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Message |
    
Barbecueboy
Tinkerer
Username: Barbecueboy
Post Number: 1
Registered: 11-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 04, 2007 - 06:18 pm: | 
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I just found my old Pentax MX in a box after 5 years. I forgot i still had it, so I couldn't believe my luck.
Now here's the problem.
I tried a few settings without film and the shutter gets stuck every 15 or 20 shots on 1/60.
After I fiddle with the wind lever it clicks shut. The batteries are empty, but that shouldn't be a problem because it's a mechanical camera. Or should it?
On 1/125 it doesn't jam at all. Maybe it's time to do some maintenance on the shutter?
Thanks in advance for any help. |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 427
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 06, 2007 - 03:23 am: |
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Is it actually the shutter sticking, or just the mirror sticking in the up position? If it's the shutter, the camera needs a professional cleaning. If it's just the mirror, which is much more common, it's probably just the little piece of foam rubber in front of the focusing screen that has gotten sticky and is sticking to the mirror. Take a look and let us know what you find out. |
Barbecueboy
Tinkerer
Username: Barbecueboy
Post Number: 2
Registered: 11-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 08, 2007 - 07:32 am: |
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It's the shutter. If I open it without film and it's stuck, I can see through the lens. |
Barbecueboy
Tinkerer
Username: Barbecueboy
Post Number: 3
Registered: 11-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 28, 2007 - 03:35 am: |
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It took some time, because it was in repair for three weeks.
I brought the camera to the old pentax repair guy for the Netherlands and Belgium, who lives on the other side of my home town (which is nice).
He replaced the foam and light seals on my MX and my ME and he tightened the shutter silk on my MX. This was probably why the mirror stuck, because there was not enough tension on the longer exposures to get it back to the original position (what he told me).
I also told him the flash didn't react sometimes on the MX and the light meter died down after two rolls of film.
When I got it back he said there was no problem with the light meter, so happily I took my two cameras home and left my K1000 for the same treatment.
When I got home, the light meter on my MX died down after 10 test shots without film (I'm getting a bit cautious).
Of course I called the guy and he was very surprised. In the mean time I'm very disappointed and don't know what the problem could be. |
Don
Tinkerer
Username: Don
Post Number: 27
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 31, 2007 - 12:30 pm: |
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If its not the batteries ( have you checked them & cleaned the contacts), then it could be the main sw. located in the base is oxidised or out of adj. If you pull the bottom cover & press the shutter release while looking from the bottom, you'll see the release rod's action in closing the sw. located in the upper LH corner. There's an eccentric for adj. but best left to your repairman. |
Barbecueboy
Tinkerer
Username: Barbecueboy
Post Number: 4
Registered: 11-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 03, 2008 - 03:19 am: |
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IT works!
I did something really stupid :-(
I loaded the wrong batteries (1.4V instead of the required 1.5V). That's why it died down after ten or fifteen shots.
Thanks for all the advice.
I am now totally hooked on the old slr's.
I bought a battered and dented Pentax K2, which will be repaired (I hope) by my Pentax repairguy. |
