Pentax KX with a dented prism

filmamigo · 12-02-2014, 09:05 AM

So, I found a Pentax KX with a dented prism. This would not normally put me off a camera - so long as the camera focuses and fires correctly, dented prisms seem to be a cosmetic concern only.

But on the KX, there is a strip of black plastic on which the prism housing sits (along with the aperture window.) On this KX, the plastic has cracked where the prism got dented.

Does the plastic have to be intact to ensure the camera is light tight? Or is cracked/missing plastic also purely a cosmetic concern?

I am putting a roll of film through the camera to check light tightness, but wanted your opinion on how serious this damage might be...

stevebrot · 12-02-2014, 09:07 AM

My original photo mentor once told me that evidence of a dropped camera or lens is an automatic disqualification. A mild dent to the prism housing is one thing. An impact strong enough to break the plastic trip beneath is a deal-breaker for me.

Steve

kchamber4 · 12-02-2014, 09:56 AM

I thought the Pentax K-X was a digital camera or did Pentax release a film called the KR and a digital called the K-X?

JinDesu · 12-02-2014, 10:02 AM

Originally posted by kchamber4

I thought the Pentax K-X was a digital camera or did Pentax release a film called the KR and a digital called the K-X?

The k-x you are thinking of: Pentax K-x - Pentax K-mount DSLRs - Pentax Camera Reviews and Specifications

The KX that the OP is talking about: Pentax KX - Pentax Manual Focus Film SLRs - Pentax Camera Reviews and Specifications

The hyphen makes the difference.

AquaDome · 12-02-2014, 10:08 AM

The KX is a really nice camera. I have four of them. I would not pay money for one with the damage you describe.
Scratches and dents in the metal are not unusual for an old camera, but that sounds like a mortal blow.

tvdtvdtvd · 12-02-2014, 10:44 AM

It all depends what the asking price is for that KX. I recently paid $30 for a very clean K2. It will need a ~$100 CLA to
replace seals and unstick the ASA ring, at which point I will have invested 'all the money' it's probably worth.

Your KX might be a very useable camera, but it has almost no resale value. You might offer $10 if it's really clean.
Otherwise I say pass as another, un-cracked KX would not be difficult to find.

filmamigo · 12-02-2014, 10:52 AM

It was a $5 bargain bin camera -- so I'm not stressing about the investment :-)

The KX is surprisingly uncommon. This beater is only the second one I've found in many years of used camera hunting in Toronto...

stevebrot · 12-02-2014, 12:26 PM

Originally posted by tvdtvdtvd

Your KX might be a very useable camera, but it has almost no resale value. You might offer $10 if it's really clean.

...parts value only.

Originally posted by filmamigo

The KX is surprisingly uncommon. This beater is only the second one I've found in many years of used camera hunting in Toronto...

Monochrome (PF member) has two for sale at present.

Steve

tvdtvdtvd · 12-02-2014, 01:18 PM

Originally posted by filmamigo

It was a $5 bargain bin camera -- so I'm not stressing about the investment :-)

Well, there you are! For $5 I think you got a good deal. Even if it's a total loss as an ideal user camera,
it can still serve as an experimental body, (slap a pinhole lens on, tape the light leak and leave anywhere
without fear of losing a big investment), or get the screwdrivers out and tear it apart as a learning aid.

**monochrome** · 12-02-2014, 01:21 PM

Originally posted by stevebrot

Monochrome (PF member) has two for sale at present.

Thanks!! I'll actually get a Marketplace thread together tonight.

I'll be there a lot in coming weeks.

Dangermouse · 12-02-2014, 02:31 PM

The top plate may be twisted rather than simply dented.

They're surprisingly complex pressings, and you can end up chasing distortion around until you work out precisely what is bent. I have a K2 which took a few attempts to repair as the hotshoe didn't sit level, and it was hard to flatten the dents so as to bring it back up on one side.

I'd eyeball the mirror (does it look parallel to the sides and base of the mirror box?) then try putting a film through it, assuming the shutter is firing and not capping. Try some frames with the fastest lens you own to see how accurate the focusing is. If it passes that then you can take the top plate off, remove the hotshoe, and beat the dent out with a wooden drift and a block of hardwood as an anvil.

