[vectrln]

I've recently acquired a Pentax LX that has an issue and I was wondering if anyone knows any local shops that can repair it? The issue is as follows

i.) Depress shutter button
ii.) Mirror goes up
iii.) Shutter doesn't open

The mirror gets stuck in the up position and the shutter doesn't actually open until you pull on the film advance lever or play with the mirror lock-up. After that the shutter cycle completes.

If I activate MLU then the camera appears to fire the shutter okay.

This happens even on mechanical shutter speeds from X ~ 1/2000

I've already emailed Eric at pentaxs.com but so far I've had no reply so trying to see what options I have locally.

I've also tried Sun Camera Service (suncameraservice.ca) and they determined that a circuit board replacement was needed and they no longer have parts.

Any advice would be appreciated!

[fzrcraig]

Could try...

Camera Repair Canada: Film, digital, video, accessories...

[pete-tarmigan]

I've recently acquired a Pentax LX that has an issue and I was wondering if anyone knows any local shops that can repair it? The issue is as follows

I've already emailed Eric at pentaxs.com but so far I've had no reply so trying to see what options I have locally.

I've also tried Sun Camera Service (suncameraservice.ca) and they determined that a circuit board replacement was needed and they no longer have parts.

Any advice would be appreciated!

When I lived in Toronto I used Kominek Camera several times for Pentax film cameras (and a Tamron lens and Minolta binoculars) and found them to be competent. They did a great job cleaning the sand out of the focussing mechanism an M 100mm f4 macro that used to be owned by a sea turtle biologist, and they did a great job of fixing of the inner connection to the hotshoe on my MX. They even talked me out of cleaning and lubrication on an M 28mm f2.8 when it didn't really need it. They turned out to be right. The boss seems to own Pentax equipment too and seemed to be intimately familiar with the LX. When I went to grad school at U of T the A/V guys in our department recommended them. They said they got their Nikon cameras and lenses serviced there.

Welcome to Kominek Camera, for Camera repairs & used photographic equipment sales
22 College St., Suite 102E

[MysteryOnion]

The mirror gets stuck in the up position and the shutter doesn't actually open until you pull on the film advance lever or play with the mirror lock-up. After that the shutter cycle completes.

Has the body been opened by someone prior to your acquiring? Sounds like part of the reset mechanism after the winding cycle was not reassemble in the right way?

I've also tried Sun Camera Service (suncameraservice.ca) and they determined that a circuit board replacement was needed and they no longer have parts.

Did Sun Camera actually open the body up before diagnosed?
A non-firing shutter could be from poor connection in the mode selecting brushes under the rewind lever or the main shutter magnet was out of alignment.
Does the lights come on and react to differing lighting conditions?

[vectrln]

Has the body been opened by someone prior to your acquiring? Sounds like part of the reset mechanism after the winding cycle was not reassemble in the right way?

I was told by the previous owner that the camera had been serviced by Eric a while back. I don't think it had been opened after that.

Did Sun Camera actually open the body up before diagnosed?
A non-firing shutter could be from poor connection in the mode selecting brushes under the rewind lever or the main shutter magnet was out of alignment.
Does the lights come on and react to differing lighting conditions?

I left the camera with Sun Camera for a couple days and one of their technicians looked at it to do the diagnosis and to obtain a repair estimate. So I'm pretty sure they had to open up the body.

The meter appears to be working okay since the LEDs appear to be changing appropriately with different lighting conditions.

[MysteryOnion]

The meter appears to be working okay since the LEDs appear to be changing appropriately with different lighting conditions.

If someone knows then correct me... Sounds like the "main board" is working or a good part of it, but the magnet is not firing?
Switch I300 might be dirty and is not connecting as "normally closed"... this is the switch that is supposed to allow 2nd curtain to release.
Switch I601 is the power board for the magnet switch and might not be working.

This begs the question... had there been a point where the camera was working properly from the time you received it and had it been slowly deteriating?
Or... was it acting funny from the first time you acquired the camera?

Verify if the meter is weird while the lens cap is covering the lens. Common issue of bad connections or "dirty signals" is if the meter still registers more than bottom red while - ISO/ASA @125-400 and lens is f@1.2-2.8. If the main board is bad, then the meter will show odd behaviors.

Test also if the it is not working in mirror lock-up mode... oops...

If I activate MLU then the camera appears to fire the shutter okay.

...so ya... not a sign the main board is out. The LX has a funny way of being different in than the mode from normal.

Depending on which version is your LX, Eric Hendrickson had informed me in the past that the first and second version of the main board was not available anymore. The current version would be of the later series that includes the Millennium and Titanium versions or ones commonly found with the wide collar release locks.

[LesDMess]

This happens even on mechanical shutter speeds from X ~ 1/2000

Since the LX works without batteries and just to eliminate any electronic related issues, did you try these speeds without batteries installed?

[filmamigo]

Sorry to say, I don't believe Kominek is open anymore.

My LX went to Eric. But locally I have had great service from Camtech in Hamilton. They serviced my MZ-S, a Rollei 2.8, and a Yashica-Mat.