Since the directions given for the D10 are a little different I thought I would post my findings. Warning, after removing the cover I found 5-6 of the smallest ball bearings I've ever seen on the work bench. They had to of come from the camera but I don't have a clue where. It doesn't matter for this dead beat up D12 that I praticed on but would like to know where they go.
To remove the left side cover:
1) remove the round leather patch on the zoom speed dial. take it slow. Once off you'll see one screw, remove and dial comes off.
2) large silver variable shutter dial is held on by three screws on the outer egde. remove and the outer dial comes off. The inner dial is still there and is held on by a large flathead screw. It has a thin groove so you may need to file down a screw driver to fit. Once off the dial still seems to not want to come off but will
3) the N, F.O., M, L.D. dial is held on by three tiny screws along the outer edge. remove and the dial comes off
4) the filming speed dial. First removie the top metal plate. Use your smallest screwdriver to gently pry it off (you don't want to bend this!). Once off it exposes two screws, remove them and the outer dial comes off. After that there is still another metal piece that must be removed. Its held on by one screw on the side. remove and take inner dial off.
5) Just below where the zoom speed dial use to be is a screw, remove it and just to the top left of where the variable shutter dial was is another screw, remove it. Once those two are off you then take the metal plate off that section. removing the plate exposes another screw, remove it.
6) Remove the large screw that is just to the bottom left of where the filming speed dial was. Also inside the cartridge chamber above the word Minolta is another large screw, remove.
Now the cover will lift off, start at the front and pull up. the back part did not want to come off easily but it will with some controlled force.
Final note: when putting the cover back on put the back end in first and you have to kind of work it back on a bit. Before you snap it shut make sure that you line up the latch on the viewfinder open/close switch to the one inside the camera so that they lock in as you close it. If you don't that feature will not work.
Again after I removed the cover i found tiny ball bearings on the bench. I don't know if they were already loose inside the camera (this camera had suffered a massive hit in the past) or if they came from one of the dials. Until I can find out where these bearings came from I will NOT try to open my good D12.
Removing side cover on Minolta D12
Moderator: Andreas Wideroe