Wow, what a video find and timely! Thank you so much for making this video manual. I just won a beautiful Autocord, that has been CLR'd, and has the wide angle accessories, a nice leather case, and a 12" cable release. It also comes with 2 rolls of film for me to get started right away. I'll be using a Sekonic L-158 as my metering. I can't wait!!!

The Autocord delivers a lot of performance for its price, which tends to be higher than other TLRs of its vintage. I have three models (two plus a parts camera). Oddly, none of them suffer the notorious focus lever breakage. In the recent age of 3D computer printing, there is some guy on the Internet selling that replacement part milled out of some hard plastic material, $15. Minolta suffered this defective choice of material (brittle metal) for the focus knob lever, then replaced it with a harder steel, and I think finally installed a spring steel part behind the knob to take up any hit the knob might get.

I have an Autocord, too. I paid $20 for it last week. When I got it, the aperture was frozen and the shutter was sticky, but the glass was super clean. I sent it off to Karl and he fixed it, did a CLA and had it back in the mail to me the same day he received it. He told me the focus lever on mine had already been replaced with a steel one at some point in the past. Anyway, the camera is supposed to be back here on Monday and I'm excited to get out and shoot with it. I'm going to go ahead and subscribe to your channel, so I'm looking forward to seeing more Autocord videos from you.

@jjwkk2183

Жыл бұрын

I've recently sent mine out to Karl as well and he's an exceptional Autocord serviceman. I'll definitely be making business with him again if I run into anything else.

Fantastic Review! Loved the video and I can't wait for mine to arrive :)

Great review man! As a minolta fan looking for a TLR this is very valuable :)

I bought mine off ebay ten years ago, for the same reason: thought I wanted a Rollei, but searching forum posts I kept reading from people who said they wished they'd never sold their Autocord. So I bought one, nice and cheap. It was fully functional, but the leatherette was pealing and the focus lever was stiff. Sent it to Karl along with a new leatherette which he told me how to source, and he not only CLA'd the camera, but also re-skinned it with the new leatherette: BOOM like having a brand new Autocord! Recently I sent it back to him for a shutter issue and he remembered my name and my camera. Great guy who deserves all the business he gets. And my Autocord is still my favorite camera by a mile.

Just had a look at your list of videos and I’m even more excited at looking through the various ones you’ve done, looks like your tackling it from viewing some great photographers DG

I jjst bought 2 Autocords, one of which came with the broken focus knob. They are presently with Autocord repair specialist Dan Daniel in Vermont. Dan fabricates a complete focus lever and knob, out of aluminum. It's a great replacement choice.

@HawklordLI

3 жыл бұрын

My focus knob broke also, it appears to be a characteristic of these cameras.

@ghw7192

3 жыл бұрын

Good to know an Autocord specialist! Thanks!

@victorzuelostreet

3 жыл бұрын

​@@HawklordLI for sure men, I had the same problem... I bought an autocord about five years ago in a old and dirty book store of a communist old man in Maracaibo, Venezuela for about 15usd and has the same problem... the focus knob was broke... now im living in Medellin, Colombia and took the camera to a local store en fix that problem for about 50usd and works PERFECT! win!

I literally just picked one of these bad boys up today from Goodwill! As far as I can tell the only thing wrong with mine is a stuck focus lever, but I'll be sending mine in to Karl Bryan, so hopefully I'll be shooting mine soon!

@BunnellPhotography

3 жыл бұрын

He CLA'd mine and I couldn't be happier. Don't try and force the stuck focus lever if you haven't already sent it to him. The main reason these focusing knobs break is the grease hardens and people try to force it.

@aravindvinayakan

3 жыл бұрын

@@BunnellPhotography I decided it was definitely best not to mess with it and just have an expert look at it haha

Great video young man. Great speaker. very nice camera....

i Have owned both an Autocord and a Rollei 3.5f and the difference was always in build quality rather than optics. The Minolta lens from 5.6 down was as good as the Zeiss Planar and I preferred the focusing mechanism on the Autocord. The weak point of the Minolta was however the focusing mechanism which was fine if gently treated but was too delicate for the heavy handed. Sadly one if buying second hand does not know whether previous owners have been gorillas.! Buyers have to be very aware.

@randallstewart1224

Жыл бұрын

The focus knob/lever issue with the Autocord is not related to being used hard. The focus knob/lever sticks out of the bottom-front of the camera. If the camera is rocked forward onto its lens face, the weight of the camera comes down on the focus lever. When the early models used a pot metal cwasting for the lever, after a few of such hits, the lever would fracture and the knob break off.

