Is there a problem with my Pentax 67 shutter?

danielfoster437 · 08-26-2016, 02:31 AM

I tested out a Pentax 67 I recently bought on eBay. Seven of the ten shots I took turned out fine, but the last three have a weird banding down the right side. My photo lab suggested I might have a shutter sync problem.

I was shooting at 1/1000 on a sunny day, and the battery was quite low. Could this be the issue, or is the shutter on its way out?

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LaHo · 08-26-2016, 05:05 AM

Yes. It is called 'shutter capping'. I have experienced this on cold days (below zero temperatures). And only at the shortest shutter speeds. The first curtain is overtaken by the second one. In grave cases it looks like this:

LaHo · 08-26-2016, 05:12 AM

It is not so severe on your camera. That is just 'tapering'. Maybe a new battery is enough or a little more use.

JBemus · 08-31-2016, 08:26 PM

The battery was mentioned. One problem I've had like this was when using alkaline 6V batteries in the 6x7. They just don't seem to provide enough current to operate consistently. I've never had problems with lithium or silver oxide.

Silent Street · 08-31-2016, 10:54 PM

Originally posted by JBemus

The battery was mentioned. One problem I've had like this was when using alkaline 6V batteries in the 6x7. They just don't seem to provide enough current to operate consistently. I've never had problems with lithium or silver oxide.

A lithium battery is not really a good choice in any of the Pentax 6x7 / 67 bodies. A very steep death dive that occurs suddenly can actually leave shutter and mirror activation in limbo. This is well documented and known to cause serious jamming of many auto wind-on cameras that can take lithium but do not relay the correct battery-level state, and are thus predisposed to unexpected events — jamming, incomplete shutter travel, mirror paralysis.... Silver oxide batteries are the ones recommended in the Pentax 6x7 and 67 bodies, or the alkaline alternative, and there should be no issues with either type. A sticky solenoid could well be the problem, but this necessitates disassembly of the camera to get to the solenoid on the right side of the mirror box (viewed from behind camera). Long periods of inactivity can lead to this sticky solenoid problem, rather than reasonably constant use and age is a factor in many instances involving the early 6x7 bodies.

**gofour3** · 09-01-2016, 06:27 AM

Originally posted by Silent Street

Silver oxide batteries are the ones recommended in the Pentax 6x7 and 67 bodies,

+1

Yep Silver Oxide batteries for all my 6x7 and 35mm cameras. The exception is the 67ii, as it uses different CR123A batteries that i don't think were ever available in Silver Oxide.

Phil.

desertscape · 09-01-2016, 09:21 AM

I use silver oxide too but have tried the others. The silver oxide ones are getting difficult to find tho. Just found some at onlybatteries.com in Canada.

**gofour3** · 09-01-2016, 01:07 PM

Originally posted by desertscape

I use silver oxide too but have tried the others. The silver oxide ones are getting difficult to find tho. Just found some at onlybatteries.com in Canada.

Yeah hard to find, but I'm lucky that a local camera store in Vancouver has these available for the 67 or 6x7 bodies:

http://kerrisdalecameras.com/spec_sheet.html?catalog[name]=Varta-V28PX-Batte...ids][0]=618700

Phil.

desertscape · 09-01-2016, 04:19 PM

The ones from onlybatteries are much cheaper but also made in China, so can't say about the quality.

Silent Street · 09-01-2016, 05:48 PM

It is quite challenging to find 6v silver oxide batteries for the P67 here in Australia. Going by eBay, the majority of batteries are listed in the UK or Germany. At shop-front level here are unknown $2.00 Chinese brands and I do not (and never will) be tempted to use these. The silver oxide battery I have in my P67 at the moment dates from a purchase made in New Zealand in April 2015. I should be carrying a spare or two just in case I trip the MLU nib when packing the beastie away (thankfully I tape it over with fluoro-coloured tape so if there is no tape visible, that means it aint safe!).

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08-26-2016, 05:05 AM	#2
LaHo Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Greater Copenhagen Area Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 430	Yes. It is called 'shutter capping'. I have experienced this on cold days (below zero temperatures). And only at the shortest shutter speeds. The first curtain is overtaken by the second one. In grave cases it looks like this:

08-26-2016, 05:12 AM	#3
LaHo Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Greater Copenhagen Area Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 430	It is not so severe on your camera. That is just 'tapering'. Maybe a new battery is enough or a little more use.

08-31-2016, 08:26 PM	#4
JBemus New Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 3	The battery was mentioned. One problem I've had like this was when using alkaline 6V batteries in the 6x7. They just don't seem to provide enough current to operate consistently. I've never had problems with lithium or silver oxide.

08-31-2016, 10:54 PM	#5
Silent Street Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Castlemaine, Victoria, AUS Photos: Albums Posts: 1,151	Originally posted by JBemus The battery was mentioned. One problem I've had like this was when using alkaline 6V batteries in the 6x7. They just don't seem to provide enough current to operate consistently. I've never had problems with lithium or silver oxide. A lithium battery is not really a good choice in any of the Pentax 6x7 / 67 bodies. A very steep death dive that occurs suddenly can actually leave shutter and mirror activation in limbo. This is well documented and known to cause serious jamming of many auto wind-on cameras that can take lithium but do not relay the correct battery-level state, and are thus predisposed to unexpected events — jamming, incomplete shutter travel, mirror paralysis.... Silver oxide batteries are the ones recommended in the Pentax 6x7 and 67 bodies, or the alkaline alternative, and there should be no issues with either type. A sticky solenoid could well be the problem, but this necessitates disassembly of the camera to get to the solenoid on the right side of the mirror box (viewed from behind camera). Long periods of inactivity can lead to this sticky solenoid problem, rather than reasonably constant use and age is a factor in many instances involving the early 6x7 bodies.

09-01-2016, 06:27 AM	#6
gofour3 Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 8,091	Originally posted by Silent Street Silver oxide batteries are the ones recommended in the Pentax 6x7 and 67 bodies, +1 Yep Silver Oxide batteries for all my 6x7 and 35mm cameras. The exception is the 67ii, as it uses different CR123A batteries that i don't think were ever available in Silver Oxide. Phil.

09-01-2016, 09:21 AM	#7
desertscape Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,272	I use silver oxide too but have tried the others. The silver oxide ones are getting difficult to find tho. Just found some at onlybatteries.com in Canada.

09-01-2016, 01:07 PM	#8
gofour3 Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 8,091	Originally posted by desertscape I use silver oxide too but have tried the others. The silver oxide ones are getting difficult to find tho. Just found some at onlybatteries.com in Canada. Yeah hard to find, but I'm lucky that a local camera store in Vancouver has these available for the 67 or 6x7 bodies: http://kerrisdalecameras.com/spec_sheet.html?catalog[name]=Varta-V28PX-Batte...ids][0]=618700 Phil.

09-01-2016, 04:19 PM	#9
desertscape Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,272	The ones from onlybatteries are much cheaper but also made in China, so can't say about the quality.

09-01-2016, 05:48 PM	#10
Silent Street Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Castlemaine, Victoria, AUS Photos: Albums Posts: 1,151	It is quite challenging to find 6v silver oxide batteries for the P67 here in Australia. Going by eBay, the majority of batteries are listed in the UK or Germany. At shop-front level here are unknown $2.00 Chinese brands and I do not (and never will) be tempted to use these. The silver oxide battery I have in my P67 at the moment dates from a purchase made in New Zealand in April 2015. I should be carrying a spare or two just in case I trip the MLU nib when packing the beastie away (thankfully I tape it over with fluoro-coloured tape so if there is no tape visible, that means it aint safe!).