Trying to remove a lens...

[Steve Mack]

I have a Pentax screw mount with a Super-Takumar 55 f2. I was out trying out the camera ( it was a gimme from my brother-in-law), and I made it through the first 15 or so exposures, and then the shutter jammed. Took everything home, and removed the film and developed it.

I think the camera is a wash. But I would like to salvage the lens.; I have a K1000 and I can get an adapter for the lens. Trouble is, I can unscrew the lens only so far, and then it butts up against something and won't come off. I have tried to get the shutter to complete its interrupted trip, but it sits there in space and I can't get it to let go so I can remove the lens. Does anyone have any suggestions, or is this a job for my local camera shop?

Thanks to all who reply.

With best regards.

Steve

 

[Vincent Brady]

Have you tried putting in a fresh set of batteries. I have found that this often releases the shutter and the blocking resolved.
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Vincent

 

[John Koehrer]

Turn off the meter, open the back, pull the shutter curtain to the right side and release it. The curtain should have enough tension to release the mirror and stop down mechanism.
If this solves the problem it's just needing an additional click or two on the closing curtain tension adjustment. If you remove the bottom cover, there are two gears near the middle of the camera. They will have a set screw probably sealed in place with nail polish. Clean off the polish, loosen the screw & tighten the screw beneath the set screw. A partial turn should do it, try the camera. tighten the set screw, seal it if you want

 

[lxdude]

Have you tried putting in a fresh set of batteries. I have found that this often releases the shutter and the blocking resolved.
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Vincent

If it's an Electro Spotmatic series camera.

 

[lxdude]

Don't write off the camera yet. A friend once showed me his nearly new Nikon FM and said the shutter was jammed. He was upset that his Nikon wasn't living up to the reputation. I opened the back and found a little chip of film from overwinding at the end of a roll had jammed the shutter. 30 seconds later, all fixed.

 

[elekm]

There is a small bar in the shutter box for pushing the pin on the back of the lens to close the aperture.

I believe that bar is in the forward position, which means that when you try to unscrew the lens, the pin is hitting that bar. You could try setting the lens to "M" -- if it has that setting, open the lens wide open and then try to unscrew. That might work.

 

[Steve Mack]

Sorry, I was unclear about the camera the lens is stuck on: it's a Honeywell Pentax H1a. No batteries that I know of.

Thanks to all who have replied so far.

With best regards.

Steve

 

[lxdude]

I also think it's probably the pin on the lens is catching on the stop down actuator in the camera.

 

[darinwc]

If the shutter is stuck open, you should be able to look inside from the back of the camera and figure out the problem

 

[Anscojohn]

Sorry, I was unclear about the camera the lens is stuck on: it's a Honeywell Pentax H1a. No batteries that I know of.

Thanks to all who have replied so far.

With best regards.

Steve

*******
Wow, an H1a. What a classic. I agree it is the stop=down pin hitting the trip bar at the bottom of the mirror chamber. Make sure the switch on the lens is set at A instead of M.