[Baard-Einar]

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So I pulled the trigger on a K2 DMD. I paid $300 for one which included the Motor MD (without a battery). I'm ok with what I got, but the description was lacking and no picture of the back was provided...so I didn't see the scrape/ding on the winder side top back edge. While everything works well, the mirror box foam needs replacement and the prism/focusing screen has internal dust that's annoying, so I think a CLA is in its future.

Too bad about the scrape to the back of the camera, but it shows that the camera has lived a life and been used. Maybe 300$ was on the high side since you also need a CLA, which will run you another 100-150$ or so?

Well anyhow, hope you put the camera to good use. I really like the K2DMD.

Regards
Baard-Einar

[tonyzoc]

Too bad about the scrape to the back of the camera, but it shows that the camera has lived a life and been used. Maybe 300$ was on the high side since you also need a CLA, which will run you another 100-150$ or so?



Well anyhow, hope you put the camera to good use. I really like the K2DMD.



Regards

Baard-Einar

It good looking enough the put another $100 or so into it. Also I got the Motor MD with it for the $300...so really about $200 for the body. Most K2DMDs on ebay are starting in the $270 and up range, many no better than this one. It'll only go up in value I figured, so I went for it. Now I'm going to sell my black K2 with a Soligor 35-70/2.5-3.5 and my Super A with 50/2A, Motor A and AF280T.

[Baard-Einar]

It good looking enough the put another $100 or so into it. Also I got the Motor MD with it for the $300...so really about $200 for the body. Most K2DMDs on ebay are starting in the $270 and up range, many no better than this one. It'll only go up in value I figured, so I went for it. Now I'm going to sell my black K2 with a Soligor 35-70/2.5-3.5 and my Super A with 50/2A, Motor A and AF280T.

That makes sense. It is, any how, a really nice camera.

[tonyzoc]

That makes sense. It is, any how, a really nice camera.

So now I'm in search of a battery pack...the grip M would be ideal but I'd take a dead ni-cd pack with a charger and rebuilt to battery. I had a Battery Pack LX I rebuilt and used on my MX so it's easy enough to do. Actually I've been considering the LX on ebay with the motor, grip M and dead Ni-Cd battery and charger for $625. But... I think I still have my charger somewhere...I remember I couldn't find it at the time I sold my LX battery...and I came across it in my last move...so I know it's in the house somewhere...lol. if I can find it all I need is a dead Ni-Cd pack...

[womble]

I have two dead LX nicad battery packs. Just need to find someone willing to rebuild them! (I'm utterly cack-handed with a soldering iron so won't touch it myself, it would be a disaster.)

[Lhorn]

I’d be interested to know more about rebuilding the ni-cd battery pack. I received one with an LX I purchased recently but didn’t come with a charging cord and it appears to have a funky looking jack. So I need to find a cord, change the jack or sell the battery pack to someone who’ll use it more than I would.

[Arjay Bee]

I had a Silver K2 a few years ago. I really liked it and fixed the sticky ASA ring in the same method as described by the posters above. Owning a set of JIS screwdrivers can be a dangerous thing.
It is indeed a handsome camera but sold it on when it started to develop the black line in the viewfinder caused by foam in the pentaprism housing decaying the silver on the prism. Living in the tropics has its downsides. I also had a K1000 and a KX that developed the same problem. A CLA would have fixed that but I prefer the MX.

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Last edited by Arjay Bee; 04-04-2021 at 01:34 AM. Reason: added images

[tonyzoc]

I’d be interested to know more about rebuilding the ni-cd battery pack. I received one with an LX I purchased recently but didn’t come with a charging cord and it appears to have a funky looking jack. So I need to find a cord, change the jack or sell the battery pack to someone who’ll use it more than I would.

http://users.tpg.com.au/distudio/pentax_nicd_pack/

[tonyzoc]

http://users.tpg.com.au/distudio/pentax_nicd_pack/

And here's a NiMH battery source with higher mAh capacity https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-2V-1-3AA-Ni-Mh-Rechargeable-Battery-500mAh-With-W....m46890.l49286

[Lhorn]

Thanks! That makes it a lot easier.

[tonyzoc]

Well I got ahold of a battery grip M and a NiCd battery pack M with charger. The battery needs a rebuild so I'll be trying out the higher capacity NiMH batteries on it. My purchased also includes an LX motor. I don't have an LX. Now it would've nice to find a Motor M for my MXs.

[JoelA]

I've owned a K2 since 1980. It saw a ton of use during the film days, my trusty go-to workhorse! But then got stuck in the bag with all the rest of the equipment for years when raising a family and a full time job got in the way of shooting a lot.

Fast forward to getting back into things. Pulled it out, cleaned it up...

But of course, the silly ASA ring is stuck.

Since it might just be gunked up (vs. dry) I figured I'd try something a little crazy. I took the body and put it out on a lawn chair in the sun for a few hours. Got it to budge a little bit. Repeated the process today.

And success! ASA set easily to 400 and now with some Tri-X incoming we're back in business.

Just thought I'd let everyone know in case anyone else wants to give it a go.

[Arjay Bee]

Had a stuck K2 a while ago. It is a relatively trivial job to take the ring off and clean out the old gunk and add in a spot or two of new gunk.
Just saying in case issue resurfaces as your weather gets colder.

[redbirdpete]

A judicious use of silicon spray (From the outside with the lens mount sealed by a cap or a lens) may work too. I've got away with this on two K2's.