Don't be so hard on yourself, I thought it was a little gem of a video. and very informative. Not just anyone would have made this in detail tutorial thanks. I am also having bother with the Spotmatic II shutter release, so cheers again.....
Thanks for making this video, and reminding us that the gears and critical components are made of metal, not degradable plastic, and if cleaned up a little, will likely work forever. In my experience, the only piece that falls apart on Spotmatics and Nikon F models is the plastic foam piece that cushions the mirror when it flips up when the shutter releases. I suggest using 91% to 99% isopropyl (i.e. rubbing) alcohol to dissolve the grease and crud that gets into the gears; it has less water, dissolves crud better and evaporates quicker than the typical drug store 70% strength, and costs about the same. In a pinch, spray some mechanic's Brake Kleen into a very small container and use a Q-tip to apply it and swab out the crud. It both cleans and evaporates within seconds of being applied. Is Super Super light oil a brand name or just a recommendation to carefully use a small amount of high-quality light oil? Thanks for making this video - I've got a couple of screw-mount Pentaxes that I got 50 years ago, and one in perfect condition that I recently bought on eBay which came with an original Owners Manual(and the internal metering system) and a free hand-held Metrastar (German made) light meter, which was top quality in its day. If I remember correctly, the SP models were the ones that came without a built-in meter. The recommended modern battery for these old Pentaxes with internal meters is a silver cell one, the 387S.
I recently got a "parts or repair" Pentax S3 to learn about camera repair. Your videos have been helpful. When I got the camera the shutter wasn't closig completely. The speeds below 1/30 leave the shutter open so I have to get up the courage to drive deeper into the camera. I am learning a good amount so far. I hope by the end I will have a properly functioning S3 and lens.
Well, I THOUGHT I had it fixed.... I put alcohol on it a few times, and it seemed to work well, but the next day it would go back to sticking. I then put a bit of oil on it, still sticking. I very slightly bent the arm that holds the mirror release and that helped a lot. It shoots fine 99% of the time when I hold it UPSIDE DOWN. As soon as I turn it right side up it seems to go back to misbehaving. The shutter winds and fires fine, its just that catch not completely getting out of the way of the mirror release arm. No idea why it would be any different depending on the way I orient the camera, it's just strange.
I dont know about the upside down thing, but the arm that holds back the mirror release arm was a part that was redesigned 3 times I think because of release problems unique to that model. I wonder if the pivot point on that arm is free moving, possibly dragging on old grime. Its hard to say, after fifty years of unknown treatment it could be several problems but I think you are close if you got it this far. Here is a link to a guy who does camera repair videos, pretty good ones too. I was never brave enough to try this but it could help, possibly. th-cam.com/video/zOaGdKWb_f0/w-d-xo.html
also, its not unusual for the alcohol cleaning to "wear off" by the next day, I have repeated this process on a couple of cameras over a period of several days to get the gunk out, on leaf shutters as well. Good luck.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and knowledge. this video has been very helpful . I have a half dismantled Pentax KX that i got as part of a job lot from ebay .the camera is in a very neglected rusty state , the battery cover was rusted solid .. removed the bottom plate with the battery cover still in situ and left in a jar with vinegar. and hope this will help loosen up the oxidation.the viewfinder is dirty and full of dust ,I would like to take the top plate off to access the prism etc and clean it , however the most challenging I found is removal of the film advance lever as the mechanism is totally different from the Spotmatic , so i am stuck with it until I find a way .
Thanks my friend. I just dug mine out of storage and remember I bought it as a spare (as yours was), and the battery recess was damaged (the phenolic board was damaged if I recall).
It's been a while, but as I remember the clockwork timer is in the bottom, but the lever and cam are in the top under the shutter speed dial. It's a lot of moving parts but once you get your head around it, it's not hard to repair.
Great video! I always wondered what metal is used for the body, it makes sense it’s die cast metal. I assume it’s the same for the Pentax K series SLR’s? Is the die cast the reason you rarely see rust on the bodies of these cameras? Thanks!
