What is a P.O.D.?

[bronney]

Sorry for being a noob. But I keep seeing "check your pod". What is a POD?! TIA.

[ChrisN]

Pad Of Death!

It is a critical component in the shutter release mechanism, that sometimes needs to be replaced before the camera can function properly.

[bronney]

Thank you very much Chris. Now the posts start to make sense Another question though, I take down guns and a panasonic fx9 digital camera no problem all the way to the CCD. Do you think it'd be too hard for me to fix the POD? Or the little springs are just too scary to handle? I don't dare to takedown the lens. Just the pad I wanna fix.

[ChrisN]

With your experience (and attitude!) it should be easy! Do your research first via google, and you should find all you need to know. Good luck!

[john neal]

bronny

It's relatively easy to do - as Chris said Google is your friend.

I find taking the front panel off is the best way to approach it - you can then check the foam light seal behind the light baffles.

While you are in there, makes ure that the sliding fingers and their contacts are clean and making good contact. Apart from that, a quick clean of the VF/RF and you should be good to go.

If you need any small parts, I have 2 or 3 donor cameras - PM me if needed.

[bronney]

Thanks both. Yeah I googled like mad for 2 weeks already. John by the front panel you mean the top plate right? the plate where you have to take down the advance lever first right? I really don't dare to play with the lens it looks like an antique watch

All I wanna do is open up the top and fix the pad thing. The pics show they're supported by some springs like recoil springs on a gun. Which I have experience with. Yashica guy's website pretty much sums it up. The only thing I am afraid of is without knowing how it should've been (much like opening a springed gearbox) first hand, by the time I open up the top plate, little springs flies out and I am toasted. No way I'd know how and which order they go without an explosive diagram.

Other things are not my worry as I bought this nice cam off a good store, like new. It's just the stupid pad. When I tested in the store it's fine. After 2 rolls, the bulb won't close anymore. And twice the shutter won't close with low battery.

I really hope I can just give it to the store to fix but you know the tinkering side of us geeks.. trouble makers

[john neal]

bronney,

If you are particularly dextrous, you can change the pad by only removing the top plate - you have to put the new one on the end of a needle and feed it through a gap, but that will not allow you to find where the bits of the old one went. I have often found them stuck to the sliding fingers (below the springs you mention).

The front plate is the one on which the lens is mounted - you have to carefully peel back the letherette and remove the Yashica badge, then 4 screws and the front comes off. Nothing should shoot out - if it does you have a much bigger problem

Have a look for Roger Provins website - he should still have the official Yashica service manual for download. If not let me know and I'll make it available somehow.

BTW - where are you located? If in the US, Greyhoundman might do it for you for a modest sum. If in the UK, I could do it.

Taking the front off is a much better job, and not that difficult if you are careful and record all the things you do, so that you can get it all back together again (the shutter cocking rod can be real fun). Don't be put off - if you can take a digithing down to the sensor, the Yashica should be a doddle

[Kim Coxon]

I know a way of making it available.

Kim

Originally Posted by john neal

Have a look for Roger Provins website - he should still have the official Yashica service manual for download. If not let me know and I'll make it available somehow.

[rpsawin]

An IPod in it's larval stage...

[bronney]

just a quick update. I've brought the gsn back to the place I bought it from and they fixed it within 1 hour It turned out to be just a loose screw in there. It's all better now and I am gonna shoot some TMAX today hehe.