Pentax 67 Focus issues

I picked up a clean looking P67 the other day. I put a roll through it and unfortunately after developing I discovered the focus was off.

I went to calibrate the ground glass screen against two different lenses set at infinity, however I discovered that the 3 adjustment screws were already screwed in maximum, and thus I could not achieve infinity focus on the ground glass with either lens.

I could achieve infinity focus on the ground glass screen by pushing the ground glass in further against the spring using the loupe.

If I had a shim/packer between the ground glass and the top plate it would work, however the fact that the screws are maxxing out without getting focus makes me think something else is off.

Does anyone have any advice? I am thinking of simply returning the camera...

The focusing screen must be removed completely and then re-installed to effect calibration. In any case a collimeter is a more accurate test/calibration device than any lens.

Under normal use a Pentax 67 should not require focusing screen calibration, unless the meter coupling chain has been replaced, which necessitates removal of the lens flange and shims and replacement; this process effects focus accuracy, albeit only very slightly when done competently, but enough for accuracy of focus to be an issue under critical inspection. If calibration of the focusing screen cannot be achieved after removing and reinstalling the screen and fascia, it may indicate that something has been done involving the lens flange (e.g., what I said above, service of the meter coupling chain in the event of breakage). Even something as seemingly benign as a shim/spacer substituted or missing will have an effect on focusing. It can be difficult to prove if any work has been done on the front involving the coupling chain/lens flange/mount etc. But any miniscule tell-tale signs of adhesive on leatherette patches, or misalignment of same, may point to interference.

Thanks for your informative reply. I will return the camera and try my luck with another body.

tomfrh said:

Thanks for your informative reply. I will return the camera and try my luck with another body.

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I think you also should consider another brand like the Mamiya or Hasselblad.

Try googling : "pentax 67 shutter vibration" it used to drive a friend of mine mad.

The Pentax 6x7 is a great system, and while the shutter sound is loud, I don't think that shutter vibration is any worse than on any other 6x7 system. I use Pentax 6x7 MLU and Pentax 67 II and think that they are great.

Lars Holte said:

The Pentax 6x7 is a great system, and while the shutter sound is loud, I don't think that shutter vibration is any worse than on any other 6x7 system. I use Pentax 6x7 MLU and Pentax 67 II and think that they are great.

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Would totally agree - have used my 67II for 10+ years, many 100's of rolls of film. Shutter is loud I agree but vibration is rarely an issue. The only issue I had was with my long 300mm lens, but even that, stopped to f8 with tripod and MLU means tack sharp images.

Lars Holte said:

The Pentax 6x7 is a great system, and while the shutter sound is loud, I don't think that shutter vibration is any worse than on any other 6x7 system. I use Pentax 6x7 MLU and Pentax 67 II and think that they are great.

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Hej Lars
Except most other 6x7 cameras have leaf shutters, the P67 has a focal plane shutter other than that I think you are mostly right.
I did some testing years ago and found that if you have a good solid tripod head the shutter vibrations that might ocur can be eliminated.
Søren N

The P67 has a large horizontal traveling curtain shutter unlike most 6x7 SLRs. A friend in my local photo club ended up attaching a small sand bag to his already heavey tripod, perhaps there was something wrong with his camera. Still p67 looks like very nice cameras and i don't have any personal experience. Perhaps the issue is exaggerated.

https://www.google.no/?gws_rd=ssl#q=pentax+67+shutter+vibration

bluez said:

I think you also should consider another brand like the Mamiya or Hasselblad.

Try googling : "pentax 67 shutter vibration" it used to drive a friend of mine mad.

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Those are totalt different beasts the Hasselblad being a 6x6 and the Mamiya being much bigger and heavier than the Pentax. I just killed my P6X7 and now have a Mamiya RZ67PROII. For handholding forget mamiya and go for the Pentax. For using the waist level finder get the mamiya it's really great with the revolving back. I can't comment on image guality yet.

bluez said:

The P67 has a large horizontal traveling curtain shutter unlike most 6x7 SLRs. A friend in my local photo club ended up attaching a small sand bag to his already heavey tripod, perhaps there was something wrong with his camera. Still p67 looks like very nice cameras and i don't have any personal experience. Perhaps the issue is exaggerated.

https://www.google.no/?gws_rd=ssl#q=pentax+67+shutter+vibration

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Yes, the issue is very exaggerated, especially putting a sandbag there. It's not necessary. MLU and then triggering the shutter on a reasonably stable (not necessarily heavy) tripod is fine. None of my images show any vibration and I print to 80x60cm — anything amiss will be absolutely visible at that (and larger) sizes.
The Pentax 6x7 / 67 shutter has nothing at all to do with vibration. Vibration, a problem when shooting hand held at slower speeds, is caused by the inertia of the large mirror. There is no bounce or shifting of the shutter curtains because of control mechanisms.

bluez said:

I think you also should consider another brand like the Mamiya or Hasselblad.

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Hasselblad have never made a 6x7 camera, the Mamiya RB/RZ are much bigger & heavier than a Pentax 6x7 (they're 7x7 cameras for a start).

bluez said:

Try googling : "pentax 67 shutter vibration" it used to drive a friend of mine mad.

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The Pentax 6x7 series of cameras were manufactured and sold for 40 years (mostly to pros - and to many 'high profile' ones at that), you don't achieve that in medium format by having problems with shutter (or mirror) vibration.

Instead of googling about one, try shooting a Pentax 6x7 (heck they're cheap now compared to what they were) - I'm happy shooting mine, hand-held at 1/30th (they focus perfectly fine as well).

John.