Best SLR with M42 mount ?

CameraQuest said:
A camera with lots more features than any mentioned so far, very reliable

is a Canon T90 with the M42 to FD adapter.

you lose auto diaphragm, but gain so much more its well worth the trade

lots of interchangeable screens

not only averaging, center, spot metering but also
MULTI SPOT METERING
Click to expand...

Re features of the Canon T90:
Is there/are there
-- *Real* Mirror Lock Up?
-- Interchangeable finders?
-- Battery independence?
-- Mechanical shutter speeds, at least *one* please?
 
I will put in another vote for the Spotmatic as king of the M42 bodies, but not far behind is the Fujica ST801. That was one of the very best cameras I've ever owned. The Spotmatic is just so simple, so smooth and I have a soft spot for it because it is what I learned how to shoot with. It is easy to find a Spotmatic in working condition at a thrift store or garage sale that is as smooth as a newly CLA'd Leica M4.

Phil Forrest
 
The Spotmatics have poor eye relief for eyeglass wearers, so I never got on with them. The KX and FX are a better solution if you wear glasses.
 
It's hard to beat the features on the Canon T90, but that camera is huge compared to some of the little Pentax cameras. If you don't mind toting it, it's a fine shooter, but it was just too large for my tastes. I like the F1 cameras better. A little smaller, but they weigh a ton. You could get a Canon AE-1 Program and shoot it in auto mode with stop down metering for small money w/ the adapter and have a camera that is smaller and lighter.
 
I haven't used many M42 cameras but out of those i did use, the Spotmatic was probably the best. Never got used to the stop-down lever on the front though.

IMG_5847.JPG
 
CameraQuest said:
A camera with lots more features than any mentioned so far, very reliable

is a Canon T90 with the M42 to FD adapter...
Click to expand...

I would prefer the whole EOS series when it comes to adapters.
Heavily used a long time by the way. With the right model you get AF-confirm on top!

But not shure if we get a bit far away now.
 
I would have to vote for the Spotmatic if you have Pentax m42 lenses as they're made for each other. I bought a Fujica ST 801 a few years ago ($45 on eBay, one of my luckier buys) for the few Pentax lenses I've accumulated. It's a superb camera, but it gets my second vote because it won't allow stop-down metering with the Pentax lenses. You have to meter by setting the aperture then simultaneously pressing the DOF button and half-pressing the shutter button. This is tricky as I find that I sometimes trip the shutter accidentally before getting a meter reading. The Fujica cameras are best suited to the superb Fujinon EBC lenses in my opinion.
 
If you're not familiar with these cameras I suggest you google their specs. Manual is here. Open aperture focusing, auto stop down metering with ALL auto lenses, auto electronic shutter but also full metered manual. 0.92 viewfinder. Top speed 1/2000th. The Chinon lenses might very well have been coated by Tomioka before Yashica bought the Tomioka factory. They have the same coating hues and are very sharp.
Not mentioned anywhere: I had a black paint Leica M3 at one time and I swear the paint quality on these Chinon puppies is identical. Semi-glossy black paint over brass.
My Memotrons were re-covered in leather, the green leather I received from a fellow RFF member several years ago, the brown leather is a thrift shop-purchased women's bag...

 
A build in meter a la Leica M6 classic would be perfect! It has to be mechanical and support the auto diaphragm of my lenses.
 
My vote goes to the Pentax Spotmatic F, with the other earlier Spotmatic variants as honorable mentions.
 
The Vivitar XC series (XC-2, XC-3 and XC-4) are the same size as a Olympus OM-1 and offer add-on auto exposure with the XC-A module. LED metering and my XC-2's film advance is even smoother than my M-3's !
 
Wow, the vivitars and memotrons are totally new to me and seem to be pretty cool.
I wish I was able to replace the shutter curtains in my Contax D - no instant return mirror but bright screen and solid body.

Here in Austria, the Prakticas seem to be the most common and inexpensive M42 cameras. In fact my first SLR was a Praktica MTL 5 - loud shutter but accurate reliable :)
 
Alea iacta est! The CE II Memotron is the next M42 camera Im going to buy. Incredible features and I think I can live the rather large body.

Thanks for your input... but keep em coming if you want to :)
 
santino said:
Wow, the vivitars and memotrons are totally new to me and seem to be pretty cool.
I wish I was able to replace the shutter curtains in my Contax D - no instant return mirror but bright screen and solid body.

Here in Austria, the Prakticas seem to be the most common and inexpensive M42 cameras. In fact my first SLR was a Praktica MTL 5 - loud shutter but accurate reliable :)
Click to expand...

I've just changed a set in one of those for someone. Did a beautiful job, too, but it looks like I will be doing them again, the excellent quality Aki Asahi cloth I used is thicker than original and the Contaxes seem to be very fussy about that point. It is a lovely camera and I have an immaculate one myself but they're proving to be a PITA to get running correctly. That said perhaps I am being unrealistic about the performance achievable by this particular shutter.
 
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