Originally posted by ZombieArmy Could you expand on this a bit? What exactly is wrong with the old 6x7 cameras?
- Frame spacing/winding mechanism faults (age related, but can also be a result of prolonged aggressive professional use)
(winding mechanism failures are especially prevalent in the 1969-vintage Pentax 6x7 bodies) - Sticky/intermittently operative mirror solenoid -- a temporary 'fix' does exist, but the solenoid ideally should be replaced;
- Faults in shutter speeds e.g. inaccuracies at any or many speeds; can be caused by leaving the dial on any shutter speed other
than B when not in use over a long period of time (both 6x7 and 67) - Corrosion of the battery compartment -- not all that common, but many unscrupulous sellers try and hide it.
- Light seals of the TTL/non-TTL prism deteriorate with age; they are a pain to replace, but replacements kits are available (Japan)
- Derangement of the TTL meter; either gross over- or under-exposure or erratic operation (--> replace the TTL meter)
- Inoperative battery check button
- Cracked surrounding of the tripod socket, caused by aggressive tightening (e.g. using pliers to tighten!)
- Dirt/corrosion under the shutter speed dial; easily fixed, but corrosion requires more work
- Incorrectly collimated focusing screen/lens mount after DIY fix of broken TTL meter coupling chain. --> results in focus error
- Rust/corrosion inside the back cover...
A very well looked after camera will hopefully not have any of this (but even long term idle storage is not good for the camera), and as the years go buy, the best specimens will be snapped up either by collectors or those who are moving into the big 6x7 system from the smaller 'ticker-tape' formats. Japanese online sellers are asking a king's ransom for (supposedly) mint/excellent condition bodies.
Mirror lock-up featured cameras are an excellent choice as this function successfully separates mirror movement and shutter inertia during the exposure, both of which introduce blur at slow (single-digit) shutter speeds. This method also implies using the camera on a tripod, not handheld.
It is essential you not buy blind, e.g. online at text value only, and instead get to thoroughly examine and hold the 1990-era
Pentax 67; the others are just too old, have seen too much service and show too many faults which cascade over time. As I mentioned in the previous post, it's not impossible to find a body in excellent to mint condition, just make sure you go prepared and have an honest and knowledgeable seller, not a backyard hobbyist after a quick buck.
Finally, invest also in a separate hand-held meter, whether it be incident/multispot of a combination meter as the TTL meter only operates to 1 second, and if you are shooting around dawn or dusk, you must be prepared to do the 'thinking' and stand-in ops for the camera!