[ronald_durst]

Im looking at getting a program plus from ebay.

The seller put this in the description.

"the film advance lever will not advance (it goes a little way & stops..) I do not know if this camera requires a battery to function or not (maybe to complete the shutter release ? )...."



Does this camera need a battery for film advance or not.

I used to have one. It was my first camera and i ended up pawning it and i regret it now. Thats why im interested in getting another one. I just dont remember exactly how it worked. Thanks

[Ben_Edict]

Im looking at getting a program plus from ebay.

The seller put this in the description.

"the film advance lever will not advance (it goes a little way & stops..) I do not know if this camera requires a battery to function or not (maybe to complete the shutter release ? )...."

Does this camera need a battery for film advance or not.

I used to have one. It was my first camera and i ended up pawning it and i regret it now. Thats why im interested in getting another one. I just dont remember exactly how it worked. Thanks

The Program Plus needs a battery to operate.

The problem is not film transport, which is manual, but simply triggering the shutter! If the shutter is cocked, the transport will be blocked (like in the description). So before the film (or the empty camera) can be advanced further, you first need to trigger the shutter.
This is possible without a battery, but only if you know how... You can switch the mode dial to the X-sync setting. This (1/125s if I remember correctly) is the only manual shutter speed on the Program Plus and works without a battery.

Ben

[clm]

The ME Super will work at X ithout batteries, but I don't think there is a mechanical shutter speed on the Program Plus or the Super Program. An instruction manual is available here: Pentax Program Plus instruction manual, user manual, free PFD camera manuals, but I didn't read the whole thing. I used to have a Super Program and as I remember, it was completely dead without batteries.

[ChrisPlatt]

According to the B. Dimitrov website the Program Plus has no mechanical shutter speeds.
Unless seller installs batteries (two 1.5V 76/44/357 cells) there's no way to tell if it works.

Chris

[Ben_Edict]

Chris, CLM, you are both right. I got my Super Program out - and it hasn't got any mechanical shutter speed. I was wrong assuming that. Unfortunately Ronald is left with either trusting, that the camera will work, when a battery is inserted or looking for another camera.

Thanks for correcting my false statement.

Ben