I just hit upon a fix-it trick that probably none of you will ever need, but just in case ...
A few months ago I was given a camera bag containing a Pentax ME Super from about 1979 along with a f/2.8 28mm, f/1.2 50mm, f/4.5 80-200mm zoom, and 2X Telextender. No bumps, scratches, nicks, or blemishes on any of it, and when I put in a battery, the meter seems to give reasonable readings.
Today I thought I'd take it out for a walk, but when I started fooling with it before I loaded film, I discovered that the shutter wouldn't release. The film winder would come up to a stop, and when I pushed the button I'd hear it stop down, but the mirror didn't come up and the curtain didn't trip. I tried it several times thinking it would loosen up.
I tapped it, bumped it gently on the kitchen counter, shook it (gently). Nothing seemed to make it work. Then I remembered how vibration can loosen seemingly tight parts, and how ultrasonic parts cleaners can dislodge contamination and corrosion without damaging stuff. I took my Sonicare toothbrush and ran it over the camera for a couple of minutes, pressing the hard plastic back of the brush head firmly against the camera body.
I tried the shutter release again, and it worked about every second time. A couple more minutes with the toothbrush, and now it releases on every try. Tomorrow is supposed to be another unseasonably warm day, with some clouds and some sun. I have to go downtown to the city-county building to drop off my property tax payments, and I think I'll stick a roll of Velvia in that rascal and take it for a walk.
A pre-WWII Leica hs been languishing in my closet for a few years with some stuff stuck. I was waiting until I had some spare cash to take it to Chicago and see if it could be fixed, but I think I'll try the toothbrush treatment on it first.
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Getting thrown out of railroad stations since 1979!
Better than ever and always growing: [url=http://www.robertpence.com][b]My Photography Web Site[/b][/url]
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