• Welcome to Photrio!
    Registration is fast and free. Join today to unlock search, see fewer ads, and access all forum features.
    Click here to sign up

Asahi Pentax Spotmatic Not firing at all

giantelf

Subscriber
Allowing Ads
Joined
Jan 7, 2026
Messages
28
Location
Los Angeles
Format
Multi Format
Hello. I picked up a Pentax Spotmatic SP in an online auction for $10. When I press the shutter button nothing happens. I can open the back. The cloth shutter curtain is closed. When I use the front timer I see it draw down the shutter button but the shutter does not fire. The advance lever will not advance.

It has the 7 element Super-Takumar !:1.4/50 lens -- so there is at least that if the camera is toast or to gone to repair.

Two things I noticed: the lens has a dent in the rim. And there is small -- albeit larger - dent on faceplate above the Asahi Pentax badge. So....the previous owner has dropped it.

Any thoughts on next steps? Is it a goner? What are the next steps?

I read online this is a fully mechanical camera and the battery only powers the meter.
 
Can you look through the lens?

These cameras suffer from old dried out grease.

Maybe a cleaning is due.
 
There are a couple of common problems with Spotmatics that have to do with the mirror charge lever, which can result in (I think) either the mirror sticking up or the camera not firing, depending on where you are in the the cycle when the mirror charge lever is disengaged from the thingy it's supposed to be engaged to. You can look at this thread for some discussion: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/pentax-spotmatic-sp-stuck-mirror.210187/

The pictured mechanism is under the bottom plate so it is not hard to access, although finding a lasting solution may be harder.
 
Great cameras when they're working, I've been using one since 2010. Almost pocketable SLR. What you paid is less than one fifth the worth of the lens alone. I paid $125-150 for a CLA'd model with lens. In these 15 years it never had a mechanical problem.

Your best option may be to find a cheap but working M42 camera to mount the lens on. There are loads of them out there.
 
loccdor said:
Your best option may be to find a cheap but working M42 camera to mount the lens on. There are loads of them out there.
Click to expand...

This seems reasonable. Dunno what it’s like now, but Spotmatics were $25 cameras a few years back. I went through a few and found a beat up one I liked best. Incidentally, all of them would get the mirror-stuck-up problem in cold weather, so presumably the lubricants have outlived their lifespans.

If you find you like the lens (and you probably will - I’ve had mine since 1995 and honestly nothing else has been significantly better for all practical purposes) then you may consider a CLA for your $10 camera. No joking. A well-tuned Spotmatic is seriously all you need. I have proven that to myself over 30 years and a whole lot of other cameras.
 
AZD said:
Dunno what it’s like now, but Spotmatics were $25 cameras a few years back.
Click to expand...

They could be, but there was no guarantee you'd get a fully working one. I went for a pre-CLA'd one. Have to be careful with those: some sellers are reputable, others have a very loose definition of what "CLA" means or outright lie.
 
You haven't stated the reason for why you bought a $10 camera. IF you wish to learn about photography and taking pictures then just about any camera will do as long as it is FULLY WORKING. A fully working Spotmatic is a great learning tool----yours is broken/not functional---if you don't want to spend the $100-200 for a rebuild then your best option, as others have suggested, is to find another M42 mount body that is FULLY WORKING.

I strongly advise against any attempt of self-repair---you will only damage the camera beyond any chance of repair. NEVER, NEVER, EVER squirt wd-40 into the camera in the hopes of "loosening things up". The lens should be a good one depending on its condition, so getting another working body from Pentax, Yashica, Ricoh, etc. would allow you to use the lens.
 
Start by removing the top and bottom cover. See if you can determine the cause. You do need to know the shutter activation sequence and the location of the gears and levers for such.
 

Attachments

  • Screen Shot 2026-02-11 at 10.08.54 AM.png
    748 KB · Views: 51
  • Screen Shot 2026-02-11 at 10.08.19 AM.png
    690.4 KB · Views: 52
  • Screen Shot 2026-02-11 at 10.12.10 AM.png
    184.8 KB · Views: 53
mshchem said:
Can you look through the lens?

These cameras suffer from old dried out grease.

Maybe a cleaning is due.
Click to expand...

I can look through the lens. And also when it is removed. The mirror appears to be where it should be.
 

Thanks for the advice. I figure I will need to do the CLA but was hoping to run a roll of film through before that. Unsure I want to spend the $ right now. But I really want to see how the lens performs. I might get an M42 adapter for my Canon AE-1 and use it that way for now.
 

I am a professional film and TV scout. Amateur photographer when I was younger. When I first started it was film but a few years in we went fully digital. As I near retirement I wish to get back to my film roots. I have forgotten much of what I had learned. I am picking up older cameras because I appreciate their aesthetics and unique properties. It was a $10 gamble on a workhorse camera of the 1960s.

I am mistily interested in the lens which I found interesting as I was researching the camera before purchase. I might get an M42 adapter to use it on one of my Fd mount Canons.
 
mshchem said:
Can you look through the lens?

These cameras suffer from old dried out grease.

Maybe a cleaning is due.
Click to expand...

Yup. I am sure it needs a CLA but wanted to see if I could get at least one roll shot before that. Might need to spend the $. Pretty camera.
 
ic-racer said:
Start by removing the top and bottom cover. See if you can determine the cause. You do need to know the shutter activation sequence and the location of the gears and levers for such.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a Jobe fore this weekend. I must admit...last might those screw were beckoning me. Especially, after 1 or 2 Spotted Cows.
 

I may give it a look this weekend. Thanks for the link. The mirror looks to be in the correct position -- and I can look through the viewfinder. I will check out that lever. As many have said. Probably needs a CLA.
 
I've taken the bottom off a Spotmatic without ruining it. There's a lot going on down there. I looked for gunk, may have deposited a couple micrograms of a solvent/ lubricant. Not sure if I did anything.

These cameras use the lovely JIS standard "phillips head looking" screws. To apply maximum force JIS drivers are important.

My cousin paid some old fart part time repairman for a CLA, he did virtually nothing and charged her $75.

I would look for another body, or use this body to potentially (50:50) ruin with PB Blaster penetrateing oil, drop by drop. Camera will never smell the same.

Pros use chemicals, but they know what they are doing. Ha!
 
giantelf said:
Sounds like a Jobe fore this weekend. I must admit...last might those screw were beckoning me. Especially, after 1 or 2 Spotted Cows.
Click to expand...

Drinking is a good idea before attempting something new. Relaxes your nerves! Highly recommended
 
The Spotmatic uses a clutch in the winding and cocking mechanism which allows the shutter to unwind on its own This clutch is somewhat delicate and will jam the advance when it fails. This could explain your problem? There is a nice repair manual by NatCam if you want to take a closer look. But its more than likely that the camera also needs attention elsewhere.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register