Red alignment dot came off

SlickYamaha · 07-31-2011, 02:04 PM

The red dot on my Pentax K7 has come off. Not that this is a big deal as I know where lenses line up. But I still would like to fix it if possible. Is there an easy way to make a new one? possibly just some red paint applied with a very thing brush? anything specific to try?

Just looking for some ideas, otherwise, I may just leave it as is and deal with it.

**Sorry about the image quality, it was taken with my camera phone.

Attached Images

older albatross · 07-31-2011, 02:54 PM

Nail polish: it's easy applicable and durable...

dsodko · 07-31-2011, 04:13 PM

If you use any paint or nail polish be very careful !. Put a soft cloth inside the the body first. I would use a microfiber myself.

I would opt for a good old razor tip Sharpie.

Dave

Paleo Pete · 07-31-2011, 05:19 PM

Yep, either sharpie or nail polish should do the trick, but be careful with the nail polish, as mentioned.

SlickYamaha · 07-31-2011, 05:21 PM

I had thought nail polish, but thought it would be too messy and hard to keep in the area, possibly use nail polish, but with a smaller brush tip...

Paleo Pete · 07-31-2011, 05:36 PM

Nail polish would be my first choice, but not everybody has the very small brushes I have available, and the options I can invent to keep it out of the camera. Paper towels, old socks, foam rubber...plenty possibilities, and I have a pretty good set of very small brushes, some with fine points for doing fine detail work. And I have the patience and experience working with very small items to handle something like this without mishap. For example the tail lights on model cars. Fingernail polish and a small brush is what I use when they just have a clear plastic lens and I want a red or yellow light. Gunsights. Renew the graduation markers on binoculars or telescopes. For lots of people a sharpie would be a more sensible option.

**pixelsaurus** · 07-31-2011, 06:16 PM

I repainted mine white, makes it easier to change out under low light conditions.

SlickYamaha · 07-31-2011, 06:23 PM

Originally posted by pixelsaurus

I repainted mine white, makes it easier to change out under low light conditions.

Good idea, Maybe ill do some glow in the dark white

haha, but I think I will do white though. good idea!

**pixelsaurus** · 07-31-2011, 06:37 PM

Originally posted by SlickYamaha

Good idea, Maybe ill do some glow in the dark white

haha, but I think I will do white though. good idea!

Thanx. I did consider glow stuff but didn't have any. Found changing lenses in the middle of a paddock at night problemmatic which is why I changed the colour scheme. Liquid paper was all I had on hand.

jamesm007 · 07-31-2011, 07:27 PM

You mean it was a sticker and just fell off? Well if true it makes sense in a way. I would never nail polish my nails nor that round marker for your lens. See every-time you put on and take off the lens it may scape the paint and that paint will float all over the place (too small for you to see). Just don't like that idea... If it could have been painted it would have.

Make a mark on the outside of the lens ring area with a color of your choice where the dot is. That way no wear and tear can occur on the paint.

Paleo Pete · 08-01-2011, 05:13 AM

Take a look at your red dot folks, I just did. It's indented. There is a small round indention milled in the flange, which means it is below the surface and is not likely to rub off and go anywhere. Mine looks like it's painted. I'm sure now and then the paint can coome loose, it happens, especially these days with the manufacturers of everything you can think of cutting every corner they can to cut production costs. Like the plastic viewfinder, which was an incredibly bad idea. So I'm sure they use the cheapest paint they can find, occasionally it will come loose. It's very possible someone was sloppy in the factory and either got something on the flange that caused the paint to not stick well, didn't clean it well before painting, or it was simply an inferior paint to begin with. Most should stay put.

No telling, but the point is, the red dot is an indention, below the flange surface, so it's very unlikely you will rub it off changing lenses, unless you put in a huge glob of paint/nail polish/whatever if you have to redo it and it winds up above that surface.

I like the idea of putting a mark outside the flange, and white or some other bright color. I have some bright yellow, and probably can find day glo without much trouble. I've had problems mounting lenses in low light conditions too. I might add something like that even though my red dot is still in perfect condition. I'm pretty sure it would be useful. Good idea jamesm007. I like it.

SlickYamaha · 08-01-2011, 06:15 AM

I'm almost thinking it was paint, when I went to pick it up with tweezers it was so thin it snapped in half. I was hoping to put a small dab of glue and put it back.

Steve Beswick · 08-01-2011, 11:51 AM

To keep paint and other stuff out of the camera body, try some masking tape. After all, that is what it is made for.

Paleo Pete · 08-02-2011, 05:06 PM

I can't believe I didn't think about masking tape...as long as I've been a carpenter...

Somebody kick me...