Even if it doesn't work it'll still yield useful parts to keep other KXs and KMs alive. New parts are non-existent for these cameras now so don't throw them away, even if they're a horrible corroded mess like the black KM I bought as a project ages ago and gave up on as it had already been robbed of parts.

Lenscap · 12-02-2014, 06:27 PM

FWIW, I bought a KX cheap that had a dent in the side of the prism metal. I shot a test roll which came out fine, then sent it to Eric for a CLA. He smoothed out the dent, among other things. It's now my favorite and most-used body. Purchase $ plus CLA$ came out to probably a good, not great, price for a splendid camera.

filmamigo · 12-03-2014, 07:02 AM

Super input, thanks all.

**Davep** · 12-03-2014, 04:16 PM

There is a black KX for sale in Markham on Kijiji.
Pentax KX (Black) + SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/2.0 | cameras, camcorders | Markham / York Region | Kijiji

cooltouch · 12-04-2014, 08:05 AM

The KX is not especially common, but it's not especially uncommon, either. I found mine on eBay a couple years ago.

The KX is one of my favorite Pentaxes. The only one I like more is the LX. The KX is basically an advanced, K-mount Spotmatic. It reminds me of a late Nikkormat compared to the Nikon FM, where the KX compares to the MX in the same fashion. Bigger, heavier, and more robust than the camera that replaced it. An equivalent Canon comparison would be an FTb (like the KX) to the AT-1 (like the MX), although the AT-1 is battery dependent.

In light of what others have stated, I would just look for another and keep this one as a spare for a parts source. Clean examples can be found on eBay for $50 or less.

12-02-2014, 09:05 AM	#1
filmamigo Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 797	Pentax KX with a dented prism So, I found a Pentax KX with a dented prism. This would not normally put me off a camera - so long as the camera focuses and fires correctly, dented prisms seem to be a cosmetic concern only. But on the KX, there is a strip of black plastic on which the prism housing sits (along with the aperture window.) On this KX, the plastic has cracked where the prism got dented. Does the plastic have to be intact to ensure the camera is light tight? Or is cracked/missing plastic also purely a cosmetic concern? I am putting a roll of film through the camera to check light tightness, but wanted your opinion on how serious this damage might be...

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
For Sale - Sold: Pentax MX (dented) with nice Pentax-M 50mm f1.7	cheekygeek	Sold Items	4	10-24-2013 12:34 PM
For Sale - Sold: Black KX body. EX. w/split prism, just CLA'd	Swift1	Sold Items	12	07-12-2013 01:10 PM
Aah.. the sound of a Kx. Apes with a pepper grinder bashing with a typewriter	Unsinkable II	Pentax DSLR Discussion	14	08-27-2010 02:04 PM
Dented prism	PollitowuzHere	Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras	8	01-17-2010 08:13 PM
For Sale - Sold: Working 50mm f/2.0 Pentax-A SMC lenses with dented filter rings - 3 available	wallyb	Sold Items	4	05-09-2009 01:54 PM

12-02-2014, 09:07 AM	#2
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	My original photo mentor once told me that evidence of a dropped camera or lens is an automatic disqualification. A mild dent to the prism housing is one thing. An impact strong enough to break the plastic trip beneath is a deal-breaker for me. Steve

12-02-2014, 09:56 AM	#3
kchamber4 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Conroe, TX Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 154	I thought the Pentax K-X was a digital camera or did Pentax release a film called the KR and a digital called the K-X?

12-02-2014, 10:02 AM	#4
JinDesu Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: New York City Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,638	Originally posted by kchamber4 I thought the Pentax K-X was a digital camera or did Pentax release a film called the KR and a digital called the K-X? The k-x you are thinking of: Pentax K-x - Pentax K-mount DSLRs - Pentax Camera Reviews and Specifications The KX that the OP is talking about: Pentax KX - Pentax Manual Focus Film SLRs - Pentax Camera Reviews and Specifications The hyphen makes the difference.

12-02-2014, 10:08 AM	#5
AquaDome Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: New Carlisle, IN Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,475	The KX is a really nice camera. I have four of them. I would not pay money for one with the damage you describe. Scratches and dents in the metal are not unusual for an old camera, but that sounds like a mortal blow.