Most higher end cameras I have seen used die cast alloy bodies and would never rust, however they will corrode if stored in damp conditions. The steel parts that make it work however, will rust like its their job.
@@tobroken1965 I’ve been trying to figure out what metal is used to make the Pentax KX and KM bodies, I would assume it’s die cast as well. However, to experiment I held a magnet to the body and it does seem to be magnetic which confused me.
@@tobroken1965 I could be very wrong because I experimented again today and it seems the magnet is only sticking to to certain gears and parts in the body. It doesn’t stick to the actual body if there’s not steel on the other side of it
Great video! Though apologies for my lack of knowing but when you say “super duper light oil” are you referring to the amount of oil to use or the color? The only type of oil I have lying around my house right now is the 3-in-one stuff. Thank you!
No apologies needed, I had to learn this long hand myself. As far as the oil is concerned, mostly you should be concerned with how heavy it is, 3 in 1 will probably work but it wouldnt be my first choice, I bought synthetic watch oil (a 1 ounce bottle with a long needle for application) mostly clear and very light. 3 in 1 is pretty heavy stuff (for delicate work), however if thats what you have and dont want to buy something you may never use again, I am sure it will work. The amount also, just a dot at the moving points. If to much is used it can migrate and contaminate the shutter and/or film travel areas. Good luck.
@@tobroken1965 thank you for your reply good sir, i heard that too. some say specific ones like k1000, and some only SPs. i'll update you if i get a strong answer for this. thanks again! -Ruzaini
From where do you get 'Alcohol' to clean the gears ? Here in England you need a special HM Customs & Excise Licence and it is very tightly controlled .
You are thinking ethyl alcohol[ethanol],booze,hooch,moonshine;the Infernal Revenoors tax! This is Rubbing Alcohol[IPA,iso-propanol]readily available at the local chemists! In fact ethanol would not dissolve the dried lube!
Hi William -- I tried to get 'isopropyl alcohol' here and that is also NOT readily available in any Pharmacies and one Pharmacy told me he needs a 'licence' so i told him I'm not going to Drink it but use it as all the Americans seem to use !
How strange it is the way the world works, a former girlfriend of mine bought codeine over the counter in Canada and you cant get rubbing alcohol in the UK. I dont know off hand but you may be able to find a substitute of some kind. The only criteria I can think of is that it be able to dissolve light gunk and evaporate rapidly. You could, I suppose distill it yourself from whiskey or any strong drink. Alcohol boils at 173.1F
Well,if you try this,start with vodka as it's relatively free of cognomens;the volatile organics that give different 'poisons' their taste! But,no matter the reflux ratio or how many 'theoretical plates' you cram into you distillation column,an azeotrope is produced! At best,96% ethanol,4% water;not something you want sloshing through your camera! Even if you could score some absolute 100% reagent ethanol,it still would not work! It is too 'polar',simply put,it only wants to attach to water & not oils! To get a solvent to attach to oils,it must be more 'oil-like',i.e.;a longer carbon chain 'backbone' so it looks like oil to the crud[like dissolves like]! But the longer the chain,the less it evaporates! The solution,in the past,was carbon tet[rachloride],which is now banned, lest the precious darlin's snort,ingest,inhale or bath in it! Too bad,IMHO,as it negates Darwin's thesis! The only answer I can think of,is to try electronic contact cleaner! Bonne Chance!
The mirror damping foam you mentioned, does it prevent damage to the mirror? One of my spotmatics has the common problem were the foam starts to deteriorate.
It can help prevent mirror damage, although I have never yet seen a broken mirror. Several of mine have worn foam, I dont shoot them much so I dont worry about it, however if you are a regular user it would be wise to replace worn or missing foam. Mostly it quiets down the action of the shutter reducing a clack to a dull thud. When the foam gets rotten it can also stick to the mirror and hang up the action, that sucks. If you are going to replace the foam and havent done it before, practice on a dead one. I have several that are just for exploratory surgery. There are several good instructional videos showing foam replacement.
