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02-13-2011, 02:54 PM   #1
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Help needed - possible LX problem

Hi all,

I looked at the forums' posts and didn't come across this particular problem, so I thought I would post my question.

I took my LX out today with a roll of 36 exposure black & white film. At about frame #26, the lever wouldn't let me advance at all. The shutter was already fired. About a minute later I was able to fire the shutter and I took a couple of pictures without problem.

About an hour later I tried using the camera again. I fired off the shutter once and the same thing happened. The lever wouldn't allow me to advance the frame at all. I just rewound the film rather than risk fooling around wrecking my images.

Once there is no film in the body, I was able to fire the shutter and use the film advance lever without any problem. I did this about 50 times.

This is the first time this has happened with this particular LX body. It was fully CLA'd a couple years ago. The closest I read on the forums is that sometimes you need to move the shutter speed dial or even put in new batteries, but these were cures for slightly different problems. If I remember, I put in 2 new button batteries less than a year ago.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

02-13-2011, 03:57 PM   #2
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did you try taking the shutter speed off of automatic? (if indeed that's where it was set) the camera's little brain may have had things locked up perhaps?
02-13-2011, 05:13 PM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by acrollet Quote
did you try taking the shutter speed off of automatic? (if indeed that's where it was set) the camera's little brain may have had things locked up perhaps?
Thanks for that suggestion.

I didn't do that when there was film in the camera.

But after I took the film out I left the shutter on "automatic" and everything worked. I also took the shutter off "automatic" and everything also worked. So the camera worked after I removed the film, whether in automatic or not.

Wierd.
02-13-2011, 05:45 PM   #4
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How are the batteries?

02-13-2011, 06:52 PM   #5
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Had the same exact scenario Tranq,recently and in the past with alkaline and
silver oxide buttons.Has always been in frigid temperatures and conclusion Ive come
to is battery(cells) deplete themselves much quicker in cold,but upon warming up
somewhat seem to rejuvenate to energy level suffiecent to fool me again.
I should listen to "the who" more often Pentax made an umbilica that allowed
for storage of cells in warm pocket and tethered to body,one could shoot until
they themselves were 'frozen'. Hard to find a better cold weather body,
power supply different story.
02-13-2011, 07:21 PM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by Sluggo Quote
How are the batteries?
Thanks for the tip. Fresh batteries were put in mid-2010. I put in another fresh pair tonight so we'll see what happens.


QuoteOriginally posted by BillM Quote
Had the same exact scenario Tranq,recently and in the past with alkaline and
silver oxide buttons.Has always been in frigid temperatures and conclusion Ive come
to is battery(cells) deplete themselves much quicker in cold,but upon warming up
somewhat seem to rejuvenate to energy level suffiecent to fool me again.
I should listen to "the who" more often Pentax made an umbilica that allowed
for storage of cells in warm pocket and tethered to body,one could shoot until
they themselves were 'frozen'. Hard to find a better cold weather body,
power supply different story.
Hey Bill, I think you are right. I live straight north of you in Northern Alberta.

It wasn't that cold today. It was above zero Centigrade, but we were cross-country skiing. This happened after about a dozen shots even though the camera was kept in the camera bag most of the time. The seocnd time it happened was after the skiing and we were having lunch in a fast food restaurant. The camera was in room temperature afterwards and everything was working fine.

I was hoping to use my LX's as cold weather cameras. Other than shoving a hand warmer into the camera bag or keeping the camera under my jacket, which will be inconvenient, anyone have better ideas? I have the rechargeable NiCad attachment as well as the optional "AA" battery pack, but this will make the camera almost too bulky.

The LX is a darn good camera.
02-13-2011, 08:56 PM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by tranq78 Quote
"AA" battery pack
Been using my ZX-L with battery grip "F" loaded with Lithium AA's tranq.
Lithiums outperforms anything else readily available,in cold temps.
Would rather have the LX out there no doubt,but that button issue has given me "fits"
Curious about battery grip LX,just a power grip right? Im leary about using power
winder or motor drive on any of my older bodies because those mechanisms are
so strong.Camera bodies are like my body,not as young and spry as I/they used to be.
Considered that grip in past,might take another look at it.

02-14-2011, 05:59 AM   #8
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The LX remote AA battery pack is a great idea but I never used mine for much the same reason.

One CR1/3N 3.0V lithium battery replaces the two button cells (44/76/357)
used in many Pentax K manual focus bodies, including the LX.
IIRC lithium batteries do have better output than silver or alkaline cells when cold.
Switching to these might be just the ticket for extreme cold weather shooting.

Chris

Last edited by ChrisPlatt; 02-14-2011 at 03:38 PM.
02-14-2011, 07:41 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by BillM Quote
Been using my ZX-L with battery grip "F" loaded with Lithium AA's

Curious about battery grip LX,just a power grip right?
I took my MZ-6/ZX-L out X-country skiing last year with AA battery grip and I didn't have any problems. Great minds think alike.

I have both types of battery packs. I've got a NiCad powerwinder and a winder that takes AA batteries. When I take a LX out I want something small and discrete so the winders always stay at home. I have never found the winders to be too "hard" on the cameras. They are designed for the LX and the cameras aren't harmed in any way by using them.

QuoteOriginally posted by ChrisPlatt Quote
The LX remote AA battery pack is a great idea but I never used mine for much the same reason.

One CR1/3N 3.0V lithium battery replaces the two button cells (44/76/357)
used in many Pentax K manual focus bodies, including the LX.
IIRC lithium batteries do have better output than silver or alkaline cells when cold.
Switching to these might be just the ticket for extreme cold weather shooting.

Chris
Hey, that's a great idea. I'm going to do this in the future.


The button batteries fading so quickly in cold weather quite surprised me. For some reason I thought the button batteries were just for the light meter. Guess I was wrong.
02-15-2011, 04:45 PM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by tranq78 Quote
The button batteries fading so quickly in cold weather quite surprised me. For some reason I thought the button batteries were just for the light meter. Guess I was wrong.
Hey everyone, I jumped onto the PDML website to see if they have anything to say about the LX, button cell batteries and cold weather.

Apparently when the button batteries fail in cold weather you can't do long exposures or use Automatic mode. The camera tells you this by locking up the shutter.

To deal with this you simply switch out of Automatic and into manual meter mode. So I am going to try this out for myself.

BillM - hope this lets you play with your LX in wintertime!
02-15-2011, 06:21 PM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by tranq78 Quote
For some reason I thought the button batteries were just for the light meter. Guess I was wrong.
The Pentax LX incorporates a "hybrid" shutter. In AE it is electronically-timed, requiring battery power.
However most manual shutter speeds (1/75 "X" - 1/2000) are mechanical and work without batteries.

mir.com: Pentax LX exposure system

Chris

Last edited by ChrisPlatt; 02-15-2011 at 06:29 PM.
02-15-2011, 06:57 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by tranq78 Quote
hope this lets you play with your LX in wintertime!
Heck yeah Tranq,I have one of those lithium buttons (CR1/3N) Chris mentioned.Plum forgot about it.
Thanks to Chris for the 'kick in rear end', us "old guys" need every so often.
In thinking of expeirence I have with the LX,it does so many things well that it takes forever
to play the "fan boy".Have got to say you havent seen anything until your shooting in low light
with those long shutter speeds and say a tight apeture for maybe a winter sunset or
something like that.There is no other 35mm SLR like it when you let IDM be your
'co-pilot' so to speak.Thats were those lithiums really come into their own and compliment the LX system.
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