pentax

[olroy2044]

The lens you received is built to work with cameras with an exposure program, such as the  Pentax Super Program and later.  My P3n's are also Program cameras.  The lens needs to be in that locked position to activate the electrical contacts in the mount, which communicate with matching contacts on the camera.  Mounted on a non-program camera, they have no function.  The lens will work just fine on any K-mount camera in either manual or aperture priority, given, of course, that all is well mechanically with the lens.  Simply do not select the extra position, and "Fire at will!"

Good luck!

Roy

[Stephen]

The K mount involves no electrical connections in the early standard, Sirius must have used a standard design that contained the resistor, and factory convert to K mount. However later K mounts did pass full aperture etc via contacts, and that is what the resistor is for.
The A(P), sounds like an auto program aperture position for cameras that set auto aperture like the Canon AE-1 etc, and Sirius probably mean you to disregard it on a Plain K mount.

Stephen. (reply added before realising there was a second page!)

[Peltigera]

Thank you, Roy and Stephen.  Got batteries for the ME Super just now and all seems to be working fine - Sirius lens is communicating to the camera and stopping down when fired.

The lens is very close focussing - 0.2 metres or just shy of eight inches. The lens claims to be a macro lens but the best it can do is a 1:4 ratio

[Peltigera]

I have been trying my old Helios-44M lens on the Spotmatic SP1000. There is a problem there in that once the lens has stopped down for the meter, it will not open up again unless I take the lens off and move the stop-down plate back to its rest position manually. If I ignore the meter, the lens will stop down for the exposure and then open again just fine. There are two levers involved. The stop-down lever for the shutter release (on the left looking into the mouth of the lens opening) is fine but the stop-down lever for the meter (on the right looking into the mouth of the lens opening) will not move back on its own.

I am not panicking at the moment (actually, not panicking at all) as there is no battery in the camera and it might well work ok with a battery. Will have to wait until I can source a replacement for the mercury battery it is supposed to have. London Camera Exchange will have some in a few weeks, they say, but they are not quite sure when a battery order will go in. If it still does not work with a battery, I will try sitting there and moving the lever by hand a few hundred times to see if that frees it up.

[olroy2044]

Hi John:

Communication between your Me Super and the lens is mechanical using the levers in the mount.  It is a very reliable system.  Even with my program cameras, I very seldom use the program setting.

As regards to your Spottie, the battery serves solely to power the meter.  It has no other function.  The Spot will function exactly the same with or without a battery, minus only the on-board meter.  That is one reason why, to this day, my Spot F is in my kit on any shoot that is important to me.  It has saved many a shoot!

The battery selection for the Spot is much simpler than it appears at first glance.  Another of the nice things about the camera is that it has a simple on board voltage regulator, sometimes called a "bridge circuit."  This allows the use of modern batteries without having issues with the different voltage.  I routinely use mine with silver oxide batteries with absolutely no exposure compensation needed.  I don't recommend the use of alkaline batteries due to their discharge curve, although the bridge circuit should compensate.  I just stick with silver oxide due to their flat curve. Battery life is pretty long, even on the Spot F which has no power switch, turning the meter off when a lens cap is in place.  Enjoy that fine old camera!

Roy

[Stephen]

There's a pivot jamming in the lever that operates the stop down, it may be curable from outside, as it must have been bent or altered from outside, unless a return spring has snapped. Have a close look at the linkage that bears on the aperture pin, and see if it is damaged or bent, or got foam, glue or dirt interfering with it.
Also make sure it is not the lens, try another M42 lens and see if it opens OK when the meter button is released. As mentioned any silver cell will work the meter OK, no need for the expensive Wein cells etc., with Pentax.

Stephen.

[Peltigera]

Again, thanks to both of you. It is not the lens causing the problem as it is the same with no lens attached. While I would rather the Spotmatic worked properly, I always have a handheld meter with me. The lever concerned pokes out from a baffle and I cannot see to what it attaches. I might try taking the base off to see if that exposes things. This camera is about 40 years old and I doubt has seen an engineer in that time - it is amazing that everything else works as it should.

edit: I just tried firing the shutter at 1/1000 with the aperture stuck open as described above. It took five firings to open the diaphragm - looks like dirt or dry lube. I shall definitely try taking the base off and see if there is anything I can sensibly oil.

[Dave]

I am reasonably certain that the "A" means automatic, for cameras which will operate with automatic exposure of one type or another. Dave

[Randy]

Seems I remember seeing that some Helios lenses will protrude too far into some cameras and interfere with function.

[f16]

The ME Super is a great little camera. The meter in mine went crazy so it's with Eric Hendrickson getting repaired and CLA'd. He should be sending it back soon.

[Peltigera]

Thought I would take my Pentax ME Super out for an outing. Cleaned it inside and out and went to the cupboard for a film. Came back and picked up the camera - the back swung open and my thumb went through the shutter. It is now as dead as a dodo.

[philbirch]

Gutted!! No chance to repair?

[daveh]

B*ugger, as they say. With a bit of DNA, who knows, even the dodo might come back to life. Mind you, it would probably be easier for the dodo to rise form the ashes. The ME Super was always one of those cameras I fancied owning. I never did get one.

[Peltigera]

Mar 15, 2014 18:54:11 GMT -5 philbirch said:

Gutted!! No chance to repair?

Well, I paid £5.00 for it so at that level it does not matter - but it was a nice camera to use and I no longer have a camera to fit the two K mount lenses.

I can fix a lack of oil most times but beyond that I have just too many thumbs and it will be cheaper to replace than to pay for a repair.

[lesdmess]

I may have missed someone pointing this out but since you have M42 lenses, you might consider an M42 to Pentax K adapter that will allow you to use the M42 lenses you already have on your K mount camera - perhaps in the future should you get another.


Below is my M42 Takumar fisheye on my ME Super using the adapter.