Asahi Pentax ESII photometer stuck Repair

[NirvanNa]

Yeah I clicked on it for a couple seconds, but I've popped the top on so many cameras, I can't count. I just don't think that's where your problem is. I think you have a continuity situation somewhere more related to the bottom end of the camera. I suppose a piece of trash can be blocking your meter movement, but I'd satisfy myself on any continuity or intermittent possibilities first. I've only ever seen one galvanometer gone bad, on a Mamiya, I believe.

And where you suggest starting the repair?

 

[Tom1956]

I've covered that in this thread. My suspicions are in order of the posts. In the end, you may dead-end with a bad circuit board, bad capacitor, or bad galvanometer. These are less-likely scenarios. Right now, I'd pop out the circuit board and clean the contacts first. It pulls out from the connector on one end, after removing a hold-down screw or 2. All assuming on my part the configuration is somewhat like the ES. I've never had a II apart. Probably similar.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

I've covered that in this thread. My suspicions are in order of the posts. In the end, you may dead-end with a bad circuit board, bad capacitor, or bad galvanometer. These are less-likely scenarios. Right now, I'd pop out the circuit board and clean the contacts first. It pulls out from the connector on one end, after removing a hold-down screw or 2. All assuming on my part the configuration is somewhat like the ES. I've never had a II apart. Probably similar.

"Non multiplicandur entitas praeter neccesitatem". Check to see if the needle is free first.

(That's Occam's Razor, Tom. The troubleshooter's mantra. You may wish to google it. )

 

[Tom1956]

Yeah, I know about choosing the simpler of 2 theories. So I chose it. The bottom end of the camera is easier for a novice to open up than the top end. Further, he's already stated the needle budged once. I think ot's a continuity problem, due to corrosion, probably. Or an oxidized contact. And for a novice to go prodding the needle is begging for fouling it up permanently.

 

[NirvanNa]

Yeah, I know about choosing the simpler of 2 theories. So I chose it. The bottom end of the camera is easier for a novice to open up than the top end. Further, he's already stated the needle budged once. I think ot's a continuity problem, due to corrosion, probably. Or an oxidized contact. And for a novice to go prodding the needle is begging for fouling it up permanently.

I just already open the bottom plaque and all contacts and circuits are clean an no point of corrosion or green spots. But the upper its to risky to open. The Japanese guy on video some times have some difficult to found again the 'order' to put all the small part again, so a newbie is to f** hard.

I think i will find a guy in my country to repair/clean/ the cam.

 

[Bill Burk]

Have you found yet if the camera seems to operate the shutter with responsiveness to light?

 

[Tom1956]

Have you found yet if the camera seems to operate the shutter with responsiveness to light?

Actually that's the most important question in troubleshooting this camera. Knowing that could possibly have saved all this talk.

 

[Bill Burk]

Hope so.

Even though electronics are fine on my ES-II, I often use it without batteries and shoot It at its manual speeds, 1000 to 60, because they all work. I use a Spotmatic-F to shoot slower speeds 250 down to 1 sec (because the Spotmatic F caps out above 250). And the Mamiya that I just picked up, uses the same lenses and seems to fire on all speeds - which has them all beat.

p.s. I just got my light seal material from Jon Goodman... It's either going on the ES-II or Spotmatic-F, can't make up my mind.

 

[NirvanNa]

Have you found yet if the camera seems to operate the shutter with responsiveness to light?

Let see if i mean.
The shutter is responsiveness to light? can
the speed Deal and Lens apertures works fine, when i press the shutter the photo is take with the velocity I choose.

I think I dont understood the question Bill Burk

 

[NirvanNa]

Have you found yet if the camera seems to operate the shutter with responsiveness to light?

Can explain again?

if the camera seems to operate the shutter with responsiveness to light?

 

[Bill Burk]

With the shutter speed set to Automatic (Red triangle --- Automatic)... Then the shutter should be automatic - with a shutter velocity appropriate for the light. So when the light is dim, a slow shutter that sounds like "tic........kah" and when the light is bright it will be fast "taduk". If it's always fast ("taduk") every time no matter the light... then you might have a circuit problem.

But if the sound of the shutter agrees with the amount of light - in Automatic - then you have a camera that is almost perfectly functioning except for the needle.

Then you can decide how important the movement of the needle is (and if it needs to go to a repairman). But the needle is only to show you shutter speed in the viewfinder. It does not have to move, in order for the camera to work. I understand if you want it working, but you should know that it doesn't have to move - for you to be able to use the camera to take good pictures.

 

[Tom1956]

We have a language problem here.

 

[Bill Burk]

If NirvanNa has never used the camera before when it was working, maybe what seems obvious to us is all new to him.... Not knowing what to expect can make it hard to know what's normal...

 

[NirvanNa]

With the shutter speed set to Automatic (Red triangle --- Automatic)... Then the shutter should be automatic - with a shutter velocity appropriate for the light. So when the light is dim, a slow shutter that sounds like "tic........kah" and when the light is bright it will be fast "taduk". If it's always fast ("taduk") every time no matter the light... then you might have a circuit problem.

Thanks for the explanation i
Yes With Low light wen is press the shutter bottom sounds like "tic........kah" slow, to enter more light, and With High light the sound is like more "taduk" fast opening a closing all in automatic, with the two triangles - - aiming itch other.

