[Wolfeye]

I've now owned two of these, and the latest acts almost as weird as the first. I'm just wondering, is this normal? On all other winders on every camera I own it seems very clear that the mirror flips up, the shutter opens and closes, and then the winder advances the film. I swear the ME Winder II sometimes seems to advance the film before it takes the picture, or at least makes a noise like it is. The first one I had was defective, caused major exposure problems with several different bodies, but it also had this odd behavior.

Yesterday I had it out and had to hold the button down for a couple seconds before it took the picture, whirring away the whole time.

[stevebrot]

I own the ME Winder II and it can be picky. For example, if mated to the Super Program or other body with the grip on the front, the grip must be removed before attaching the winder. If this is not done, the winder will not mount cleanly and work properly. There are also various constraints in regards to the controls.

The Butkus site has the user manual:

Pentax winder MEII

As always, it is good to slip Mike Butkus a few dollars via PayPal if you find the manual useful.


Steve

[ChrisPlatt]

As Steve suggests if you haven't already done so it would be a good idea to carefully read the manual.
FWIW I haven't owned a winder or motor drive made by any camera manufacturer that wasn't somewhat fussy with regard to mounting.
In my experience all kinds of operational problems can occur when installed slightly misaligned, not synchronized or with power on.

Chris

[RKKS08]

Back in the eighties, I used the winder ME II quite a lot for party shootings, first with a ME Super, then with a Super A / Super Program, and never experienced any misbehaving. So there may be problems with the precision of the mechanics, or bad electrical connections.

What I really liked about that winder, was the interface visible when you remove the ring surrounding the release button. With the dedicated (cinch) cable from Pentax you could use the cameras with a 20m remote control, or a (self-built) timer.

[hks_kansei]

On all other winders on every camera I own it seems very clear that the mirror flips up, the shutter opens and closes, and then the winder advances the film. I swear the ME Winder II sometimes seems to advance the film before it takes the picture, or at least makes a noise like it is.

This sounds normal, my one sounds the same and works fine.
it IS actually flipping the mirror then winding, but it does it so quickly it's hard to hear the change.

Yesterday I had it out and had to hold the button down for a couple seconds before it took the picture, whirring away the whole time.

It's possible that the mechanism that links with the winder wasn't located correctly and was slipping.
If you press the winder button without a camera attached it just winds endlessly, it may have been slipping before finally catching and winding the film on.

Double check it's attached solidly, and flat.

[RKKS08]

@hks_kansei
+1
Exactly like you describe it.

I haven't used the winder for the last 20+ years, so I forgot about that.
But now I remember. If you use it without being attached to a body, it may not stop in a defined position as if it was connected. Then it may make additional turns before it can start working correctly.

[hks_kansei]

I bought one for my ME only a month or so ago, so it's all fresh in my memory

The only issue I've had is at the end of a roll it can try to wind the last frame a bit hard, leaving the camera only just cocked, and really hard to press the rewind button. (I had to remove the winder and press the rewind button while slightly rocking the winding lever to take off the straing and let the rewing knob pop in. Then rewind, and finish the cocking 100% and fire a shot)

Any tips for helping avoid that in future?
Manual winding I just wind until I feel the tension increase, but unfortunately the winder doesn't have that finesse.

[johnha]

I've had several (including a 3rd party clone), they have all made the same whirr...clack...whirr sound on my Super-As, compared to the silky smooth operation of the Motordrive-A which completely transforms the experience.

[MewersDad]

I bought one for my ME only a month or so ago, so it's all fresh in my memory

The only issue I've had is at the end of a roll it can try to wind the last frame a bit hard, leaving the camera only just cocked, and really hard to press the rewind button. (I had to remove the winder and press the rewind button while slightly rocking the winding lever to take off the straing and let the rewing knob pop in. Then rewind, and finish the cocking 100% and fire a shot)

Any tips for helping avoid that in future?
Manual winding I just wind until I feel the tension increase, but unfortunately the winder doesn't have that finesse.

