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titrisol · 03-16-2022, 08:41 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Hepcat

The closest to this would be the Minolta H screen... but as you can see, it's not quite the same.

That is uber cool! never seen one just like it
your spotmatic turbo is becoming more and more like a LeMans GT prototype

Also the S/N is quite low for Spotmatics. Font is a bt different than later examples, check the film-rewind also

Last edited by titrisol; 03-16-2022 at 08:51 AM.

der gelbe Fisch · 03-17-2022, 08:54 AM

Originally posted by Hepcat

Ok... photos have arrived of the Spotmatic Turbo, the shutter speed dial, and the unique focusing screen!

Do You have any picture that shows the shutter-curtains?

Hepcat · 03-17-2022, 05:45 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by der gelbe Fisch

Do You have any picture that shows the shutter-curtains?

No. I didn't bother. The shutter curtains are unremarkable. They're the standard Spotmatic cloth curtains.

Hepcat · 03-22-2022, 06:32 PM - **1 Like**

Update: I took the Turbo Spotmatic to my repairman today. He was intrigued and said he only knew of a couple of repairmen who would likely have the skill to make a camera modification such as this, and one of them was his grandfather. He's intrigued. He'll let me know what he finds out as he gets into it.

titrisol · 03-30-2022, 08:23 AM - **1 Like**

Gerjan Van Oosten thinks this is the Original Asahi Pentax X-Cross focusing screen on pg 255-6 of his book
"Double diagonal split image at the center and also incorporates a fresnel lens"

**rvandenbrink** · 03-30-2022, 09:11 AM - **1 Like**

The spotmatic topped out at 1/1000, so the 2000 is a custom mod… UNLESS
It turns out that (from unconfirmed internet lore)the spot-matic (which wasn’t ever officially released) did have a 1/2000 setting. Does your camera front have that key hyphen in the name?

**Argos** · 03-30-2022, 09:16 AM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by Lord Lucan

There were quite a few different Spotmatic models, SL, SPF etc (although none with 1/2000 as far as I know). What model does the seller say this is?

FWIW, the budget Spotmatic SP 500 had an official top speed of 1/500, but had the same shutter mechanism as the more expensive SP II, SPF etc. The difference was that the knob lacked the 1/1000 engraving and there was a mechanical stop to limit it from turning to that position. I have heard that some canny owners removed that stop. But maybe there was a further stop on all models that could be removed to allow it to turn beyond 1/1000? If there was, I suspect that the speed could not reach 1/2000 anyway and was possibly quite erratic.

Many mechanical shutters tended to fall short of their nominal top speed. I have an old Amateur Photographer review of a Pentax LX which measured its nominal 1/2000 mechanical speed as something like 1/1750 (I can't remember the exact figure).

I have several SP 500, S1a/H1a with 1/500 as top speed, but none have a lock that prevents setting the shutter speed dial to the missing 1/1000. On most cameras the non-present 1/1000 works!

Hepcat · 03-30-2022, 06:41 PM

Originally posted by rvandenbrink

The spotmatic topped out at 1/1000, so the 2000 is a custom mod… UNLESS
It turns out that (from unconfirmed internet lore)the spot-matic (which wasn’t ever officially released) did have a 1/2000 setting. Does your camera front have that key hyphen in the name?

No, this is a run-of-the-mill Spotmatic that's been modified. Other than the focusing screen and the 1/2000 shutter speed dial, there's nothing remarkable about it.

**rvandenbrink** · 03-30-2022, 07:12 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Argos

I have several SP 500, S1a/H1a with 1/500 as top speed, but none have a lock that prevents setting the shutter speed dial to the missing 1/1000. On most cameras the non-present 1/1000 works!

I had that SP500 back in the 1970’s, it’s semi-retired now, but still works 100%, a great piece of gear!

**ChrisPlatt** · 03-31-2022, 06:17 AM

I recommend the Pentax SP1000 which has a marked top speed of 1/1000.
All speeds on mine were adjusted to correct tolerances by Eric Hendrickson.

Chris

titrisol · 04-25-2022, 06:30 PM

Did you get it back?
does it work well?

Hepcat · 04-26-2022, 06:17 PM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by titrisol

Did you get it back?
does it work well?

No, my repairman is a really busy guy, and I'm happy that he triages gear as to importance. This kind of stuff I take to him, I just ask him to do when he gets around to it as it's not my working gear, and it's not the same as the gear I use to generate income. If my income-producing gear breaks and I take it to him, he prioritizes it for me and usually has it done pretty quickly.

He'll get to it. It may just take him a couple of months. And that's ok.

