Minolta 75-300

[longvale]

The fpc on my older minolta 75-300 f4.5~5.6 seems to have gone kaput. [My A350 and 7000i won't recognize it]
I have already replaced the 4th lens group (the rearmost element- due to the original element having fungus in between the cemented elements ) with a Sony one so the parts seem to be interchangeable. However a new fpc from Sony is the 8 contact one, does anyone know if it is possible to fit this on the minolta which had a five-pin. I know I need to change the "tube set light intervention" part onto which the contacts are screwed because the contact board is wider.
Does anyone have any experience of "upgrading" a five-pin minolta to an 8-pin one using Sony parts?

[longvale]

To answer my own question.. no.. or maybe?. The 8 pin fpc is bulkier than the original.I couln't see how I could bend or shape it to fit the anchor points used for the minolta fpc. I have a sneaky suspicion that it could unless they have redesigned the inner barrels, although the breakdown diagram of the Sony looks the same shape as the Minolta? I had seven days in which to return the fpc for a refund so I chickened out and sent it back!!.

[David Kilpatrick]

Sorry, but I can imagine why no-one responded - the lens commonly sells for the lowest price of any similar telephoto, old 5-pin Minolta ones are worth about £50, new Sony ones do cost around £150 (but really only around £100 when bundled in kits). I don't know where you are getting your Sony parts but in the UK we would probably a) be unable to get them b) pay more for the parts than buying a new lens.

David

[longvale]

Very true David. Once I had replaced that rearmost element I was so mad that the electrical contact had somehow been lost/broken. It's a bit like throwing good money after bad I know but I had to give it a shot. My view is though that it helps me to learn repair work and I have been quite succesful over the past few years in buying "as-is" or "not working" minolta bodies and lenses pulling them apart fixing them and selling them on. The failures along the way provided me with spare parts for others that came available.
Now I can more or less tell by the description of its problem whether a lens or body is going to give me too much trouble to be worth the effort. Fungus and oily blades are worth having a go at I know in the case of lenses, and I find digital cameras are easier to work on that the old mechanical ones! I managed recently to repair two Dimage Z6's with parts from a third and sell them on for a overall profit.
Once you've pulled apart a body or lens more than a few times you (have! to!) know how to put them all back and along the way you get to know the individual parts by sight!
At the present I'm on the lookout for a Minolta or Sony 20mm af with front end or water damage. I'm after the rearmost element. I can source the whole rear group for about 200 quid but not the individual element unfortunately. I bought it originally off Ebay from Italy. The listing was in Italian and didn't realise when I took delivery of it that the front element was missing. I fitted a Sony element but then found a smallish scratch on the rear element was affecting the image too badly. I will just keep on looking. It will go nicely on that cheap "as-is" A850 body which will come along I'm sure!! Lol