12-02-2014, 10:44 AM	#6
tvdtvdtvd Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 1,665	It all depends what the asking price is for that KX. I recently paid $30 for a very clean K2. It will need a ~$100 CLA to replace seals and unstick the ASA ring, at which point I will have invested 'all the money' it's probably worth. Your KX might be a very useable camera, but it has almost no resale value. You might offer $10 if it's really clean. Otherwise I say pass as another, un-cracked KX would not be difficult to find.

12-02-2014, 10:52 AM	#7
filmamigo Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 797 Original Poster	It was a $5 bargain bin camera -- so I'm not stressing about the investment :-) The KX is surprisingly uncommon. This beater is only the second one I've found in many years of used camera hunting in Toronto...

12-02-2014, 12:26 PM	#8
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by tvdtvdtvd Your KX might be a very useable camera, but it has almost no resale value. You might offer $10 if it's really clean. ...parts value only. Originally posted by filmamigo The KX is surprisingly uncommon. This beater is only the second one I've found in many years of used camera hunting in Toronto... Monochrome (PF member) has two for sale at present. Steve

12-02-2014, 01:18 PM	#9
tvdtvdtvd Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 1,665	Originally posted by filmamigo It was a $5 bargain bin camera -- so I'm not stressing about the investment :-) Well, there you are! For $5 I think you got a good deal. Even if it's a total loss as an ideal user camera, it can still serve as an experimental body, (slap a pinhole lens on, tape the light leak and leave anywhere without fear of losing a big investment), or get the screwdrivers out and tear it apart as a learning aid.

12-02-2014, 01:21 PM	#10
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by stevebrot Monochrome (PF member) has two for sale at present. Thanks!! I'll actually get a Marketplace thread together tonight. I'll be there a lot in coming weeks.

12-02-2014, 02:31 PM	#11
Dangermouse Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 283	The top plate may be twisted rather than simply dented. They're surprisingly complex pressings, and you can end up chasing distortion around until you work out precisely what is bent. I have a K2 which took a few attempts to repair as the hotshoe didn't sit level, and it was hard to flatten the dents so as to bring it back up on one side. I'd eyeball the mirror (does it look parallel to the sides and base of the mirror box?) then try putting a film through it, assuming the shutter is firing and not capping. Try some frames with the fastest lens you own to see how accurate the focusing is. If it passes that then you can take the top plate off, remove the hotshoe, and beat the dent out with a wooden drift and a block of hardwood as an anvil. Even if it doesn't work it'll still yield useful parts to keep other KXs and KMs alive. New parts are non-existent for these cameras now so don't throw them away, even if they're a horrible corroded mess like the black KM I bought as a project ages ago and gave up on as it had already been robbed of parts.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

12-02-2014, 06:27 PM	#12
Lenscap Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 145	FWIW, I bought a KX cheap that had a dent in the side of the prism metal. I shot a test roll which came out fine, then sent it to Eric for a CLA. He smoothed out the dent, among other things. It's now my favorite and most-used body. Purchase $ plus CLA$ came out to probably a good, not great, price for a splendid camera.

12-03-2014, 07:02 AM	#13
filmamigo Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 797 Original Poster	Super input, thanks all.

12-03-2014, 04:16 PM	#14
Davep Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Photos: Albums Posts: 222	There is a black KX for sale in Markham on Kijiji. Pentax KX (Black) + SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/2.0 \| cameras, camcorders \| Markham / York Region \| Kijiji

12-04-2014, 08:05 AM	#15
cooltouch Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Houston, Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 982	The KX is not especially common, but it's not especially uncommon, either. I found mine on eBay a couple years ago. The KX is one of my favorite Pentaxes. The only one I like more is the LX. The KX is basically an advanced, K-mount Spotmatic. It reminds me of a late Nikkormat compared to the Nikon FM, where the KX compares to the MX in the same fashion. Bigger, heavier, and more robust than the camera that replaced it. An equivalent Canon comparison would be an FTb (like the KX) to the AT-1 (like the MX), although the AT-1 is battery dependent. In light of what others have stated, I would just look for another and keep this one as a spare for a parts source. Clean examples can be found on eBay for $50 or less.