Interestingly the mirror on my 1974 Spotmatic II jammed a year or so back but it seemed to free off when the base was removed and the mechanism was given a minute amount of light oil and it has been fine ever since. I have noticed the foam has deteriorated on the mirror damper.', hence my question. I have also got a Spotmatic 1 acquired used some years back seems to have a damper in better condition................thanks for your reply.
Hi!! i just got a spotmatic sp2 and looks like thye have take great care of it but the meter does not work at all. doesnt move. i just got a new battery and nothing. any idea of what can be or what i can do or check? thank you!!
My first guess would be a hinky battery connection, in the compartment or the wiring inside the bottom cover. After that there are a few points where connections can go bad, like the switch next to the lens hole, it must be in the up position to work (on most models). It could also be a bad cell. I would check the battery compartment, make sure the battery fits properly and that the contacts are clean, the threads on the cover also, a look inside the bottom cover would be a good idea and wont do any harm. About half of mine have working meters and maybe half of that number work correctly. Good luck. If you find the problem, post it, every bit of info helps.
+Esk K Unfortunately, the Minolta isn't a camera I know anything about. That model was built in the 80's so is newer by a decade than any of my stuff. Its a pretty sophisticated model employing several capacitors and resisters plus a bunch of cold soldered connections. Way beyond me. Good luck.
Hi could you possibly do a video on removing the top cover on the spotamatic as mine seems different than the K1000 its the same until you remove the frame counter dial then theres a wheel which I'm not to sure how to remove. Hope you can help
+Martin Carlin I will if I have a chance, until then here is a link to a spotmatic repair manual, page 45 (if it doesnt come up with the link) will show en exploded view of the camera top. Good luck. www.pentax-manuals.com/manuals/service/spotmatic_sm.pdf
+tobroken1965 also watch out for left hand threads on that wind lever shaft, I found out the hard way that the flat top screw under the winder cap and the nut underneath the counter disk are both left handed.
So I ran into a sticky situation with my Spotmatic F. For some reason or another I can no longer crank the film advance lever, and the film rewind button on the under side will not reset it is stuck in a depressed position. Just wondering if any one has answers.
+girunit94 This is just a guess but it sounds like the mirror charge lever has dropped, leaving the camera timing off. I have on spotmatic that I call my haunted camera, it will shoot a hundred times like new, I set it down and the next time I go to use it, its locked up with no warning. So I take the bottom off, remove the "L" shaped lever (which requires me to use a loupe and tweezers to remove the "E" clip that holds it in place) push the mirror charge lever back up and, as if by magic, it works like a charm as long as I dont leave it for a day of two. This operation, if indeed this is the problem is tricky as the parts are tiny. If your timing is correct, the pin on the large gear should be at about the 11 o'clock position, and the mirror charge lever should be at the tip of the "L" shaped arm (looking at the open bottom of the camera with the lens pointing up) if the mirror charge lever is down, you have a timing issue and that will lock the camera. I cant find that camera or I would post a vid of the correction but I had to clean up my mess and dont know which box that camera is in, or even where the box is. Again, this is only a guess, it could be a hundred other things just as easily.
+tobroken1965 I should have added that this assumes that the camera is cocked and in the "ready to fire" position. If the shutter has already been fired the pin on the large gear should be hidden behind the bent end of the "L" shaped arm over the large gear (opposite end from the "mirror charge lever" end. If the camera locked up after being fired, that implies another problem deeper inside the guts beyond my experience.
Hello ! I'm sorry but even with you're great video I can't manage to fix the camera. The wheel doesn't want to move, even with a drop of oil it's still blocked and i'm afraid to break it :( help me please. Thanks !
