Hi folks, I've got a problem with a Canon A1 meter: the meter appears to work fine but for the fact that it remains convinced that it has the minimum film speed set, regardless of position of film speed dial.

I've cured a similar problem once before by (very carefully) cleaning the contacts between the flexible circuit boards (yes, this involves removing the top cover and a fair few other bits) and re-assembling, but no luck this time.

(The camera was dropped in a river about ten years back, but immediately completely serviced, cleaned etc. by Canon. When the meter started playing up a few years later, I went looking for contacts that may have oxidised slightly.)

Anyone else had an A-1 meter with this problem? Anyone got one who wants to know the fix, if I manage to fix it?

I've noticed that there's a chip on a flexible circuit board underneath the film speed dial assy. which has the PC socket sync lead passing perilously close to it, given the voltages sometimes seen on the sync sockets - anyone know if that chip has anything to do with the film speed switch? Or can anyone point me to on-line resources like circuit diagrams etc.? I guess I could write to Canon, they may still have a few "antique" enthusiasts on their staff :-)

This camera belongs to a friend of mine, and I haven't seen it for a while. I'd forgotten what '80s cameras were like. I can see why they don't make 'em like that any more (cost) but I wish they did - we thought of the A1 and cheap and plasticky at the time, but it's like the proverbial brick outhouse alongside modern AF jobs, at least in the "amateur" price bracket.

Cheers,

Carl

-- Carl Williams (carloz46@hotmail.com), June 08, 2001

Answers

Dunno if there's anybody out there, but I think I have this sussed now (see other post in reply to someone else) and I'll try to put together a "how to fix it" page. Sometime...

Cheers,

Carl

-- Carl Williams (carloz46@hotmail.com), June 15, 2001.