Call for help - stuck lens

essH · 04-14-2009, 05:04 PM

This is not one of those "I've got a Ricoh and the pins are strange" pleas.

I've got an old Pentax Super A film body and it's clinging onto an FA lens I put on it this evening, with a view to running a film through on something more recent than an A or M series lens. The only thing is this - the lens won't release!

Has anyone had experience with this and found a way of solving it, please?

Is this the right part of the forum for this type of question?

Simon
(UK)

Damn Brit · 04-14-2009, 05:10 PM

Originally posted by essH

Is this the right part of the forum for this type of question?

Simon
(UK)

No it wasn't the right part of the forum. I have moved it. If you're not sure, please ask.
Each forum has a pretty good discription to it and there are also stickies (informational threads that are at the top in each forum) with guidelines.

OregonJim · 04-14-2009, 07:34 PM

Originally posted by essH

This is not one of those "I've got a Ricoh and the pins are strange" pleas.

I've got an old Pentax Super A film body and it's clinging onto an FA lens I put on it this evening, with a view to running a film through on something more recent than an A or M series lens. The only thing is this - the lens won't release!

Has anyone had experience with this and found a way of solving it, please?

Simon
(UK)

Perhaps the AF screw drive on the lens is sticking out a bit too far? You might try running a feeler gauge between lens and body in the area of the contacts while trying to twist it off.

jeffkrol · 04-14-2009, 08:33 PM

Originally posted by essH

This is not one of those "I've got a Ricoh and the pins are strange" pleas.

I've got an old Pentax Super A film body and it's clinging onto an FA lens I put on it this evening, with a view to running a film through on something more recent than an A or M series lens. The only thing is this - the lens won't release!

Has anyone had experience with this and found a way of solving it, please?

Is this the right part of the forum for this type of question?

Simon
(UK)

I assume this is you:
Every so often something goes wrong and it's at moments like these that a helpful tip comes in handy. I know this group has a wealth of talent and experience, so I turn to you for help.

This one is unusual for me - I have a couple of old Pentax film bodies that sit at the back of the shelf and get left behind when I pick up a digital body and use it. Tonight I decided to match a Super A with an FA lens - with a view to running a film through. But then came the shock - I can't get the lens off again!

I've tried the basics but nothing budges; the body is a good 'un but it's seen better days; the lens is much more valuable - an FA77 no less - even though I got it secondhand, it's still worth a fair bit, so I want to release it unharmed. But how?

When the lens is on the A setting, the release button allows no movement at all. When I turn the aperture ring to 1.8, the release button allows about an inch of so of turn before it stops.
Any ideas, please? The least destructive, the better.

I live near SRS and work in London, if that's in any way relevant to what you might suggest.

There isn't much that can get stuck on a DA and your super A body. The "A" contact is thrust out in the "A" position BUT it is also spring loaded so there is very little resistance here. The screw drive shaft should be flush to the lens mount so that shouldnt be a problem either. Only other real pin is the lens lock but since you can twist it 1" that also can't be in the way.
Unless the mirror is stuck in the up position, I don't see how it could be stuck.. sorry just drawing a blank

Denis · 04-14-2009, 08:55 PM

First try this, crank the film and fire the shutter. See if it comes off. If not put into "A" as previously and rotate with good pressure against the camera body. If it fails to come off, do it again but only half way from the stuck position, run a filler guage in between to see if something is in the way. If not, remove the film, and set the camera to "Bulb", fire the shutter and hold, have a look inside to see if anything is interfering while you attempt to take off.

If it still fails to come off, don't shoot the messenger!

essH · 04-14-2009, 10:31 PM

Thanks for the help, folks...much appreciated. I don't have a feeler gauge, so I haven't been able to try that yet. The other suggestions are valuable, but not yet successful.

OregonJim · 04-14-2009, 11:24 PM

Originally posted by essH

Thanks for the help, folks...much appreciated. I don't have a feeler gauge, so I haven't been able to try that yet. The other suggestions are valuable, but not yet successful.

Others have had success with a metal tape measure or a strip cut from a soda can...

essH · 04-25-2009, 06:25 AM

I finally got it sorted - a contact told me about Pramath at Asahi Photo in Brentford. He managed to sort the problem out for me. He said he's seen a number of cases in which lenses later than F series get stuck on old film bodies....

OregonJim · 04-26-2009, 11:19 AM

Originally posted by essH

I finally got it sorted - a contact told me about Pramath at Asahi Photo in Brentford. He managed to sort the problem out for me. He said he's seen a number of cases in which lenses later than F series get stuck on old film bodies....

...so what did you do to get it unstuck?

essH · 10-22-2009, 04:42 AM

months later, I finally saw this response - sorry....the answer is, I don't know what he did - his comment was "I got lucky". From what he said, I think he had some sort of tool like a shim that he was able to slide in. He said if it hadn't worked, he would have had to get out the screwdrivers and spend serious amounts of time taking stuff apart.