Aurore M Hmmmmm, when you say wheel I am guessing you mean the larger of the two gears I point out in the video. I am not a camera mechanic but lets see if I can help. The advance lever must be fully charged, having done that, the mirror charge lever should be sitting at the tip of L shaped arm (a backwards L with a tiny tail, and later models have slightly different tips) that sits between the gears and the tripod socket, on the larger gear, a tiny pin should be visible at about the 12 o'clock position (camera on its back, lens facing up), if this is so, then pressing the fire button should make it work, if either of these things is not as described it wont fire, and you may have another problem. I have one Spotmatic that will for reasons unknown to me will simply drop the mirror charge lever, locking the whole mechanism, requiring me to do micro surgery. Definitely dont force anything, the camera is rugged but still breakable. Here is a link to what it should look like if in the "ready to shoot" position, sorry its so long. www.google.com/search?q=pentax+shutter+repair&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=7yg0VdrBMcXusAWJi4H4Cg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAw&biw=1047&bih=486#imgrc=lr9zm1w7TGz0cM%253A%3BbBRo90xNN4l-JM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fstatic.photo.net%252Fattachments%252Fbboard%252F00U%252F00UYwg-175077584.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fphoto.net%252Fpentax-camera-forum%252F00UYwg%3B1708%3B1771
tobroken1965 Hello ! I' m sorry. It took me a lot of time to answer. I've been trying to fix it with your advices but I'm afraid something else is broken. I can't manage to fix it. :( I'll try to bring it in a camera shop. Thanks a lot anyway !
In 2023 you don't get even wrecks for "a buck" - prices of all good mechanical cameras have risen as more enthusiasts are using real film, or are becoming collectible. I have seen a fine Pentax K1000 as high as 200GBP, and a Rolleicord Vb at 600GBP.
sounds like its time to clear some stuff. You are correct, prices have gone up, on most cameras. I have a couple of David White 3D cameras that I bought only four years ago or so for almost nothing, now the prices are measurable in percentages of your paycheck.
Case Ayers I have several of these and my experience is, you probably wont. Take the screws out of the bottom, either 3 or 4 depending of the model.(work of a tray) pull it off and remove the battery if its still there. Clean any areas that have any leaky battery stuff on them with vinegar and a Q-tip and dry thoroughly. I wouldnt count of the light meter working but it is possible. A company called Wein cell makes replacement batteries of the right style, maybe $4 from B&H photo. However I would plan on getting a hand held light meter.
Thanks for the reply but It's not that big of a deal to me since I didn't pay anything for it and I have no experience in film photography. It also didn't come with a lens so I'll keep it as a prop for now. Thanks again!
Don't be so hard on yourself, I thought it was a little gem of a video. and very informative. Not just anyone would have made this in detail tutorial thanks. I am also having bother with the Spotmatic II shutter release, so cheers again.....
Thank you, glad I could help!
Thank you for this interesting video from a good film camera Pentax Spotmatic and ME.Very useful.
Thanks for making this video, and reminding us that the gears and critical components are made of metal, not degradable plastic, and if cleaned up a little, will likely work forever. In my experience, the only piece that falls apart on Spotmatics and Nikon F models is the plastic foam piece that cushions the mirror when it flips up when the shutter releases.
I suggest using 91% to 99% isopropyl (i.e. rubbing) alcohol to dissolve the grease and crud that gets into the gears; it has less water, dissolves crud better and evaporates quicker than the typical drug store 70% strength, and costs about the same. In a pinch, spray some mechanic's Brake Kleen into a very small container and use a Q-tip to apply it and swab out the crud. It both cleans and evaporates within seconds of being applied.
Is Super Super light oil a brand name or just a recommendation to carefully use a small amount of high-quality light oil?
Thanks for making this video - I've got a couple of screw-mount Pentaxes that I got 50 years ago, and one in perfect condition that I recently bought on eBay which came with an original Owners Manual(and the internal metering system) and a free hand-held Metrastar (German made) light meter, which was top quality in its day. If I remember correctly, the SP models were the ones that came without a built-in meter. The recommended modern battery for these old Pentaxes with internal meters is a silver cell one, the 387S.
