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Duncan
Tinkerer
Username: Duncan
Post Number: 3
Registered: 11-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 02:26 pm: | 
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A Pentax ME Super that came to me a bit beat up (I posted about its cobbled shutter release button a while back) has had the end punched out of its tripod socket. After some tilting and jiggling of the camera, the little severed metal disk fell back out of the hole and is no longer at risk of jamming any of the mechanism in there.
I've been using the camera with a bit of opaque tape over the tripod socket to keep dust and any other crud out; I haven't been using a tripod with it. The camera has proved mechanically sound and has provided me a couple of nice rolls of pictures.
From looking at a junk/parts camera I have of the same model, it seems to me that there would be no harm in taking the tape off temporarily to use the camera on a tripod - by which I mean it looks like it couldn't cause a light leak into the film area. But is it a fool's errand to try to replace the socket, using the intact one from the parts camera? I've torn that one down quite a ways but don't yet see whether the socket is a piece that's even detachable.
Thanks in advance for any insight -- or a pointer to disassembly instructions. |
Fritz
Tinkerer
Username: Fritz
Post Number: 4
Registered: 01-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 04:40 pm: |
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If you look here. http://www.robertstech.com/files/me-s_sm.pdf I belive what you are looking at replacing is part #A13. I just had my ME Super apart to fix the shutter, and IIRC you will need to remove the mirror box to get at that part. I didn't find the camera terribly hard to tear down, but I suppose some might find it intimidating. I guess only you can make that call. ;) The above PDF has the dissasembly instructions. This PDF here http://www.robertstech.com/files/me_sm.pdf has some additional information and dissasembly instructions that apply to your ME Super. HTH |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 120
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 08:04 pm: |
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For a quick and simple crude fix, get yourself a good old fashioned ever-ready case retaining screw. If you get one of the larger diameter ones and nip it up tight, you will solve all your problems without having a major pull apart on your hands. |
M_currie
Tinkerer
Username: M_currie
Post Number: 29
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 19, 2007 - 08:42 am: |
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Just curious, if the socket is deep enough, how about just plugging the end of the hole. I could conceive of a little dab of opaque silicone working, as long as you don't let it get into the guts of the camera. For a more mechanic-like solution you could find or fabricate a very short 1/4 x 20 setscrew and run it as deep into the hole as you can without interfering with the camera's internals. Once it's in place, a dab of lacquer would probably lock it sufficiently. |
Duncan
Tinkerer
Username: Duncan
Post Number: 4
Registered: 11-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 19, 2007 - 03:47 pm: |
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Thanks all for the ideas and info. If I end up attempting a fix I'll be sure to post results here. |
