Finally got a Yashica Electro 35 working after three tries

Had one sitting on my shelf for six months with a bad pad of death. Wired in a new one yesterday and the shutter fired first try. Has anyone else found a reliable source for those tiny resistors?

3 comments

3 Comments

reese_hayes711mo agoTop Commenter

Why would you want to fix a pad of death issue on an Electro 35 anyway? Those cameras are way too finicky and the viewfinder is garbage compared to a Canonet. I mean, sure, you got it working, but half the time those little resistors you bought are gonna fail again in a year and you'll be right back at square one. The shutter fires first try now, but the meter reading is probably off by a stop or two and you won't even notice till you waste a roll of film. Honestly, it's more trouble than it's worth, especially when you could've just bought a working Minolta Hi-Matic for the same price and not had to mess with soldering tiny things.

evan_cooper731mo ago

Start by saying you've fixed a few of these and it's not that bad. The pad of death fix is actually pretty reliable if you use the right resistor values and don't cheap out on parts. I've been running a fixed Electro 35 for like three years now with no issues, and the meter is still dead on compared to my DSLR. Sure, the viewfinder isn't as bright as a Canonet but the lens is just as sharp and the metering system is honestly simpler once you work on it. You gotta have some patience and a steady hand with those tiny connections but it's not rocket science, just takes practice.

murray.cora1mo ago

Nah, @reese_hayes71 you're way off. Fixing the pad of death is totally worth it. Those tiny resistors are cheap and easy to find on eBay if you search for the right kit. Once you swap them, the meter is usually spot on if you clean the contacts right. I've fixed three of these and they all hold up fine for years. The Yashica lens is actually sharper than most Canonets I've shot with, just sayin'.

-2