I got this old Pentax with an issue

Uncle Bill · Dec 28, 2009

I picked up a Honeywell Pentax H3 for cheap a few years back and I had an issue with the mirror sticking up. Well, I solved that problem only to create another, I have jammed the film advance while dry firing the camera to work the lubrication in. The rewind button is sticking in as well.

The film advance worked great earlier so I am thinking something got mis- aligned somewhere along the way. Any experience with this problem?

Rick A · Dec 29, 2009

Sounds as though the little bugger needs a good CLA. The original lube has obviously petrified, and captured the mechanism, or possibly the little return spring.

Rick

ricksplace · Dec 29, 2009

Did you try percussive maintenance?

Uncle Bill · Dec 29, 2009

I agree on the CLA, however I think Rick might be onto something.

Uncle Bill · Dec 29, 2009

To update, the camera is no longer jammed however the mirror is now sticking periodically in a variety of speeds.

John Koehrer · Dec 30, 2009

The mirror is released when the second shutter curtain strikes a lever. If the curtain has lost tension over time(they do) it may not have enough oomph to kick it through.The adjustment is under the bottom cover, There are two ratchets one toward the front of the camera, one to the rear. These are the tension adjustments, as I recall the one to the rear is the closing curtain. If you try this, adjust it one or two clicks at a time.
This assumes the mirror isn't sticking to the foam

paulie · Dec 30, 2009

check the mirror buffer foam isnt sticky

I got this old Pentax with an issue

Uncle Bill

Rick A

ricksplace

Uncle Bill

Uncle Bill

John Koehrer

paulie

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