I just bought a very used Minox 35 MB today, very cheap. I am going to use this camera to find out if I want a GT-E. But the shutter does not work. I was told that this is because the shutter magnets are dirty, and needs to be cleaned. I do have the tools and knowledge to take the camera apart (and put it back together again), but know very little about cameras. Does anybody here knows the way in to these magnets? Please don't suggest that I send the camera to a professional, as the postage alone would be more than I payed for it.

Thanks in advance

-- Anders Nygaard (any@europe.com), April 08, 2000

Answers

Take off the camera back, you will see several tiny screws around the border, remove those screws, and lift off the cone shape buffer you may see the interior of the camera and the small magnet, try to use a brush to brush off the tip of magnet(a solenoid with fine wire) or use a rubber blower to blow off dust, in particular between the solenoid and the strike plate which the solenoid magnet attracts.

This is only a suggestion, because I never encounter solenoid magnet dusty problem.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), April 09, 2000.

Thank you, Martin. I took the camera apart, cleaned everything, and reassembled. The camera was very dirty, and I even found sand inside. But after this cleaning the shutter works again. This camera have obviously been repaired many times. Some of the screws did not hold anything, they just turned freely and had to be removed with a magnet. The camera was very easy to work with, no special tools needed to put it back together again, and everything very logically designed. What a nice experience!

-- Anders Nygaard (any@europe.com), April 09, 2000.

Anders, I have being thinking about the longevity or lack of Minox 35 camera in some users hands. That prompted me to take a deeper look into the working of Minox shutter in general.

Click on "Publisher" and read my new article : "Minox Shutter and the Quest for Longevity of Minox 35 Camera"

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), April 09, 2000.

As for the cause of this 'silicon lung' problem in Minox 35 camera, see my article "Lung of Minox 35 ".

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), April 18, 2000.