[Mr Manual]

Hello all,

I have a Super A that I've been using for around 6 months with the same batteries.
I was using it yesterday without a problem and then today when I went to take a photo, the battery was dead.
I got home I gave the cells a lick and it registered that there was a power supply for all of 5 seconds.
I proceeded to swap the SR44s for some LR44s I have in a P30t. To my dismay, the Super A didn't respond.
I then tested the SR44s in the P30t which confirmed that they had power.

Since working yesterday, the Super A hasn't received any knocks of been dropped.
Could one of you kind souls please enlighten me as to what could be at fault?

Thank you in advance,
Jay

[PPPPPP42]

The Super A/Super Program is one of my favorite cameras and are usually quite reliable, but when they fail they tend to just suddenly crap out like that due to their electronic nature.
Try working the mode dial back and forth a bit and see if anything happens or it works in any mode other than auto. Those cameras are notorious for contacts corroding up though usually its the shutter button or the light button and not the main power circuit that acts up. You could check for any hard to see oxidization of the battery compartment as well.
If nothing else you may have to send it to Harrow Technical to have it sorted out. By this age they usually need to go in for a CLA anyways.

[Mr Manual]

The Super A/Super Program is one of my favorite cameras and are usually quite reliable, but when they fail they tend to just suddenly crap out like that due to their electronic nature.
Try working the mode dial back and forth a bit and see if anything happens or it works in any mode other than auto. Those cameras are notorious for contacts corroding up though usually its the shutter button or the light button and not the main power circuit that acts up. You could check for any hard to see oxidization of the battery compartment as well.
If nothing else you may have to send it to Harrow Technical to have it sorted out. By this age they usually need to go in for a CLA anyways.

Thank you PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP42,

I left it on a window ledge that receives sunlight with the battery compartment open and it's working again now.
However, it has twice in 10 frames randomly released the shutter. Strange.

Thanks again,
Jay

[johnha]

I had one that worked perfectly. I left it about six months and it didn't respond to anything. I managed to get it working by screwing the battery cap in hard, but then it stopped working again. From what I've read online, the contacts in main mode dial are prone to failure. In my case the finder light would work dimly when the switch was pressed, indicating the fault was probably with the mode dial. I tried loads of batteries, used & new with no improvement. In the end I bought another one (cheaper than a repair).

[Mr Manual]

I had one that worked perfectly. I left it about six months and it didn't respond to anything. I managed to get it working by screwing the battery cap in hard, but then it stopped working again. From what I've read online, the contacts in main mode dial are prone to failure. In my case the finder light would work dimly when the switch was pressed, indicating the fault was probably with the mode dial. I tried loads of batteries, used & new with no improvement. In the end I bought another one (cheaper than a repair).

objects of desire often are temperamental

[K6-III]

Make sure the battery contacts are clean. I had corroded contacts on the battery compartment in my Canonet that got fixed with a good scraping.

[Tom in Delaware]

Try working the mode dial back and forth throughout the range several times. I mean several times. This can often clean the oxidation from the contacts.