What's "The Repairman's Desk"? Many buyers have asked if I would share information on repair operations I perform, and I've decided to include some in certain auction pages. Part of it will be relatively simple, and other repair will be more complex. In this auction, we'll adjust the Minolta Hi-Matic F rangefinder for infinity...this is critical for focus accuracy. Below is an image you can use to follow the steps.

First, unscrew the capscrew holding the wind/cocking lever. You can usually do this by pressing down on it with something rubber like a small faucet washer or rubber eraser (to get a better grip). Once removed, lift off the little metal plate underneath and set aside (I've left it on in figure 1 so you can see it). Then, remove the rewind knob. Use a screwdriver to block the film canister fork inside the camera and simply unscrew the knob. Set aside. Now slide the cover of the hotshoe backwards as shown and remove it. Remove the four screws holding the hotshoe and the other three screws holding the top...one will be under the rewind knob, one will be on the back side, center. One will be on the end of the top plate at the winding/cocking lever side. As shown in the image, do not de-solder the hotshoe. It may stay connected. Lift the top plate up and off and set aside. The shutter button may fall out. It is a three-piece assembly, as shown in image 3. As you look at the rangefinder assembly, you'll see it is covered by a thin metal cover. Image 4 shows the screw you must remove to lift it off. Finally, in image 5 you will see the screw responsible for adjusting infinity on your camera. Set the camera for infinity and sight the rangefinder on a vertical pole several hundred yards away or the moon on a cloudless night. Turn the screw until the two images you see coincide. Re-assemble in reverse order. When you put the shutter release button back in, note that it must slide into a slot in the collar. Hold the top sideways or upside down to keep the button from falling out as you replace the top. If you want to clean the viewfinder glass, be sure to limit your work to the front and rear lenses...keep away from the mirror or inside glass.

So many people have asked me repair questions, I've decided to include a few of them into my auction pages. Feel free to buy a kit or two. You'll help fund this resource. Some questions will be relatively simple, and others will be more complex, but I'll try to keep them handy and relevant. Here is a question I hear very often, and it pertains to the Minolta SRT series. The question usually is "On slower speeds, the mirror on my SRT will not return until I cock the camera for the next picture. Why does it do that?" Well, one common reason this occurs is because there is a gear downstairs which is dragging. Before you do anything, you might want to try this, because in many cases, it will solve the problem. Remove the bottom plate, set the screws and the plate aside and follow the directions shown on the two images below. Cock and fire the shutter on a slower speed for several times and see if your mirror starts behaving again (remember, use light oil...and only a bit--also, the gear you are concerned with is not the white gear, but the brass gear under the metal plate...look for the red pointer line in the right hand image):