Group: Member
Post: 132 (14 liked)
Join date: September 2017
Status:
|
|
on Sept 5, 2019 16:45:08 GMT
Posted: Sept 5, 2019 16:45:08 GMT
The camera works, but one thing is not OK: When measuring the exposure, the 1/125s fllashes (about 4 times per second), regardless, which time is set on the time dial. Changing the time on the dial does not change the "flashing" 125 in the viewfinder.
The meter itself is working, the LEDs of the measured time are lighted (withot flashing).
Batteries are new LR44, so this should not be a "bad battery" indicator.
Shutter fires and times are reasonable, if I choose longer times.
Does anybody know, what this behaviour means?
|
|
Group: Moderator
Post: 2,039 (562 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
|
|
on Sept 5, 2019 20:13:31 GMT
Posted: Sept 5, 2019 20:13:31 GMT
Hello Matthias,
I think you have a problem somewhere in the flash circuitry; the camera thinks you have a flash attached which is why the 125 flashes. indicating a wrong exposure. I suspect the problem relates to the PC-sync socket on the front rather than the hot shoe. What happens when you connect a Contax flash to the hot shoe or a non-Contax flash to the sync socket?
|
|
Group: Administrator
Post: 1,370 (301 liked)
Join date: February 2017
Status: Failed treatment for L.B.A. and G.A.S,
|
|
on Sept 5, 2019 21:44:28 GMT
Posted: Sept 5, 2019 21:44:28 GMT
matthiasausk ... Here's a link to the S2 manual on Mike Butkus' site. It says the blinking LED indicates the currently set shutter speed (with or without a flash), and when using a flash, to manually set the speed dial to 125 for flash units attached via sync cords. You might try to set it to 125 anyway, when using the shoe, in case the connection for the extra pin isn't working and/or the auto-sensing circuit in the camera or flash is fried. It also states that an S2 can not do TTL flash syncing or automatically set the speed on your flash head, and suggests using a flash model that includes it's own sensor for automatic use. You'll only get a 'flash ready' indicator in the viewfinder, with no other flash help. A TLA-30 or a TLA-360 would give you a sensor on a compatible flash. The TLA-20 or 280 won't have a sensor.
|
|
Group: Member
Post: 132 (14 liked)
Join date: September 2017
Status:
|
|
on Sept 6, 2019 9:20:51 GMT
Last Edit: Sept 6, 2019 9:34:51 GMT by matthiasausk
Thanks for bringing the "flash"idea into my attention. I have the manual, but didn't recognize, that it might have to do something with the flash, so I did not read the "flash" part.
But it seems that this could be the issue.
BTW: I do not find anything about "and when using a flash, to manually set the speed dial to 125 for flash units attached via sync cords. " in the manual.
Works well with a contax flash connected to the shoe (tested with a TLA20 and a METZ with SCA adapter), "ready"-indicator lits and flash fires. Works also with a METZ Standard adapter, of course without showing the "ready"-indicator, but flash fires.
The shoe itself looks clean.
I think, I do not have a flash with a cord. I have a very old cord adapter, but that does not fit to any of my flashes.
Next try will be to clean the sync socket.
Otherwise there might really be an internal problem, which I cannot repair by myself.
(But I know a reliable repairman in Germany.)
|
|
|
Deleted
Group: Member
Post: 0 ( liked)
Join date: January 1970
Status:
|
|
on Sept 6, 2019 16:43:50 GMT
Last Edit: Sept 6, 2019 16:46:47 GMT by Deleted
Hi Matthias, This has nothing to do with the flash. There is no automatic setting of the flash speed on the S2 (this is a mechanical camera) so there is nothing that would set the shutter speed to indicate 1/125 (flash sync on the S2 is 1/250 anyway). The S2 electronics is the weak part of the camera and is known to fail and I suspect that's what's happened but, it would be worth checking the contacts under the shutter speed dial that tell the electronics what speed has been set. The shutter speed dial knob comes off easy (remove the rubber grip then remove the screw) and there is a plastic contact carrier underneath that just lifts off. Try cleaning the circuit board contacts and the spring contacts on the contact carrier. If that doesn't work then I don't think it can be repaired. Last one I had with a similar issue I removed all the electronics and used it as a meterless camera. But sounds like your meter is still working so maybe a bit drastic. The service manual can be downloaded from drive.google.com/file/d/0B4O3Tuo7UDz3YWN6OFNfVTBVdUE/view if it helps. |
|
Group: Administrator
Post: 1,370 (301 liked)
Join date: February 2017
Status: Failed treatment for L.B.A. and G.A.S,
|
|
on Sept 6, 2019 17:25:18 GMT
Posted: Sept 6, 2019 17:25:18 GMT
That was a rushed reply, and I should have thought it through much better before I posted it. I did goof on the sync speed, as peterr pointed out, but the direction I was headed was to diagnose whether the circuits had been damaged by a previous user at some point when a flash with too high a voltage was connected and fired. That wasn't where it ended up after just re-reading it. Consider it as a 'senior moment' on my part. :)
|
|
|
Deleted
Group: Member
Post: 0 ( liked)
Join date: January 1970
Status:
|
|
on Sept 6, 2019 17:35:05 GMT
Posted: Sept 6, 2019 17:35:05 GMT
That was a rushed reply, and I should have thought it through much better before I posted it. I did goof on the sync speed, as peterr pointed out, but the direction I was headed was to diagnose whether the circuits had been damaged by a previous user at some point when a flash with too high a voltage was connected and fired. That wasn't where it ended up after just re-reading it. Consider it as a 'senior moment' on my part.  Not likely as there's no connection between the flash sync connector and the electronics. The flash is synced from a mechanical switch on the shutter (mechanical shutter = mechanical switches). The flash ready signal is an isolated bit of circuitry so a high voltage up that might fry it but it wouldn't shouldn't affect anything else. |
|
|
Deleted
Group: Member
Post: 0 ( liked)
Join date: January 1970
Status:
|
|
on Sept 6, 2019 17:38:30 GMT
Posted: Sept 6, 2019 17:38:30 GMT
A bit of additional info. The 1/125 shutter speed LED is the one that would be illuminated if none of the contacts under the shutter speed dial were making contact. Same would happen if the common contact under the shutter speed dial was open circuit. I'm thinking now this is more likely to be a contact problem than failed electronics. Definitely worth a look under the shutter speed dial.
|
|
Group: Member
Post: 132 (14 liked)
Join date: September 2017
Status:
|
|
on Sept 7, 2019 13:54:16 GMT
Posted: Sept 7, 2019 13:54:16 GMT
Thanks, @peterr. This sounds helpful and reasonable.
Since the camera was in quite a bad state (the only S2 in the world, which shows signs of usage, I think) when I got it, the contact issue might well be the reason for this behaviour.
And thanks for the repair manual. The proposed removal of the shutter dial seems to be quite easy and manageable, even for me (with the hands of a blacksmith).
Worth a quick test, anyway.
|
|
