aldrich Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 I just was given a Spotmatic F from my father with a few lenses. The light meter appeared to work fine at first, but now appears to be stuck right in the middle. It doesn't matter what I do, it stays in the middle. Is is stuck? I've only shot with it for one roll of film (not to mention it goes wacko when i pull my eye away and use the self-timer, it jumps to the positive, yet all prints seem slightly underexposed) so I don't know much about it, and I'm mainly a digital shot. Any suggestions? Thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graham_line Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 It's been a while, but I believe you can check the condition of the battery by setting the film speed dial to ISO100, then pushing up on the slide switch to the left of the lens mount (to the right if you're facing the camera). The indicator needle should rise slowly if the battery is in good shape. Most Spots by now need some attention to their meters, which might need recalibration by a qualified tech. They do have a rectifier circuit in the meter power supply, so voltage is less critical than on many older cameras. But they still need sufficient current to work right. If you have a chance, ask a technician to check the shutter speeds too. They generally slow down over time but that would give you overexposure. Instead of prints, you might want to shoot a roll of slides as a test, so you can take the quality of printing out of the comparison. With slides you get to look at a true-color original. The other possibility is that the lens diaphragm is sticking slightly -- that's not too unusual with lenses that have sat unused for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_noble Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Close. If its like the ordinary Spotmatic, you set the film speed to 100, and turn the shutter speed dial from 1 to B. The needle will deflect fully upward if the battery is good. One difference between the Spotmatic and the Spotmatic F, is that the meter on the F is always on. The switch next to the lens is merely a DOF preview. It is imperative that a lens cap be used with a Spot F, when not shooting. You can download a manual for the Spot F at www.pentaximaging.com. Hope this helps. Paul Noble Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aldrich Posted February 21, 2007 Author Share Posted February 21, 2007 No it doesn't jump at all. I used the camera last in October and everything seemed fine. However, I removed the battery. It would appear that the negative contact inside the camera literally melted and repositioned itself. I have this metal blob along the edge of the circular cavity, and what looks like "glue slide" all around the cavity. Looks like the glue melted and moved around...I have no way of knowing if that's the case however. I don't know what to do here...could get used to winging it and just sensing what speed to use :-P haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_wasley Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 "If its like the ordinary Spotmatic, you set the film speed to 100, and turn the shutter speed dial from 1 to B. The needle will deflect fully upward if the battery is good" Not quite. A good battery will make the needle drop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graham_line Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 If you can find a shop that repairs mechanical cameras, they can take a good battery holder out of a dead camera and replace it, though it might be cheaper to buy a used Gossen Pilot or some other inexpensive meter. If you're mostly shooting outdoors, you'll learn to read light pretty quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aldrich Posted February 21, 2007 Author Share Posted February 21, 2007 This is pretty much the case. I do some indoors, but usually with my digital, which is a Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z6. Needless to say, the concept of learning to use an external flash (which I have) is frightening. I'll learn to use the camera itself first. As for the camera, I need to find a new battery and give it a testeroo. Will shutter speeds decrease over time with lots of use, or with very little use. I'm told by my father he really didn't use the camera much over the years. Thanks for all the help thus far! Looking forward to more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aldrich Posted February 21, 2007 Author Share Posted February 21, 2007 FIXED! Got a PX625 Battery, 1.35 Volts, said right on it for Pentax Spotmatic F. Now the only question is, which is better, leaving the switch up or down. Up, and it sits at the positive end of the light meter. Down, and the light meter responds properly. Which do I leave it on to save battery life? Thanks for the help everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graham_line Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Normal position for the switch is down. The meter on the Spot F, unlike previous Spotmatics, is on whenever the lens is uncapped. In practice, with good mercury batteries in the 70s and using the cameras almost every day, a battery would last about six months. Can't get mercury batteries any more, though. Enjoy the camera. It's a nice solid workhorse and there are lots of good SMC Takumar lenses available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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