All of his information and warnings in the first 2 minutes re breaking the camera linkage if removing the standard prism before removing the lens are wrong. There is a concern on the 6x7 and 67 models where you are installing a metering prism, in that the prism should be installed without the lens on the body. This is an example of someone who is unfamiliar with a subject picking up bad info off RU-vid and repeating it. The left side spool retainer is designed to be stiff so the film roll remains tight and flat. Like many 120 roll film cameras, the Pentax may loosely spool the 120 film at take up without such retaining pressure, resulting in the roll jamming in the take up chamber or suffering light leaks. His may be too stiff and need a cleaning. His comparison of the 6x7 with GS645 folder (also one of my favorites) is like comparing apples and oranges. The Fuji is smaller format and largely plastic to save weight,very lightly built; the trade is that it is easy to damage. The Pentax is not. Compared to other 6x7 format cameras (Mamiya 7, Fuji GF670) it's not larger, but it is much heavier. Looks like Duncan bought his Pentax on line without first trying one out locally, and he is suffering buyer's remorse because its not what he expected. Whatever issues he has with this camera would sort out with a general CLA, about $125-150, which should be expected with a camera which is almost 50 years old. However, he's planning to return it to the seller after mucking up the light seals.
Randall Stewart hello there. Well as fare as the prism part goes I have been told by more than one person to remove the lens before removing the prism. And in a few online videos. It’s hard to find good documentations on these old cameras. I did my research on it and I came to this conclusion. I have no remorse on buying this camera. I will be buying it again. I absolutely love the way it feels and the photos it takes. The left spool was definitely too tight mate. Coking the film was supper super stiff. I asked my friend who owns the same one and told me that his was buttery smooth. So I understand that it needs to be stiffer but mine was way too stiff. And like I said I’ve seen online video of people needing to lubricate it cause it had gotten too stiff. I was just trying to share the few problems that I had with this camera. No where do I claim to be an expert. Although this isn’t my first film camera. Yes I bought it online at a really good deal. All was said was that I need to replace the seals. That’s all. I paid 600€ for the body and the 105mm 200mm and 135mm. Thanks for giving us your input I really appreciate every feedback. Have a good one ;)
@@DuncanDimanche-sreview Hi Baron Samedi. Maybe I came in a little late..the lens/prism thing refers to the TTL prism only. The TTL prism has a coupler for the chain in the camera body. Other prisms don't, so no problem - just lift the prism vertically and replace it. There is plenty of information on Pentax cameras and lenses: simply search for it. My suggestion: try pentaxforums first. Check the following link www.pentaxforums.com/forums/58-troubleshooting-beginner-help/372838-advisory-pentax-6x7-67-meter-coupling-chain-ttl-meter-prism.html As you can see, no problem in removing a TTL prism with the lens on, but better to remove the lens when you put the prism back on, since this operation resets the coupling pin on the chain. Of course inverting the lens/prism removal order works as well...but this does not mean that you have to remove the lens in order to be able to remove ANY prism without problems. Better for sure to remove the lens first, before you put back a TTL prism. 67 User Manual is here (and in many other places): www.cameramanuals.org/pentax_pdf/pentax_67.pdf (funny to see that people ask money for stealing from other sites manuals which forbid reproduction). By the way, when I was young (i.e. at the time this camera was popular) I remember that the major issue lamented by most professional photographers was the shutter jamming (go figure, if you consider materials and size...). Second place: mirror stuck. Check this page for help on this subject skrasnov.com/pentax-67/stuck-mirror-repair/ By the way, here you can find a copy of the complete 67 service manual (look for the link). Look, check, use your own head and beware of people who are just blabbering on RU-vid (and what is worse, is that they do not even know why they do it). Regards from Italy
I have a question about the PENTAX 67 Randall and Duncan if you can help me please. I have the 105, 55 and 75 all SMC pentax. For some reason, with the 105 and the 75, when I stop down the aperture in manual mode, it also stops down the lens. So if my lens is at 22, I can't even see what I'm trying to get in focus because it's too dark. The only lens that doesn't stop down is the 55 - I can see a bright screen at all apertures. Do you know why this happens to the 105 and 75 but not the 55? i have to focus wide open and then fix my fstop its pretty annoying. Do you have this issue or is my copy defective? the viewfinder is only bright in all apertures if i ahve the lens in automatic mode once i switch to anything lower than f11 i basically cant see anything in the viewfinder its wayyy too dark.
