[séamuis]

Or just do like I did and learn to meter with your eyes.

It cost me very little and is a decent workhorse with solid seals and non sticking mirror although the meter didn't work. I didn't care to see if it does and am using it to get my Sunny 16 rules down as well as learning to do more candid Street Photography like photos.

Works beautifully just like your camera looks.

thats a silly way to use a camera made famous by its internal light meter, especially after paying 300 bucks to get it. also, if the meter isn’t working properly, there is a chance it wi have other issues that need addressing as well. the simple truth is, that leaving a camera in a box on a shelf for 40 years, will leave it in pretty rough shape mechanically. it will just start to break down, and not having been used or serviced in such a long time, means that you will likely have problems. possibly more that will show up only once you’ve run film through it.

its a bit of a shame o have such a pristine camera opened up and serviced, especially at such a price, but I would recommend against the idea of just using it as is. it needs to be serviced.

[kaiserz]

WOW! sexy sexy camera you have there!

[pickles]

You have bought a beautiful camera.....that just may have suffered from a bit of "non use"...40 yrs???!!!....But, nevertheless you have a classic camera in "ROLLS ROYCE" condition.
So, send it to Eric....get, what will be to him, a very simple problem, fixed,.....and you're gonna have a BRAND NEW Spotmatic......that will probably outlast you.
Cheers, Pickles.

[magkelly]

Forget the Wein cells. They're expensive and they're not necessary. SPII's can meter with normal cells. Energizer and Duracell both make 387 batteries and that's what you want though you may have to order them online as they're seldom available most places locally. That being said I hardly ever use the meter in mine because after all this time the meter can be a little unreliable and I'm not into using hard to find batteries anyway. You can find old style light meters out there, working ones, for under $10 usually. It's worth the investment to get one and ignore the Spottie meter. Enjoy your Spottie. It's a truly wonderful camera and of all the older Pentax SLR's the SPII's are the ones I favor.

[titrisol]

Let's start with the simple cures:
- Rub the battery contacts with an eraser at the back of a pen
- Exercize the switch on-off a few times
- Exercize the speeds dial a few times as well.
- Move the ASA dial back and forth

Then try again and see if it works....

PS. like magkelly said forget wein cells, SR or LR batteries work as well and cost a few pennies

Bad News! The meter is behaving badly!
When I set the ASA to 100 and the shutter to B
The indicator only moved downwards slightly

But when I turn the shutter to other settings,
the indicator rapidly plunged upwards...

=(

[BenYe]

Sorry I was on a trip..

I tried all the "cures", but none of them works.

Before the trip, I dropped my camera for a repair and CLA.
I'm picking it up on Sunday,
hopefully it works!

[titrisol]

oh well, inactivity is usually the worst enemy of these cameras....
but now you'll get a fully operational wonder.

[BenYe]

The guy, apparently was a photography professor, told me he fixed it!
Can't wait to get it!!!!