Looking For a SLR For My M42 Helios Lens

[ronnies]

If you do pick a Spotmatic F for your Helios watch out for the design of the Spotty F mount. It has a groove cut into it for the locking pin which stops you from accidentally putting your SMC Takumars into manual mode. The narrow mount flange the Helios I have goes into this slot. Not a serious problem but it does increase the minimum focus distance a little and lets you focus past inifinity. 🙂

I use my M42 lenses on all sorts of cameras with adapters.

Ronnie

 

[santino]

Praktica MTL5 or if you want to go more expensive Praktica VLC with interchangeable prisms etc. or a nice Cosina Hi-Matic.

 

[Joosep]

I used to collect M42 stuff. Bessaflex is still in my collection, will never part with it. Is and was and will be my fav. SLR ever made. Everything about it just clicks, and oh.. the prism.....

Other than that, M42 world is really big. So you can go alot ways.
Fujica ST series are very nice quality, so little bigger, very nice VF metal camera. Petri MF-2 was probably the best huge VF/plastic body combo I have ever seen, does feel like a toy, but shoots awesome, next would be something like a Memotron. I used a Spotmatic for a few years, small all metal, nice VF. It was a great camera, I just didnt fall in love with it. I never liked Revueflex, Praktica, Cosina, Yashica cameras tho. They all were nice dont get me wrong, just did not click for me, totally 100% personal oppinion.
Now I have sold most of my M42 collection off. But the Bessaflex will be in my cupboard. Along with Exa 1b (I just love the design).