking it apart for the experience alone. I'll look out for a Spotmatic, though.