The requirement to remove the lens BEFORE removing the prism only applies to the TTL pentaprism meter, not the non-meter prism. The TTL pentaprism with meter has a pin that inserts into the chain whereas the non-metered prism does not. No risk of breaking the chain with the non-metered prism. BUT, it's good practice to remove the lens first regardless of the type of prism you have.
man ) you can't break the chain by taking off THIS prism because it's not coupled. this problem only occurs with TTL-prism which have lever to interact with chain.
In the past I used three Pentax 6 x 7 cm cameras (one Pentax 67 and two Pentax 67II) for weddings, birthdays and other types of photography. The theme of the video made me think that it was about the problems that you may get with this model. Instead, I found that what I though would be given as advice was what was actually being done incorrectly. The worst problem with the Pentax 6 x 7, 67 and 67II is not following the instructions on the user manual that warns about not turning the take up spool in the opposite direction. This is exactly what is seen in this video. The user is turning it both ways. A friend asked me a few months ago about renting him a Pentax 67 for a wedding he had to photograph. He mentioned that his Pentax 67 was not working. I found out that he had turned the take up spool in the opposite direction. He justified himself by saying that the camera was still working after that. The truth is that it doesn’t stop working instantly, but that the damage is already done. Returning this camera to the seller is not fair since the buyer already damaged the wind mechanism. It will continue to work for a while but it will stop at some point.
thanks for your feedback! i always appreciate those types of feedback cause this was my first Pentax 67. And i clearly did not know about the take up spool. The pentax that I received had a major issue with the winding mechanism though so I had to return it. (I think that it's what i am talking about in this video... i made it a while back) I will make a follow up video that talks about that... cause not many people have kept their user manuals when they resell their pentax. if there is anything else to look out for feel free to let me know
Wait, are you saying that if you accidentally spin the take up spool in the wrong direction that you essentially ruin the mechanism? That sounds like a horrible design flaw,
@@jaceleroy402 He much overstates his point, which IMO is that if you want to use any camera properly, it pays to read the manual. Watching a YT video is not a substitute, because there are so many "how to" videos done by people who do not know what they are talking about. For example, this P67 should have some resistance built into the mechanism holding the roll, but how much is not that critical. The only point really to be made here if that is you buy a camera which is forty years or more old, you must have it basically serviced. If you are too cheap to do that, and it fails to work properly, that's on you, not the camera.
For the first (left hand side) spool, it should have some tension so that the film is pulled tight when shooting. Being too loose will not keep the film firm and flat.
Got 4 Pentax 67s from Japan, all listed as 'working perfectly MINT' lol, all arrived with either fungus, electrical issues, shutter failure, TTL not working etc. Just don't Bother buying from Japan unless your physically there as there is no testing procedure, all their cameras are sitting around for years before they are used so they just sit there and jam up the magnet in the shutter etc.
that sucks big time ! if you buy them via ebay you can always return them. I did it and japanese people are very honorable when it comes to doing business. they paid for the return shipping
@@DuncanDimanche-sreview they do but in the UK here we have to pay the import duty and then claim it back through HM revenue and customs which takes a eternity. So your constantly down on money due to their incompetence of selling cameras lol that apparently work fine, i’ve even asked them to check the camera before they send it and they say it’s working fine then it arrives completely broken. It’s extremely frustrating
thanks for the video. what i miss is that video is that you should tell the people that, even if everything should of course work when the buyer said it is, they should not expect a new camera. a lot of people who are new in the film game are not aware how old some of these cameras are and how crazy it is that they still work. you also should mention that almost every camera that is older than 30 years, needs a CLA on some point.