I recently got a "parts or repair" Pentax S3 to learn about camera repair. Your videos have been helpful. When I got the camera the shutter wasn't closig completely. The speeds below 1/30 leave the shutter open so I have to get up the courage to drive deeper into the camera. I am learning a good amount so far. I hope by the end I will have a properly functioning S3 and lens.
You can do it!
It worked!! Thanks so much, I have a working Spotmatic! Now if I could only figure out my Minolta SRT201 and my Fujica STX-1!
your welcome, enjoy!
Well, I THOUGHT I had it fixed.... I put alcohol on it a few times, and it seemed to work well, but the next day it would go back to sticking. I then put a bit of oil on it, still sticking. I very slightly bent the arm that holds the mirror release and that helped a lot. It shoots fine 99% of the time when I hold it UPSIDE DOWN. As soon as I turn it right side up it seems to go back to misbehaving. The shutter winds and fires fine, its just that catch not completely getting out of the way of the mirror release arm. No idea why it would be any different depending on the way I orient the camera, it's just strange.
I dont know about the upside down thing, but the arm that holds back the mirror release arm was a part that was redesigned 3 times I think because of release problems unique to that model. I wonder if the pivot point on that arm is free moving, possibly dragging on old grime. Its hard to say, after fifty years of unknown treatment it could be several problems but I think you are close if you got it this far. Here is a link to a guy who does camera repair videos, pretty good ones too. I was never brave enough to try this but it could help, possibly. th-cam.com/video/zOaGdKWb_f0/w-d-xo.html
also, its not unusual for the alcohol cleaning to "wear off" by the next day, I have repeated this process on a couple of cameras over a period of several days to get the gunk out, on leaf shutters as well. Good luck.
I'll keep trying. I did do it for a few days, then lightly oiled things, but its hard to tell if it did enough without tearing it apart.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and knowledge. this video has been very helpful . I have a half dismantled Pentax KX that i got as part of a job lot from ebay .the camera is in a very neglected rusty state , the battery cover was rusted solid .. removed the bottom plate with the battery cover still in situ and left in a jar with vinegar. and hope this will help loosen up the oxidation.the viewfinder is dirty and full of dust ,I would like to take the top plate off to access the prism etc and clean it , however the most challenging I found is removal of the film advance lever as the mechanism is totally different from the Spotmatic , so i am stuck with it until I find a way .
schematics are available on line, I was able to find good uploaded copies of parts manuals and many service manuals for pentax.
Thanks that took me 10 minutes and saved my dads camera I can now use!
Thanks my friend. I just dug mine out of storage and remember I bought it as a spare (as yours was), and the battery recess was damaged (the phenolic board was damaged if I recall).
Gracias por compartir tus videos y conocimientos.
Great video! Where is the shutter escapement (slow shutter speed) located in Pentax Spotmatic SP. Thank you
It's been a while, but as I remember the clockwork timer is in the bottom, but the lever and cam are in the top under the shutter speed dial. It's a lot of moving parts but once you get your head around it, it's not hard to repair.
There are batteries readily available that work fine with the Spottie.
Wein Cell... So much easier than using a cell phone app!
How many Spotmatic cameras made by Asahi Pentax ? Over 4.4 millions...
Great video! I always wondered what metal is used for the body, it makes sense it’s die cast metal. I assume it’s the same for the Pentax K series SLR’s? Is the die cast the reason you rarely see rust on the bodies of these cameras? Thanks!
Most higher end cameras I have seen used die cast alloy bodies and would never rust, however they will corrode if stored in damp conditions. The steel parts that make it work however, will rust like its their job.
@@tobroken1965 I’ve been trying to figure out what metal is used to make the Pentax KX and KM bodies, I would assume it’s die cast as well. However, to experiment I held a magnet to the body and it does seem to be magnetic which confused me.
@@jordanross3591 well, i have been wrong before. I will have to check some others, , maybe i have been wrong all along.
