A [possibly] broken Pentax

[Bravoxena]

Hello there.

I borrowed one of those old fashioned Pentax camera from my uncle to take some long exposure photographs of the stars for an astronomy project.

While exploring the functions of the camera, I managed to get it jammed.

The advance lever will not advance and I can not see through the viewfinder. My guess is that the camera thinks I need to take a picture before advancing again.

In Auto, M, 125x, and B modes... I can depress the shutter button, but nothing happens. In L mode, the shutter button is stuck and can not be pressed in when I press it.

I'm not sure what I can do from here, so I'm asking to see if any experienced photographers could offer me their insights. Is this just a simple problem that I can fix, or should I be looking for a place that repairs cameras? If I have to take it to get repaired, is there any advice I should be given?

Thanks in advance for all replies!

 

[mysteryscribe]

If it has a battery take it to the drugstore and have them check the battery for you.

 

[Bravoxena]

The batteries are most likely dead. It uses those older mercury PX675 batteries, so it looks like I'm going to have to find a suitable alternative.

I wasn't sure of whether or not the camera was dependant on battery power... I thought it only needed battery for the exposure meter!

Thank you for your help, I'm going to try this out.

 

[Johnboy2978]

I have an old ME Super, which I rarely use anymore b/c of my own laziness, but I am almost absolutely positive that the battery (as you said) is only used to power the meter and nothing else.

 

[Michael Humle]

I agree with Johnboy, the batteries are used for the meter only. I used to sell these cameras back in the mid '80's.
Some of you may cringe at what I'm about to say, but, the way we used to fix this problem was to remove the lens, put the body cap on, turn the meter off, take the camera in hand and slap the bottom of the camera on your upper leg...hard...NO KIDDING! It worked about 50% of the time.

 

[mysteryscribe]

Then i stand corrected I never owned an me

 

[Bravoxena]

Yikes!

I'm not so sure about slamming the camera around... I'll try to carefully give it a try.

I'll still also try putting a new battery in. Just gotta go to the drugstore.

 

[Michael Humle]

I know, it sounds crazy, but thats why I said one slap on the soft part of your upper leg. It gives it just enough of a jolt to unjam it...That camera can take what I am suggesting. They were built like small tanks.

 

[usayit]

Most of my older pentax's require battery for metering only. Even the newer Pentax ME will still fire in auto without battery.

Try out Michael's suggestion.... I've done the same thing on a very old Pentax screw mount.

 

[Bravoxena]

New batteries made the meter light up... but didn't fix the jam as expected.

I also tried hitting it in the way described... and that didn't seem to do the trick either. Maybe I'm not hitting hard enough... but my hand and leg both hurt! lol

 

[usayit]

Is the mirror in the up position? If so, try to wiggle it a little with your finger.

 

[mysteryscribe]

crazy thought here but once i went to look at a used camera in the camera shop. the salesman showed me a pentax with a jammed shutter he said, "You can take off the bottom plate and probably unjam it." Why don't you do that then.

he removed the bottom plates a bit of film fell out. He put it back together it worked perfectly and he raised the price a hundred dollars.