But if the sound of the shutter agrees with the amount of light - in Automatic - then you have a camera that is almost perfectly functioning except for the needle.

Then you can decide how important the movement of the needle is (and if it needs to go to a repairman). But the needle is only to show you shutter speed in the viewfinder. It does not have to move, in order for the camera to work. I understand if you want it working, but you should know that it doesn't have to move - for you to be able to use the camera to take good pictures.

Its not a priority the needle to move if i use the the cam in automatic mode. But Its a peace of old art and a old present im trying to put the machine working in totally full. Recently I open the lens who comes with the machine 1 Takumar SMC 50mm 1.4 and 2 MACRO takumar 50mm F4 and remove all fungus problems , to use in my dslr without fear to expand to my new digital.

I can take good pictures with ESII i just trying to resolve the stuck needle, all rest Is working perfectly i Think.

 

[NirvanNa]

We have a language problem here.

Lost in translation

sorry mate

 

[NirvanNa]

With the shutter speed set to Automatic (Red triangle --- Automatic)... Then the shutter should be automatic - with a shutter velocity appropriate for the light. So when the light is dim, a slow shutter that sounds like "tic........kah" and when the light is bright it will be fast "taduk". If it's always fast ("taduk") every time no matter the light... then you might have a circuit problem.

But if the sound of the shutter agrees with the amount of light - in Automatic - then you have a camera that is almost perfectly functioning except for the needle..

one more time to have sure if I understand,

I dont have batteries to use right now, to see if in automatic the machine reads the light and adapt the shutter speed.
I try just now using automatic, without batteries and the shutter use always the same speed shutter.

 

[Tom1956]

You need to get an instruction booklet for the camera.

 

[Tom1956]

Lost in translation

sorry mate

I meant that in the friendliest of terms. I suppose I was saying it with a bit of jovial humor, such as this link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2f-MZ2HRHQ

 

[NirvanNa]

You need to get an instruction booklet for the camera.

i have the booklet for the camera!

 

[NirvanNa]

Thanks for the explanation i
Yes With Low light wen is press the shutter bottom sounds like "tic........kah" slow, to enter more light, and With High light the sound is like more "taduk" fast opening a closing all in automatic, with the two triangles - - aiming itch other.




Its not a priority the needle to move if i use the the cam in automatic mode. But Its a peace of old art and a old present im trying to put the machine working in totally full. Recently I open the lens who comes with the machine 1 Takumar SMC 50mm 1.4 and 2 MACRO takumar 50mm F4 and remove all fungus problems , to use in my dslr without fear to expand to my new digital.

I can take good pictures with ESII i just trying to resolve the stuck needle, all rest Is working perfectly i Think.

did you understand this post?

 

[NirvanNa]

With the shutter speed set to Automatic (Red triangle --- Automatic)... Then the shutter should be automatic - with a shutter velocity appropriate for the light. So when the light is dim, a slow shutter that sounds like "tic........kah" and when the light is bright it will be fast "taduk". If it's always fast ("taduk") every time no matter the light... then you might have a circuit problem.

But if the sound of the shutter agrees with the amount of light - in Automatic - then you have a camera that is almost perfectly functioning except for the needle.

Then you can decide how important the movement of the needle is (and if it needs to go to a repairman). But the needle is only to show you shutter speed in the viewfinder. It does not have to move, in order for the camera to work. I understand if you want it working, but you should know that it doesn't have to move - for you to be able to use the camera to take good pictures.

back to this post.
I just have buy a news LR44 batteries and I try to see if in automatic the shutter speeds slows or speeds up according the light, and I concludes the speed is always the same.

 

[NirvanNa]

I meant that in the friendliest of terms. I suppose I was saying it with a bit of jovial humor, such as this link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2f-MZ2HRHQ

Humm i dont think so. It just a word choosing and a good interpreter

 

[Bill Burk]

back to this post.
I just have buy a news LR44 batteries and I try to see if in automatic the shutter speeds slows or speeds up according the light, and I concludes the speed is always the same.

Hi NirvanNa,

Yes, buy new batteries and see if in automatic the shutter speeds slow or speed up according to the light. That tells you the camera is working.

If the speed is always the same, that tells you there is something wrong.

 

[NirvanNa]

Hi NirvanNa,

Yes, buy new batteries and see if in automatic the shutter speeds slow or speed up according to the light. That tells you the camera is working.

If the speed is always the same, that tells you there is something wrong.

I try with new batteries just now and in automatic the speed is always the same.
Something is wrong in the cam. I can star now how to resolve it.

 

[Tom1956]

The greatest probability is that there is a problem on the circuit board. It has several IC's as I recall, or at least 1, and is not considered repairable. The IC's are proprietary; no generic replacements. Now that you've satisfied Bill Burks' question, I'm able to come back and say what I just wrote here with greater confidence. I could be wrong. Considering the value of the camera (on EBAY) is nearly worthless, I question the wisdom of handing it to a repairman and throwing any more money at it. You could still just have a bad switch, but it too is a dedicated part. All you really have there is a mechanical camera with 60 through 1000, plus B. There is no problem with the meter needle, and even if the CdS cells are bad, you'd still have SOME change in shutter speed. Likewise with a bad variable resistor. The ES was the first of its kind and very innovative, but the circuit board is the brains of it all. If the camera means something to you, find a junker and rob the board out of it and have somebody re-align your speeds.