[Shutterfly]

Hi everyone. I recently acquired a K1000 film SLR. Everything seems to work fine until I attach a screw-in plunger type release cable. The shutter doesn't fire. It fires just fine under finger pressure but, not with the cable.
Tried two cables. Both work on other cameras but not on the K1000.
Has anyone seen this problem before? Grateful for any suggestions.

[pentaxus]

There is a small shaft with a disc on the end that goes inside the shutter button. It sounds like someone didn't see that drop out of the shutter button when servicing the camera. There is a bit of grease on the shaft to hold it there so people many times don't even realize it is there until it is not there. You can unbend a paper clip and see if you can fire the shutter by pushing way down.

[Ontarian50]

Yes, those little plungers on the bottom of the shutter button tend to fall out just before you put the top cover back on. If you're unlucky, they fall down inside the camera innards. If you're really unlucky, they fall somewhere never to be found.

You say the shutter button works fine, but if you can perceive that you have to press it down just a bit more than you think is right (maybe an extra 1.5mm) then that little plunger is not in its place.

[Not a Number]

My K1000 is a little finicky. It works with most of my cable releases except one of my double cables for macro bellows. It seems the plunger on the cable won't adjust to extend long enough to release the shutter when pushed. My K1000 needs a much further press on the cable plunger than it does on any of my other cameras.

If the length of the plunger is adjustable your cables try making it longer.

[Shutterfly]

There is a small shaft with a disc on the end that goes inside the shutter button. It sounds like someone didn't see that drop out of the shutter button when servicing the camera. There is a bit of grease on the shaft to hold it there so people many times don't even realize it is there until it is not there. You can unbend a paper clip and see if you can fire the shutter by pushing way down.

Thanks for the advice. I did try inserting a piece of rigid wire and it does fire the shutter. It also depresses the shutter button which is not what happens with the release cable attached. I had a quick look at the service manual but didn't see any reference to it. I will take a closer look.

---------- Post added 04-29-20 at 10:22 PM ----------

Yes, those little plungers on the bottom of the shutter button tend to fall out just before you put the top cover back on. If you're unlucky, they fall down inside the camera innards. If you're really unlucky, they fall somewhere never to be found.

You say the shutter button works fine, but if you can perceive that you have to press it down just a bit more than you think is right (maybe an extra 1.5mm) then that little plunger is not in its place.

Thanks for getting back to me. I have been using a KM for many years. The button on the K1000 feels normal to me.

---------- Post added 04-29-20 at 10:26 PM ----------

My K1000 is a little finicky. It works with most of my cable releases except one of my double cables for macro bellows. It seems the plunger on the cable won't adjust to extend long enough to release the shutter when pushed. My K1000 needs a much further press on the cable plunger than it does on any of my other cameras.

If the length of the plunger is adjustable your cables try making it longer.

Thanks for your help. My cables are not adjustable as for as I can see but I may be able to find a way of modifying one. It probably just needs a competent service tech to look at it. COVID-related movement restrictions make it difficult to get to a service get to one at the moment.

[Astro-Baby]

I almost never use a cable release but I tested my K1000, which I have taken to bits a few times, just to see if it was ok with a cable release and it is. BUT the cable release tongue has to move a long way to trip the shutter.

The only two cables I have are quite short and have a tongue that extends quite some distance. I just wondered if perhaps you may have an old type bulb style release which may just not have the reach needed.

I had this issue with a bulb type release with a very long cable years ago on a camera.

[Shutterfly]

A quick followup to my post of 28 April 2020 regarding the shutter on my K1000 slr not firing with a remote shutter release attached:

I was finally able to get the camera to a repair technician recently when COVID movement restrictions were relaxed. It turns out that someone had injected adhesive of some sort into the shutter button. The tech removed the shutter release pin, cleaned off the glue and reamed the shutter release thread to remove any residual glue.

Problem solved. Who would have guessed?

Thank you, again, to everybody who responded to my original post