Can we talk about the old guy with the Pentax 67 in Seattle?

He came into the shop last Tuesday with this huge medium format camera, said it was his dad's. The mirror was locked up and he was ready to give up on it. I got the bottom plate off and found a tiny spring had just popped out of its seat near the mirror box. Took maybe ten minutes to put back, but his face when it clicked again was something else. He kept saying he thought it was a goner. How often do you get a fix that simple on a camera that looks so scary from the outside?

3 comments

3 Comments

clairepark25d agoTop Commenter

Oh man, that's the best kind of fix. It's always the most intimidating looking cameras that have the silliest, simplest problems. He was probably imagining some crazy expensive gear repair bill, and it was just a little spring having a bad day. Those old Pentax 67s are built like tanks, so it figures the issue was something tiny. Honestly, half the time people bring in "broken" gear, it just needs a good cleaning or one small part put back in place. You love to see it.

susan_chen25d ago

I get what you mean @clairepark, but I've seen the opposite too. Sometimes that "tiny" problem is a symptom of a bigger issue, like a worn-out part that's tough to find. A simple spring replacement can lead you to discover other failing components inside. It's not always a quick win.

harper90824d ago

It's also a gamble on how much the owner values the camera. Some folks see a big repair bill and decide it's not worth fixing, even if the camera itself is fine.