Im looking to replace my pentax mx

[gzisis69]

Hi there, im a happy owner of a pentax mx with a full line of lenses. I really like this camera, its interface, its small size, wiewfinder etc. However i have 1 problem. First im using at the last time the 50mm focal length most and the 50 1.7 and 50 1,4 are not so impressive lenses, at least for my taste. Im looking for a full manual slr at a small size almost as the pentax and a 50mm with it that delivers better as the pentax lenses. Any opinion ?

 

[littleearth]

There are many options, since almost all camera brands have a good manual SLR and a decent 50mm.

I am a Pentaxian, but I tend to shoot my Contax cameras more these days, mostly because I love the contrast and colors of the Zeiss glass.
My recommendation is the Yashica FX-3 or a Contax 139 and a Planar 50mm f1.4.

 

[John Bragg]

There are plenty of manual SLR cameras to choose from
Olympus OM1n and 50mm f1.8
and Nikon FM2n and 50mm f1.4 ais are particular favorites of mine. There seems to be another issue here also as the "Standard" 50mm lens is usually one of the sharpest performers in any brand of camera. What exactly do you find sub par with these lenses ? Do you have bad examples or has someone messed around with them ?

 

[gzisis69]

i actually dont like the contrast and the sharpness of the 50 1.4 and 1.7. they are just not my type of lenses. i was thinking of the nikon 50 1.2 or the planar 50 1.4 but how do they compare ?
#littleearth i dont know the yashica fx-3 and the contax 139 at all. What are the main differences ?
im looking for a small combo like the pentax..

 

[Ste_S]

What problems are you having with Pentax 50mm ? I have Zeiss c/y 50mm, Nikon ai 50mm, Olympus OM 50mm alongside the Pentax SMC-M. M

They’re all pretty much as good as each other.

 

[retinax]

I think you should look at other ways to work on contrast and sharpness. Whether you scan or wet print your film, there are lots of ways to work on contrast and sharpness. If you can describe in more detail or give examples, people on this forum my be able ot advise what to do. Are you absolutely certain you need other lenses?

If yes, as you like the camera and have other lenses, you could also think about locating one of the older (non-M) Pentax K Takumar lenses. Supposedly most of them are better than the smaller M lenses, although the 50mm Ms are hard to fault. You can also adapt M42 screw mount lenses to PK. There are a lot of options from other makers as well in M42. You'll lose automatic aperture, but you may be looking for something to use mostly wide open anyway I suppose? Because stopped down, differences between lenses get smaller.

 

[littleearth]

i actually dont like the contrast and the sharpness of the 50 1.4 and 1.7. they are just not my type of lenses. i was thinking of the nikon 50 1.2 or the planar 50 1.4 but how do they compare ?
#littleearth i dont know the yashica fx-3 and the contax 139 at all. What are the main differences ?
im looking for a small combo like the pentax..

They are both very small. The Yashica is a mechanical SLR, cheap and reliable while the Contax 139 is a small electronic SLR with manual, Aperture Priority controls and a bright viewfinder.

Can't speak for the Nikkor since I am not a fan of their 50's, their character just doesn't appeal much to me.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Honestly, you really can't get any "better" than the kit you already have. You can definitely get different, but not better. As was mentioned, find an 8 element Super Takumar or one of the Super-Multi-Coated Takumars with good yellowed thorium glass. Those things are incredible. If you are really looking to replace your kit, consider finding a Konica Autoreflex T4 and a 50mm f/1.7. The camera body is reasonably small, the lens pretty standard, the results are outstanding.

Phil Forrest

 

[Ste_S]

i actually dont like the contrast and the sharpness of the 50 1.4 and 1.7. they are just not my type of lenses. i was thinking of the nikon 50 1.2 or the planar 50 1.4 but how do they compare ?
#littleearth i dont know the yashica fx-3 and the contax 139 at all. What are the main differences ?
im looking for a small combo like the pentax..

A few things.

If you want the best sharpness and contrast on a neg, go and buy a Nikon or Canon AF SLR and a brand new modern 50mm for it. That way you're not dealing with 40-70 years of use/dust/fungus/haze/scratches/oil on elements etc

If you want to continue to use vintage glass and want the best sharpness/contrast, get the lenses serviced. Some are relatively easy to take apart and clean the elements yourself.

Lastly, what are you doing with the negs? The processes involved in wet printing or scanning have a large impact on sharpness and contrast. For scanning in particular, results from the same model of Noritsu across different labs can vary greatly. I can far more readily tell which lab did the scan than I can tell which lens the photograph was taken with.

 

[Huss]

I had to read the thread title several times to make sure it actually said what I thought it said.

 

[charjohncarter]

Something is wrong, I have the 50 f 1.7 and it is tops. I use it on a P3n which is full auto but has aperture priority and shutter priority. The 'A' setting on the shutter knob is great just set your lens aperture and fire. The only negatives are it has to have batteries to work, but I had the same batteries for 15 years and only changed them because I thought I should. AND there is no ISO changing, you have to shot the ISO or scrape and tape to change it.

I also like the split image focus, which allows for accurate focusing of wide angle lenses.

 

[twvancamp]

Something is wrong, I have the 50 f 1.7 and it is tops. I use it on a P3n which is full auto but has aperture priority and shutter priority. The 'A' setting on the shutter knob is great just set your lens aperture and fire. The only negatives are it has to have batteries to work, but I had the same batteries for 15 years and only changed them because I thought I should. AND there is no ISO changing, you have to shot the ISO or scrape and tape to change it.

I also like the split image focus, which allows for accurate focusing of wide angle lenses.

P3 is a great Pentax body--it has a really satisfying shutter sound too. Being stuck in DX mode is a bummer, but not a deal breaker. I shoot the Super A a lot, as it has the same focusing screen and that raised grip.

 

[Huss]

I'm using the P30T today. I really like it.

 

[aizan]

So what kind of contrast and sharpness do you like? Maybe you have to do some trial and error.

 

[nickthetasmaniac]

Hi there, im a happy owner of a pentax mx with a full line of lenses. I really like this camera, its interface, its small size, wiewfinder etc. However i have 1 problem. First im using at the last time the 50mm focal length most and the 50 1.7 and 50 1,4 are not so impressive lenses, at least for my taste. Im looking for a full manual slr at a small size almost as the pentax and a 50mm with it that delivers better as the pentax lenses. Any opinion ?

I can say with a fair degree of confidence that if you’re disappointed with the Pentax 50/f1.4 and 50/f1.7, you’re going to be disappointed with any classic Double Gauss fast fifty (ie. basically every Japanese 50mm up to the last few years). They all use the same basic optical arrangement and perform very similarly. The two Pentax’s are among the better examples.

I have the Olympus OM1n and Zuiko 50/f1.4 (probably the best alternative for a small, mechanical SLR) and there’s nothing in it performance wise...

 

[Doug]

Your MX and its Pentax 50mm lenses are excellent gear. There's "different", but IMO there's not "better." The Pentax MX is a very desirable camera. Given your dissatisfaction, I would agree with the suggestion above to look into the processing end of things: film choice, developing, printing, and scanning variations can make a huge difference in final results. Maybe search the RFF Gallery for photos using this gear, or the same on Flickr, and see if you find something to like, that's different from your own results.

 

[gzisis69]

i think id like more lenses that render like the leica or zeiss lenses. im
not selling the mx of course. but im not so happy with so old lenses i quess.. they habe haracter but id like something more modern and at the same time not clinical.

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

If you want modern Zeiss looks it would have to be either a Contax or a Yashica with Zeiss glass.

If you want Leica glass that's modern, you are not going to get very far with the proceeds from your Pentax!

 

[aizan]

There are Zeiss lenses in Contax/Yashica mount, Minolta A-mount, Nikon F-mount, Canon EF-mount, Pentax K-mount, M42...

 

[raid]

I agree with the suggestion that "something may be wrong" with your camera/lens set. I am using a Pentax-M 50/1.4 and I am getting really beautiful results on my M8 and M9. It could be that the mirror in your MX has moved, or something small that needs adjusting, or it could be your focusing with the MX.