Konica Auto S3 Lens Wobble Became a Separation

[JonV]

I recently resurrected my Konica S3. Re-sealed it and shot a few rolls. The usual, well known lens wobble began to get worse until a gap formed between the shutter speed and focus rings. The light meter stopped working and I can see that the wires to the CDS were broken where the lens mounts to the body. I disassembled the lens which went rather smoothly. I reassembled it to see if the gap would tighten up but to no avail. I looked at the service manual and there doesn’t seem to be any pins or anything that is missing that I can tell. The lens is firmly mounted to the camera body. Any thoughts on what the issue may be? Thanks!

[kmac]

Obviously there is something missing that holds it together. It could be that some screws have been left out. I can see three empty screw holes in photo No2 ... what are they for ? They look like they are meant to hold the shutter on.

[JonV]

The 3 screws that you do see hold the shutter blade on. I found other pictures on the internet and the holes you mention are always empty. 

I don't see anything in the repair manual either. 

[JonV]

Upon further inspection, those three holes did indeed have screws in them. The outer ring has three holes that line up exactly with them.

Over time they must back out and are so small that they fall threw the space that forms between the rings. Thanks!

Now I just have to figure out what screws they are. 

[rodeo_joe1]

Sometimes the production-engineering team override common sense and deem screws unnecessary where a dab of glue would do. Could that be the case here? Because it seems unlikely that all 3 bolts would come loose simultaneously, and surely a loose bolt or two would create a rattle and make themselves known before total detachment? 

At the risk of offending someone (I'll take that risk) - this was a cheap mass-market compact camera built down to a price. With an expected service life of maybe 25 - 30 years. And that service life was up many years ago. 

[JonV]

Well this camera is known for a lens wobble issue so maybe the cause is the loosening of these screws until it gives way?

I am having difficulty locating them in the service manual.

That is probably true - although it has sat in a box for over 30 years! 

 

 

[kmac]

5 hours ago, JonV said:

Well this camera is known for a lens wobble issue so maybe the cause is the loosening of these screws until it gives way?

The wobble is usually caused by a worn focusing helix, after focusing the camera hundreds, possibly thousands of times. But with your camera being stored in it's box for 30 years, that may not be the case. Were those three screws missing when you retrieved the camera from the box for the first time after it's thirty year hibernation? The camera may have developed a fault some time, got stripped to a certain point, and the three screws got lost, hence it went back in the box.

Fit three replacement screws and you should be good to go. But a worn focusing helix on my well used Minolta 7s also causes a "wobble". The problem was dried grease after a long while and it became ineffective. Only a half handful of new grease could fix the wobble, to an extent. I searched for another Minolta that I was sure had a good helix, and was lucky enough to get one.

Edited February 18, 2023 by kmac

[JonV]

No it worked fine as far as I recall before it went into hibernation. And I did shoot a few rolls with it after I resealed it and that also was fine. 

I did find a post about this camera on a blog and the person mentioned having the exact same issue. 

I did manage to find one of the screws on my workbench - microscopic! I'll have to try and decipher the service manual and maybe I can figure out what size they are. 

[rodeo_joe1]

16 hours ago, JonV said:

maybe I can figure out what size they are. 

Do you not have a caliper or micrometer? Screw sizes are given by outside diameter and thread pitch, but below 1/16" diameter they're unlikely to be anything but a metric size and thread. 2mm and 1.5mm bolts are quite common in cameras. 

My comment above about the service life of these mass-produced little cameras was prompted by incredulity at the current prices being asked for them. For example: If someone paid $200 for a camera in 1975 and used it for 25 years without need for service or repair, that's only a running cost of $8 per year, and I'd say the camera owed its original purchaser practically nothing. Which is why 10 or 15 years ago this type of camera was being practically given away. 

Now it's nearly 50 years since these cameras were made, and people are seemingly stupid enough to pay the original purchase price or more; for a camera that earned its keep many years previously, and is now living on borrowed time. Madness!