Tag: k mount

Pentax P30 35mm SLR

Another “K” mount camera, this time it’s a Pentax P30. A “Plastic fantastic” from 1985. Can I fixit? Should i fix it?

What the listing stated:

Pentax P30 35mm SLR Film Camera Body – Spares/ Repairs

The camera appears to be unresponsive upon testing.

EBay

Pentax P30

Here’s a little bit about this camera:

The Pentax P3 (US), P30 elsewhere, is a 35mm film SLR released by Pentax in 1985. The plastic body was a departure of the lineage that produced the ME and Super A; with a more amateurish camera. The P3 was a departure of the P5/50 as it returned to a speed dial instead of buttons.

It uses the KA-mount bayonet to convey aperture information and have P mode (Av when M or K series lenses are used) and can use any manual focus lens up to the FA series. 

  • Viewfinder covers 92% of image with 0.82x magnification. Split-image matte focusing screen (horizontal)
  • The P3/30 uses a classic manual film advance lever with 130° throw.
  • It has program, manual, X and B exposure modes on a dial with speeds of 1 to 1/1000 sec. However on P mode exposures up to 8s have been observed. The X mode provides automation with some Pentax flashes. No exposure compensation is available, but the camera has an Exposure Lock button.
  • The meter is a center-weighted type with a range of 1 to 18 EV. A scale of speeds is shown in the viewfinder and LEDs show the selected and recommended (blinking) speeds.
  • Film speeds can’t be set manually, the P3/30 uses DX Encoding film with a ISOrange of 25 to 1600. There is a plastic window in the film door.
  • Self timer is in the main power switch for ~12s.
  • DOF Preview lever is located above the bayonet lock.
  • It uses two 1.5v SR44 or LR44 button batteries.
  • The US version is all black, while in the rest of the world it was dark gray

There are two revisions of the body, early versions can’t use a cable remote release, while late versions can. 

A similar improved Pentax P30n/P3n/P30t became available three years later. This camera incorporated Aperture Priority exposure, and a diagonal focusing screen (P30t)

Camera-wiki.org

Another camera from the 80s – this one was 1985 when the manufacturers went plastic and the styling of the earlier cameras was starting to decline. Cameras were starting to look decidedly cheap and nasty, and this is probably the one that single-handedly punished Pentax, with a totally amateur looking camera, horrendous feedback at the time, and previously happy photographers were deserting Pentax for other manufacturers, who were offering better packages and capabilities at the time.

However this camera did have its fan base, and a lot of amateurs learnt their trade on these units due to their cost, and relatively low price for associated add ons such as lenses and flashes.

I never had one until now. I suspect the guy I usually buy from threw this in my direction, due to knowing he’d probably have issues selling it on. I’ve paid a total of £3:75GBP for this one. I think it’s worth it.

It’s the second “K” mount camera I’ve brought in two days. And guess what? I don’t have one of those lenses. Looks like I’m going to have to purchase one for my collection and for testing purposes.

Anyway, let’s await its arrival so we can assess its issues.

Assessment:

First things first, I’ve printed out a body cap on the 3D printer for when i complete the clean, allowing me to protect the mirror, shutter and lens chamber area.

A new body cap printed to protect the lens chamber

Overall the camera looks used, it’s in one piece meaning that everything is there that needs to be there but it does show signs of being a little bruised, battered and dirty.

Damaged around eye piece
Paint chips
Bumper is ok
Dirty around lens ring
Everything is there
Dirt

All seals appear ok, the mirror bumper felt is in a good condition as well, and the film chamber is clean. Shutter appears to be operating just as it should.

The only real issue I can see is a build up of dust and dirt behind the viewing lens, though this won’t affect any pictures being taken, a clean would help the photographer get a clearer view of what they are focusing on.

Repair:

The description has stated that the camera is unresponsive. Well I’ve put batteries in place, switched the camera on and it is dead. But I can see an issue. The battery cap appears tarnished. A quick attack of the tarnishing with the grinding pen and a good wipe over with a cotton bud soaked in IPA soon sees to the tarnished battery cap. Hey presto, life is restored when batteries are put back into place. The meter inside is fine, and showing lights and indicating as it should, the light that flashes when the self timer operates is also ok. To me everything is indicating just fine. That’s all that was causing the unresponsiveness, the dirty contacts.

The next step didn’t really need to be done, however me being me I just couldn’t let it go. There is quite a bit of build up of dirt behind the viewing glass and I will have to get into the camera to access this. There is no other way.

Removal of the top of the camera requires the removal of six screws, the winder handle and a couple of securing bolts, you can then carefully lift the top clear being careful not to damage the two hot-shoe cables in the prism area.

Top off
Look at the dirt build up

With the top off, a couple of more screws holding the viewer in place require removing to detach the viewer from the prism area. This then reveals a very dirty filtered triangular prism that has collected over forty years of airborne detritus. A simple clean with a swab is sufficient, followed by a good air blast to finish off. The small viewing lens has a similar clean and then the camera can be reassembled.

All electrics good and working

I’ve printed an eye cup to cover up that damages around the eyepiece, again it’s not really needed but just tidies the area up a bit.

New eyepiece printed

Just print a hotshoe cover for the top and that’s it all done.

Hot shoe cover

Finally it’s time for a good cleanup.

Result:

For an outlay of £3:75GBP this is a period and usable camera. Will I use it though? Probably not, I’ll probably pass this on to the hospice to get some money from, as to be quite honest I doubt I’ll be able to sell it on.

