Best M42 mount SLR

[Valkir1987]

The Praktica Nova, or the L series with the cloth shotter are quite reliable. The MTL series have an 'Achilles heel', the shutter can either jam or do a self release after winding when the mechanism is not properly lubricated. Repair is possible, but the fault returns in most cases.
I love the Praktica Bajonet series for being compact, but you have to use an adapter for M42.

I prefer the Zenit 12xp or EM, if you can miss the slow speeds. (The TTL has a too dark silkscreen. I like the Zenit for being simple and reliable.

Or just get the Yashica 😉

 

[rbsinto]

Either that or the Chinon CE-2 Memotron, which offers wide open focusing and stopped down metering with ALL M42 lenses. It has AE mode as well as fully metered manual. Plus, its shutter is electronically controlled, so it exposes at any intermediate speed between 1/1 and 1/2000th of a second. Real nice when shooting slide film!

Not to mention that it is black paint over brass which is remarkably similar to that of Leica black paint.😎

The Fujica is considerably smaller and lighter though, the finder is a bit brighter and if I recall correctly it might have a 1:1 finder when using a 55mm 1.8 EBC-Fujinon. 😱

I was given a Chinon CE-3 with a motor dive and a bag of lenses. It was an excellent camera, but I ended up selling all of it just because it was too much trouble to run so many different systems. I'm sticking with my Nikon F and S systems which give me everything I want or need.

 

[DanOnRoute66]

A black Bessaflex TM would be my choice - if only I could find one.

Ditto! Brightest viewfinder I've ever seen in an M42-mount camera.

 

[sepiareverb]

I use my father's old Mamiya 1000TL with a 35/2.8 Pentax lens that belonged to my wife's grandfather to do all the demos in my classes. The camera could use a CLA as it has gotten a bit sticky at slow speeds, but still meters accurately and exposes well above 1/8.

I remember when my father bought that camera, we were in Puerto Rico for 6 months in '66 as he did some graduate work or something and I quite clearly remember him and my uncle coming home from the camera store with boxes and cameras. My uncle got a Spotmatic, which I believe he still has. All the slides of me and my siblings were shot with that Mamiya. It was replaced with the first AF Minolta SLR.

The 35 has (I think) some interesting history, I believe it was used to shoot some of the images in the Time/Life Photography series (which was his baby). The examples of "How Distance Affects Depth of Field" in "The Camera" are on his deck, and it is quite likely they were shot with this lens, his only 35mm.

 

[f16sunshine]

I love my Black Asahi Spotty. Looks great, works perfect maybe it's time for a CLA maybe not.

Since I bought a load of that 2 for 1 Ilford HP5 I have wanted a real spot meter and AE. Lately my favorite m42 camera is a Contax RX with a simple CY/M42 mount adapter . Best "M42" camera I ever used. Most of my M42 lenses are old Zeiss and Meyer pre-sets or simple apertures so working stopped down is a no brainer.

 

[cambolt]

My Asahi Pentax Spotmatic SP is my current user, and I'm loving every minute of it. It has some of the mechanical perfection of leicas, and the lenses are dirt cheap

 

[stevebrot]

I own a Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL and a Ricoh Singlex TLS and both have several plus points in their favor. I have also shot with a Spotmatic and have to say that it is a true classic. But the nicest M42 SLR I have ever used was a Pentax SV. Despite lacking an internal meter, my time with the "Sightseeing Screwmount" (LINK at Pentax Forums) was one of the most pleasant camera experiences of my life. I even took a second round with the SV, I liked it so much.


The Sightseeing Screwmount (Pentax SV) taking a break in the Columbia River Gorge


Steve

 

[Crazy Fedya]

My favorites are Pentax H2, H3 and H1a. They are also known as S2, S3 and S1a outside of US. Simple, smallish, vintage. Lack of built in meter makes them very similar to my Contax, Kiev and FED rangefinders. I think I just prefer cameras, that don't depend on batteries.

 

[Crazy Fedya]

Oh, yeah, and those Takumars... I love the look they give and how they are to handle...

 

[Livesteamer]

Another vote for the Pentax SV/H3v. I have trouble trusting old meters and while the Spotmatic is/was a good camera they sometimes have trouble with the meter switch. The H3v is basic and wonderful. It feels good in my hands and has a focusing screen that works well with my middle aged eyes. The Takumar lenses are also wonderful and inexpensive. Joe

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Another vote for the Fujica ST-801.

Phil Forrest