04-14-2009, 05:04 PM	#1
essH New Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: UK Posts: 6	Call for help - stuck lens This is not one of those "I've got a Ricoh and the pins are strange" pleas. I've got an old Pentax Super A film body and it's clinging onto an FA lens I put on it this evening, with a view to running a film through on something more recent than an A or M series lens. The only thing is this - the lens won't release! Has anyone had experience with this and found a way of solving it, please? Is this the right part of the forum for this type of question? Simon (UK)

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04-14-2009, 05:10 PM	#2
Damn Brit Guest	Originally posted by essH Is this the right part of the forum for this type of question? Simon (UK) No it wasn't the right part of the forum. I have moved it. If you're not sure, please ask. Each forum has a pretty good discription to it and there are also stickies (informational threads that are at the top in each forum) with guidelines.

04-14-2009, 07:34 PM	#3
OregonJim Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Willamette Valley, Oregon Posts: 1,327	Originally posted by essH This is not one of those "I've got a Ricoh and the pins are strange" pleas. I've got an old Pentax Super A film body and it's clinging onto an FA lens I put on it this evening, with a view to running a film through on something more recent than an A or M series lens. The only thing is this - the lens won't release! Has anyone had experience with this and found a way of solving it, please? Simon (UK) Perhaps the AF screw drive on the lens is sticking out a bit too far? You might try running a feeler gauge between lens and body in the area of the contacts while trying to twist it off.

04-14-2009, 08:33 PM	#4
jeffkrol Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Wisconsin USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,434	Originally posted by essH This is not one of those "I've got a Ricoh and the pins are strange" pleas. I've got an old Pentax Super A film body and it's clinging onto an FA lens I put on it this evening, with a view to running a film through on something more recent than an A or M series lens. The only thing is this - the lens won't release! Has anyone had experience with this and found a way of solving it, please? Is this the right part of the forum for this type of question? Simon (UK) I assume this is you: Every so often something goes wrong and it's at moments like these that a helpful tip comes in handy. I know this group has a wealth of talent and experience, so I turn to you for help. This one is unusual for me - I have a couple of old Pentax film bodies that sit at the back of the shelf and get left behind when I pick up a digital body and use it. Tonight I decided to match a Super A with an FA lens - with a view to running a film through. But then came the shock - I can't get the lens off again! I've tried the basics but nothing budges; the body is a good 'un but it's seen better days; the lens is much more valuable - an FA77 no less - even though I got it secondhand, it's still worth a fair bit, so I want to release it unharmed. But how? When the lens is on the A setting, the release button allows no movement at all. When I turn the aperture ring to 1.8, the release button allows about an inch of so of turn before it stops. Any ideas, please? The least destructive, the better. I live near SRS and work in London, if that's in any way relevant to what you might suggest. There isn't much that can get stuck on a DA and your super A body. The "A" contact is thrust out in the "A" position BUT it is also spring loaded so there is very little resistance here. The screw drive shaft should be flush to the lens mount so that shouldnt be a problem either. Only other real pin is the lens lock but since you can twist it 1" that also can't be in the way. Unless the mirror is stuck in the up position, I don't see how it could be stuck.. sorry just drawing a blank

04-14-2009, 08:55 PM	#5
Denis Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: St-Albert, Alberta, Canada Posts: 330	First try this, crank the film and fire the shutter. See if it comes off. If not put into "A" as previously and rotate with good pressure against the camera body. If it fails to come off, do it again but only half way from the stuck position, run a filler guage in between to see if something is in the way. If not, remove the film, and set the camera to "Bulb", fire the shutter and hold, have a look inside to see if anything is interfering while you attempt to take off. If it still fails to come off, don't shoot the messenger!

04-14-2009, 10:31 PM	#6
essH New Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: UK Posts: 6 Original Poster	Thanks for the help, folks...much appreciated. I don't have a feeler gauge, so I haven't been able to try that yet. The other suggestions are valuable, but not yet successful.

04-14-2009, 11:24 PM	#7
OregonJim Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Willamette Valley, Oregon Posts: 1,327	Originally posted by essH Thanks for the help, folks...much appreciated. I don't have a feeler gauge, so I haven't been able to try that yet. The other suggestions are valuable, but not yet successful. Others have had success with a metal tape measure or a strip cut from a soda can...

04-25-2009, 06:25 AM	#8
essH New Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: UK Posts: 6 Original Poster	I finally got it sorted - a contact told me about Pramath at Asahi Photo in Brentford. He managed to sort the problem out for me. He said he's seen a number of cases in which lenses later than F series get stuck on old film bodies....

04-26-2009, 11:19 AM	#9
OregonJim Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Willamette Valley, Oregon Posts: 1,327	Originally posted by essH I finally got it sorted - a contact told me about Pramath at Asahi Photo in Brentford. He managed to sort the problem out for me. He said he's seen a number of cases in which lenses later than F series get stuck on old film bodies.... ...so what did you do to get it unstuck?

10-22-2009, 04:42 AM	#10
essH New Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: UK Posts: 6 Original Poster	months later, I finally saw this response - sorry....the answer is, I don't know what he did - his comment was "I got lucky". From what he said, I think he had some sort of tool like a shim that he was able to slide in. He said if it hadn't worked, he would have had to get out the screwdrivers and spend serious amounts of time taking stuff apart.