[ConnorB]

Hello, I recently purchased a Pentax 6x7 in really good shape. I’ve been using the light meter to snap a few photos (still on my first roll). However earlier today when trying to take a photo with the aperture in manual the needle stayed pinned to the top. This happens regardless of shutter speed or aperture. When in auto it works as expected. It also has a brand new battery.

Any ideas? Thanks!

[gofour3]

Hello, I recently purchased a Pentax 6x7 in really good shape. I’ve been using the light meter to snap a few photos (still on my first roll). However earlier today when trying to take a photo with the aperture in manual the needle stayed pinned to the top. This happens regardless of shutter speed or aperture. When in auto it works as expected. It also has a brand new battery.

Any ideas? Thanks!

Welcome to the forum!

This can happen with the TTL meters, where it only work when the lens DOF leaver is in AUTO or MAN.

Try cleaning the contacts on the camera and prism, this helps sometimes.(Remember to remove an attached lens first or you can break the meter chain))

Phil.

[ConnorB]

Welcome to the forum!

This can happen with the TTL meters, where it only work when the lens DOF leaver is in AUTO or MAN.

Try cleaning the contacts on the camera and prism, this helps sometimes.(Remember to remove an attached lens first or you can break the meter chain))

Phil.

Thanks for the reply Phil.

It’s strange, because it worked fine a few hours ago on MAN. Then later tonight it just stopped. I took the lens off and then the TTL meter. The contacts were clean and the chain is still working perfectly. I put it all back together and still no luck.

I downloaded the user manual for the TTL and read the cautions. Looks like 5 might be my issue, but I’m not 100% sure what that means. “The depth-of-field” preview lever is set at “MAN” while you are taking full aperture readings.”

https://www.cameramanuals.org/pentax_pdf/pentax_6x7_pentaprism.pdf

[Silent Street]

In normal operation the stop-down lever on the side of the lens has AUTO in white lettering at the lower edge. When pressed and clicked into position, MAN, in orange for stopped-down metering, is visible. There is no real reason to use MAN/stopped-down unless with macro work/bellows or in the irksome position you find yourself with a broken TTL meter coupling chain.

On page 6 of the manual you downloaded, under asterisked FUNCTION, it is stated:

Be sure to set the depth of field preview lever to "MAN" when the finder is reading at stopped-down aperture.

This is a reflection of my statement above regarding the use of MAN vs AUTO

There is something else. From reading your last paragraph, it is possible the prism has not been assembled correctly for the coupling pin to line up with the chain, and if this is the cast, it is a red flag to stop at this point.

Remove the prism, then remove the lens. Remount the prism and finally remount the lens. This process will reset the mechanism. Test the camera after this.

[gofour3]

It’s strange, because it worked fine a few hours ago on MAN. Then later tonight it just stopped. I took the lens off and then the TTL meter. The contacts were clean and the chain is still working perfectly. I put it all back together and still no luck.

I also had this issue and my TTL meter only worked when the lens was on MAN, could not get any reading in the AUTO position. They can be fixed, or you can just use a hand-held meter which is what I did.

Eric can probably fix the TTL meter if it comes to that.

Pentax Camera Repairs

Phil.

[Silent Street]

I also had this issue and my TTL meter only worked when the lens was on MAN, could not get any reading in the AUTO position. They can be fixed, or you can just use a hand-held meter which is what I did.

Eric can probably fix the TTL meter if it comes to that.

Pentax Camera Repairs

Phil.

Is Eric still repairing cameras?
I ask because there are two people here in Australia who have not been able to establish contact with him after repeated tries (not that I think it would be a goer with the extreme freight cost form AUS to the US!). There was at some stage in the past something about impending retirement (?)

[gofour3]

Is Eric still repairing cameras?
I ask because there are two people here in Australia who have not been able to establish contact with him after repeated tries (not that I think it would be a goer with the extreme freight cost form AUS to the US!). There was at some stage in the past something about impending retirement (?)

Yep he's still doing repairs, he just finished a camera for me last week and contacted me via email.

Phil.

[ConnorB]

Be sure to set the depth of field preview lever to "MAN" when the finder is reading at stopped-down aperture.