@@tobroken1965 I could be very wrong because I experimented again today and it seems the magnet is only sticking to to certain gears and parts in the body. It doesn’t stick to the actual body if there’s not steel on the other side of it
Gracias por este video. Que tengas un buen día!
I use sewing machine oil and a modelling paintbrush to apply it
Great video! Though apologies for my lack of knowing but when you say “super duper light oil” are you referring to the amount of oil to use or the color? The only type of oil I have lying around my house right now is the 3-in-one stuff. Thank you!
No apologies needed, I had to learn this long hand myself. As far as the oil is concerned, mostly you should be concerned with how heavy it is, 3 in 1 will probably work but it wouldnt be my first choice, I bought synthetic watch oil (a 1 ounce bottle with a long needle for application) mostly clear and very light. 3 in 1 is pretty heavy stuff (for delicate work), however if thats what you have and dont want to buy something you may never use again, I am sure it will work. The amount also, just a dot at the moving points. If to much is used it can migrate and contaminate the shutter and/or film travel areas. Good luck.
can i ask if you know which pentaprism from other cameras can be replaced with spotmatic sp1?
I have no idea about that, I would think that any prism from a similar sized pentax might fit.
@@tobroken1965 thank you for your reply good sir, i heard that too. some say specific ones like k1000, and some only SPs. i'll update you if i get a strong answer for this. thanks again! -Ruzaini
I have a vintage Spotmatic F that is totally locked up. Can you recommend a reputable camera repair shop?
I dont know of any off hand. If you go onto one of the pentax forums, or any film camera forums you are likely to find solid advice on who to use.
Thanks @@tobroken1965
From where do you get 'Alcohol' to clean the gears ? Here in England you need a special HM Customs & Excise Licence and it is very tightly controlled .
Alcohol is controlled in the UK? I bought 16oz of 99% alcohol on Amazon for about $9 plus shipping on Amazon.
You are thinking ethyl alcohol[ethanol],booze,hooch,moonshine;the Infernal Revenoors tax! This is Rubbing Alcohol[IPA,iso-propanol]readily available at the local chemists! In fact ethanol would not dissolve the dried lube!
Hi William -- I tried to get 'isopropyl alcohol' here and that is also NOT readily available in any Pharmacies and one Pharmacy told me he needs a 'licence' so i told him I'm not going to Drink it but use it as all the Americans seem to use !
How strange it is the way the world works, a former girlfriend of mine bought codeine over the counter in Canada and you cant get rubbing alcohol in the UK. I dont know off hand but you may be able to find a substitute of some kind. The only criteria I can think of is that it be able to dissolve light gunk and evaporate rapidly. You could, I suppose distill it yourself from whiskey or any strong drink. Alcohol boils at 173.1F
Well,if you try this,start with vodka as it's relatively free of cognomens;the volatile organics that give different 'poisons' their taste! But,no matter the reflux ratio or how many 'theoretical plates' you cram into you distillation column,an azeotrope is produced! At best,96% ethanol,4% water;not something you want sloshing through your camera! Even if you could score some absolute 100% reagent ethanol,it still would not work! It is too 'polar',simply put,it only wants to attach to water & not oils! To get a solvent to attach to oils,it must be more 'oil-like',i.e.;a longer carbon chain 'backbone' so it looks like oil to the crud[like dissolves like]! But the longer the chain,the less it evaporates! The solution,in the past,was carbon tet[rachloride],which is now banned, lest the precious darlin's snort,ingest,inhale or bath in it! Too bad,IMHO,as it negates Darwin's thesis! The only answer I can think of,is to try electronic contact cleaner! Bonne Chance!
Tank u, so much
from Brasil!
Nice!
Are you still active with shutter repairs.
I havent done one in a while, right now all the cameras that I care about have working shutters or other problems.
Do I need to have a battery with it, cuz I know it’s for the light meter but do I NEED to have one or no? Thanks for answering if you can!
No, you dont need a battery. It only works the light meter, the rest is completely mechanical.
