Battery Cap Asahi Pentax Spotmatic SP

_foote · Aug 26, 2017

tl;dr: Read everything in bold and underlined

Hello guys!

I'm trying to find a battery cap for the Asahi Pentax Spotmatic SP. I'm new to this forum, so sorry if there have been previous posts on this subject! I've tried searching with no luck! I'm an amateur photographer who's strictly been dealing with DSLRs and point and shoot cameras, but just recently I dug up my grandfather's early 1970's Asahi Pentax Spotmatic SP (which I've been doing research on and seems like an amazing old-school 35mm camera), and I've been interested in shooting film for my first time. The camera is in great shape and so is the lens, but one piece is missing– the battery cap on the bottom. I know very well that one can shoot with this camera without the light meter function, but I would like to restore the camera to its former glory and buy a new battery cap. My issue is that I have searched all over the internet with no success in finding a replacement battery cap for this exact camera. My question to you guys is if you guys know if the battery cap for the Pentax K1000, the Pentax MX, or any variety of these older 35mm cameras have the same screw-on battery cap as this wonderful camera? If not, do you guys know where I could find a battery cap for this camera? Also, on a different note, do you guys have any advice for me regarding my first steps into the film-photography journey?

I'm really looking forward to shooting with this classic SLR and beginning my photographic experiences with film.

Thanks a bunch,
_foote

Bill Burk · Aug 26, 2017

I guess your camera requires a 400 battery, smaller than the later models which use a 625

There's an SPII on eBay for $14 free shipping. Get that. The cap will be the same...

shutterfinger · Aug 26, 2017

I have a Honeywell Pentax SP1000 and a Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic.

The SP1000 cap is on the left in both pictures, it will fit both bodies; the Spotmatic cap will only fit the Spotmatic.
The SP cap diameter is 14.66mm at the outside edge, thread 13.5mm and 2.35mm thick; The Spotmatic cap diameter is 14.78 at the outer edge, 13.84 thread and 1.9mm thick.
Both take Energizer 394 battery with a plastic reduction ring.

I would do some more digging, your grandfather possibly stored the cap in something.

Kodachromeguy · Aug 26, 2017

Nice find! These Spotmatics are robust and easy to use. A couple of comments:
1. If the camera has not been used in a long time, exercise it gently through all the shutter speeds. Do 10s or 100s of exposures. But despite the exercise, it may need a cleaning/checkup.
2. If this is your first time with film, one easy way to get started is to use one of the C-41 films, which can still be developed in many cities. At least in USA, a drug store like Walgreen or CVS will accept C-41 film and send it off to a laboratory. You could use a color print film or one of the two B&W examples: Ilford XP2 or Kodak BW400CN (discontinued but still available via eBay).
3. If you really like the Spotmatic, the Takumar (both Super and SMC multi-coated) lenses are an amazing bargain, considering their optical and mechanical quality.
Good luck, have fun, and feel free to post here again.

_foote · Aug 26, 2017

I have bought a used one with a lens with free shipping for under $20. The $14 one had either been sold or had $11 shipping.

GRHazelton · Aug 26, 2017

Kodachromeguy said:
Nice find! These Spotmatics are robust and easy to use. A couple of comments:
1. If the camera has not been used in a long time, exercise it gently through all the shutter speeds. Do 10s or 100s of exposures. But despite the exercise, it may need a cleaning/checkup.
2. If this is your first time with film, one easy way to get started is to use one of the C-41 films, which can still be developed in many cities. At least in USA, a drug store like Walgreen or CVS will accept C-41 film and send it off to a laboratory. You could use a color print film or one of the two B&W examples: Ilford XP2 or Kodak BW400CN (discontinued but still available via eBay).
3. If you really like the Spotmatic, the Takumar (both Super and SMC multi-coated) lenses are an amazing bargain, considering their optical and mechanical quality.
Good luck, have fun, and feel free to post here again.

Good advice! But if you decide to use Walgreen or CVS or WalMart or other chains be certain to check whether or not the store will RETURN YOUR NEGATIVES! WalMart for one furnishes prints and scans only. Your negatives are destroyed, saving WalMart the "terrible expense" of mailing them to the store, or using a courier. The scans made at the lab are "wired" to the store where the prints and CD are made. I seriously doubt that the scans are of the highest quality, so a good deal of the camera quality you paid for is lost. Many of the old hands at WalMart are saddened by this practice.
A while ago I tried my local CVS; the C 41 negatives were returned after a long wait, but the print quality was abysmal. I scanned the negatives and was unable to color correct them properly. I process BW myself, I should do C 41 too.

shutterfinger · Aug 26, 2017

https://www.dwaynesphoto.com/ or https://thedarkroom.com/ for quality film developing. They return the negatives.

Bill Burk · Aug 27, 2017

_foote said:
I have bought a used one with a lens with free shipping for under $20. The $14 one had either been sold or had $11 shipping.

Great!

Bill Burk · Aug 27, 2017

So the thing to check with older Spotmatic cameras is called "capping". That's where the focal plane shutter travels inconsistently at highest speeds, the tail end shutter curtain catches up with the first, or is slower to open... giving you blank parts of the picture.

To check it just open the back and take off the lens (or have lens wide open like at f/1.8 or so)... and fire the shutter while you watch the light come through.

I don't worry about it if it happens to a camera, I just keep a mental note of which speeds are a problem and I avoid them. Like often I'll shoot Spotmatics no faster than 1/250. That speed is almost always reliable. 500 and 1000 are the first to go bad.

Battery Cap Asahi Pentax Spotmatic SP

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