Hello,
I realize your memories might be almost 2 years old, but I wonder if you can shed some light on the issue I'm having with newly purchased ME Super and ME II Motor Winder.
Specifically, can you tell me if your winder keeps tripping the camera's shutter after all frames have been shot? My experience with Nikon motor winders, both the MD-12 and MD-15, is that when last frame has been shot, the winder will not allow you to trip the shutter.
Not so on - at least my copy of - the ME II -- i.e., it keeps tripping the shutter, so, unless you're watching the rewind crank, it's easy to think the camera's still shooting. On my maiden voyage with this combination, using a 24 exposure roll (I usually shoot with 36), I just kept on shooting, thus exposing that last frame many, many times. Very confusing. Does yours do the same - i.e. keep firing even after last frame is wound?
Many thanks!

[stevebrot]

Hello,
I realize your memories might be almost 2 years old, but I wonder if you can shed some light on the issue I'm having with newly purchased ME Super and ME II Motor Winder.
Specifically, can you tell me if your winder keeps tripping the camera's shutter after all frames have been shot? My experience with Nikon motor winders, both the MD-12 and MD-15, is that when last frame has been shot, the winder will not allow you to trip the shutter.
Not so on - at least my copy of - the ME II -- i.e., it keeps tripping the shutter, so, unless you're watching the rewind crank, it's easy to think the camera's still shooting. On my maiden voyage with this combination, using a 24 exposure roll (I usually shoot with 36), I just kept on shooting, thus exposing that last frame many, many times. Very confusing. Does yours do the same - i.e. keep firing even after last frame is wound?
Many thanks!

This question was addressed on the thread you started a few days ago. What you describe is similar to the expected behavior with the possible exception of multiple exposures to the final frame. (Is it safe to assume you confirmed this behavior when you had the film processed?)


Steve

[MewersDad]

This question was addressed on the thread you started a few days ago. What you describe is similar to the expected behavior with the possible exception of multiple exposures to the final frame. (Is it safe to assume you confirmed this behavior when you had the film processed?)


Steve

This is getting a bit tedious. I thought I was posing the question to hks_kansei - Reason: He claimed to have first-hand experience with this - although his post to which I was responding was from 2014, hence my wording.
Film not back from lab yet. What is safe to assume - no matter what that last frame will look like ;-) - is that the winder keeps on firing the shutter. You can see the shutter button going up and down in response to winder action.
As I've tried to explain (in this post and the first), this behavior is counter to my experience over decades with multiple Nikon MD-12 and MD-15 winders, which simply STOP firing the shutter when last frame has been shot. Maybe Pentax has a different idea, but as previously stated, I am new to both the ME Super and the ME II.
I am simply trying to determine if the winder is misbehaving OR if there is an internal flaw in the CAMERA that is ALLOWING the winder to keep doing this.
My question is for anyone on this forum who currently owns an ME Super and an ME II winder. If such a person would be willing to run a roll of film through his/her camera with lens cap on and manual mode of 1/125 engaged, it should be easy enough to tell me what happens after 24 or 36 exposures have been shot. SIMPLY: Does the winder keep tripping the shutter?
Anybody?

[stevebrot]

This is getting a bit tedious.

Agreed.

Film not back from lab yet. What is safe to assume - no matter what that last frame will look like ;-) - is that the winder keeps on firing the shutter. You can see the shutter button going up and down in response to winder action.

Did you read my response on your thread? Did you download the manual? Did you know that the shutter on your camera is electronic and the winder triggers the shutter by wire? Edit: I struck-out that last little bit because it really does not mean anything in the context of the ME or ME Super. See note below.

Unless you are seeing multiple exposures on the last frame, your winder is behaving as expected. FWIW, it is unlikely that a user on this forum is going to waste a roll of film to help you on this matter. As for your experience with a Nikon MD-series motor drives. Your ME Winder II is not in that series of product and operates differently in many respects.


Steve

Note: Shutter actuation through the Winder ME II is electrical via a switch, though normal shutter release on the ME and ME Super is accomplished by mechanical action against the shutter block. I could not find it in the service manual diagrams, but there must be an alternative release mechanism (solenoid?) accessible through the winder connection pins.

[stevebrot]

FWIW, it is unlikely that a user on this forum is going to waste a roll of film to help you on this matter.

That being said, I may wind a short roll from my bulk loader just to refresh my memory of how the winder behaves and run it through the the combo. If I do, I will update your original thread and send you a private message as well.


Steve