Finally got that old Pentax Spotmatic working after choosing original parts over generic

Had a dilemma on a 1971 Spotmatic - use a third party light meter or hunt down a vintage CDS cell from a donor body. Picked the original route and spent $18 on eBay for a parts camera. Thing meters perfectly now after calibrating it with my iPhone app. Any other tips for finding specific old parts without getting ripped off?

2 comments

2 Comments

hunt.quinn2d ago

That parts camera approach is the smartest way honestly. Those CDS cells degrade over time even if they're NOS so having a donor body means you get a matched circuit. Another trick is searching for "broken lens" or "for parts" listings for the same era lenses since they share internal components. Also check local estate sales listed on Facebook marketplace people sell old camera stuff cheap not knowing what they have.

jessica_hall491d ago

Exactly this. I've been down that road with a dead meter in a Canon FTb and ended up buying a whole junker body just to scavenge the CDS cell. Worked like a charm, matched right up. Another thing - check the solder joints on those old meters too. Sometimes it's not the cell itself but a cracked connection from age. Found that out after swapping three cells that were actually fine. Also hit up local camera shops that do repairs, they sometimes have bins of trashed parts cameras they'll sell you for next to nothing.