My Pentax K1000 shutter froze solid at the worst time

I was halfway through a roll of Portra 400 at the Portland Japanese Garden last weekend when the advance lever just stopped moving. I had to finish the roll in my point-and-shoot, which felt like a total letdown after lugging the SLR around. Has anyone else had a classic camera just give up mid-shoot, and what did you do to fix it?

3 comments

3 Comments

craig.grace1d agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, that's the worst kind of camera betrayal. My old Canon AE-1 pulled the same move right as my niece was blowing out her birthday candles. The mirror just locked up with a sad little clunk. I had to finish the party with my phone, which felt like cooking a fancy dinner and then serving microwave pizza.

thompson.tyler1d ago

Yeah, that exact clunk is a sound you never forget. @craig.grace My old Pentax K1000 did the mirror lock-up thing during a friend's wedding toast. Had to just sit there and listen while holding a very expensive paperweight. The phone camera feels like such a letdown after you had the real thing ready to go. It's like the camera knows the most important moment to give up on you.

michaelrodriguez1d ago

Classic cameras have a sixth sense for the worst possible moment to quit. Mine gave up right as a bear walked into frame at Yellowstone.