Minolta XD-11 question about the shutter release button

So I was given this camera.  No battery or film in it.  Everything seems to be fine except the shutter release button seems odd.  I can only get it to activate the shutter if the shutter speed is on B or O.  If its X, 1, 2, or faster the shutter release button does not go down enough to activate the shutter.  Also I can't engage the film advance lever so I can use the shutter release button again.  So I wondered if it was because there was no film in it or no battery?  Is there anything else that could cause this?

B and O are mechanical releases , B being bulb which is released with a cable release , locked down as long as the exposure is required and then released .

"O" being an emergency mechanical shutter release for if the battery fails . IIRC it's about 1/100 second .

All other speeds are controlled electronically including "X" the flash sync speed , so without a battery don't work .

In both bulb and O you should be able to release the shutter , and once done you should be able to wind on the film advance lever and reset the camera ready for the next shot .

It doesn't matter if film is in it or not .

I suggest you put some batteries in it before doing anything else .

You've not tried using the self timer have you ?

That's the quickest way to jam up any old camera and end up having to pay for a repair .

miname wrote:

Thank you for confirming the battery info. Makes sense.
I did try the self timer (curiosity got the better of me - also I didn't realize it was risky). It seems to work fine and released the shutter when on B or O.

Regards the self release timer , on cameras where this is a mechanical function it has often not been used since the camera was made 40+ years ago .

As a result the lubrication has all gummed up and when you try and use it , it jams up partway through it's motion .

The XD-11 works this way .

On later cameras the self timer is an electronic function , in the same way the shutter release button is .

So move the switch from the AEL function to ST , press the shutter either by the button on a cable release , and the camera counts it down electronically before firing the shutter .

cameras such as the X-500 and X-700work like this , and the ST function is perfectly safe to use .

If your camera is firing O.K in O or B , just leave the self timer lever well alone and all should be well when you put some fresh batteries in it .

Have a look at the light seals on the film door , as it's most likely that they have degraded over the years and are due replacing .

A simple DIY job if you buy a kit for it .