Well...did the unthinkable...I sold my K10D in favor of a dust collector....yesterday I finally had an excuse to take out the old SPII with my 50mm f/1.4 lens and have some fun shooting the kids (don't call protective services!)
I got through quite a few shots...actually a whole roll that was laying around from 2 years ago. The last shot of course the winder got tight half way...wouldn't release. So I stopped, rewound, popped the roll out, popped another in (just purchased fresh roll), wound it up a few times and realized something...I couldn't see! Lens cap off? Check....Oh crap...mirror stuck!
I took the lens off...sure enough, sucker was locked in there...I tripped the latch with my finger and could manually bring the mirror down, but still had spring tension...not good. Not stuck from the old foam surround, but not good.
Brought it home...I know I've had the bottom plate off for this before...but left it dry a couple years ago...and of course, while I was there, modified my own cardboard battery cradle for the meter.
This time, I took her apart, blew it out...and found an instructible:
How to fix a ceased/"stuck" mirror on a Pentax ES Spotmatic
Really did the trick...I don't own the "perfect" oil for such a job...but I do have hair clippers...so I pulled out the Wahl Clipper oil...very fine, thin stuff, and put just a dab on the fulcrum and main mirror gear...I also smeared some from my finger tip on the outside edge where things slide together...went through each speed about two dozen times...silky! Loving life again....and hopefully, I didn't do the wrong thing here. Next stop, off to Eric, in a paycheck or two for a full CLA.
I'm going to look at other digital cams...but not sure I want to go back. I have the world's perfect lens on one of the greatest bodies...IMO. Maybe I'll pick up a used Q cheap and adapt the lenses to it...or maybe I'll add a rangefinder to my old school collection. (any suggestions? Can't afford a Leica really)...and buy my wife a Pentax waterproof/dustproof/run it over proof camera for her purse (hands off MY toys!)
Anyway guys...just wanted to let everyone know I'm back in service on film...if you could suggest a place to buy fairly cheap decent quality film, and a lab that isn't $10/roll of 24, I'd appreciate it!
Sam
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