Pentax 6x7 problem with shutter

[ljevans]

Please help if you can with a medium format problem. Pentax 6x7 with 90mm Takumar 2.8 leaf shutter lens, all pretty new to me. I can't figure out how to make the shutter release. Cannot see through the lens to compose or focus. I have the original camera instruction manual, if I'm interpreting it correctly i CANNOT use the mirror lock up lever when that lens is mounted, and sure enough, the mirror lock slide lever just springs up and down, it won't STAY up, so I think somehow I've got the leaf shutter locked closed, maybe? I am pretty sure I've got the main camera shutter cocked correctly (at least I THINK so). I know I'm also supposed to cock and somehow release the LENS shutter & shutter release, but I don't have the owner's manual for the lens so I'm flopping around, Google is my only friend.

I took the lens off to check things. Mirror is up, I can see the cloth shutter in the back, so maybe I'm wrong about the leaf shutter in the lens being what's stuck.

I can SEE from the front that the aperture is open to an appropriate size. Very frustrated.

I've replaced the battery, check light comes on ok. I'm befuddled and light is fading, any suggestions much appreciated!

 

[paul ron]

there is a trick to using leaf shutter lenses on your camera. im not a user of this camera but i have been told about it.

get the user manual here....

http://www.butkus.org/chinon/pentax/pentax_67/pentax_67.htm

also do an apug search, im sure its been talked about here more than once.

im sure someone will be along soon.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Please help if you can with a medium format problem. Pentax 6x7 with 90mm Takumar 2.8 leaf shutter lens, all pretty new to me. I can't figure out how to make the shutter release. Cannot see through the lens to compose or focus. I have the original camera instruction manual, if I'm interpreting it correctly i CANNOT use the mirror lock up lever when that lens is mounted, and sure enough, the mirror lock slide lever just springs up and down, it won't STAY up, so I think somehow I've got the leaf shutter locked closed, maybe? I am pretty sure I've got the main camera shutter cocked correctly (at least I THINK so). I know I'm also supposed to cock and somehow release the LENS shutter & shutter release, but I don't have the owner's manual for the lens so I'm flopping around, Google is my only friend.

I took the lens off to check things. Mirror is up, I can see the cloth shutter in the back, so maybe I'm wrong about the leaf shutter in the lens being what's stuck.

I can SEE from the front that the aperture is open to an appropriate size. Very frustrated.

I've replaced the battery, check light comes on ok. I'm befuddled and light is fading, any suggestions much appreciated!

Press the recessed nib in the hole to the left of the mirror box and release the shutter once. This will (should!) reset the mirror and the shutter.
Mirror lock-up can be used with the 90mm leaf shutter lens, but not with the 165mm leaf shutter lens. Never remove a leaf shutter lens when it has both its own shutter open and has activated the 6x7 /67 shutter. One or the other (lens or body shutter) must be reset or the mechanism jams.

Don't use the leaf shutter lens until you are fully conversant with the operation as there is a possibility of damage to the lens shutter, camera shutter or both through incorrect or forced operation.

 

[ljevans]

I got it!! Thank you! One of my friends and mentors more experienced with this camera sent me an email telling me to look for the reset button. That was enough for me to search through the pages in the owner's manual until I found it.

When the battery is compromised or failing the camera half-lifts the mirror so you can't shoot photos when the shutter speed won't be accurate. How nice of it! Another friend was helping me figure out the controls the other day. He pointed out the battery needed to be replaced, and I'm sure we tripped this safety mechanism in the process, and I took the battery out so that may have done it, too. Once the battery has been replaced, pressing the resest button and then the shutter button releases the mirror to go back down, but the film has not been exposed. I'm pretty sure I've been shown before but I forgot. Nothing like being in a pickle to make learning something actually stick, I bet I don't forget it again any time soon!

One good outcome from the whole thing is someone in the Large Format group on facebook sent me here. I'll be mining these forums for useful into, thank you very much.