This is a reflection of my statement above regarding the use of MAN vs AUTO

There is something else. From reading your last paragraph, it is possible the prism has not been assembled correctly for the coupling pin to line up with the chain, and if this is the cast, it is a red flag to stop at this point.

Remove the prism, then remove the lens. Remount the prism and finally remount the lens. This process will reset the mechanism. Test the camera after this.

Thanks, to clarify are you saying if I stop it down from 2.4 I should put it in to MAN when taking the photo? I guess being new to film cameras I'm having a hard time understanding what the MAN/AUTO is doing in this scenario. I always shoot full manual on my digital cameras, but slightly confused with this. I would prefer to have it in MAN when taking the photo, but it's just not giving me a reading anymore, the meter stays pinned at the top. When the lens is in auto the meter reading changes as the aperture and shutter are adjusted.

I can see that the chain is moving what it is supposed to on the prism (images attached). I've also reassembled this thing like 6 times.

[ConnorB]

I also had this issue and my TTL meter only worked when the lens was on MAN, could not get any reading in the AUTO position. They can be fixed, or you can just use a hand-held meter which is what I did.

Eric can probably fix the TTL meter if it comes to that.

Pentax Camera Repairs

Phil.

Yeah, I guess I could just use a meter. I was excited about the ease and simplicity of having one built in. Still not sure why during the same day it would just stop working.

[Silent Street]

There is no need to touch the AUTO/MAN lever in normal photography. The lever is put into MAN when the facility for stop-down metering is called for e.g. in macro photography with bellows etc, and for checking depth of field at the aperture you have set. Lenses are auto diaphragm, and that means they stop-down to the selected aperture, set by you at the moment the shutter button is pressed. They then return to normal (or full aperture) view.

Use a hand-held meter for full manual override of the camera, with the TTL prism turned off, as you will not then be referencing it. With a hand-held metre er you can also remove the prism and shoot without it.

DO NOT touch or interfere with the meter coupling chain. Above all else, follow the procedure for removing the prism and remounting it to reset the coupling with the tang in the TTL meter. If the meter coupling chain breaks, you will be restricted to barebones stop-down metering until the chain is fixed.

[ConnorB]

There is no need to touch the AUTO/MAN lever in normal photography. The lever is put into MAN when the facility for stop-down metering is called for e.g. in macro photography with bellows etc, and for checking depth of field at the aperture you have set. Lenses are auto diaphragm, and that means they stop-down to the selected aperture, set by you at the moment the shutter button is pressed. They then return to normal (or full aperture) view.

Use a hand-held meter for full manual override of the camera, with the TTL prism turned off, as you will not then be referencing it. With a hand-held metre er you can also remove the prism and shoot without it.

DO NOT touch or interfere with the meter coupling chain. Above all else, follow the procedure for removing the prism and remounting it to reset the coupling with the tang in the TTL meter. If the meter coupling chain breaks, you will be restricted to barebones stop-down metering until the chain is fixed.

Ah, ok. Thanks for the detailed explanation and being patient with me! This makes a lot more sense.

Rest assured, I haven’t messed with the chain and I’ve followed instructions for removing the lens and TTL meter. Thanks again for all of your help!!

[blackcloudbrew]

Is Eric still repairing cameras?
I ask because there are two people here in Australia who have not been able to establish contact with him after repeated tries (not that I think it would be a goer with the extreme freight cost form AUS to the US!). There was at some stage in the past something about impending retirement (?)

I just emailed Eric this past weekend with a repair question and got a response the next day. He's out there, as far as I know.

[Silent Street]

I just emailed Eric this past weekend with a repair question and got a response the next day. He's out there, as far as I know.

I'm heartened to know of this and will pass the information on. There appear to be some sort of (individual?) difficulties in getting email through to him from this side of the world, or perhaps the address isn't typed correctly!

[desertscape]

Again, you are not supposed to meter in Man mode with an auto diaphragm lens (which is most of them) unless the information flow between the lens and meter is broken. An example of this is when using the helicoid tube between the lens and body/meter. In this case, an auto lens needs to be metered in Man so that the meter can accurately read the light. The auto lens now becomes a manual lens which requires stop down metering.