Cleaning Konica-Minolta X series lens, and unsticking the lens cover.

.

"DiMage" - not mere "X" cameras since those are the older XD, X-700 and so on.

Geesh, Erik, you're a day late and a dollar short, as Konic Minolta has ceased to exist as a camera company JUST YESTERDAY.

They invented the folded lens camera and spent a million $ in research and development - I'll have to find my story including interviews with the designers. Minolta engineers were GREAT - THEY were the "Mind of Minolta.

Minolta Marketing, well, IF they ever really existed, THEY should be the ones to go out of business, NOT the Minolta engineers, a rare breed of photographers who actually USED their own sophisticated, forward thinking, intuitive, ergonomic designs!

Before today, you could have called Minolta and ordered 2 service manuals on CD for ~$30US.

But that's usless information now.

You may have to call Sony or visit Sony's web pages as Sony takes over support for Minolta from today on.

Ooops, NOTHING at SONY:

http://esupport.sony.com/perl/select-system.pl?PRODTYPE=38,33,7,37,25,39,53

which is

http :// esupport . sony . com / perl / select-system.pl?PRODTYPE=38,33,7,37,25,39,53

without the spaces.

Search Sony for [minolta] or [dimage] or whatever Minotla product you have ... wait and see?!?

They DO have [Konica Minolta] listed at:

http://eservice.sony.com/webrma/web/index.do

which is

http : // eservice . sony . com / webrma / web / index . do

without the spaces, and the Dimage X is listed there - maybe you can ask them for a serviec manual?

I know, it's a sorry and sad April Fool's Joke, eh?

Sony is trying, let's read:

=====================

From http://esupport.sony.com/EN/KM/service.html

http : // esupport . sony . com / EN / KM / service . html

Sony After-Sales Service and Contact Information for Konica Minolta Cameras and Related Products

Overview

Effective April 1, 2006, Sony Electronics will be providing service and repair of certain Konica-Minolta products in the United States. Sony is pleased to provide existing Konica-Minolta customers an excellent customer service experience. All terms and conditions of the Konica-Minolta products' limited warranty continue to apply.

Applicable Konica Minolta Products

"Konica Minolta", "Konica" and "Minolta" brand:

Digital single lens reflex cameras - Digital cameras - Film single lens reflex cameras - Film cameras - Interchangeable lenses for single lens reflex cameras - Camera accessories and accompanying items (except binoculars) - Film scanners - Meters for photograph

Service Process for Konica Minolta Products

Effective 3/31/06, Consumer Repair requests will no longer be accepted by Konica Minolta.

Effective 4/1/06, all Consumer Repair requests for Konica Minolta Products in the US will be transferred to Sony Electronics Inc.

Effective 4/1/06, the Sony Electronics Service web site at http://eservice.sony.com can be used to locate a servicer or setup a service request for applicable Konica Minolta products.

Konica Minolta Technical support phone numbers will remain unchanged.

Film Product Support: 1-877-646-6582

Digital Product Support: 1-877-462-4464

Konica Minolta is a registered trademark of Konica Minolta Corporation in the United States and/or other countries

=====================

Hmm ... we'll see.

Otherwise, Google search for [minolta dimage x service manual] brought many resources, including:

http://www.eserviceinfo.com/downloadsm/12697/minolta_minolta%20dimage%20X.html

which is:

http : // www . eserviceinfo . com / downloadsm / 12697 / minolta_minolta%20dimage%20X . html

without the spaces, from a

http://www.eserviceinfo.com/

seach for [minolta]

They are time and bandwidth limited, so try again in a few hours.

I found the following there:

minolta sr t 101.zip

minolta dimage7.part1.rar

minolta dimage e201.rar

minolta dimage e203 Parts.rar

minolta dimage F100.rar

minolta dimage S404 Parts.rar

*** minolta dimage X.rar ***

minolta dimage5.part1.rar

minolta dimage S304.rar

minolta EP 1030 cs pro.part1.exe

minolta 2470 Parts.part1.rar

minolta 2473 Parts.rar

minolta dynax5.part1.rar

minolta dynax7.part1.rar

minolta dynax9.part1.rar

minolta riva zoom125.rar

minolta riva zoom130.rar

minolta riva zoom150.rar

minolta riva zoom160 140.part1.rar

minolta dimage7.part1.rar

Konica Minolta QMS 4060.part01.rar

Konica Minolta QMS 2060.part1.rar

Konica Minolta QMS pagepro 12XX.part1.rar

Konica Minolta QMS pagepro 1100.part1.rar

Konica Minolta QMS PagePro 4100.part1.rar

Konica Minolta QMS 2560.rar

Konica Minolta QMS 2060 Print System Operation.part1.rar

Konica Minolta QMS magicolor 2200.part01.rar

Konica Minolta QMS magicolor 2300.part1.rar

Konica Minolta QMS magicolor 61x0 Service Manual.part01.rar

Konica Minolta QMS magicolor 330 Service Manual.part1.rar

Konica Minolta QMS pagepro 9100 Service Manual.part1.rar

Konica Minolta QMS 7115, 7118 Service Manual.part1.rar

350FIELD.PDF

Konica Minolta QMS magicolor 3100 Service Manual.part1.rar

Konica Minolta QMS magicolor 7300 Service Manual.part1.rar

Konica Minolta QMS magicolor2 Duplex Service Manual.part1.rar

Konica Minolta QMS 2425 Print System Operation.rar

QMS 3260-4032 Laser Printer.part1.rar

Click!

