KX meter issues

Hikari · 10-10-2007, 06:55 PM

I bought a used KX off of a prof at the school I go to the other day, and was out shooting my first roll with it today. I enjoyed the camera, but I'll say this much: I'm glad I had a hand-held meter with me.

I'm not sure if I'm just not doing something right, but about half of the time, even when I pulled the film advance lever out the way that the manual says to do if you want to use the meter, the needle was hovering up above the 1000 mark, in the space it goes when it's turned off. Periodically it would come back down into the main range, where it typically matched my handheld meter, but this always happened *after* I took an exposure.

If I hit the battery check button, the needle goes down to around the 250 mark. Said battery's only been in it since Monday.

Has anyone seen this issue before, and if so, know how to fix it?

Last edited by Hikari; 10-10-2007 at 07:05 PM.

Ole · 10-10-2007, 09:50 PM

You activate the meter by pressing the shutter button halfway down.

Pulling the advance lever out doesn't activate the meter; it makes the meter stay on when it has been activated by the shutter button. In other words the meter will stay on after you let go of the shutter button if the advance lever is about ten degrees out. I never use the advance lever for that purpose (probably because it would poke my right eye out!). I just press the shutter button lightly when I want to make a reading and then let go of it.

**Lowell Goudge** · 10-11-2007, 07:25 AM

Ole

You must be one of the left eye dominant users, in a right eye world.

With respect to the meter not functioning, I don't know about your KX but mine requires the film advance lever pulled out slightly. In fact there is an audible click when the lever is pulled out and the shutter preseed half way.

Pressing the lever back in turns off the meter.

With respect to what the meter should read under battery test, mine pulls down to 30 when I hit the button. Said battery has been in the camera since the last century. In fact last shots were also in last century.

I would suspect either dirty contacts possibly on battery, more likely on the switch.

This should be fixable by an old time camera technition. I had my meter fixed at a local shop in 1995 after someone hit the camera hard (I think they were trying to steal it) at Disney World. COst about $30 then.

Hikari · 10-11-2007, 10:56 AM

Hmm. Well, I'll take a peek and see if there's dirty contacts... It seems as reasonable an explanation as any, given that it's not working so much of the time. I'm not feeling or hearing anything at the halfway point on the shutter, though.

Wish I knew where there was a camera repair shop locally, though... :|

Oddly enough, the needle's going down to the 1000 instead of the 250 on battery check, now.

Ole · 10-11-2007, 05:18 PM

Lowell,

The key message to Hikari was that without half-pressing the shutter the meter won't turn on.

Thanks for the information on the advance lever. I don't have a KX, but K2, MX, ME, so I assumed that the KX would work the same. I didn't know that the advance lever must be pulled out as well as the shutter button must be half-pressed on the KX.

Being left-eyed is quite annoying unless the camera has motor drive. The Spotmatic is particularly nasty with its pointed and protruding advance lever!

10-10-2007, 06:55 PM	#1
Hikari New Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Oregon Posts: 5	KX meter issues I bought a used KX off of a prof at the school I go to the other day, and was out shooting my first roll with it today. I enjoyed the camera, but I'll say this much: I'm glad I had a hand-held meter with me. I'm not sure if I'm just not doing something right, but about half of the time, even when I pulled the film advance lever out the way that the manual says to do if you want to use the meter, the needle was hovering up above the 1000 mark, in the space it goes when it's turned off. Periodically it would come back down into the main range, where it typically matched my handheld meter, but this always happened after I took an exposure. If I hit the battery check button, the needle goes down to around the 250 mark. Said battery's only been in it since Monday. Has anyone seen this issue before, and if so, know how to fix it? Last edited by Hikari; 10-10-2007 at 07:05 PM.

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10-10-2007, 09:50 PM	#2
Ole Administrator Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Copenhagen, Denmark Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,408	You activate the meter by pressing the shutter button halfway down. Pulling the advance lever out doesn't activate the meter; it makes the meter stay on when it has been activated by the shutter button. In other words the meter will stay on after you let go of the shutter button if the advance lever is about ten degrees out. I never use the advance lever for that purpose (probably because it would poke my right eye out!). I just press the shutter button lightly when I want to make a reading and then let go of it.

10-11-2007, 07:25 AM	#3
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,888	Ole You must be one of the left eye dominant users, in a right eye world. With respect to the meter not functioning, I don't know about your KX but mine requires the film advance lever pulled out slightly. In fact there is an audible click when the lever is pulled out and the shutter preseed half way. Pressing the lever back in turns off the meter. With respect to what the meter should read under battery test, mine pulls down to 30 when I hit the button. Said battery has been in the camera since the last century. In fact last shots were also in last century. I would suspect either dirty contacts possibly on battery, more likely on the switch. This should be fixable by an old time camera technition. I had my meter fixed at a local shop in 1995 after someone hit the camera hard (I think they were trying to steal it) at Disney World. COst about $30 then.

10-11-2007, 10:56 AM	#4
Hikari New Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Oregon Posts: 5 Original Poster	Hmm. Well, I'll take a peek and see if there's dirty contacts... It seems as reasonable an explanation as any, given that it's not working so much of the time. I'm not feeling or hearing anything at the halfway point on the shutter, though. Wish I knew where there was a camera repair shop locally, though... :\| Oddly enough, the needle's going down to the 1000 instead of the 250 on battery check, now.

10-11-2007, 05:18 PM	#5
Ole Administrator Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Copenhagen, Denmark Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,408	Lowell, The key message to Hikari was that without half-pressing the shutter the meter won't turn on. Thanks for the information on the advance lever. I don't have a KX, but K2, MX, ME, so I assumed that the KX would work the same. I didn't know that the advance lever must be pulled out as well as the shutter button must be half-pressed on the KX. Being left-eyed is quite annoying unless the camera has motor drive. The Spotmatic is particularly nasty with its pointed and protruding advance lever!