Problem with my minolta

[babechik232]

I have a Minolta 400si and recently during my trip to New York, while in the middle of taking a picture, it displayed the word help. I didnt know what the problem was So I took out the battery and put it back in. Everything works fine except when I look in the viewfinder it's dark. I continued to take pictures well because help was not displayed. I later looked through the lense and realized that when I change the aperture the lens does not dilate. I don't know what to do, it works fine should I just ignore it?

 

[compur]

When you changed the aperture in your inspection of the lens was the lens on or off the camera?

Is the viewfinder still dark?

 

[babechik232]

The lens was on the camera, and yes the viewfinder is still dark.

 

[compur]

Try this: remove the lens and clean the electrical contacts (little gold metal tabs) at the rear of the lens with a clean pencil eraser. Do the same with the contacts inside the camera body's lens mount. Then try it again.

 

[dxqcanada]

Aperture is mechanically controlled by a lever that sticks out from the body.
Sounds like it is stuck in the closed position, so the lenses aperture is forced to the smallest.

http://home.comcast.net/~loosecanon...s/400si_01724933/images/400si_01724933_09.JPG