The Minolta Autocord is one of my favorite cameras. The focus lever under the lens allows for one-finger focusing while cradling the camera body. The viewfinder is crisp and bright. And the lens is one of the best 'Tessar-type' lenses around.
One major problem with Autocords is that the focus lever is made from a pot metal that cracks far too easily. I am not certain what Minolta was thinking. The focus helical has very precise machined brass and aluminum parts so it wasn't as if Minolta would have had difficulty manufacturing from better materials. Sometimes I think the focus lever was deliberately made brittle as a type of a fuse- a part meant to fail before other parts get ruined. But why the focus lever??
I have developed a replacement lever for the Autocord. It is machined from aluminum and securely attached to the focus helical. This is a custom installation process, not a simple 'plug and play' part. So I offer a replacement lever as a service done by me, usually including a full overhaul. I've already got the camera 2/3 apart, might as well clean it all up.
