Got a 1960s Pentax Spotmatic in last week and the difference in feel vs a modern DSLR is night and day

I spent two days cleaning and adjusting that old Spotmatic... the shutter mechanism is just so much simpler and more direct than the electronic stuff I'm used to. There's something about the way those old mechanical cameras work that just feels right, you know? Has anyone else noticed how much smoother the old gear trains are compared to modern plastic parts?

2 comments

2 Comments

ben4861mo ago

the difference in feel vs a modern DSLR is night and day" - yeah I totally get that. I spent a whole Saturday trying to fix a stuck mirror on my old Yashica and somehow made it worse. The thing is those old cameras are like real tools with character, while my modern Nikon just feels like a computer with a lens. I think I dropped more screws than I actually adjusted that day, but it was still more fun than shooting with a plastic box.

the_susan29d ago

Oh man, I feel your pain with that Yashica. I've been there more times than I care to count. A trick I learned the hard way is to use a magnetized tray or a piece of cardboard with holes for screws when you take things apart. It saves you from crawling around the floor for hours later. Also, try using a drop of isopropyl alcohol on the mirror mechanism before you start cranking on it, it can break up the old grease that's likely causing the stick. If you're using flathead screws on old cameras, a properly fitting JIS screwdriver is a game changer vs a regular phillips which will just strip them out.