[magkelly]

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I'm so glad I've got Queenie because if it wasn't for the fact that the 55 Takumar lens on the Honeywell SPII I just bought there was still in pretty excellent shape I'd be really growling at Goodwill about now. Eh, I guess you just take your chances with them, but I really HATE it they don't tell you the real condition of an item.

They did mention the outside of the camera was dirty, and it surely was, but at no point did they mention that the timer switch is definitely stuck in the wrong position! It's a pretty easily visible thing. It's not like someone needed a Pentax certificate to see that was the case! Yeah, the shutter still fires but otherwise this camera is in serious need of an overhaul. It probably needs the timer fixed, a through cleaning, new light seals...

BAH!

I do hate to see any Pentax, particularly an SPII in this shape but I really don't know that she's worth what she'd cost me probably to send her off to Mr Eric to be fixed. She's got a lot of issues this old camera, poor thing.

I don't know. I might just put the Honeywell SPII and my old SPI in a lot and sell them both just for parts maybe. They both would need someone with far more skills than I have to truly restore them back to prime operating condition and I've got Queenie now anyway. I did want a second SPII body but I think I can live with just the one. I am still thinking I am going to sell one of the 50/55MM Takumars. If I did I'd make my money back on buying the Honeywell easily though I still just can't quite decide which one I want to part with. I guess I'll need to go read up some more on those 2 lenses, make a final decision, and figure out how the Marketplace thing works.

I'm a little disappointed but to be honest I half expected it. I have yet to actually buy anything tech-wise from Goodwill that's actually in the condition they describe, but at least the lens was okay, shrug.

On a more positive note Queenie got her first outing this morning. We photographed some birds and lizards in the backyard with the 105MM Takumar for fun. She's a real dream that camera!

[Sluggo]

... I really HATE it they don't tell you the real condition of an item. ...

To be fair, I don't think they really know most of the time. I've been burned more than once on Goodwill -- better luck on ebay, and MUCH better luck on craigslist. I try not to let it get to me that things sometimes don't work out at Goodwill, thinking of it as giving to charity and maybe if I'm lucky getting something out of it.

[Nesster]

Thing with Goodwill is to inspect the photos - when there are any - for any visible anomalies, such as the droopy self timer. After that, go on gut.

[magkelly]

I did pretty carefully and it looked fine in the pics mostly. But it was considerably more grimy in person and the timer arm was down and stuck when it got here. I guess it could have happened in transit though I doubt it because it was wrapped to the nines, I'll give them that. It's not such a big deal in retrospect. I mean I have Queenie, and I have the lens to sell if I want so I am not really out anything, and I've also got that whole batch of stuff coming later this week, lenses and all. One way or the other I'll make my $$$ back.

It's just kind of sad looking at the Honeywell, so all beat up and dirty, pathetically sitting there next to the pristine beauty of Queenie! I'm going to clean it later at least. More than that I really can't do myself, but at least I can remove all the grime.

Poor camera deserves that at least!

[Ratmagiclady]

Well, I suppose if it bothers you, (and you think it'd help) I could have a look over one or the other camera, at to see how bad the situation may be. (As long as you don't mind potentially waiting.

Could be an easy fix or could be a basket case/worthy of sending to Eric, etc, , but I don't like to give up on old cameras, either.

Or, you could try the Marketplace, sure enough, I bet someone might give em a whirl.

[magkelly]

I've just cleaned a ton of junk off the outside The timer arm probably could use some adjusting though it's mostly the light seals. They clearly just dissolved. The remains need to be removed, some of it's in the viewer, and the insides of the camera need to be cleaned. The light seals definitely need to be replaced.

I think it could be salvaged. It might be okay once it's adjusted a bit and the seals are redone. But I don't know how to do any of that and I probably wouldn't dare try on my own at this level. It's definitely a job for someone who really knows what they are doing. Not an easy job.

One thing that did surprise me though? I put in a battery and the meter seems to still be working. Didn't expect that.

[Nesster]

If the shutter seems to be working OK, cleaning and replacing light seals is easy and fun. Really

interslice items - Get great deals on Cameras Photo items on eBay.com!
is your source. He's got links to instructions so you can see before hand what you are getting into. I've done several cameras with no problems.

[magkelly]

Even when they appear to be melted? They look rather like dried resin at this point and I think there is some in the viewer now maybe. It's more than a simple fix it job, I think. I'll take some pics with the digital and show you all later today. I don't think this one is a job for a newbie.

If the shutter seems to be working OK, cleaning and replacing light seals is easy and fun. Really

interslice items - Get great deals on Cameras Photo items on eBay.com!
is your source. He's got links to instructions so you can see before hand what you are getting into. I've done several cameras with no problems.

[Ratmagiclady]

Yeah, Mag. Some alcohol will usually take care of it. One of my favorite tools to use for this is a bamboo skewer: you can have a sharp point for the corners, or moosh it into like a little stiff brush to scrape bigger areas. If the meter's known to be live, it might be worth sending to Eric indeed.

[stevebrot]

Even when they appear to be melted? They look rather like dried resin at this point and I think there is some in the viewer now maybe. It's more than a simple fix it job, I think. I'll take some pics with the digital and show you all later today. I don't think this one is a job for a newbie.

Yes, even if they are really yucky, sticky and gummy. Ronsonol (cigarette lighter fluid) works great for loosening the old seals. Jon Goodman's kits (Nesster's intersplice link above) include bamboo skewers angle cut as scrapers to make the job easy. The only real caution is in regards to the mirror bumper. Be very careful to avoid getting any solvent (alcohol included) on the focus screen when removing the old bumper material.

If there is goo on the focus screen, a camera repair place has the stuff to clean it off, though their price to do so may be close to what they would charge to change the seals and do a minor CLA.


Steve

[magkelly]

Meter seems to be though I wouldn't vouch for it's accuracy given the state of the rest of the camera. I tried the alcohol route last night. It removed a lot of the grime, and some of the less hardened gunk, but didn't work on the remainders of the seals very well.

It's pretty bad. It's almost like hardened amber resin and some of it has dripped in bad places. I'm afraid if I go in there just poking at it I'll hurt the camera so I'm not going to take the job on myself.

It's going to need the timer switch repaired, all the junk scraped out and the seals replaced, the view screen cleaned, and possibly the film advance arm replaced. The last is a bit dinged on the end. I could live with that. It's just cosmetics, but if I am sending it in anyway I figure I might as well have that replaced too.

It's probably a $100 job though and I'm just not sure it it's really worth it. As much as I'd love to see it repaired for that kind of money I could probably a different one in better shape and/or finally get me my 200/300MM Takumar.

It's just a question of priorities versus sympathy.

;P

[Nesster]

I have a couple of dead ones too, sitting around waiting for the day I'll maybe pay for a fix. I got them for the lenses

A couple of the cameras I've resealed were just about as bad as you describe, but with a bit of lighter fluid on a bit of tissue paper, pushed around with the bamboo skewer, to my surprise loosened up the gunk pretty well. The focus screen and mirror are a bit delicate, but with some decent blowing much of the dirt came off. So it isn't too hopeless.

(I have a couple of zombie cameras, without bottom plates, or with other major damage, that I have used just for the heck of it. As long as the shutter works, the results are decent.)