My MZ-7 has had a thrombi

Hi to you all out there. I have recently purchased a Pre-owned MZ-7 from a private seller,it was fine after installing new CR2's and running the roll of film that was already loaded through the camera.
The odd/coincidental thing about the roll of film - there had already been 6 exposures on it and when I contacted the seller I was told that the film was of no importance.
I ran the film through on just candid and random shots around and about my local area and the results were rather good albeit all were taken in Auto mode.
I loaded another film and went out with a measure of more serious subject shooting and the camera seized and the mirror is locked in the up position albeit I can drop it with my finger nail and it just springs back when released.
The film will not rewind with the concealed rewind button and the batteries are now all-but exhausted.
I have even attempted to activate the camera in manual mode but - nothing.
I am beginning to suspect electronic circuitry issues and possibly internal gearing/cogs.
Is this camera repairable or a bin job?

Based on how cheap they are now, I'd think the bin.

Unfortunately the MZ range was cheaply made, despite the selling price, and some, if not all, had plastic gears for film transport. The gears fail over time and this could be what you're experiencing.

I too have an MZ-7 (that I rarely use now) and am keeping my fingers crossed.

I had a similar problem with my Pentax MZ7, the shutter seized up and despite all modes lighting up on the dial the camera refuses to operate.
In answer to your question, I'm afraid the cost of a repair, will be prohibitive, and the answer is to purchase a good Pentax DSLR.
I bought a K20D.

Kindest regards,

Peter.

Just thinking this through further, when you loaded the new film did it advance to frame 1 automatically?

Presumably the 'lock up' occurred when you pressed the shutter button?

Is anything showing on the top LCD?

Have you tried taking the batteries out for a while and then putting them back in?

Hi to JohnX & Peter. Thank you both for your replies,it looks very like I have been had !!!!!!!!!!!!!
The more that I think about the whole process of buying the camera the more I can see that it probably had an intermittent fault that might have cleared by leaving it "resting" and then I come along and insert new batteries and start it off again.
I bought this one to be able to just have a camera at the ready in the car,it would certainly appear that the best part of the deal was the rather well cared for Lowepro EX 140 camera bag that came with the camera.
Peter. Thank you for your suggestion to go with a good DSLR but I think that the K20D will have to be put on the back-burner.
I have just recently added to my trusty old Yashica 230AF 35mm film camera kit with another Yashica 230AF absolute mint body and a GENUINE YASHICA 75-300mm MACRO ZOOM lens. Both were bought separately a few days apart from a dealer in Pudsey
I have had my original outfit since buying new in the summer of 1988.

I actually do have a couple of other MZ-7's with both 28-80 & 35-80 lenses - so perhaps all is not lost.
They have both been trialled since buying them and to-date are holding-up.

You could always invest in another one https://www.pentaxuser.com/forum/topic/pentax-mz7-with-28-80-lens-52449

Hi again JohnX. Yes you are absolutely correct,the lock-up occurred after pressing the shutter release.
Everything appeared normal on the LCD screen and the new film when loaded was transported and confirmation was there on the LCD screen with the indicator showing 1 on the LCD screen.
I have not been getting any hint of heat about the camera albeit the batteries have all but totally drained.
An odd thing had occurred that I failed to mention. It would appear that the film was still being transported after the lock-up occurred and possibly because I had pressed the shutter release a few times in an attempt to free-up the mirror.
I resorted to removing the film by opening the back and retrieving it.
I tried the removal and resting procedure but will try it again and leave it for a couple of days and then post an update.

The MZ series were actually highly thought of at the time, particularly the more upmarket ones such as the MZ-5 and MZ-3. Unfortunately there are a few potential faults as they age and probably become unrepairable.

You may be better off with the MX or K1000, fully manual cameras that can be more easily repaired if necessary. They are all getting a bit long in the tooth now, but if you can find a good one then they are very usable.

Watch out for disintegrating foam seals in older cameras. They can easily be replaced, but if ignored can make a bit of a mess, especially if they turn to black sludge.

I have owned over 30 cameras in the MZ range - including 8 MZ 7s.

Unfortunately what has happened to you is very common - although more so in the MZ 50s and 30s.

It is always the same problem - a small plastic gear cog fails and the only thing to do is throw the camera away.

In fairness to the person you bought this from - these can go at any time without any warning - exactly the same has happened to me both as a buyer and a seller of these cameras.

The only 2 models in the range that this has not happened to me with is the MZ 6 and the MZ S. I can not confirm whether it is true but I was told that these 2 models both have metal gears instead of plastic.

Carl


Regards
Carl

Hi Carl. Thank you for your reply. Yes I am totally aware that it the luck of the draw and that the previous owner cannot be held responsible (unless of course it was known and the camera was "left to rest" and then sold. The inclusion of a part used film that I finished shooting with and no batteries until I had put brand new ones into it should have alerted me - but then. Am I being a little cynical?

I have a mint FA 28-80 mm & a mint FA 80 mm-320 mm.
I don't believe my camera's problem is one of film transport, rather it's a jammed non operational shutter.

Given that DSLR's are so much more flexible, and there is no problem of some berk walking in front of your camera when one has taken a shot, as there is with film cameras.
One is now able to review the shot, and if it's crap one can recompose and shoot again and it's not wasted.

Film is so expensive these days, chemicals are extortionate and have a limited shelf life, whereas one can print one's own photographs, and edit with such good programs such as Adobe Lightroom.
If you still yearn for film cameras, and your eyesight is pretty good, I would advise you to get a good Pentax Super A or a Program A(the Super A being the better of the two, having both shutter & aperture priority modes.)
I hope that this gives you food for thought.

Kindest regards,
Peter.

Reading the OP, it seems the camera was fine shooting the first roll of film. It was working then, on the second roll it wasn't. To be honest, cameras can fail and when they do it's sudden. This couldn't be forseen could it? I had an *ist that worked fine when tested and the next time it was switched on didn't work fine, the shutter release board had gone kaput.

The other thought I had was to say never mess with the mirror mechanism. It's very precise and fragile, and flicking it with a thumbnail isn't a good idea. Mirrors usually lock up because of a power supply failure, so check the battery contacts as a starting point. It's probably not worth a repair as buying another may be far cheaper.

Hi John. My attempt to lower the mirror was carried out in the lightest of contact terms - yes I do know how delicate the internals of an SLR are. It was done from the very centre of the mirror frame.
Yes,the issue of electric circuits is also something that I have experience of but not camera related. Mother boards,PCB's and the like and especially those associated with modern-day automotive functioning and the insistence for multiple earthing.
The battery supply and contacts are all fine,indeed when the power switch in the off position must be a serious clue as to what has gone belly-up - there is a sound of motion or a motor activating as the battery hatch is closed and before it is secured!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am advised that repairs are a very very definite NO NO even if parts were available.
If it was repairable,there is a very definite possibility that as is the case with many many modern products - a newly inserted part will bring about failure in another.
A bit like giving a 90yr old a new heart and lungs but not the knees to take up running again.