**Argos** · 05-01-2022, 03:02 PM

Originally posted by rvandenbrink

The spotmatic topped out at 1/1000, so the 2000 is a custom mod… UNLESS
It turns out that (from unconfirmed internet lore)the spot-matic (which wasn’t ever officially released) did have a 1/2000 setting. Does your camera front have that key hyphen in the name?

The SPOT-MATIC had a vertical metal shutter, like the later K2 and K2DMD.

Lord Lucan · 05-05-2022, 06:56 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Argos

The SPOT-MATIC had a vertical metal shutter

I believe that was a different camera, the Pentax Metallica. I'm pretty sure the Spot-Matic had a cloth shutter, although I don't think anyone outside Pentax was allowed to examine it that closely. Both the Spot-Matic and the Metallica were only ever prototypes, dated c1960. The Metallica had a big ugly selenium meter optic above the lens, and seems to have been designed by a different team from the Spot-Matic one. The Metallica went no further because its selenium meter was already out-of-date. If only they had combined the best features of both cameras!

Hepcat · 02-10-2023, 06:19 PM - **4 Likes**

The Turbo-Spotmatic has returned from overhaul. Eric at United Camera Repair in Rock Island IL called me yesterday to tell me that both the Spotmatic and my Leicaflex Standard were both repaired, operating in spec and ready for pickup.

So, on the Spotmatic in particular, the mirror bracket was actually broken, and replaced. The light seals were replaced, he installed a diode in the meter for silver-oxide cells, and did a full overhaul. The meter is accurate, except of course on the 1/2000th shutter speed as the electronic coupling doesn't allow for that to be coupled.

The 1/2000th is a really well done custom modification. It works as designed, and is well within spec for that shutter speed. Eric was impressed with the quality of machining work done to allow that modification. Somebody knew what they were doing, however there were no clues in the body as to what technician might have performed the work on the mod.

So... the Turbo Spotmatic is back in service and ready for the next fifty years. And that's the rest of the story.

03-30-2022, 08:23 AM - 1 Like	#50
titrisol Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: In the most populated state... state of denial Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,854	Gerjan Van Oosten thinks this is the Original Asahi Pentax X-Cross focusing screen on pg 255-6 of his book "Double diagonal split image at the center and also incorporates a fresnel lens" Attached Images Last edited by titrisol; 03-30-2022 at 08:50 AM.

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03-16-2022, 08:41 AM - 1 Like	#46
titrisol Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: In the most populated state... state of denial Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,854	Originally posted by Hepcat The closest to this would be the Minolta H screen... but as you can see, it's not quite the same. That is uber cool! never seen one just like it your spotmatic turbo is becoming more and more like a LeMans GT prototype Also the S/N is quite low for Spotmatics. Font is a bt different than later examples, check the film-rewind also Last edited by titrisol; 03-16-2022 at 08:51 AM.

03-17-2022, 08:54 AM	#47
der gelbe Fisch New Member Join Date: Feb 2022 Location: Essen Posts: 4	Originally posted by Hepcat Ok... photos have arrived of the Spotmatic Turbo, the shutter speed dial, and the unique focusing screen! Do You have any picture that shows the shutter-curtains?

03-17-2022, 05:45 PM - 1 Like	#48
Hepcat Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2020 Posts: 86 Original Poster	Originally posted by der gelbe Fisch Do You have any picture that shows the shutter-curtains? No. I didn't bother. The shutter curtains are unremarkable. They're the standard Spotmatic cloth curtains.

03-22-2022, 06:32 PM - 1 Like	#49
Hepcat Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2020 Posts: 86 Original Poster	Update: I took the Turbo Spotmatic to my repairman today. He was intrigued and said he only knew of a couple of repairmen who would likely have the skill to make a camera modification such as this, and one of them was his grandfather. He's intrigued. He'll let me know what he finds out as he gets into it.

03-30-2022, 09:11 AM - 1 Like	#51
rvandenbrink Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: Stratford Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 258	The spotmatic topped out at 1/1000, so the 2000 is a custom mod… UNLESS It turns out that (from unconfirmed internet lore)the spot-matic (which wasn’t ever officially released) did have a 1/2000 setting. Does your camera front have that key hyphen in the name?

