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I was loading up my Pentax ME Super and was trying to wind it on but it seems to be jammed. The shutter button won’t press and it won’t wind on again. Any ideas??
I was loading up my Pentax ME Super and was trying to wind it on but it seems to be jammed. The shutter button won’t press and it won’t wind on again. Any ideas??
You may also have come to the end of the film
To check it's the battery, turn it to X or B. If it fires then replace the battery.Battery?
To check it's the battery, turn it to X or B. If it fires then replace the battery.
Actually my advice is based on a Pentax ME, which has no manual mode, so it may or may not apply. The ME is always in Aperture priority so needs the battery.
Is the rewind button stuck by any chance?
I meant the button on the camera base that you have to push in before rewinding the film. If this sticks in, you'll not be able to wind the film on.Yes, the lever that winds the film on won’t move. As though you haven’t pressed the shutter yet. But the shutter button won’t press either.
The battery would be my first suggestion (probably only suggestion to be fair, given that's about where my technical know-how ends!). My OM-10 locks up completely when the batteries run low on power (even if I can still see some LEDs lit in the viewfinder), and I've found it to be the solution to similar issues with other cameras.
I’ll try the battery then!
The ME super will fire without a battery on any setting, probably just one backup speed though.
It’s got a 1/125 setting - presumable that’s for when the bats have run out? So it’s a mechanical issue after all...
If you have gone through all the suggestion above..you just undo about four screws (usually for most cameras) and the base plate comes off, then just make an intelligent guess what wheel or whatever is stuck and carefully use a needle on that part......I've fixed quite a few cameras like that esp getting them going cheap at the bootie because they were jammed. Some just need a tiny drop of oil for a part that is dried out.
In thread "M3 off to miles whitehead" *14 (my post)
Well I saw an ME at the bootie with lens and a few extras and the guy wanted £15, but did eventually buy a ME super body for £4 (told the guy I didn't want the zoom and to sell it separately) with the wind on jammed.....took the bottom plate off and un jammed it.
Just to add:-
"by intelligent guess" means is you carefully move the wind on lever you can see the movement in the base, then you can see what other parts might need to move that is connected, if you carefully poke with a needle you can get it working. Works for me most of the time and I'm not a camera mechanic.
I took the bottom plate off and played around with the mechanisms - I have no idea what I did but after a bit of poking around it started working again!
Well done, the problem is:- a camera mechanic would have a very good idea what the problem could be (assuming nothing is broken)...and after five minutes work won't say the bill is £5 but would want about £50 for a full service.
I'd still suspect the coin battery is on it's last legs, they are dirt cheap online.
This is my go-to solution for all old cameras - even ones that seem ok. Most film cameras on the market have not been used for decades and benefit from the moving parts moving. With light meters, I leave them pointing at a window for a couple of days (not possible with all cameras) and then the changing light (and dark) means that the meter parts also move for the first time in decades.<snip>And eventually solved the problem with the stuck up mirror
On the net it said it's a common problem and oil the black cog, well I did do it before but what I eventually did is: - just kept firing it while watching tv and eventually the mirror returned at all speeds....whether it needed oiling or just using I dunno.
Anyway I can't get the exposure meter to work on a hearing aid battery....h'mm that's no problem with a separate exposure meter.
Just to add:- the exposure meter decided to work after a while and is accurate enough for neg film.
With light meters, I leave them pointing at a window for a couple of days (not possible with all cameras) and then the changing light (and dark) means that the meter parts also move for the first time in decades.