Please help!! ME super problem!

Hi there, well i really have been stupid.. i have borrowed my dads pentax ME super to take on a trip to canada and i think i may have broken it... i am very anxious as he has had this for over 20 years and he is very attached to it! I am not very familiar with cameras and just thought id try and have a go at photography while i was here.. anyway what i did was decided to take the lens off and clean the mirror as there was some dirt in it... but i must have been too rough with it because half the mirror foam/cushion has fallen off (i dont know if it was already falling apart or not as the black bits i went to clean may have been from that)... i didnt know if it would matter at the time so basically carried on regardless but the next day after taking a couple of photos, the shutter has now jammed! it wont press down at all and the lever just wont wind at all, it feels really loose.. ive tried everything, new batteries, putting it on the 125x etc etc but after looking it up it appears it may be due to the mirror foam, is that correct?
If so, can the problem be fixed by just getting that replaced (and if so how much would it cost... in canada if anyone knows?).. if it needs further repairs does anyone have any idea how much it may cost because i am running low on money and an expensive repair may have to wait... any help at all would be greatly appreciated... thanks!!
Claire Tasker, from N wales UK

Hi Claire

First things first, don't, whatever you do, touch the mirror or shutter mechanism any more than you already have. These should never really be touched, as damage is easily done, as I fear you might be finding out.

Foam and rubber are used to damp the mirror when it swings up, if the rubber has come off it might now be jammed - is the mirror in the up or down position? There could be bits of debris in the shutter somewhere, which can be cleare dout but only by someone who knosws what they're doing - it's quite a jumble of parts back there, and they need to be arranged correctly as otherwise your shutter speeds will be wrong.

I would just take it into a camera shop and ask them to look at it just to get an opinion of the problem - you might have to try a few, as some are less helpful than others!

I repeat, do not try anything involving touching the mirror or shutter, especially do not force anything. Get a quick opinion, it could be something very simple, I'd recommend a small indepeendant camera shop as these tend to be run/staffed by enthusiasts and who would (in my experience) be more likely to help.

Good luck!

Matt

The foam can disintegrate, and I imagine that a possible cause of your problem is a small bit of foam getting stuck in the shutter and jamming it.

If you have a camera shop nearby, I should take it in and ask what they think. If you are lucky enough to find a competent person who knows these cameras, it is possible he might be able to help.

However, I suspect it will prove to be a repair job, and you are probably best advised to wait until you are back in the UK. These cameras are now available quite cheaply on the second-hand market, especially through Ebay, so a replacement might be cheaper than a repair.

I would strongly advise you NOT to try a DIY repair yourself.

Bad luck, and enjoy the rest of your holiday.

George