5:20 The size difference is not because of the retractable lens or smaller negative, but mainly because the Pentax 67 is a SLR with a mirror and a housing for it, while the Fujifilm GS645 is a rangefinder with no need for space for a big slapping mirror. There are SLR 6x4.5 camera's that are not a lot smaller than the Pentax 67. Like the Pentax 645 or 645N. Same boxy shape like the Pentax 67. Nice work on the video, but it could have used some more research, a couple of small mistakes, as already mentioned below.
hi there :) Well the pentax is known to be a monster of a camera. I have a 6x6 slr that looks tiny next to the pentax. Not gonna lie I can't remember all I said in this video cause it had been a while. But yeah rangefinders with their leaf shutters don't need a mirror for the mechanism which like mirrorless helps with the flange distance. So yeah you are correct that it's not just the lens... BUT the size of the lenses though !!!! I went to buy a 55mm and it was sooooo big haha i think the size of the Fuji or more :)
The TTL prism can be a problem and it can damage the chain if taken off with the lens on. The normal prism (that you have) won't do any harm to the chain as there is no linkage between the two. The other best thing to do is put some film in the camera and shoot a test roll, that will be the final test.
6:22 Until I saw the comparison with the Canon EOS-1 D Mark II N, I thought that the Pentax 67 is a pointless big camera. A small 135-film (full frame digital) camera seems MUCH bigger. We almost have to reckon with some trouble with a 50-year-old camera. It's great anyway!
So what was done about the shutter not firing? I’ve loaded my camera with film, changed the battery, and set it to manual and still the button will press but the shutter isn’t firing Is there any fix or do I need to send this back to Japan?
I’m sorry that you have had problems with it. 🤨 I’m in the market for one and will heed your advice concerning these potential pitfalls. Hopefully you’ll get one that is up to spec. Thanks for the priceless advice!😀👍
Thanks for your message :) There are a few models to choose from but I would stick with the MLU one (Mirror Lock Up) cause it's the latest one of the 6x7. I hear that the 67 has lots of electronics and if it breaks you can't fix it for cheap. And the prism is very dark I also read that the prism with the TTL is very dark and hard to focus with. The 67II is VERY expensive so I don't find it worth it.
Warning : turning the spool in the opposite direction like I am doing in this video will break your Camera ! so don't do it ! thanks to @fotografia Versatil for the tip ! There are a few models to choose from but I would stick with the MLU one (Mirror Lock Up) cause it's the latest one of the 6x7. I will make a video on this subject soon but here are some tips in the meantime I hear that the 67 has lots of electronics and if it breaks you can't fix it for cheap. And the prism is very dark I also read that the prism with the TTL is very dark and hard to focus with. The 67II is VERY expensive so I don't find it worth it. this is the wiki link camera-wiki.org/wiki/Pentax_67 awesome article : jeffandmichelephoto.com/learn/what-are-the-differences-between-pentax-67-models
I also have the same issue with the left side being too stiff! I tried to load a film roll in it and thought it was the dead battery that was causing that problem.
Great video and info man . I think I seen this model in a store today . Is it normal for the shutter to sound like a machine gun ? It kind of sounds like it’s taking a picture twice . Idk how to explain it lol . But apparently everything is good and tested on the camera .
Ok cool lol . I didn’t have to open the back door to wind the film lever though . I just clicked the shutter and winded it . But I did notice the exposures was not moving . No film inside the camera btw . The body is a little scratched up but I still might pull the trigger .
If I may ask how did you have to pay the import taxes? I'm looking for one on eBay that would be coming from Japan to the U.S and I'm trying to figure out how people pay them.
you're complaining about the size of a medium format camera and comparing it to other 35mm cameras which shoots 4 times smaller film format... not a fair comparison..
Patrick Kendall .... the Pentax 67 is known to be a beast... there are tons of other medium format cameras that are much smaller and lighter... so yeah... not really sure what you are complaining about mate :)
Duncan Dimanche .. a Pentax 6x7 is actually the smallest 6x7 camera in its class.... compare it to a Mamiya RZ67 or RB67 or a Bronica GS-1 not a 645 or 35mm camera, it’s not fair.. Also you’re wrong about the back film spool being bad, my 6x7 is just as Tight and it works perfectly with a spool of 120 roll on it.. keeps the tension on the film.. I saw that same RU-vid video and was worried until I tried it with film..
I had a 6x7 and 67 both with ttl prisms. for ten years without any problems. Not a camera for an inexperienced photographer. A Mamiya Six would suit a weak person like you better.