The mirror damping foam you mentioned, does it prevent damage to the mirror? One of my spotmatics has the common problem were the foam starts to deteriorate.
It can help prevent mirror damage, although I have never yet seen a
broken mirror. Several of mine have worn foam, I dont shoot them much so
I dont worry about it, however if you are a regular user it would be
wise to replace worn or missing foam. Mostly it quiets down the action
of the shutter reducing a clack to a dull thud. When the foam gets
rotten it can also stick to the mirror and hang up the action, that
sucks. If you are going to replace the foam and havent done it before,
practice on a dead one. I have several that are just for exploratory
surgery. There are several good instructional videos showing foam
replacement.
Interestingly the mirror on my 1974 Spotmatic II jammed a year or so back but it seemed to free off when the base was removed and the mechanism was given a minute amount of light oil and it has been fine ever since. I have noticed the foam has deteriorated on the mirror damper.', hence my question. I have also got a Spotmatic 1 acquired used some years back seems to have a damper in better condition................thanks for your reply.
You have a very nice voice
I have one of these cameras and still works 🙂
Hi!! i just got a spotmatic sp2 and looks like thye have take great care of it but the meter does not work at all. doesnt move. i just got a new battery and nothing. any idea of what can be or what i can do or check? thank you!!
My first guess would be a hinky battery connection, in the compartment or the wiring inside the bottom cover. After that there are a few points where connections can go bad, like the switch next to the lens hole, it must be in the up position to work (on most models). It could also be a bad cell. I would check the battery compartment, make sure the battery fits properly and that the contacts are clean, the threads on the cover also, a look inside the bottom cover would be a good idea and wont do any harm. About half of mine have working meters and maybe half of that number work correctly. Good luck. If you find the problem, post it, every bit of info helps.
@@tobroken1965 Thank you very much!! sorry i just saw that you answer. i realy appreciate it. ill take a good look at this today
i have a minolta xg-m and the mirror wont stay down like its supposed to and it wont whined any idea how i can fix it i would greatly appreciate it
+Esk K Unfortunately, the Minolta isn't a camera I know anything about. That model was built in the 80's so is newer by a decade than any of my stuff. Its a pretty sophisticated model employing several capacitors and resisters plus a bunch of cold soldered connections. Way beyond me. Good luck.
Ok thanks for getting back to me. Hopefully I can get it fixed
Esk K 1
Hi could you possibly do a video on removing the top cover on the spotamatic as mine seems different than the K1000 its the same until you remove the frame counter dial then theres a wheel which I'm not to sure how to remove.
Hope you can help
+Martin Carlin I will if I have a chance, until then here is a link to a spotmatic repair manual, page 45 (if it doesnt come up with the link) will show en exploded view of the camera top. Good luck. www.pentax-manuals.com/manuals/service/spotmatic_sm.pdf
+tobroken1965 also watch out for left hand threads on that wind lever shaft, I found out the hard way that the flat top screw under the winder cap and the nut underneath the counter disk are both left handed.
+Martin Carlin If you are still waiting, this is a great video that should be useful. th-cam.com/video/y6ehEPbOiRc/w-d-xo.html&nohtml5=False
You can get a substitute silver oxide battery which will fit & work..
So I ran into a sticky situation with my Spotmatic F. For some reason or another I can no longer crank the film advance lever, and the film rewind button on the under side will not reset it is stuck in a depressed position. Just wondering if any one has answers.
+girunit94 This is just a guess but it sounds like the mirror charge lever has dropped, leaving the camera timing off. I have on spotmatic that I call my haunted camera, it will shoot a hundred times like new, I set it down and the next time I go to use it, its locked up with no warning. So I take the bottom off, remove the "L" shaped lever (which requires me to use a loupe and tweezers to remove the "E" clip that holds it in place) push the mirror charge lever back up and, as if by magic, it works like a charm as long as I dont leave it for a day of two. This operation, if indeed this is the problem is tricky as the parts are tiny. If your timing is correct, the pin on the large gear should be at about the 11 o'clock position, and the mirror charge lever should be at the tip of the "L" shaped arm (looking at the open bottom of the camera with the lens pointing up) if the mirror charge lever is down, you have a timing issue and that will lock the camera. I cant find that camera or I would post a vid of the correction but I had to clean up my mess and dont know which box that camera is in, or even where the box is. Again, this is only a guess, it could be a hundred other things just as easily.
