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Pentax ME shutter jammed - bin it?

dan m

dan m

pfm Member
Wouldn't you know it - 4 shots into a recent trip and the shutter jammed on
my trusty old ME Super. Forturnately we had another camera, so all was
not lost. However, I'm wondering if it's worth repairing - JTCamera (seen a
lot on ebay) will CLA for $75, and I'm guessing that will fix the stuck
shutter, but it may cost more. If anyone has run into this before, and has
suggestions about what to lube, poke, etc. Please let me know,

cheers,

Dan
 
Mousey said:
Shutter repairs are not always difficult - if it's dead anyway it won't hurt to have a poke around inside. I've managed to revive a few cameras using this principle.
Click to expand...

..and i've managed to bugger up a couple the same way!

vuk.
 
shutter jamming on Pentax cameras is often caused by the foam damping for the flip up mirror decomposing and clogging up the works , have a look inside and see if the foam has broken up
 
Dan,

I've used an eBay Pentax repairer here in the UK for exactly the same problem on my ME Super. The all in cost was just the price of the reapir as listed on eBay plus my shipping to him. The few tiny replacement bit'n'pieces needed were included. So your USD75 should cover it all. The guy worked for/at Pentax HQ in the UK.

Duncan
 
Totally off the wall - but I can remember people with a reputable make of SLR finding the camera not working when the battery had died, the mirror and shutter were interlocked with the metering system.

I cannot remember the make or model but this was in the 80s -
 
Derek,

The ME Super has a 1/125 manual shutter speed you can use if the battery dies on you.

Duncan
 
I once tool apart a Ricoh range-finder compact camera at the tender age of 8 years, and wondered why it was so difficult putting it back together. My father never found his Ricoh again, and I don't tinker with cameras any more*.

James

* which is a real shame because I have a mint Pentax LX with the sticky mirror syndrome and I'm sure as eggs I can easily replace the rubber pad myself. But each time I think about it, I break out in hives.
 
THe ME Super does indeed need a working battery to work on any speed other than 125th.

Often, when the battery dies, the shutter jams. The simple fix, that works in about 7 out of 10 cases, is to take the batteries out, and give the camera a good, firm thump on the bottom with the palm of your hand.

Usually, this jolts the shutter open. Fit some NEW batteries and continue shooting.

Hope this helps....

Adrian
 
The simple fix, that works in about 7 out of 10 cases, is to take the batteries out, and give the camera a good, firm thump on the bottom with the palm of your hand.

That's exactly what I did when on travel - didn't work. However, now that I have returned home, all appears operational. I wonder if humidity could play a part? Or perhaps getting bumped around on the way back did it. Either way, I think a good CLA is in order if I am to take this camera on a trip again.

James, the other camera I had on the trip was an MX, and from what I've heard the LX is one louder - very nice camera and worth a professional clean IMO.

cheers,

Dan
 
Dan,

Before you spend a bundle, have a look at http://www.keh.com/onlinestore/home.aspx to see what an excellent shape Pentax ME sells for. KEH warrantees used purchases (as long as they don't say "as is") and a camera in excellent shape may not be much more than a CLA to your broken camera.

Joe
 
I tried a fresh battery when if first jammed - I'm thinking gummy foam may be the problem.

Dan
 
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