[Astro-Baby]

Interesting: Your MIJ doesn't have the serial number on the top plate and it doesn't have the little hump for the KX button. Is the serial number at the bottom?

Thanks,

Hi Ismael, yes the serial is on the base. In the pic above from underneath its punched in just above the winder release button. As it came to me from the charity shop it did have its original case and strap, sadly the case was wrecked and the strap was beyond help though the lens cap was original. As far as I could surmise it probably had one owner from new as it had quite a few accessories that were all from the right period, stuff like filters, a really dud Sigma zoom lens and a dreadful cheap wide angle. It looked like the complete set of someone and the folk in the shop told me it was owned by an elderly gent who had passed so it all seemed very original. It came from the same shop as my KX which was bought a month or so earlier and likewise all original. I paid £25 for each of them which was my luckiest ever find really as they were both perfect runners once cleaned up.

---------- Post added 10-19-20 at 02:26 PM ----------

Despite being a plastic piece of crap you sure got that Chinese K1000 to look good.

It doesnt look bad all things considered. I really must get some pics of before and after but ai always start messing about and get addicted and then its too late. I will try and get some before and afters with the spotty. I think the meter has had it. The needle hangs low from the centre mark and a dead meter with no power would I think sit in the centre position of these.

This weekend ai will get the lid off and see if the neddle is just stuck by decayed foam, give it a hit by jury rigging an SR battery to it to see if its responsive but from what I read Spotmatics almost always have dead meters from age related failure.

The headache is getting the silver front panel on the mirror box sorted as it appears to be glued and the goue has failed, it seems the only way to remove it is taking the mirror box out which I really dont want to do. I may try inserting some glue underneath with a fine brush. Its would be a crime to break it up when its prism is clear, shutter seems to be working ok. Stop down appears alright if a bit cranky. Leatherette is totalled, completely wrecked and stained.

[Astro-Baby]

I sat down this weekend to have a bash at the SP500. A jury rig proved the meter is running, with no batteries though it hangs low down rather than centred and with power is off by two stops (under exposing so too fast).

Also the stop down, meter switch on does not return to off after firing and intermittently jams the shutter release.

As if all thats not enough i cant get the slotted nut under the wind on lever extracted. Tried everything ( solvents, heat, impact, oil etc ) but am now waiting on a new spanning wrench getting here for round 2.

[ismaelg]

Hello,

Beware if you are referring to the one I think you are, it is a reverse thread nut.

Thanks,
Ismael

[Astro-Baby]

Hi Ismael, its not the small screw thats reverse threaded that holds the film frame counter on its the small slotted nut UNDER the frame counter. Its stuck super fast and nothing seems to shift it.

I have tried solvents, oils, heating it, freezing it, impacting it, drifting it out with a small chisel and mallet, its already busted a lens spanner and a pair of small drivers which were used for an attempt at drifting it. I am coming round to the idea of perhaps trying to drill it on one side straight down into one of the slots but I dont have a spare to replace it. Its totally stuck fast and nothing seems to make any difference. I have a replacement lens spanner on order so maybe that can get it out. This is a new one on me, this nut was not very tight on my KX or K1000.

I have tried left and right hand turns in case its a left hander but it wont budge even a micron in either direction.

[ismaelg]

Yes, that's the one. Apparently at some point it changed between right hand and left hand thread in the Spotmatics. So you can have either.

Thanks,

[Astro-Baby]

Yep....I have read somewhere that below serial 3000000 they were left handed, above 4000000 they were right handed. I am sure K series are all right handed but not 100% typically this ones is a serial in the 3300000 range so could be either. As it happened it was a left handed one, Ismaels post changed the outlook and for some reason 5 minutes after Ismael posted the bloody thing came free at last. Patience, persistance or magical power from Ismael ? We’ll never know

Bad news got inside and ......aaaarrrgghhh someone else has been in here and buggered things up. As if that were not bad enough on reassembly the prism has partially de silvered, nothing I did I am sure, perhaps the strain of being moved just caused part of it to delaminate.