+tobroken1965 I should have added that this assumes that the camera is cocked and in the "ready to fire" position. If the shutter has already been fired the pin on the large gear should be hidden behind the bent end of the "L" shaped arm over the large gear (opposite end from the "mirror charge lever" end. If the camera locked up after being fired, that implies another problem deeper inside the guts beyond my experience.
Thank you so mutch!
Your welcome. Good luck.
Hello ! I'm sorry but even with you're great video I can't manage to fix the camera. The wheel doesn't want to move, even with a drop of oil it's still blocked and i'm afraid to break it :( help me please. Thanks !
Aurore M Hmmmmm, when you say wheel I am guessing you mean the larger of the two gears I point out in the video. I am not a camera mechanic but lets see if I can help. The advance lever must be fully charged, having done that, the mirror charge lever should be sitting at the tip of L shaped arm (a backwards L with a tiny tail, and later models have slightly different tips) that sits between the gears and the tripod socket, on the larger gear, a tiny pin should be visible at about the 12 o'clock position (camera on its back, lens facing up), if this is so, then pressing the fire button should make it work, if either of these things is not as described it wont fire, and you may have another problem. I have one Spotmatic that will for reasons unknown to me will simply drop the mirror charge lever, locking the whole mechanism, requiring me to do micro surgery. Definitely dont force anything, the camera is rugged but still breakable. Here is a link to what it should look like if in the "ready to shoot" position, sorry its so long. www.google.com/search?q=pentax+shutter+repair&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=7yg0VdrBMcXusAWJi4H4Cg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAw&biw=1047&bih=486#imgrc=lr9zm1w7TGz0cM%253A%3BbBRo90xNN4l-JM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fstatic.photo.net%252Fattachments%252Fbboard%252F00U%252F00UYwg-175077584.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fphoto.net%252Fpentax-camera-forum%252F00UYwg%3B1708%3B1771
tobroken1965 Hello ! I' m sorry. It took me a lot of time to answer. I've been trying to fix it with your advices but I'm afraid something else is broken. I can't manage to fix it. :( I'll try to bring it in a camera shop. Thanks a lot anyway !
In 2023 you don't get even wrecks for "a buck" - prices of all good mechanical cameras have risen as more enthusiasts are using real film, or are becoming collectible. I have seen a fine Pentax K1000 as high as 200GBP, and a Rolleicord Vb at 600GBP.
sounds like its time to clear some stuff. You are correct, prices have gone up, on most cameras. I have a couple of David White 3D cameras that I bought only four years ago or so for almost nothing, now the prices are measurable in percentages of your paycheck.
thank you very much ;)
***** your welcome, did this help with a camera?
tobroken1965 yes this is very helpful :)
Got this for free at a thrift store, can't open the battery compartment and it's pretty corroded.
Case Ayers I have several of these and my experience is, you probably wont. Take the screws out of the bottom, either 3 or 4 depending of the model.(work of a tray) pull it off and remove the battery if its still there. Clean any areas that have any leaky battery stuff on them with vinegar and a Q-tip and dry thoroughly. I wouldnt count of the light meter working but it is possible. A company called Wein cell makes replacement batteries of the right style, maybe $4 from B&H photo. However I would plan on getting a hand held light meter.
Thanks for the reply but It's not that big of a deal to me since I didn't pay anything for it and I have no experience in film photography. It also didn't come with a lens so I'll keep it as a prop for now. Thanks again!
take the camera off your head. buy a tripod if you wish to do movies. I can even watch By
Horrible camera movement, vertigo inducing. Put it on a tripod