What's up with Pentax SLR shutters?

bvy · Dec 27, 2016

This is getting frustrating. The sticky shutter problem seems to be notorious with certain Pentax SLR's. I had two ME Supers -- one I acquired with a stuck shutter, the other I had professionally CLA'd, and the shutter went bad after about a year. I sold both for parts. Fast forward a few years, and I acquired a K-1000. The meter was quirky, but otherwise it seemed pretty solid. Used it now and then. This weekend I put film in it for the holiday weekend, and the shutter froze after the first frame. The shutter release presses fully but does nothing (just spring action); the film advance crank doesn't move past its starting position. I manipulated it every way I know how without taking it apart, but it doesn't respond.

I never chose Pentax. Rather, I acquired these from family and friends, and as a result, I have a nice collection of lenses. So I'd like to find a fairly reliable body for them. That said, I rarely use an SLR so I don't want to break the bank for a top-of-the-line model.

Is this Pentax or have I just been unlucky? Can you recommend a body -- or some repair tips for the one I have? Thanks.

Gerald C Koch · Dec 27, 2016

Over the years I have owned several Pentax SLR's beginning with the Spotmatic. I have found them to be well designed and constructed. Never experienced any shutter or meter problems. At present I have two K-1000's which work flawlessly. However both were bought new. Buying a used camera is always a crap shoot. You never know how the previous owner treated the camera. I would not write off the Pentax brand on the basis of two bad experiences.

BTW the worst thing you can do with a camera is let it sit on the shelf. Lubricants dry out and cause problems. At the very least they should be exercised a few times periodically when not in daily use. Treat cameras like you do cars. Would you leave your car in the driveway for months without driving it?

Try this tip which I got from a camera repairman to unfreeze an SLR mirror and shutter. Place the camera on a sturdy table on its base. Rap the camera base down firmly on a table. This often frees the mechanism. The rap should be firm but not enough to damage the camera.

jwd722 · Dec 27, 2016

I know that several types of Pentax cameras seem to have been plagued by this problem. I own several and luckily have never experienced it...yet.
Here is a short video that may help fix your problem.

Theo Sulphate · Dec 27, 2016

Yes, please see the video referenced by jwd722 - almost certainly that's the problem (which is common).

I've done it before - it's a two minute fix.

albada · Dec 27, 2016

I've also seen a couple of Pentax bodies with the problem described in that video. Yes, it's an easy fix.
But if you want a K-mount body that's cheap and reliable, consider off-brands such as Fujica, Ricoh, and Cosina. Even the more recent Vivitar cameras (made by Cosina) seem reliable, although I find their plastikiness distasteful. All are worth nearly nothing. My experience is with the all-mechanical models, so I don't know whether the electronic off-brands are reliable. After seeing how unreliable electronic SLRs by Minolta and Olympus are, I avoid electronics.

bvy · Dec 27, 2016

Excellent. That was exactly the problem. Thanks so much. Hopefully this was a fluke and I won't be having to do this every time I run a roll through the camera. At least I know how to fix it now.

I might also look at some of the off-brand K-mount bodies.

dynachrome · Dec 27, 2016

If you want to reduce your frustration, get a nice mechanical Pentax camera like a KM or MX and send it to Eric Hendrickson. He will overhaul it beautifully for a reasonable price and you will then have something you can really enjoy.

flavio81 · Dec 28, 2016

bvy said:
Excellent. That was exactly the problem. Thanks so much. Hopefully this was a fluke and I won't be having to do this every time I run a roll through the camera. At least I know how to fix it now.

I might also look at some of the off-brand K-mount bodies.

Pentax cameras are very reliable in general. Back when the K-mount was introduced, Pentax sold more cameras than Canon, Nikon and Minolta combined... or so the story says. You can't sell so much cameras if they are not reliable.

A Pentax KM would be great for your lenses, or a MX. Just send it to a GOOD tech if it's not operating smoothly from the start. A K-1000 is much more "basic", but i don't think anyone has ever questioned its reliability.

I'm sort of a Canon/Nikon fan but I would certainly be as happy if my system was Pentax, the lenses are mostly great and some of the cameras are also great.

David Lyga · Dec 28, 2016

The Pentax ME (Super or not) is the ONLY Pentax SLR that I feel necessary to avoid. They are the most trouble-prone Pentax out there. After a while, after you advance the film, the shutter self-activates, destroying the usability of the camera for other than metering purposes. Avoid the ME at all costs. The MX is an entirely different proposition, legitimized by the fact that in the used market they sell for multiples of what the ME sells for. Case in point made. - David Lyga

Huub · Dec 28, 2016

And please don't forget: these are consumer grade SLR's, that can be 35+ years of age. They were never built to last for the ages, so don't be amazed some stop working all of a sudden.

David Lyga · Dec 28, 2016

Huub said:
And please don't forget: these are consumer grade SLR's, that can be 35+ years of age. They were never built to last for the ages, so don't be amazed some stop working all of a sudden.

Does that explain why other Pentax 'user grade' SLRs keep chugging away? Ha1, K1000, anything 'K', Spotmatic, ... - David Lyga

flavio81 · Dec 28, 2016

David Lyga said:
Does that explain why other Pentax 'user grade' SLRs keep chugging away? Ha1, K1000, anything 'K', Spotmatic, ... - David Lyga

He is referring to the ME, i think.

Pentax K2 you could argue it was marketed as a pro camera. LX was, of course.

Huub · Dec 28, 2016

I was indeed refering to the K1000 and the ME-Super, the OP was talking about, not to the LX for instance. Camera's like the MX and K2 were marketed as pro-camera's and might do a bit better too. Of course there are quite a few happy users of these camera's still using these old machines regurlarly, but that doesn't make them any younger. Personally i would consider 35 years of use as pretty good, but when it stops working it would not come as a big surprise.

Ces1um · Dec 28, 2016

The issue is anything mechanical will eventually wear out. Parts will wear and eventually fail. Luckily there are enough spare parts around to get these old cameras overhauled and repaired. That being said, it can get frustrating having to repair your 35+ year old camera every few years. See if you can find a still in production film camera. Maybe you'll get 35 years of use before it starts breaking down.

John Koehrer · Dec 28, 2016

While it's true things wear out if you think about it a great many of these thirty year old cameras may have only had thirty
rolls of film through them.

Ces1um · Dec 29, 2016

John Koehrer said:
While it's true things wear out if you think about it a great many of these thirty year old cameras may have only had thirty
rolls of film through them.

you may be right, but I really hope you aren't. What a waste that'd be.

bvy · Dec 29, 2016

Ces1um said:
you may be right, but I really hope you aren't. What a waste that'd be.

I might suggest that sitting on a shelf unused can be as detrimental as excessive wear.

What's up with Pentax SLR shutters?

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency