Free Pentax kit from the in-laws... What to do?

[rkm]

I've brought my family to Perth for a holiday, and to visit relatives. I've been happily shooting away with my Nikon FE/FM setup. My father in law, who is a devout Pentax user (currently with a DSLR), noticed my film habit and proceeded to produce a bunch of old Pentax bits and pieces to donate to my antiquated cause.

Included:
- Pentax SL body (basically a meterless Spotmatic)
- Super Takumar 55/2 (this feels lovely)
- a pretty little metal Hoya hood for the 55
- Auto Vivitar 135/3.5
- Phot-All 400/5.9 (this thing's a bazooka)

Most of the above is very clean, near mint. I think the 55/2 has my attention the most. I'll probably just need to replace the camera seals on the SL to get up and running (so not much investment on my part).

I guess my question is, is there much point in me pursuing the Pentax screw mount system? Are there any special lenses that would make it particularly worthwhile?

http://s710.photobucket.com/albums/...on=view&current=null.jpg&evt=user_media_share

 

[petronius]

You shoot film and you are offered a nice film kit for free - take it and shoot!

 

[kshapero]

That 55 mm lens is a duzey. Go out and enjoy it.

 

[rkm]

You shoot film and you are offered a nice film kit for free - take it and shoot!

Absolutely, and I will. The camera will need new seals first, though.

I guess I am wary that more gear can become a distraction. But I'm equally curious to explore a new system I know nothing about, and want to know what options it might open up for me.

Cheers

 

[rkm]

That 55 mm lens is a duzey. Go out and enjoy it.

Excellent! The focussing feels so smooth. It's a nice size too.

Is there a particular wide angle lens that has a good rep?

 

[séamuis]

there are a plethora of lenses that could make it worthwhile, that 55 is just the tip of the iceberg. the Takumar m42 lenses from 1957 to the end of the screwmount era in 1975 are easily considered amongst the finest lenses available, certainly some of the finest to ever leave japans shores (don’t mean to offend evangelists of other well known japanese brands of course) and Asahi Optical. (Pentax) quite famously partnered with Zeiss in the early 70s. there partnership created the very well known 15mm 3.5 rectilinear lens.

I feel a bit different about the SL though. if you are going to lug around a spotmatic sized and weight body, it may as well be a proper spotmatic with a meter. luckily millions were made and there are still plenty of places the world over that services them. so they are generally cheap and plentiful. if you like meter less cameras though, I would actually recommend a pre-spotmatic model, something like an SV or and S3 or maybe an S1a.

 

[it'sawhat?]

wides that stand out the 35/3.5 and 28/ 3.5 . I'm not really into wides but would not hesitate to jump on either one of those. super tak slightly better than tak but wouldn't pay a lot more for the super. For a tele the 135/ 3.5 it another great lens.

 

[Michael Markey]

I have a small selection of M42 lenses for my Spotmactic including the 28/3.5.
You`ll be surprised at the quality ...they`re very nice.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

+1 to what Michael said. I have been saying for a while that Pentax thread-mount lenses are the best bang for the buck in photography these days. All-metal construction, coated glass, great optical quality. You couldn't build and sell those lenses at less than $1000 a pop these days. And like Leica products, the amount of the stuff still in service is a testament to its durability.

 

[Pete B]

Use it as you wet weather kit.
Pete

 

[Roger Hicks]

They're nice -- and there are innumerable dirt cheap, high quality lenses available, especially the 85/1.9. In the early 60s they were better regarded by many than Canon SLRs.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Livesteamer]

If I remember correctly, the Pentax SL is uncommon and therefore more valuable than a normal Spotmatic. The meter switch on the Spotmatic was sometimes trouble and I don't really trust elderly meters anyway. Look at the price for unmetered Nikon F prisms. The Pentax lenses are wonderful and inexpensive. I like the earlier Pentax's like the SV/H3v but the Spotmatic series is more refined and mechanically robust. Since it's from family, use it gently and preserve it. If you do need a wet weather camera, get a Nikonos III with the wonderful 35mm f2.5 lens. Enjoy. Joe

 

[Roger Hicks]

If I remember correctly, the Pentax SL is uncommon and therefore more valuable than a normal Spotmatic. The meter switch on the Spotmatic was sometimes trouble and I don't really trust elderly meters anyway. Look at the price for unmetered Nikon F prisms. The Pentax lenses are wonderful and inexpensive. I like the earlier Pentax's like the SV/H3v but the Spotmatic series is more refined and mechanically robust. Since it's from family, use it gently and preserve it. If you do need a wet weather camera, get a Nikonos III with the wonderful 35mm f2.5 lens. Enjoy. Joe

Dear Joe,

Hmmm. Not sure about that. Pentax moved factories in about 1967, as far as I recall, greatly increasing their production rate at the same time, and the pre-67 cameras -- like you, I love SVs -- always seemed better made to me (and, according to friends in the trade, attracted fewer warranty claims).

Most seem to have slow shutters nowadays, though, after 40-50 years.

Cheers,

R.

 

[mep]

I agree with the smoothness. I got my first Super Takumar lens - the 1.8 55 - a couple of months ago (for about $4 too), and it's like twiddling lubed silk. Enjoy...

 

[Livesteamer]

Roger is likely correct about the quality of Pentax SV's compared to Spotmatics. I am just going on personal experiences. My brother used Spotmatics for many years with no trouble as a few others I've known. My first H3v which I got in 1969 used, had a problem with mirror occasionally hanging up. That one is long gone but I have several more H3v's now and one of them also has a mirror hang up at times. Still, I love the ergonomics and focusing screen of the H3v/SV and those Takumar lenses are wonderful. I use the 28mm f3.5 on my Leica IIIc with an adapter. Joe

 

[mfogiel]

You can get a m42 to Nikon adapter for a few dollars - it will not give you infinity focus, but you can use the 55mm within about 3m range, which is enough for portraiture, I would not bother with old Pentax cameras - the VF is simply too dim.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Roger is likely correct about the quality of Pentax SV's compared to Spotmatics. I am just going on personal experiences. My brother used Spotmatics for many years with no trouble as a few others I've known. My first H3v which I got in 1969 used, had a problem with mirror occasionally hanging up. That one is long gone but I have several more H3v's now and one of them also has a mirror hang up at times. Still, I love the ergonomics and focusing screen of the H3v/SV and those Takumar lenses are wonderful. I use the 28mm f3.5 on my Leica IIIc with an adapter. Joe

To me, the SV the nearest SLR you can get in 'feel' to a screw-mount Leica.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Roger Hicks]

You can get a m42 to Nikon adapter for a few dollars - it will not give you infinity focus, but you can use the 55mm within about 3m range, which is enough for portraiture, I would not bother with old Pentax cameras - the VF is simply too dim.

Not all would agree with you.

Cheers,

R.

 

[séamuis]

I’m not sure why some people seem to have the idea that the spotmatics were somehow less reliable or lesser engineered or manufactured. Asahi Optical stopped producing completely hand assembled and hand tested camera bodies and lenses in the early 60s and moved to mass manufacture with the introduction of I believe the S2. byte era of the spotmatic they were in full mass manufacture mode and were churning out more spotmatics than most of the other camera manufacturers were turning out with all there models combined. but the fact that the Spotmatic has seen hard use by professionals of all levels (including the US Army) for many years is certainly a testament to their quality engineering and design.

he pre-spotmatics are certainly beautiful and very jewel like, equally on par with anything leica produced in the same era. but the spotmatics are, because of their simpler design, far more robust and better suited to hard work than just about any camera they ever produced before or after. including the LX.

I use a spotmatic everyday. have been for years, never had a single fault with it. your SL will hold up just the same I would imagine.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I’m not sure why some people seem to have the idea that the spotmatics were somehow less reliable or lesser engineered or manufactured. Asahi Optical stopped producing completely hand assembled and hand tested camera bodies and lenses in the early 60s and moved to mass manufacture with the introduction of I believe the S2. byte era of the spotmatic they were in full mass manufacture mode and were churning out more spotmatics than most of the other camera manufacturers were turning out with all there models combined. but the fact that the Spotmatic has seen hard use by professionals of all levels (including the US Army) for many years is certainly a testament to their quality engineering and design.

he pre-spotmatics are certainly beautiful and very jewel like, equally on par with anything leica produced in the same era. but the spotmatics are, because of their simpler design, far more robust and better suited to hard work than just about any camera they ever produced before or after. including the LX.

I use a spotmatic everyday. have been for years, never had a single fault with it. your SL will hold up just the same I would imagine.

It's probably because there were QC issues when they moved factories and greatly increased production, and they never quite recovered the reputation they had before. Unfairly, perhaps.

Cheers,

R.