Thanks dearly guys :)
SOURCE: Pentax ME Super Shutter and Rapid Wind Button...
anmolag,
it could be the rubber bumper next to the fresnel lens has become sticky. very gently ( after removing lens ) try to bring mirror down without forcing it. it should release easily.
if not, rotate the select knob off auto. open film door and check that the shutter is fully deployed, shutters should not be overlapping.
remove screws from bottom cover and remove cover, keep camera up side down so that re-wind button stays put. there is a locking lever under the take up spool ( gray ) . with a pin move lever toward film door and bring advance lever fully to the right , then let it go so it returns quickly.
the shutter should have fired. if not the camera will need to be repaired. get an estimate first as there are no new parts available.
SOURCE: I have the mirror box lever problem in a spotmatic
Ok, the problem may well be the mirror charge latch. This is very commonly the cause of failure to wind or fire. The catch will be out of sync with the charging lever etc and so the mirror springs will not stay tensioned.
If it is, the cammera will be stuck with the shutter charged (Cocked) but will not fire because the mirror has not been properly primed. (The shutter is actually fired by the mirror. The shutter button actually releases the mirror.)
The locking arm keeps the main mirror spring tensioned until the closing shutter blind has fully closed. The blind roller engages with a gear which releases the
Remove the bottom cover. There is a long lever shiny arm engaging a crank-pin on winder gear extending to a point just below camera-right of the lens mount. It pivots on a large screw, and there is a largish wire spring which extends to engage a small hole in the end of a lever near the arm end, that dissapears into the camera.
The lever with the hole in it is the mirror charging arm, the long shiny lever pushes this towards the front of the camera to tension the mirror springs, when the film advance is operated.
Next to this is a shorter arm which extends over a gear at one end and is free at the other. This is the latch. The gear wheel engages a small pinion which is in fact the end of the blind roller for the closing curtain/blind. A peg on this gear strikes the other end of the latch to move it out the way and release the mirror tension after the shutter has finished, and this in trun resets the mirror, and releases the winder.
When the mirror is charged the mirror charging arm is held in the tensioned position by the 'free' end of the latch. If the shutter is ready to fire the charging arm should be pressing against the free end. If it isn't the camera will not fire.
To fix this it is easier if the shutter is fired. To do this first remove the large screw holding the long arm. Not forgetting the spring! There is a washer which must be removed too. Do not lose this it is important. This gets it out of the way. now push the charging arm towards camera front as far as it will go. You won't get it all the way, as the latch will be in the way, just as far as you can. If it isn't in the way, then this is not your problem!
Holding it in this position, press the shutter release. This should fire the shutter. If it does not fire then you may also have to remove the latch to allow you to push the arm forwards a little more. (In fact if you can hold the arm in the primed position you could replace the catch in the primed position. This is awkward though!)
When the shutter has fired the latch should move to the 'reset' position, allowing the charging arm to be pushed past it's end. If this is OK, you need to push the lever back to the reset postion. The mirror will remain in the up postion until you do this.
Now you can replace the long arm, again not forgetting the spring. The screw that holds that on has a shoulder, that the spring loops around, and the washer has a flat spot in the hole which means it has to be fitted in the right position. The end of the spring should poke through the mirror arm hole. The easiest way to reassemble this is to put the arm in, then fit the washer. Now place the spring loosely in position, and then put the screw in place loosley. This allows you to manuver the end of the sprion into the hole, You can then carefully tighten the screww. The washer has a tendency to become dislodged so you might have to try this a couple of times. (A blob of grease here can help keep the washer in place.)
If that's all OK then you should be able to wind and fire. If everything seems fine, check the screws are firm (Don't overtighten any!) and replace the bottom cover.
This is a very common fault, and is often caused by jarring the camera just at the wrong monent, but it can develop in an old camera (and they all are!) just due to wear. The latch has in fact changed in shape several times in the lifteime of this mechanism (and it was still in use in K1000's in 1997!) and is the mst common single cause of jams in these cameras.
A little lubrication can help. A spot of lighter fluid can be used to remove old oil and grease from the winder gear, the cocking arm pivot, anf the latch pivot. A tiny amount of grease can be applied to the slow moving pivots and contact points only. A tiny drop of watch oil can be used on the latch pivot. and the opeating peg, but no oil must get into the axle or teeth of the gear itself. This can cause uneven and erratic running of the curtain.
SOURCE: the mirror on my pentax pz1 (film) camera is stuck
Mirror lockup often occurs if the batteries are flat.
Try new batteries first and if the problem remains please report back for further options.
Testimonial: "ha ha yes that's what it was thankyou!"
SOURCE: I have an old Pentax
Remove the lens and look into the throat of the camera. The mirror should be resting at a 45 degree angle, but if it's fully or partially stuck upwards then the mirror has locked up.
There were a number of Spotmatic models made between 1964 and 1976, all were fully manual and mechanically operated so the battery was used only to power the light meter. This is important, as on later models the battery also powered the shutter and a flat battery would cause mirror lock up. On your model (either an SP500 or an SP1000), the lock up is either due to an internal breakage or simply due to dried out lubricants which may have been in there for around 40 years now. Fixing your camera requires professional attention; if you're lucky then the camera just needs a CLA service (Clean Lubricate Adjust), new light seals and possibly a battery recalibration (original mercury batteries are no longer available, modern "equivalents" have a different voltage). If this is done your camera can give many more years of service, but the costs will far outweigh the value of the camera. Millions of Spotmatics were made, and the only ones of value to collectors must be immaculate and fully complete and functional. If your camera needs spare parts then they simply aren't available except by cannibalising parts from others. Given that there are plenty of more recent, fully functional 35mm SLR camera outfits available for free on FreeCycle and Freegle you really need to appraise whether to sell your near-worthless camera for spares or to make an investment in repairing it. One benefit of your model is that it accepts the older M42 screw mount lenses and there are millions of them going for between zilch and peanuts.
SOURCE: mirror is locked open
Unless you have experience repairing cameras, this is not a DIY fix. Take your camera to a reputable camera shop and have a trained professional look at it.
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