| Author |
Message |
    
Dragunov
Tinkerer
Username: Dragunov
Post Number: 1
Registered: 10-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 29, 2007 - 05:56 pm: | 
|
hey all!
i 'inherited' a Pentax ME super... but the thing is... it's busted! you must turn the crank at least 2 times to get the thing to get fed up and get ready to take a picture. sometimes it has sprees of 2 turns per shot, other times it has to be cranked 20+ times just to take one shot. is it fixable? it must be mechanical, there aren't any batteries in.
and the second problem: the sponge that protects the mirror sorta disentegrated and turned all mushy and sticky and stuff, and it left marks on the mirror, so i tried to clean it and, making a long story short, got it all over the mirror and the focus finder thingy (yeah, i'm rather new to old SLRs). what can i use to clean it off? soap doesn't work... do i have to replace it? and will the mirror bash itself to death if the sponge is mostly gone? (there's a screw poking out of there...)
and it's easier to get another camera for the parts, right? then is it worth it...?
cheers,
Dragunov |
Dragunov
Tinkerer
Username: Dragunov
Post Number: 2
Registered: 10-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 30, 2007 - 07:32 pm: |
|
i closed the back... after i removed the film rewind! now i'm REALLY screwed! help! i tried taking off the hinge, but i'll neet to do some prying... |
Akv
Tinkerer
Username: Akv
Post Number: 2
Registered: 10-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 31, 2007 - 06:57 am: |
|
http://www.robertstech.com/manuals.htm |
Dragunov
Tinkerer
Username: Dragunov
Post Number: 3
Registered: 10-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 31, 2007 - 08:00 pm: |
|
yeah... found that one.
this seemed more helpful... those manuals are so confusing...
http://www.mypentax.com/PentaxMeSuper.html
and i did remove the door... i took off the bottom hinge thing and pressed in the top hinge pole thingy...
AHH but i still can't take off that ISO selection wheel... that funky screw doesn't want to come off... maybe i should actually try something better than two screwdrivers... |
Akv
Tinkerer
Username: Akv
Post Number: 3
Registered: 10-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 01, 2007 - 01:56 pm: |
|
You're probably better off buying a new old one? Make this one the one you learn on. |
Dragunov
Tinkerer
Username: Dragunov
Post Number: 4
Registered: 10-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 01, 2007 - 07:07 pm: |
|
probably... but then what should i get? what's cheap, reliable and...? suggestions for possible future ebay steal?
i'd opt for another ME super but i have hear of reliability problems... and that's not cool. but i have two lenses... (50 and 35mm, all i need is a 100mm macro...) so....? decisions... |
Akv
Tinkerer
Username: Akv
Post Number: 4
Registered: 10-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 02, 2007 - 07:23 am: |
|
I have an old pentacon praktica MTL5. It's built solid and has a good chunky feel to it that I personally like. They're cheap too. Check out craigslist.org for your area too. If you find a good camera you'll save on the shipping costs of ebay. |
Dragunov
Tinkerer
Username: Dragunov
Post Number: 5
Registered: 10-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 02, 2007 - 07:56 pm: |
|
about the craigslist thing... that's pretty cool. never heard of them before. |
Canuck_curt
Tinkerer
Username: Canuck_curt
Post Number: 15
Registered: 03-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 04:24 am: |
|
First, the next time (if ever) you close a camera back with the rewind knob and the shaft removed, simply use either a crochet hook borrowed from your wife's sewing kit or a bent paper clip to hook the small spring that opens the camera back. Works quickly and easily rather than remove the camera back.
Second, Praktica bayonet is different than your ME Super. If you fear ME's reliability, your lenses will work just fine on either a readily available Pentax K1000 or Ricoh K or X series cameras (cheapest solution is a Ricoh KR5 super) or Sears KS series (Rebadged Ricohs) or bayonet mount Chinons.
Third, the Pentax ME series has an electronic shutter that if I remember correctly will only fire at 1/60 without batteries, otherwise it won't fire at all.
To clean decaying light seal foam (your black gooey stuff) off your mirror (you can usually clean your mirror REALLY GENTLY) I'd use a product called "GOO Gone" on a Qtip type swab wiping very gently then drying with either a lens tissue, microfiber cloth or as a last resort a small piece of paper towel. It's not a good idea to try and clean your focus screen (directly above your mirror) as they're often made of plastic and have small grid lines etched in them for focus aids. These small lines are easily wrecked by wiping across them or the fluid will dry all over them making it nearly impossible to focus any more.
To remove screw heads with that funky head, (I'm assuming you mean with two round holes instead of a slot?) I use either a set of dividers from a math set or machinists tools, or a small pair of needle nosed pliers with the tips filed down a bit. Same advise as most repair tips, GENTLY.
To be honest, for the price you'll pay on eBay or other, I'd use this camera as a learning tool and either pick up a K1000 or Ricoh KR5 super. I usually buy Ricohs or their rebadged Sears brethren for under $15 US and they'll work beautifully with your existing lenses. Hope any of this helps you. Curt. |
Dragunov
Tinkerer
Username: Dragunov
Post Number: 6
Registered: 10-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 08:27 pm: |
|
actually, removing the back was really simple, it just took some brainpower. you just need to open up the bottom, remove the bottom hinge bracket and poke the top hinge out, it's spring loaded.
the ME super has a 125x setting for flash... but then again, you might be right.
HAHA! gently...? whoops...
and that sponge stuff REALLY sucks. i saw the replacement guide... but it's probably not worth it. this one is probably the junker.
and the funky head is the one holding down the film speed adjusticator. i totally wrecked that sucker, and tried many things on the way. it's just too darn tight and i have no proper tools... or improvised ones that actually work. tried using dividers, they were too floppy and scratched the screw pretty bad. i'd file down the needle noses i've got but they're not mine and they're too pretty to destroy.
i'd have to convince my parents to actually get one, they think $30 on 'obsolete' technology is wasted. that'll be the real work.
and thanks for the advice... |
Akv
Tinkerer
Username: Akv
Post Number: 6
Registered: 10-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 04, 2007 - 07:53 pm: |
|
no matter how many pixels you have, it won't beat a ray of light... but they are getting close! |
Dragunov
Tinkerer
Username: Dragunov
Post Number: 12
Registered: 10-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 12, 2007 - 09:17 pm: |
|
and now what? it fixed itself! just like that! we had little sprees of 3 proper shots, then it went back to the messed up stuff. and then it worked... until you put the lens to a small aperture, which somehow pissed it off and made it put down the aperature/raise mirror when you cranked, and then fire shutter/release stuff when you release the stroke. and then sometimes, it jams with the mirror up and aperture.
but then, that doesn't happen often now... and i dug up some batteries and the lightmeter seems to be OK... ! did t just cure itself? i knew it, it WAS gremlins.
but i have to take it apart anyhoo, gotta clean the mirror and frenel lens and oil some of those squeaky parts. and i need to know what actually happened... that's just too wierd... |