This focusing movement, swing side by side, is called "harakiri" in Japan. Really. I am Japanese using an Autocord III and old folks who see my camera always mention it.

@freeman10000

Жыл бұрын

🤣

Great review. just got one and i'm pretty nervous about the exposure

Love your review :D greetings and following from germany - with a cable release too 🤣

simple solution for shooting wide open in daytime: Bay to 39mm adapter. I use the contrast and ND filters from my Leica lenses on my Rollei.

what a great video. thanks for sharing.

Excellent video. Thanks. My Autocord is in the mail.

Nice review and even better shirt! Go Heels

I was very interested in your video and also the reference to the book, I would perhaps do a run through or have your script so to speak on a laptop or iPad, I kicked the little references to Grandad and also your honesty, I have a few Folding cameras and lots of SLRs of many brands and ages, right up to and including the mirrorless Fuji’s and Olympus, but I have just purchased a Voigtlander Superb and Montanus Delmonta but also have my sights set on an Minolta as I am a big fan of their lenses and some SLRs. At 72 you’d think I’d stop but I love them and found out about ten years ago that my Grandfather had a photographic studios in there late 1800 early 1900 so I think it’s in the genes. You will get so much pleasure in the years ahead and I still have a picture of my Grand mother that I took with a box Browni in the 50s she used to come and see us every Sunday until she was 89 and then had an accident but made it to 99 born in 1983, I have subscribed and look forward to watching your, excuse Pun developing talents. Great stuff. DG

Outstanding review of an often overlooked TLR [lacks the caché of the Rolleiflex]. Consider a Ricohflex TLR with the same focusing mechanism.[around 150$ compared to Autocord's 300$]. I have both - Autocord is smoother and has a lever to advance the film and cock the shutter rather than a knob and a separate lever to cock the shutter. The Autocord is quite similar to the Rollieflex [I have a 3,5f]. TLRs are not intimidating and attract positive attention.

I've been seeing more and more of these camera around. Sucks about that little broken bit.

Very well done v0ideo!

I owned an Autocord for probably longer than this commentator has been alive, and I managed never to snap off the focus lever. His was probably pre-weakened from mishandling by some previous clueless novice. One common way to damage it is to open the camera while it's on a tripod and let the weight of the body fall forward against the lever. So don't do that, duh!

I recently acquired a Minolta Autocord but the knob was broken and the grease was stiff so it was unusable unless taking pictures of stuff 4ft away. I ordered a CNC part made out of airplane aluminium and got it installed a couple days ago. Regreased the mechanism and now we're ready to go with some film!

@RCAvhstape

Жыл бұрын

Where did you get the part from?

@Libsenth

Жыл бұрын

@@RCAvhstape I got it from the Ebay-seller ahappyfulltimer.

@RCAvhstape

Жыл бұрын

@@Libsenth Thanks

@Libsenth

Жыл бұрын

@@RCAvhstape No problem! Good luck.

@RCAvhstape

Жыл бұрын

@@Libsenth I don't need one yet as mine's fine, but I'm thinking of buying one as a spare just in case someday.

anyway you can link me to the rollei close focus adapter?

Juts stumbled upon your content, keep the videos coming, I feel like you’re able to take something from every video

@DrewWaddell

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks and Welcome Aboard!

can the MXS do double exposures?

Karl's replacement focus helicoid is a lot more robust I wouldn't worry as much about breaking it..

I own an Autocord and a Yashica TLR. I like the swing lever for easy focusing of the Minolta, but the Yashica feels like a more stronger builtt. I prefer both over my Hasselblad that is much heavier and has a lot of noise and movement going on when shooting.

I found an Autocord that had been CLA'd as well as having the mirror replaced. I own a Rolleicord, Yashica Mat and a couple of other Russian made cameras. Do you know how this camera performs against the Rolliecord or Yashica Mat? I found that. both of these two cameras perform in a comparable manner.

@DrewWaddell

7 ай бұрын

My understanding is that the tlrs from reputable brands (rollei, yashica, Minolta) all have similar-ish, very good image quality barring differences in aperture, and that the main differences are in how you use them.

Be nice if the focusing lever didn't break like mine, (and yours did) and cost a fortune to replace...and that's if you can even find one.

Sounds like your meter is broken. The selenium meters on both my Rolleiflex and my Autocord work perfectly well and give me good results.

Autocords go for a fourth of Rolleiflex these days, sadly. Wish they were that cheap

dog fire photos

except its not 10x less.