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08-07-2018, 07:43 PM   #1
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TTL Not Working

It appears that I've broken the chain on the light meter mechanism after the first lens change.

I remember reading that there was a proper procedure but got the details turned around. I removed the prism, changed the lens and then reinstalled the prism. I should have left the prism installed. Now the light meter no longer functions.

Any remedy short of sending the camera off to repair?

08-07-2018, 07:54 PM   #2
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What model camera?
08-07-2018, 08:12 PM   #3
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It is the 67 model.
08-07-2018, 08:27 PM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by PhilRich Quote
It appears that I've broken the chain on the light meter mechanism after the first lens change.

I remember reading that there was a proper procedure but got the details turned around. I removed the prism, changed the lens and then reinstalled the prism. I should have left the prism installed. Now the light meter no longer functions.

Any remedy short of sending the camera off to repair?
I've never tried but it's just a simple, small chain. You might be able to replace the broken link with some wire or similar. It would take some patience and probably needle nose pliers.

EDIT: might be easier to send it off, but if you want to try the repair:



08-07-2018, 09:41 PM   #5
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I assume it is OK to use the camera as is with the broken chain. No further damage will take place?

Watching the video convinces me that I don't want to do the repair job. I will send the camera off for repair and cleaning after I've used it a bit.

This was a high price to pay for not double checking the correct procedure for changing lens.

---------- Post added 08-07-18 at 10:08 PM ----------

Well, this has been interesting. That is an excellent video, Whoever isadeleener is, is an excellent teacher. I went back and reviewed the beginning of the video again. At the beginning he shows how the interface between the chain mechanism and the lens position indicator works. I got out my camera and took a second look. It turns out that I assumed that the chain was broken because the meter wasn't working. However, the chain actually isn't broken, I didn't hold the lens position pickup over a bit on the camera body interface as the prism is put back into place on the camera so that the lens and the prism are registered properly. So, all is good!

I've been stumbling my way along assuming I knew what I was doing. Fortunately through all that the chain didn't break. Now to read the user's manual.

Thanks for the response.

Phil
08-07-2018, 10:19 PM - 1 Like   #6
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The chain is the weak link, so to speak, in the 6x7/67. I bought one very cheaply that had a broken chain, and sent it off to Eric for overhaul immediately. Even with the overhaul, the price was reasonable, and now I know it’s in a state of good repair.

Rick “who owns three of them” Denney
08-08-2018, 07:02 AM - 1 Like   #7
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As a workaround until you're read to get it fixed you can download a light meter app for your phone. Get one that will actually take a picture as an option to get the meter reading and you'll get more sophisticated metering. I haven't used the TTL prism on my 67 for a over 10 years now and I don't miss it at all.

08-08-2018, 02:04 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by tuco Quote
I haven't used the TTL prism on my 67 for a over 10 years now and I don't miss it at all.
Yep a good time to switch to a hand held meter.

Phil.
08-08-2018, 06:25 PM   #9
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The app for the phone is interesting.

How many of you develop your own film?

Do you shoot mostly b&W, color negatives or slides?

I'm considering doing my own developing. I've got probably 20 rolls of film that has been in the refrigerator since 2005 just sitting there since moving to digital photography. Sold my Hassy a few years back.
08-08-2018, 06:53 PM - 1 Like   #10
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Although my Pentax 67 is fitted with the TTL prism, I can do much, much better than its efforts armed with a multispot meter, as do many others. Occasionally though I may have only seconds to get a shot and that is when I will put faith -- blind or no, in the TTL prism and just "get the shot anyway!". Really, arming yourself with a separate hand-held meter, and skilling up in its use and application (incident/spot/multispot/duplex... lots and lots of variations) will dramatically expand your ability to deal with challenging and awkward conditions which a TTL meter may not really be faithful to.

The meter coupling chain breakage in the Pentax 6x7 and 67 camera, when it does occur and usually to new users unbeknownst to them as a risk, is a real Achilles Heel which causes more gripes and grief than anything else. Just as a "sticky", the procedure for safe removal and replacement is--

The lens can be removed and re-mounted freely any time a TTL prism is seated, however, if the TTL prism is removed:
Remove the lens;
Remount the TTL prism, then--
Remount the lens.


I do not think much of phone light meters and certainly would not use one, nor recommend such a thing for e.g. critical slide exposure. For the price of an iPhone X or Samsung Galaxy S9 (neck-to-neck, around AUD$1400 here), you could buy a mongrel light meter like the Sekonic L758D-R!

All of my exhibition work is shot on E6 (Fuji Velvia 50 or Provia 100F). It is lab-processed with a 3-hour turn-around.
A roll of 2005 film will be useable (I have a brick of April 2004 expired E100VS, the forerunner to Kodak's modernised E6 film, E100G and GS, but it will have lost some speed, even under refrigeration, so give it a whirl and bracket the ISO up and down a stop or two (if negative film) or 0.3 steps up and down for slide film.

Last edited by Silent Street; 08-09-2018 at 02:43 PM.
08-09-2018, 09:32 AM   #11
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---------- Post added 09-08-18 at 09:32 ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by PhilRich Quote
How many of you develop your own film?

Do you shoot mostly b&W, color negatives or slides?
I have a good Lab 5 minutes from where I live that processes b&w, C41 and E6. They also do my scans and any enlargements I need, so no I do not do my own processing.

For colour work I mostly shoot E6.

Phil.
08-09-2018, 11:37 AM   #12
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I process my own B&W, but send off color. I been considering trying out an E-6 kit. I’m not sure I want to develop C41 because of my scanning workflow. At the moment I don’t have a scanner, but use my digital camera to photograph the negative. Slides would require minimal post processing, and B&W requires only inverting, setting black, white and grey levels. Post on a color negative requires getting rid of that orange mask before inverting, and being red-green colorblind, I’m pretty sure I’d screw it up if it wasn’t automated.

I shoot mostly black and white for several reasons. I can do everything at home. I love the classic look of B&W photography. I live in the land of bright harsh light, and color seems ill suited to that but B&W thrives in midday sun. Finally being colorblind, I always feel a little like an English speaker in a foreign land when shooting color.

Last edited by abruzzi; 08-09-2018 at 03:39 PM.
08-09-2018, 12:21 PM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by PhilRich Quote
Do you shoot mostly b&W, color negatives or slides?
I shoot E-6 only as my customers back in the day would only accept slide film. I still have tons of it frozen. I have it developed by AgX in Michigan and scan it myself using a Plustek 120.
08-09-2018, 06:28 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by abruzzi Quote
Post on a color negative requires getting rid of that orange mask before inverting, and being red-green colorblind, I’m pretty sure I’d screw it up if it wasn’t automated.
For my information, what is the best way to dealing with the orange mask in post?
08-09-2018, 08:39 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by PhilRich Quote
For my information, what is the best way to dealing with the orange mask in post?


Use Vuescan to run the scanner. It has profiles for color negative films that will filter out the orange mask automatically.

Rick “who uses Vuescan to run his Nikon 9000 film scanner” Denney
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