03-30-2022, 09:16 AM - 2 Likes	#52
Argos Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Utrecht Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 132	Originally posted by Lord Lucan There were quite a few different Spotmatic models, SL, SPF etc (although none with 1/2000 as far as I know). What model does the seller say this is? FWIW, the budget Spotmatic SP 500 had an official top speed of 1/500, but had the same shutter mechanism as the more expensive SP II, SPF etc. The difference was that the knob lacked the 1/1000 engraving and there was a mechanical stop to limit it from turning to that position. I have heard that some canny owners removed that stop. But maybe there was a further stop on all models that could be removed to allow it to turn beyond 1/1000? If there was, I suspect that the speed could not reach 1/2000 anyway and was possibly quite erratic. Many mechanical shutters tended to fall short of their nominal top speed. I have an old Amateur Photographer review of a Pentax LX which measured its nominal 1/2000 mechanical speed as something like 1/1750 (I can't remember the exact figure). I have several SP 500, S1a/H1a with 1/500 as top speed, but none have a lock that prevents setting the shutter speed dial to the missing 1/1000. On most cameras the non-present 1/1000 works!

03-30-2022, 06:41 PM	#53
Hepcat Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2020 Posts: 86 Original Poster	Originally posted by rvandenbrink The spotmatic topped out at 1/1000, so the 2000 is a custom mod… UNLESS It turns out that (from unconfirmed internet lore)the spot-matic (which wasn’t ever officially released) did have a 1/2000 setting. Does your camera front have that key hyphen in the name? No, this is a run-of-the-mill Spotmatic that's been modified. Other than the focusing screen and the 1/2000 shutter speed dial, there's nothing remarkable about it.

03-30-2022, 07:12 PM - 1 Like	#54
rvandenbrink Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: Stratford Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 258	Originally posted by Argos I have several SP 500, S1a/H1a with 1/500 as top speed, but none have a lock that prevents setting the shutter speed dial to the missing 1/1000. On most cameras the non-present 1/1000 works! I had that SP500 back in the 1970’s, it’s semi-retired now, but still works 100%, a great piece of gear!

03-31-2022, 06:17 AM	#55
ChrisPlatt Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rockaway Beach NYC Posts: 7,702	I recommend the Pentax SP1000 which has a marked top speed of 1/1000. All speeds on mine were adjusted to correct tolerances by Eric Hendrickson. Chris

04-25-2022, 06:30 PM	#56
titrisol Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: In the most populated state... state of denial Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,854	Did you get it back? does it work well?

04-26-2022, 06:17 PM - 2 Likes	#57
Hepcat Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2020 Posts: 86 Original Poster	Originally posted by titrisol Did you get it back? does it work well? No, my repairman is a really busy guy, and I'm happy that he triages gear as to importance. This kind of stuff I take to him, I just ask him to do when he gets around to it as it's not my working gear, and it's not the same as the gear I use to generate income. If my income-producing gear breaks and I take it to him, he prioritizes it for me and usually has it done pretty quickly. He'll get to it. It may just take him a couple of months. And that's ok.

05-01-2022, 03:02 PM	#58
Argos Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Utrecht Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 132	Originally posted by rvandenbrink The spotmatic topped out at 1/1000, so the 2000 is a custom mod… UNLESS It turns out that (from unconfirmed internet lore)the spot-matic (which wasn’t ever officially released) did have a 1/2000 setting. Does your camera front have that key hyphen in the name? The SPOT-MATIC had a vertical metal shutter, like the later K2 and K2DMD.

05-05-2022, 06:56 AM - 1 Like	#59
Lord Lucan Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: South Wales Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,979	Originally posted by Argos The SPOT-MATIC had a vertical metal shutter I believe that was a different camera, the Pentax Metallica. I'm pretty sure the Spot-Matic had a cloth shutter, although I don't think anyone outside Pentax was allowed to examine it that closely. Both the Spot-Matic and the Metallica were only ever prototypes, dated c1960. The Metallica had a big ugly selenium meter optic above the lens, and seems to have been designed by a different team from the Spot-Matic one. The Metallica went no further because its selenium meter was already out-of-date. If only they had combined the best features of both cameras!

02-10-2023, 06:19 PM - 4 Likes	#60
Hepcat Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2020 Posts: 86 Original Poster	The Turbo-Spotmatic has returned from overhaul. Eric at United Camera Repair in Rock Island IL called me yesterday to tell me that both the Spotmatic and my Leicaflex Standard were both repaired, operating in spec and ready for pickup. So, on the Spotmatic in particular, the mirror bracket was actually broken, and replaced. The light seals were replaced, he installed a diode in the meter for silver-oxide cells, and did a full overhaul. The meter is accurate, except of course on the 1/2000th shutter speed as the electronic coupling doesn't allow for that to be coupled. The 1/2000th is a really well done custom modification. It works as designed, and is well within spec for that shutter speed. Eric was impressed with the quality of machining work done to allow that modification. Somebody knew what they were doing, however there were no clues in the body as to what technician might have performed the work on the mod. So... the Turbo Spotmatic is back in service and ready for the next fifty years. And that's the rest of the story.

Spotmatic with 1/2000th top speed?

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