ME Super help needed

[olroy2044]

While in Las Vegas for my daughter and grand-daughters' birthdays, I discovered a problem with my ME Super that I have never seen before. I had recently replaced the seals and bumper and the camera seemed to be functioning perfectly. When I tried to take a photo of a scene approximately 100 feet away, I found that I could not get the split image to line up. Further checking revealed that the problem existed at any distance from about 15 feet out. The camera, regardless of the lens mounted to it, could not be focused properly. The kicker to this, however, is that when pointed at a mountain-top about 5 miles distant, the split image lines up perfectly. I switched to a back-up body, and used it the remainder of the trip. Close examination of pictures from a test roll that I shot prior to the trip, reveals that photos taken at the distances involved, do in fact look slightly out of focus. I can understand out of focus at either end of the focus range, but only in the middle distances? Any ideas?

Ol(puzzled)Roy

[Stephen]

It sounds as though the lens mount is out of true, not parallel with the screen or film plane, quite why is unknown, as I am not sure what the Bumper is. Seals affect nothing, it could be a loose mount on the camera or lens, or a more serious warpage of the body after a drop,
The screen could have been pushed out of place, and ended up askew, with the screen not now correct. If the bumper is the shock absorbing foam at the front of the screen take is struck by the mirror, then the replacement work must have disturbed the screen.
Bothering to focus at 100 feet is unusual, DOF covers it at all but largest apertures, unless it was a telephoto lens, which would act badly on the screen if it is out of true.
Some screens on modern cameras are plastic, and another cause could be the glue used replacing the bumper, or even excessive heat as it was at Las Vagas, and temperatures on say a car back seat can get astronomic unless driving with full air conditioning, it is off when parked and temps may have risen to a point where the screen warped.
Trying to cover all bases, hope you can glean a bit help from the comments.
Stephen.

[olroy2044]

I think that the suggestion of something awry with the lens-mount is on
track. I have one lens which does not engage the aperture linkage properly on the ME Super, but works perfectly on all the rest of my K-mount bodies. This issue also points to problems in the mount.

I wasn't really trying to focus at 100 feet, per se, but happened to notice the misalignment on a strong vertical in the subject I was shooting, and started looking more closely. It was a 35-80 zoom at 80mm. Oh well, it becomes another "round tuit" camera, since I have several other K-mounts which do work.

The "bumper" I referred to is in fact the foam pad which cushions the mirror as it swings up. That pad on this Pentax is mounted to part of the solid frame of the camera. I suppose it is possible that the screen was disturbed, but I don't think so.

Thanks Stephen

Roy