My Petri FTX is busted! Help!

I own a Petri FTX 35mm #809806, and the film advance button isn't working

anymore. I try to advance to the next shot, and the arm doesn't move all the

way before it gets real tight, and I don't want to force it. Can anyone help

with this?<div></div>

I assume there's film in it. Are you sure you haven't loaded a shorter roll than you thought?

That's a big negative James, There is no film in it at all.

Some repair costs for similar cameras at http://www.essexcamera.com/index.php

 

are listed below--

 

PETRI

 

 

FT: STANDARD REPAIR 110.00,

 

FT 1000: STANDARD REPAIR 110.00,

 

FT EE: STANDARD REPAIR 130.00,

 

FT II: STANDARD REPAIR 110.00,

 

The above estimates are based on the average repair costs, including the minor parts cost less than $10. After receiving your equipment, we will give you a written estimate that most likely will be the same as the above. In addition, an $8 shipping and handling charge will be applied.

The workmanship and materials are guaranteed to be free from defects for six months after repair under normal use.

Try pressing the rewind button and see if that frees up the winding. If that doesn't work open the back and see if you can see anything causing a jam (like a film chip) in the takeup spool or in the shutter.

 

Beyond that, you'll have to send the camera to a repair shop or have a go at d.i.y. repair. The camera isn't worth much, so unless the camera has sentimental value you don't have much to lose if you mess it up. Remove the bottom plate (usually just held on by a few screws) and look for crud, jammed gears, broken parts etc. If you can't find the problem there, you'll have to remove the top plate, which requires removing the wind lever, the rewind knob (sometimes there is a plate under the knob which is actually a screw) and maybe the shutter speed knob.

 

I can't tell you exactly what to look for, you'll have to study the mechanisms to see what went wrong.

 

Alternatively, go to the big auction site and buy a working replacement M42 mount camera (not necessarily another FTX unless you're particularly fond of this model). Probably you could get a nice one for $20 - $30.

Ok, then it sounds like I'm f.u.b.a.r. and could pick up another camera for cheaper than the repair. So can anybody then tell me what other cameras will accept my lenses like this petri?

Some suggestions can be found <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=008q8p" target=_blank>here</a> (link opens in a new window).<p>Note that these cameras are all a few decades old. At the least you'll have to replace the light seal & mirror bumper foam (see John Goodman's post in that link). Many of them also require batteries that are no longer available, although there are substitutes such as hearing aid batteries.

James,

 

Your Petri FTX has a M42 Pentax / Praktica screw lens mount. Very common indeed. Not sure Petri M42 lenses are particularly well-regarded or all that common but then again maybe there's not much difference to be seen in an average snapshot compared say with a well-regarded Pentax 55mm f1.8 lens. If you replace your Petri with another affordable M42 mount camera then there's many potentially good ones out there such as Pentax Spotmatic, Yashica TL-Electro X, Ricoh Singlex TLS / Singlex II, Mamiya/Sekor TL / DTL/ MSX/ DSX, Fujica ST series, and the assorted Chinon & Cosinas. Quite a few of the bayonet mount 35mm SLR cameras can also use M42 lenses with an adapter. Coincidently I too have a Petri FTX which all of a sudden jammed up. I'll probably strip it down for the screws and assorted parts. These are pretty common cameras on eBay @ $25 or so. Interesting designs from Petri but long-term reliability now seems suspect for their 35mm SLRs. Amazingly I have the oldest M42 mount Petri, a Penta from 1959 that still works! Most Petri 35mm SLRs used a breech mount.

Well, thanks for the info Gary, I don't only have petri lenses. That is why I wanted to know some cameras that will accept them. I am not a super camera whiz, I mainly take close-ups of my tattoo work, but I also like to have my camera with me for that spur of the moment shot. I have some telephoto lenses, and other miscelaneous stuff for my camera that I have picked up along the journey, ya know? Well, thanks again everybody for the info it really helped.