SlickYamaha · 08-02-2011, 06:06 PM

Fixed, Sharpie, ultra fine, looks great, (alot better than the photo would make it to be)

07-31-2011, 02:04 PM	#1
SlickYamaha Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Bel Air MD Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 840	Red alignment dot came off The red dot on my Pentax K7 has come off. Not that this is a big deal as I know where lenses line up. But I still would like to fix it if possible. Is there an easy way to make a new one? possibly just some red paint applied with a very thing brush? anything specific to try? Just looking for some ideas, otherwise, I may just leave it as is and deal with it. **Sorry about the image quality, it was taken with my camera phone. Attached Images

07-31-2011, 04:13 PM	#3
dsodko Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 86	Red spot If you use any paint or nail polish be very careful !. Put a soft cloth inside the the body first. I would use a microfiber myself. I would opt for a good old razor tip Sharpie. Dave

08-02-2011, 06:06 PM	#15
SlickYamaha Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Bel Air MD Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 840 Original Poster	Fixed, Sharpie, ultra fine, looks great, (alot better than the photo would make it to be) Attached Images

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07-31-2011, 02:54 PM	#2
older albatross New Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: a village in the green Posts: 8	Nail polish: it's easy applicable and durable...

07-31-2011, 05:19 PM	#4
Paleo Pete Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,880	Yep, either sharpie or nail polish should do the trick, but be careful with the nail polish, as mentioned.

07-31-2011, 05:21 PM	#5
SlickYamaha Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Bel Air MD Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 840 Original Poster	I had thought nail polish, but thought it would be too messy and hard to keep in the area, possibly use nail polish, but with a smaller brush tip...

07-31-2011, 05:36 PM	#6
Paleo Pete Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,880	Nail polish would be my first choice, but not everybody has the very small brushes I have available, and the options I can invent to keep it out of the camera. Paper towels, old socks, foam rubber...plenty possibilities, and I have a pretty good set of very small brushes, some with fine points for doing fine detail work. And I have the patience and experience working with very small items to handle something like this without mishap. For example the tail lights on model cars. Fingernail polish and a small brush is what I use when they just have a clear plastic lens and I want a red or yellow light. Gunsights. Renew the graduation markers on binoculars or telescopes. For lots of people a sharpie would be a more sensible option.

07-31-2011, 06:16 PM	#7
pixelsaurus Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Te Kuiti, NZ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 986	I repainted mine white, makes it easier to change out under low light conditions.

07-31-2011, 06:23 PM	#8
SlickYamaha Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Bel Air MD Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 840 Original Poster	Originally posted by pixelsaurus I repainted mine white, makes it easier to change out under low light conditions. Good idea, Maybe ill do some glow in the dark white haha, but I think I will do white though. good idea!

07-31-2011, 06:37 PM	#9
pixelsaurus Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Te Kuiti, NZ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 986	Originally posted by SlickYamaha Good idea, Maybe ill do some glow in the dark white haha, but I think I will do white though. good idea! Thanx. I did consider glow stuff but didn't have any. Found changing lenses in the middle of a paddock at night problemmatic which is why I changed the colour scheme. Liquid paper was all I had on hand.

07-31-2011, 07:27 PM	#10
jamesm007 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Detroit MI, USA Posts: 508	You mean it was a sticker and just fell off? Well if true it makes sense in a way. I would never nail polish my nails nor that round marker for your lens. See every-time you put on and take off the lens it may scape the paint and that paint will float all over the place (too small for you to see). Just don't like that idea... If it could have been painted it would have. Make a mark on the outside of the lens ring area with a color of your choice where the dot is. That way no wear and tear can occur on the paint.

08-01-2011, 05:13 AM	#11
Paleo Pete Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,880	Take a look at your red dot folks, I just did. It's indented. There is a small round indention milled in the flange, which means it is below the surface and is not likely to rub off and go anywhere. Mine looks like it's painted. I'm sure now and then the paint can coome loose, it happens, especially these days with the manufacturers of everything you can think of cutting every corner they can to cut production costs. Like the plastic viewfinder, which was an incredibly bad idea. So I'm sure they use the cheapest paint they can find, occasionally it will come loose. It's very possible someone was sloppy in the factory and either got something on the flange that caused the paint to not stick well, didn't clean it well before painting, or it was simply an inferior paint to begin with. Most should stay put. No telling, but the point is, the red dot is an indention, below the flange surface, so it's very unlikely you will rub it off changing lenses, unless you put in a huge glob of paint/nail polish/whatever if you have to redo it and it winds up above that surface. I like the idea of putting a mark outside the flange, and white or some other bright color. I have some bright yellow, and probably can find day glo without much trouble. I've had problems mounting lenses in low light conditions too. I might add something like that even though my red dot is still in perfect condition. I'm pretty sure it would be useful. Good idea jamesm007. I like it.

08-01-2011, 06:15 AM	#12
SlickYamaha Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Bel Air MD Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 840 Original Poster	I'm almost thinking it was paint, when I went to pick it up with tweezers it was so thin it snapped in half. I was hoping to put a small dab of glue and put it back.

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08-01-2011, 11:51 AM	#13
Steve Beswick Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ontario, California Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,736	To keep paint and other stuff out of the camera body, try some masking tape. After all, that is what it is made for.

08-02-2011, 05:06 PM	#14
Paleo Pete Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,880	I can't believe I didn't think about masking tape...as long as I've been a carpenter... Somebody kick me...