Love and hugs,

Peter Blaise peterblaise@yahoo.com http://www.peterblaisephotogrpahy.com/

PS - If anyone is interested, I have Service Manual PDFs for:

Konica Minolta Dimage Scan Dual III

Konica Minolta DiMage Scan Dual IV

Konica Minolta Dimage Scan Elite 5400

Konica Minolta DiMage Scan Elite 5400 II

Konica Minolta Dimage Z1

Konica Minolta Dimage A1

... and maybe someday I'll scan my PAPER copy of the

Minolta Alpha/Dynax/Maxxum 507si/600si/650si

service manual. Anyone interested in any of these? Contact me and I'll try to make 'em available somehow, probably in a files secton on one of the many dedicated Minolta User's Groups at http://www.YahooGroups.com/

Minolta - DOA March 31, 2006, R.I.P.

We're really on our own now.

.

All he wants to do is try and sort out the camera for pete's sake.

Erik - there have been a number of posts recently on the Minolta forum giving details of the Sony contact points for ( I believe ) the UK, the USA and Australia. Have a look as these may be of help to you.

I agree with you on the Xi & Xt etc. so good luck.

Really!-! What has the viewfinder dirt got to do with taking good photos? It's pure cosmetics, even worse than folk who continually clean the taking lens for the slightest bit of dust.

.

Earlier in this thread: "... All he wants to do is try and sort out the camera for pete's sake ..."

Peter Blaise responds (and why not?): "... for PETE's sake ..." - very funny - I LIKE that!

Now, anyway, I'm sure he can sort through any reference for himself and find what he's after, reading extra or not. However, since these threads hang around and get searched over and over, over time, why not include complete references that may help people who have not visited this thread yet, but may have similar inquiries in the future?

So, generally, anyone hunting for service support for their orphaned Minolta gear (and that now includes ALL of us), this thread has some enhanced references that will respond to a search for same.

Earlier in this thread: "... there have been a number of posts recently on the Minolta forum giving details of the Sony contact points for ( I believe ) the UK, the USA and Australia. Have a look as these may be of help to you ..."

Peter Blaise responds: What a tease! Any specifics? If you're gonna mention such threads, could YOU at least search and include the specific reference or links to the thread you saw?

Erik, where are you? In the US, as mentioned in my previous post,

Konice Minolta US Digital Product Support: 1-877-462-4464

... will get you started "officially" in the US.

In Europe, from:

http://www.konicaminoltasupport.com/Repair_Service.3783.0.html?&L=0

http : // www . konicaminoltasupport . com / Repair_Service.3783.0 . html?&L=0

Konica Minolta Photo Imaging Europe GmbH Repair Service Phone: (49)-421 52075-0

... note that there are MANY, MANY other locations listed there, so go to the link above if you want more locations in extended "Europe". Minolta has apparently left the phone numbers working and/or transferred them directly to Sony, so someone may answer somewhere and offer to help.

More? Erik, let us know if you've got what you are after, and please ask if you need more.

==========

Ya know, damned if you do, damned if you don't - sometimes we criticize each other for answering too tersly, and sometimes we criticize each other for answering too much. At least I give detailed specifics AND accurate links that print and survive the photo.net "(link)" shrinker.

So, shoot me!

... with your Minolta, of course! ;-)

Click!

Love and hugs,

Peter Blaise peterblaise@yahoo.com Minolta Photographer http://www.peterblaisephotography.com/

.

Earlier in this thread: "... we saved it [Minolta DiMage Xi] by getting some Duct Tape ... Camera is still going strong a year later - but I'm still afraid to remove the front of an otherwise perfect camera ..."

Somepone responded: "... It's pure cosmetics ..."

Peter Blaise responds: So, Erik, one vote for leaving it as is! ;-)

By the way, it's DUCK Tape, and was origianlly made from waterproof DUCK cloth (from a Google search [define"duck cloth"]: "Tightly woven fabric that provides wind and snag resistance." - see Google [define:"duck tape"] or [define:"duct tape"] for more), but has evolved into use today as "duct" tape, so we tend to forget it's origins.

Same with so much of what is now photography trivia. How many Minolta "factoids", Minolta inventions and Minolta first introductions got us advanced to where we are today in our photography?!?

Minolta - DOA March 31, 2006, R.I.P.

Long live OUR Minolta's!

Click!

Love and hugs,

Peter Blaise peterblaise@yahoo.com Minolta Photographer http://www.peterblaisephotography.com/

The adverts I see on TV mainly seem to use it on objects which could be called 'ducts' as they convey substances inside them such as vacuum cleaners .... maybe the ducks are getting a bit high now?