magnetoman wrote:
In the day I developed my own, and loaded it from bulk, but I’m afraid I’ve no enthusiasm for that nowadays - my Ps composites take up any spare time I have! I do still have a very nice 135/2.8 lens (M42) that I hoped to give with the Pentax but find it is solid. No way can it be focused! I think it would need taking apart to free it, such a shame, it gives super results.
I was not suggesting that you take up film again. Maybe, if your niece wants to take up film, she might be interested in diving in head first.
As for the lens, I had a Leica lens from my father and the aperture ring was frozen. I did not take the lens apart, for fear of not getting it back together; but I did dunk a Q-tip in rubbing alcohol and run it around the tiny gap so that a small amount would enter the lens. It totally freed up the ring and has been working like a charm ever since. You might be able to get the same results by trying to get some alcohol into the helicoid and loosening the old grease. I'm not giving any guarantees; but the lens is unusable now, and might be salvageable without the bother and stress of open heart surgery. Just a thought.