Looking tidy, and working

It’s a nice little learning camera, looks smart after a clean up, and has now had its life expectancy extended due to the easiest of repairs. I’ve said it before, how many similar units have just been disposed of due to only requiring a quick clean? Scandalous really.

Anyway, this one lives on. Someone will have a nice little camera what with the resurgence of film stock currently enjoying a second coming.

One more saved from landfill, small goals, small results.

Thanks for passing by, as always it is always very much appreciated.

Chinon CE-4 35mm SLR

I was a snob back in my teenage years and wouldn’t buy anything without a Canon or Nikon name tag. How wrong was I? I now have one needing some TLC, so let’s get it working again.

What the listing stated:

Chinon CE-4 35mm SLR Film Camera Body – Faulty – See Details

I tried testing the camera with batteries and initially it seemed to function and the camera fired at accurate speeds but after a couple of times firing it, it stopped responding and now I can’t get it to function at all.

Please note batteries aren’t included.

EBay

Chinon CE-4

Here’s a little bit about this camera:

The Chinon CE-4 was the model which transitioned away from the 42mm screw mount used in the Chinon CE-3 to the Pentax K-mount. It’s an automatic 35mm SLR compact camera with aperture priority exposure system (AE).

Maker: Chinon

Dates: circa. 1980

Variants: black, CE-4s

Camera Type: 35mm SLR

Focusing: manual

Lens mount: Chinon Universal Bayonet Mount (Pentax K-mount)

Shutter: Seiko MFC electromagnetic focal plane, vertical, metal 
from 8s to 1/1000

Exposure meter: TTL, open aperture,
center weighted by two silicon blue photo cells. EV -2-19

Exposure modes: aperture priority, manual, Bulb

ASA/ISO range: 25 to 3200 ISO

Finder screen: fixed split-screen

Flash shoe: fixed hot shoe, contact for dedicated flash

Flash speed: 1/60

TTL Flash: no

Motor drive: Chinon Power Winder S

Battery: 3 ×1.5V Alkaline (LR44, A76) or 
3 ×1.5V silver oxide (SR44, S76, G-13)

Dimensions: 135.5x85x50.5 mm

Weight: 485g

Camera- wiki.org

A previous seller approached me offering this camera and we settled for a price of £5:00GBP. A fair price for a camera born around 1980 and readily available at nationwide electronic stores around the time. I always avoided them, because as a teenager I had been infected by the snobbery of people around me, if it wasn’t Canon or Nikon it was crap.

I was a snob back then. Now I’ll buy anything, and I like the look of this so I brought it.

My reasoning in a nutshell. If it takes photographs, it’s good. Buy it. Sold!

Let’s await its arrival, and get it assessed.

Assessment:

Cosmetically this camera looks fine, apart from the name plate being detached from the fascia. This is easily remedied with some superglue to hold it in place.

The camera that arrived

As an addition i’ve printed out a body cap on the 3D printer for when i complete the clean, allowing me to protect the mirror, shutter and lens chamber area.

Body cap printed to protect lens chamber

This camera takes three LR44 batteries and with these installed the camera is dead. There is no life, and no indication from the exposure meter in the viewfinder.

The battery holder with its three batteries

The bumper felt in the camera barrel is in excellent condition and does not need replacing. It’s a similar situation with the light proofing around the film chamber, they don’t need replacing just yet.

Mirror bumper felt
Light proofing

All buttons, dials and levers appear to be working just fine. There is no meter reading in the viewfinder due to the electrical issue. Let’s get onto that now, as it looks as if there is not really much else wrong with this camera.

Repair:

So generally with electrical issues it’s always best to start with the simple things first before diving in and opening up the camera for dissection.

First things first, are the batteries any good, yep they have all tested as working fine, let’s move on. Is the power getting through to the camera via the battery holder. No it’s not. Let’s check the battery holder.

Severely tarnished
Tarnished here also

The battery holder showed no continuity when I used the multimeter probes on it, the whole inside of the holder had bad tarnish, preventing power getting through to where it was needed. A quick clean of the area with a grinding pen and some IPA to clean up, and you can now see your face in it. A quick check with the multimeter and continuity is restored. Whilst I’m in the mood for this kind of cleaning I also clean the contacts in the camera base. These weren’t so bad, however a quick blast with the grinding pen and a clean up does not go amiss.

The three batteries are reinstalled and hey presto, the light meter and all functions now appear. All this camera required was a five minute clean to resurrect it.

Lights working
Shutter and light working
Light meter operating ok

To test the camera fully I now need a K mount lens to check its functions. I’m looking for a basic one just to use for testing, just as well really as I also have some other K mount cameras coming up shortly. However, I am supremely confident this camera is working fine, so a lens is not the probity at this stage. I will probably move this on to the local hospice that I have dealings with.

A good clean is all that is now needed. I have cleaned the internals and sealed them by putting the body cap in place. Now I need to give attention to the exterior.

Result:

Sorry It’s a boring one, but hey it’s a win. Following a plan of attack starting with the most basic of checks, can be boring and repetitive, but also extremely beneficial as it’s not always the big issues inside the camera, nine times out of ten the issues are a lot more basic.

It just goes to prove that a lot of the items out there deemed as broken, are just in need of a little maintenance. If only people would just take a little time to look after their stuff, there would be less equipment thrown in to landfill.

Here is the camera after a good clean.

Looking beautiful

A little £5:00GBP camera has been given a reprieve and can live on for a few more years yet. As long as there is film being produced, this camera has a purpose. It’s a basic, but superbly capable camera that will keep its new owner happy for a good few years yet.

Let’s hope they have many happy moments capturing wonderful memories for many years to come.

Thanks for passing by. Always very much appreciated.