Pentax 67II repair & common faults
Excellent coverageThe Pentax 67II is a medium format SLR built around the 6x7cm frame, the refined 1998 successor to the original 67. It pairs an electronically governed vertical metal shutter with TTL metering and a mirror box that is doing a lot of mechanical and electrical work each time you release the shutter, which is where most of its age-related faults show up.
TTL aperture-priority auto exposure with spot and average metering · Electronically governed vertical metal focal plane shutter, 1/1000 to 4 sec plus B · Instant-return mirror with lock-up · 4 × AA batteries · Pentax 67 bayonet mount
Common Pentax 67II faults
Pentax 67II shutter won't fire
On this body the shutter release is gated by the mirror and metering electronics, so a dead fire can mean flat batteries, a mirror that hasn't fully returned, or a fault in the release circuit itself. Worth checking fresh AAs first, since the electronics simply refuse to trigger below a voltage threshold. Beyond that it needs the body open to say which.
Pentax 67II meter not responding
A dead or erratic needle usually traces to the battery contacts, the CdS metering cell, or the switch that wakes the meter on a half-press. It is worth confirming the batteries are fresh and seated, since corrosion or weak cells are a common cause on a camera this age. If a good set changes nothing, the meter circuit or cell itself needs attention.
Pentax 67II shutter capping at high speeds
A dark band across part of the frame only at faster speeds points to the two shutter curtains falling out of sync, so the second curtain starts to catch the first before the exposure finishes. It is a timing fault in the shutter mechanism rather than anything the user can correct, and it tends to worsen if left, so it is worth having looked at before it spreads to more of the speed range.
Pentax 67II mirror stuck up
A mirror that stays up after firing, or won't drop when lock-up is cancelled, points to the mirror return mechanism or its linkage to the shutter cycle rather than anything electrical. It is common on bodies that have sat unused for long periods. Worth checking the mirror lock-up lever is fully in the normal position before assuming a fault, but a genuinely stuck mirror needs the mechanism serviced.
Pentax 67II film advance stiff or won't wind on
A wind lever that binds or won't complete its stroke usually means the advance gearing or the shutter-cocking linkage it drives is dragging, sometimes from old grease gone thick, sometimes from a part wearing. It is a mechanical fault rather than something to force, since pushing a jammed advance further tends to turn a simple fix into a bigger one.
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Try it now ›Scatto is a reference tool for people who service film cameras. It explains mechanisms and quotes service data, but it cannot see your camera at the bench, so verify anything load-bearing before you act on it.