Focus problem

[steveandthedogs]

Just been given a Pentax ME Super, managed to sort out a couple of problems but it will not  reach infinity focus. 

Lens works fine on other cameras and other lenses will not work on this body.

No idea of the history of the thing other than it spent a few years on a shelf.

Any ideas anyone? Not come across this before.

S

[zou]

Jan 20, 2024 20:47:40 GMT steveandthedogs said:

Just been given a Pentax ME Super, managed to sort out a couple of problems but it will not  reach infinity focus. 

Lens works fine on other cameras and other lenses will not work on this body.

No idea of the history of the thing other than it spent a few years on a shelf.

Any ideas anyone? Not come across this before.

S

Will another lens reach infinity on the same body? When you say other lenses won't work is that because of compatibility or the same issue?

[John Farrell]

You need to check for infinity focus at the film plane, to see if your problem is with the mirror setting, or with the camera body. To do this, you need to put the camera on a tripod, shutter held open on B, fit a screen at the film plane ( I use a piece cut from a CD case, roughened with abrasive cleaner). Point the camera at a distant target, lens set at infinity, and examine the image through a magnifier. If it's in focus, the problem is with the mirror or the focusing screen. If it's out of focus, and the lens is fine on other cameras, the camera body is at fault, possibly from being dropped.

[peterob]

Jan 20, 2024 20:47:40 GMT steveandthedogs said:

Just been given a Pentax ME Super, managed to sort out a couple of problems but it will not  reach infinity focus. 

Lens works fine on other cameras and other lenses will not work on this body.

No idea of the history of the thing other than it spent a few years on a shelf.

Any ideas anyone? Not come across this before.

S

Not my kind of thing but is the non-attainment of infinity focus based on viewfinder information or is it at the film plane?  

edit: I was beaten to it by John who knows far better than I.

[John Farrell]

My setup for checking infinity focus. 

[steveandthedogs]

Jan 20, 2024 20:57:30 GMT zou said:

Jan 20, 2024 20:47:40 GMT steveandthedogs said:

Just been given a Pentax ME Super, managed to sort out a couple of problems but it will not  reach infinity focus. 

Lens works fine on other cameras and other lenses will not work on this body.

No idea of the history of the thing other than it spent a few years on a shelf.

Any ideas anyone? Not come across this before.

S

Will another lens reach infinity on the same body? When you say other lenses won't work is that because of compatibility or the same issue?

The lens that came with it works perfectly on other bodies. Other Pentax 50's will not work on this body. No compatibility problems.

S

[steveandthedogs]

Jan 20, 2024 21:05:03 GMT John Farrell said:

You need to check for infinity focus at the film plane, to see if your problem is with the mirror setting, or with the camera body. To do this, you need to put the camera on a tripod, shutter held open on B, fit a screen at the film plane ( I use a piece cut from a CD case, roughened with abrasive cleaner). Point the camera at a distant target, lens set at infinity, and examine the image through a magnifier. If it's in focus, the problem is with the mirror or the focusing screen. If it's out of focus, and the lens is fine on other cameras, the camera body is at fault, possibly from being dropped.

Good grief, I should have thought of that. My brain has gone on holiday somewhere.

I'd been coming to the thought it may have been dropped but it's in such lovely condition. I doubt it would be worth sending off to the mender's.

Oh well, I'll have a look in the morning. See if any light can make it through the rain and wind of Storm Isha.

Thanks John.

S

[John Farrell]

Jan 20, 2024 22:11:14 GMT steveandthedogs said:

Jan 20, 2024 21:05:03 GMT John Farrell said:

You need to check for infinity focus at the film plane, to see if your problem is with the mirror setting, or with the camera body. To do this, you need to put the camera on a tripod, shutter held open on B, fit a screen at the film plane ( I use a piece cut from a CD case, roughened with abrasive cleaner). Point the camera at a distant target, lens set at infinity, and examine the image through a magnifier. If it's in focus, the problem is with the mirror or the focusing screen. If it's out of focus, and the lens is fine on other cameras, the camera body is at fault, possibly from being dropped.

Good grief, I should have thought of that. My brain has gone on holiday somewhere.

I'd been coming to the thought it may have been dropped but it's in such lovely condition. I doubt it would be worth sending off to the mender's.

Oh well, I'll have a look in the morning. See if any light can make it through the rain and wind of Storm Isha.

Thanks John.

S

Another way of getting a "distant" target is to set up another camera, shutter open, lens on infinity, with a slide fixed in the film plane, and a light behind it. Use this as your target.

[steveandthedogs]

Looks like it's somewhere under the top plate.

May see about prices to sort out but I suspect it isn't worth it. Shame, otherwise in lovely condition.

S

[peterba]

Jan 21, 2024 15:20:43 GMT steveandthedogs said:

Looks like it's somewhere under the top plate.

May see about prices to sort out but I suspect it isn't worth it. Shame, otherwise in lovely condition.

S

It's really annoying - isn't it, Steve? A few years ago I happened upon an excellent-condition ME Super, which I bought. I used it a few times, until one day when I arrived home, got out of the car with the camera in a rucksack, and walked towards the house. While walking, I heard a noise..... which turned out to be the ME Super hitting the ground. I'd inadvertently left the rucksack zip partially undone.

The camera was damaged (ruined), and the lens was also slightly damaged.

Needless to say, the air turned blue for several minutes.

[steveandthedogs]

Ah well, in my case it was free, so in effect a free 50mm1.7

Just been checking prices to buy a body - not worth sending this one off, the postage alone would almost buy another body!

S

[peterba]

Jan 21, 2024 19:03:31 GMT steveandthedogs said:

Ah well, in my case it was free, so in effect a free 50mm1.7

Just been checking prices to buy a body - not worth sending this one off, the postage alone would almost buy another body!

S

Well done! The 50mm f/1.7 is a very nice lens, IMO.

The incident I related wasn't so much about the money (IIRC, I paid about £25 or £30), but about the trashing of a very nice camera and lens.

[neilt3]

If you haven't already , check the focus screen is the right way up .
If someone's had it out for cleaning and put it up with the ground face up ,rather than down (out) , focus will be 1mm or so out .
So no infinity focus in the viewfinder even though using a ground glass on the film plane would confirm infinity focus is correct .

[geoffr]

Jan 27, 2024 21:36:43 GMT neilt3 said:

If you haven't already , check the focus screen is the right way up .
If someone's had it out for cleaning and put it up with the ground face up ,rather than down (out) , focus will be 1mm or so out .
So no infinity focus in the viewfinder even though using a ground glass on the film plane would confirm infinity focus is correct .

Isn't there a tab that is supposed to prevent that?

[Ivor E Tower]

From memory.... I had a Pentax MX and that had interchangeable focus screens but I seem to recall that the ME and ME Super had fixed focusing screens. I suppose it is possible that someone worked out how they fitted and managed to remove it to clean it, then put it back the wrong way round