So this one is for the scrap, meter is whacked, prism is dud.

Its a shame as mostly it works but I have learnt a lesson...when a camera looks like its dead just let it slip away peacefully and ...issue a ‘Do Not Resucitate’ and let it go. This thing has occupied a ton of time and resource. Its been a teaser from the start. I was minded to break it for parts then I saw the meter was reactive and thought a bit of work could bring it back from the dead and its been a headache ever since, new light seals was a nightmare as the old ones were made of Satans melted plimsols and took ages to clean out but at that point I was sure I was almost over finishing line, just get the seals done and then get lid off and have a close look at the meter and clean the top of the focus screen. I was sure we were on for a fix but after the light seals as soon as one thing got fixed something else got broken.

Ahhh well its all learning. Just wish people would look after stuff myself.

[ismaelg]

Patience, persistance or magical power from Ismael ?

I would love to think it was my magic power...
But nahh, it was persistance most likely

Too bad it was a dead end. At least you now have some spare screws.

Thanks,

[Astro-Baby]

Theres always an upside, actually busted cameras are a great source of tiny screws, I have a pair of Minoltas that are dead ducks and they they have been very helpful for mining out small screws and washers for repairs on other stuff.

[Sam_I_am]

Sorry that the end result was not what one was hoping for. I really enjoy following you and Ishmael as you resuscitate badly neglected cameras. Please keep posting your progress on other projects.

[Astro-Baby]

I must do more pics but also I seldom find Pentax cameras to work on

[Sam_I_am]

I must do more pics but also I seldom find Pentax cameras to work on

I like following your other projects also.

[Astro-Baby]

I like following your other projects also.

Ah well I have done a few Minoltas recently. Should have taken pics but thought peeps would be bored by it. Next one I promise to put some pics up

[Astro-Baby]

When the SP500 went west the sole possibility of salvage was the Chinon f1.7 lens it came with. Lens was absolutely filthy - the pictures dont really show the abuse. Lettering and index marks were almost black, leather look grip was encrusted with grime, lens elements were absolutely terrible and there was fungus between two of the rear elements. The focus mechanism was loose and the whole lens rattled badly. I didn't believe it could be saved as the focus was so loose I felt sure it must have stripped threads.

Dur to member request heres a break down and some pics...

I have worked on one of these before and although they are a bit odd in the way they are put together they are extremely well made lenses. All interior fittings are metal with a brass to aluminium helicoid arrangement so can be VERY smooth.

So I set to work last weekend and took this one to bits. One of the joys of these old school lenses is there are no sealed components in the lens arrangements so you can literally take every element to pieces.
So she was stripped down to component parts, all optical elements washed down with IPA, soap and water and the fungus given a dose of peroxide (take that cursed fungus !) and then all lens elements were UV boxed for an hour which should stunt any chances of it coming back soon before a final fresh water rinse and blow dry prior to reassembly.

All the metal work was soaked in Isoprop (apart from the focus barrel for fear of damaging the leather look grip). All the old grease and filth were washed off with dish soap and fresh water before final polishing. Helicoids cleaned out with a soft toothbrush and then hand traced out with a toothpick to make sure no stray grot was left behind. Focus barrel washed down with dish soap, cleaned out with a soft brush and a final light hit of IPA.

Lens elements were reassembled and given a final clean with Badder Optical Wonder which contains an anti fungal base to retard and kill fungal spores, final polish and reassembled into their optical elements.

Finally all metal parts were inspected and given an hour in the UV box. Index and lens markings were given several treatments of IPA and UV to bring up the white work and also picked out with a soft toothpick to remove the embedded grot.

Finally reassembled with fresh lithium (Helix XP) grease and voila - came up beautiful. A few small scratches on the rear element are all that remains of the abuse and the lens handles well, nice smooth but firm focus and the coatings look great.

[Sam_I_am]

Looks great. Glad you could salvage something from the camera.