The Infamous Sticky Shutter

Dairy_Adventure · 04-17-2016, 12:26 PM

Hey, everyone. The other day I was in Birmingham, AL and found a classic Pentax K1000. It was in great condition albeit a few scratches here and there. It worked great at the store, so I bought it. However, there's a problem...

-When I advance the feed and snap the shutter, it often sticks and all I see is black. This happens often. The mirror is only dislodged when I bump the camera against my palm, something I am never comfortable with.
-This symptom lessens in warm weather, and is nonexistent when I hold my camera vertically. This leads me to believe that it is a mechanical problem and not gooey light seals, although anything is possible.
-According to the instructables tutorial on how to fix a stuck Pentax ES Spotmatic, I opened the camera up and applied a minimal amount of oil in the gears around the pin, cock, and fire body, but this provides only temporary relief.
-Without film, I can advance and shoot several test shots, and the sticky shutter gets better, but this is just not practical when the camera is loaded with film.

Any technical advice would be greatly appreciated. I believe that Pentax's are one the best film cameras around. This one just needs some love.

Thanks,
Dairy_Adventure

LesDMess · 04-17-2016, 02:38 PM

Welcome aboard.

If you are the DIY type then the service manual for the K1000 - as well as others, can be found at PENTAX SERVICE MANUALS.

Otherwise, Eric is the Pentax goto guy -> Pentax repair

Johnny Rod · 04-18-2016, 07:01 AM

Have you checked the mirror bumper foam?? This is the strip along the front edge of the ceiling of the mirror box, where the free edge of the mirror stops while the shutter is open. This often turns to goop but is easily replaced. Strange about the vertical thing but worth checking anyway.

Xmas · 04-19-2016, 06:40 AM

Possibly wax in/on mirror pivot bushes.

Tweezers
Cotton wool
Can of zippo

Try and get cotton wool bits below bush carry drip of zippo on tweezers to just above bush.

Replace cotton wool

Try zippo again etc.

You are trying to remove wax in bush both sides of mirror you may need to lock the mirror up in B for access, the cotton wool is to contain wax and zippo...

The mirror may be ok dry or with residual wax...

Alternatively post to repair person, eg

Pentax Camera Repair Specialists - Harrow Technical

No vesting interest

Xmas · 04-19-2016, 09:44 AM

Originally posted by Xmas

Possibly wax in/on mirror pivot bushes.

Tweezers
Cotton wool
Can of zippo

Try and get cotton wool bits below bush carry drip of zippo on tweezers to just above bush.

Replace cotton wool

Try zippo again etc.

You are trying to remove wax in bush both sides of mirror you may need to lock the mirror up in B for access, the cotton wool is to contain wax and zippo...

The mirror may be ok dry or with residual wax...

Alternatively post to repair person, eg

Pentax Camera Repair Specialists - Harrow Technical

No vesting interest

Sorry wrong Birmingham!

PGillin · 04-19-2016, 05:46 PM

Send it to Eric. Pentaxs.com. If it's a camera you plan to use for a long time it's worth it, it will come back in excellent shape and ready for another 20 years or so of use.

Xmas · 04-19-2016, 06:14 PM

Originally posted by PGillin

Send it to Eric. Pentaxs.com. If it's a camera you plan to use for a long time it's worth it, it will come back in excellent shape and ready for another 20 years or so of use.

If you use it they can go for longer.
My Leica IIIc was a basket case in '76 when I bought it, but it still takes photos from 1 sec to 1/1000!

04-17-2016, 12:26 PM	#1
Dairy_Adventure New Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Posts: 1	The Infamous Sticky Shutter Hey, everyone. The other day I was in Birmingham, AL and found a classic Pentax K1000. It was in great condition albeit a few scratches here and there. It worked great at the store, so I bought it. However, there's a problem... -When I advance the feed and snap the shutter, it often sticks and all I see is black. This happens often. The mirror is only dislodged when I bump the camera against my palm, something I am never comfortable with. -This symptom lessens in warm weather, and is nonexistent when I hold my camera vertically. This leads me to believe that it is a mechanical problem and not gooey light seals, although anything is possible. -According to the instructables tutorial on how to fix a stuck Pentax ES Spotmatic, I opened the camera up and applied a minimal amount of oil in the gears around the pin, cock, and fire body, but this provides only temporary relief. -Without film, I can advance and shoot several test shots, and the sticky shutter gets better, but this is just not practical when the camera is loaded with film. Any technical advice would be greatly appreciated. I believe that Pentax's are one the best film cameras around. This one just needs some love. Thanks, Dairy_Adventure

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04-17-2016, 02:38 PM	#2
LesDMess Pentaxian Join Date: May 2011 Location: Santa Cruz, CA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,235	Welcome aboard. If you are the DIY type then the service manual for the K1000 - as well as others, can be found at PENTAX SERVICE MANUALS. Otherwise, Eric is the Pentax goto guy -> Pentax repair

04-18-2016, 07:01 AM	#3
Johnny Rod Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 122	Have you checked the mirror bumper foam?? This is the strip along the front edge of the ceiling of the mirror box, where the free edge of the mirror stops while the shutter is open. This often turns to goop but is easily replaced. Strange about the vertical thing but worth checking anyway.

04-19-2016, 06:40 AM	#4
Xmas Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 617	Possibly wax in/on mirror pivot bushes. Tweezers Cotton wool Can of zippo Try and get cotton wool bits below bush carry drip of zippo on tweezers to just above bush. Replace cotton wool Try zippo again etc. You are trying to remove wax in bush both sides of mirror you may need to lock the mirror up in B for access, the cotton wool is to contain wax and zippo... The mirror may be ok dry or with residual wax... Alternatively post to repair person, eg Pentax Camera Repair Specialists - Harrow Technical No vesting interest

04-19-2016, 09:44 AM	#5
Xmas Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 617	Originally posted by Xmas Possibly wax in/on mirror pivot bushes. Tweezers Cotton wool Can of zippo Try and get cotton wool bits below bush carry drip of zippo on tweezers to just above bush. Replace cotton wool Try zippo again etc. You are trying to remove wax in bush both sides of mirror you may need to lock the mirror up in B for access, the cotton wool is to contain wax and zippo... The mirror may be ok dry or with residual wax... Alternatively post to repair person, eg Pentax Camera Repair Specialists - Harrow Technical No vesting interest Sorry wrong Birmingham!

04-19-2016, 05:46 PM	#6
PGillin Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Southern Ontario Photos: Albums Posts: 343	Send it to Eric. Pentaxs.com. If it's a camera you plan to use for a long time it's worth it, it will come back in excellent shape and ready for another 20 years or so of use.

04-19-2016, 06:14 PM	#7
Xmas Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 617	Originally posted by PGillin Send it to Eric. Pentaxs.com. If it's a camera you plan to use for a long time it's worth it, it will come back in excellent shape and ready for another 20 years or so of use. If you use it they can go for longer. My Leica IIIc was a basket case in '76 when I bought it, but it still takes photos from 1 sec to 1/1000!