Yashica FX-1 repair thread

Hello David, and welcome back to the forum...

The FX-1 is not a model in plentiful supply, and that makes donor cameras hard to come by for model-specific parts. That's not to suggest that's a concern for any of your issues for now, but it bares telling just in case. As a general rule, I try - and suggest to others - to attempt to investigate first, before attempting any repair, and if you feel the need to jump in, start with the simplest and least destructive (and/or least invasive) method to get closer to a fix. Some things will not be difficult, and are always worth a look and some testing before going deeper. There still are a few repir shops that take on shipped in jobs, but with fewer repair spots they can get pricey for complex stuff.

Every film camera that uses a movable mirror is likely to have some type of cushion at the top of the mirror box to prevent damaging the mirror and easing the velocity of the flip-up and the return. Check the condition of whatever material there is at the front edge of the upper mirror box. If might be missing completely and the mirror is catching on some lip at the edge, or the pad/foam is gone, but the adhesive remains, and the mirror literally gets stuck on whatever goo is left behind. Replacing the pad/foam is a cheap and easy fix and doesn't require any disassembly. See if there's any debris or gunk at the hinge point that needs removal by shining a light into the mirror box, when the mirror is in both the up and down position. Use tweezers if there's a fur ball or gunk to remove it and see if things improve.

I should also mention that there's a well known mirror problem on C/Y mount Contax bodies about mirror sticking, but I don't recall if the same fate landed on Yashica's bodies as a general rule. It can be diagnosed by changing the lens focus and listening for the mirror to drop.

Don't assume something is broken or needs lubrication when some functionality fails. As you saw in the video you posted, there is access to some shutter triggering gearing under the bottom body cap. Look for fuzz or debris there as well, and see if it can be picked clean enough to better the mirror movements. Tripping the shutter when the bottom cap is off will show what levers, pinions, gears, or stops are involved in the whole process. Follow the mechanical path to look for the same gunk or debris and remove it. I'd caution against using any solvents and certainly any oil within body cavities. Things can get worse before you know it.

If you're determined to do the clean or fix, I'd suggest some reasonably good tools should be nearby, and for the FX-1, there's some assembly info and diagrams listed in this thread for reference. If you get stuck and have eliminated the possibility of there being a cleaning issue, post what you find and I'm sure some of the members can offer suggestions