[Hayob]

Hi everyone,

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I'm after a Spotmatic SPII bottom plate in black. I have a SPII that it's great working condition however, the bottom plate has suffered battery corrosion at some point in its life and the plastic "holder" and contact for the battery is missing. I'm in the UK, I know the postage from the US will likely be too pricey. Any help would be great.

EDIT:

I just had another thought, Is it possible to buy one in chrome and then just remove the plastic "holder"? I know that black plates are harder to come by.

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[Not a Number]

Getting a donor part from a silver body is probably your best bet. I suspect however the majority of "parts" bodies will have badly corroded battery compartments as well.

@ismaelg could probably lend you some tips on restoring your bottom plate.

[Hayob]

Getting a donor part from a silver body is probably your best bet. I suspect however the majority of "parts" bodies will have badly corroded battery compartments as well.

@ismaelg could probably lend you some tips on restoring your bottom plate.

That's my thought as well. I've found a bottom plate for a SP1000/SP500? It's been a while since I've had one of those in my hand, but if I remember correctly this is identical to the SPII bottom plate?

[Not a Number]

I don't know if the plate is identical but if the batteries are the same odds are the compartment is the same part. Although Asahi seemed to change the polarity on the battery on some models.

[pentaxus]

The battery holder is spot welded on and was never sold separately. Try getting a nice chrome one and painting it black

[ismaelg]

Hello,

Not a Number; thanks for pointing me to this thread. Quite busy and I haven't been around lately.

In the original Spotmatic the part is metal with a small plastic center holding the contact.


Compared to the plastic part on the SPII:


I don't have mine handy as I'm out of town but I'd think they should work interchangeably. As pentaxus said, I've never seen the part separately. So even if you get another one, they are not easily swappable.
The adventurer in me would probably try to replicate the part as it is just an electrical contact, but I'm not sure it would make feasible sense. (Maybe a spring with a wire welded inside and a...) sorry, just thinking out loud.

So the option is getting another base with either metal or plastic holder. If chrome, replicating the black finish to match the camera is doable, but not necessarily a straightforward process as it has a particular sheen to it.
Or get a black working Spotmatic and share the base with both

Back to your base, don't discard it because it is the original one. It can be restored. You can use white vinegar in a cotton swab and remove the rust. Let the vinegar sit for a few minutes and clean with a small wire brush. You may need to repeat as needed, sometimes vigorously. After that, clean with IPA (Iso-Propyl Alcohol) to neutralize and remove any vinegar left.
Make sure the threads of the battery cover and the cover itself are clean as that is part of the electrical continuity system similar to a chassis ground in a car. That's why the battery cover is never black.
Hope this helps.

Thanks,
Ismael