The Copal MXV Shutter in a Yashica D TLR Camera – Ratfactor.

This is really a fantastic step-by-step instruction by Dav Gauer…

If you have problem with your Yashica D, maybe can have a try!

The Copal MXV Shutter in a Yashica D TLR Camera

A Step-by-Step Guide by Dave Gauer

My tale begins with an eBay auction. Some strange fascination with TLR (Twin Lens Reflex) cameras has brought me here. $32 later (plus shipping) and I’ve got my very own Yashica TLR. I discern that it is the D model from the manual shutter cocking, right-side focus and film advance, and other visual cues.

When I started to play with the critter, I realized that the shutter was not opening. Well, the eBay seller had made no promises to the contrary. It was time to crack the camera open. Join me as we enter a world of gears and springs where life is cheap and parts are small.

Putting the camera back together is pretty much just the reverse of the above. Here is a handy checklist to make sure you don’t miss anything:

1. Put the flash sync spring back on the screw/post and replace the flash sync (if you took it off)
2. Put the shim(s) or washer(s) in place where the speed regulator goes
3. Put the speed regulator in and screw it down
4. Put the self timer back in and secure it with the snap ring. My self timer was damaged, as I have mentioned. The shutter works fine without it, but at least the frame of the self timer is needed so that the speed cam detent spring can be placed on it.
5. Put the shutter speed cam back on the shutter mechanism. Be sure that all of the pins (shown in the picture) clear the various holes and slots provided.
6. Put the shutter speed cover on the cam so that the holes line up with various pins (on mine, the printed “B” aperture setting lined up with the post protruding out of the top of the speed cam.)
7. Carefully screw down the cover ring. Be sure it is threading properly before applying any force.
8. Turn the set screw to secure the cover ring
9. Work the shutter to make sure all of the controls work properly
10. Align the shutter release lever so that it fits into the slot in the mounting plate
11. Underneath the shutter, arrange the stack of rings so that they align. On mine, I needed the ring containing the manual shutter reset lever to be in the right position and all of the rings needed to have a slot lined up with a hole in the mounting plate so that a post from the shutter went through them all and secured them
12. Screw the lens barrel onto the back of the mounting plate, breath a sigh of relief
13. If detached, re-connect the small spring that resets the shutter reset lever
14. Line up the aperture and shutter speed levers with the controls inside the shutter cover and put the shutter cover back on. Make sure that rotating the aperture and speed wheels on the cover operate the shutter controls. Secure the cover with the five screws
15. Screw the shutter lever knob back on counter-clockwise
16. Re-attach the lens assembly to the body of the camera with four screws
17. Put the top cover back on the lens assembly with four screws
18. If desired, re-glue the leatherette. You’ll probably want to play with the camera for a while to make sure it works before you do this. I’ve still got my leatherette off and am debating whether or not to glue the old one back on. Update: I still haven’t. I think it looks fine without.

Good luck, and I hope the Copal Shutter in your Yashica camera is now fully functional!