Advice on Pentax K1000

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Hi all, I've recently purchased a Pentax K1000 and am in need of a little advice. Looking through the viewfinder it looks quite hazy/milky (sorry, not sure of the correct terminology) is this normal? The centre is clear but the surrounding area that is hazy makes it hard to see if I am in focus or not. Could you kind folk advise me on wether this is normal or does it need a good cleaning? Could the old lenses I have for it be the problem? Thank you in advance for any help you can give.
 
Look through the lenses with the caps off and see if they look hazy. Chances are if they are clear it won’t be that. Further, I would guess that if the lenses are cloudy, the entire viewfinder would be also. Does the mirror surface or the under side of the prism look cloudy when looking into the camera from the front? Cleaning either is usually very straightforward with appropriate materials.
 
Look through the lenses with the caps off and see if they look hazy. Chances are if they are clear it won’t be that. Further, I would guess that if the lenses are cloudy, the entire viewfinder would be also. Does the mirror surface or the under side of the prism look cloudy when looking into the camera from the front? Cleaning either is usually very straightforward with appropriate materials.

Thank you for the reply. I've changed lenses but it still looks hazy and there seems to be a couple of dirt specks in the viewfinder. Could anyone please advise me on how to properly clean the cameras internals if that is at all possible? Thank you.

Edit: It's buggered! The specks turn out to be parts of a foam seal that is now smudged on the mirror and there is some kind of hair in there too, looks like a brush hair. I should have left well alone. I guess that's what you get for buying cheap.
 
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I suspect the prism is fogged and thus that is giving a poor view.
 
Might be worth talking to Miles Whitehead about a CLA including new seals and cleaning up the mirror? He might even be able to replace it. Alternatively if you bought it online through fleabey etc you could try returning it and get a better one.

It's an excellent, nearly bullet-proof camera used for decades now in photography courses. But it's a bit large and heavy for my tastes; the MX is pretty much identical functionally (*), but smaller and lighter and suits me much better (but has been going up in price).

* is there a window in the viewfinder showing the aperture? The MX has this, right at the top of the viewfinder, I find it invaluable.
 
Might be worth talking to Miles Whitehead about a CLA including new seals and cleaning up the mirror? He might even be able to replace it. Alternatively if you bought it online through fleabey etc you could try returning it and get a better one.

It's an excellent, nearly bullet-proof camera used for decades now in photography courses. But it's a bit large and heavy for my tastes; the MX is pretty much identical functionally (*), but smaller and lighter and suits me much better (but has been going up in price).

* is there a window in the viewfinder showing the aperture? The MX has this, right at the top of the viewfinder, I find it invaluable.

Thank you for the reply and advice. There is no window in the viewfinder just the light meter. I really like it for its simplicity and everything about it works as it should it's just the light seal inside that has gone and it needs a damn good cleaning. I'll give Miles a bell and see what's what as I really would like to keep this camera.
 
Whoops, I've just gone and bought another K1000! This one has just been fully refurbished and has 6 months warranty, that will ease my mind if anything goes wrong with it. I'll put the other one away and have it serviced at a later date,

The new camera has turned up and is in fantastic condition, it's bright and clear through the viewfinder which is in complete contrast to the first one. All works fine and dandy, hopefully I'll get out with it soon and enjoy using it.
 
The new camera has turned up and is in fantastic condition, it's bright and clear through the viewfinder which is in complete contrast to the first one. All works fine and dandy, hopefully I'll get out with it soon and enjoy using it.
Brilliant! And if your fence is falling over, you can use it to knock the fence posts back in (a slightly lighter hammer than a RB67!). ;)

(Do check the seals by the way.) Oh, and we'd like some pics, possibly of but certainly from....
 
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