No love for Pentax?!

[amateriat]

There's been quite a bit of Pentax chit-chat here over the years. Yes, I'm a Pentax fan. I bought a new {blow on fingernails, wipe on blouse} black "press model" Spotmatic years ago and loved it except for the clumsy changing of lenses. I then traded for a K1000 which I still use regularly. It's now old enough to vote, old enough to drink, actually, but still performs like new. 🙂

Well, then, I'd call that a match! 😀


- Barrett

 

[BTMarcais]

Black MX, PZ1p, Spotmatic SPII and a K10d. Gotta love the size of the MX!
I keep on paring down my SLR's, but somehow managed to end up with all of those.
Did get rid of the ME super and K1000 SE a while back though.

-Brian

 

[Doug]

I've had Pentaxes a long time, and find them very comfortable to use. When my wife got interested in theatre photography, she chose Pentax too, starting with an ME Super. That one was junk after she spilled Coca Cola on it, and we got her a Ricoh XR, which didn't last even as long. Recognizing she's hard on gear, the next choice was the weather-sealed LX. When it went to Pentax for repairs, we got a second LX body as a spare; good thing as the first one was lost in transit. Thus a third LX, and she used these two thoroughly, almost to destruction before being "done" with the theatre work. The LX's went into storage for a few years, while she switched to a Nikon digicam, but I eventually dug them out to see if they worked. One was "used up" and the other went on to successful rebuild by Mr Hendrickson... not pretty, but it worked fine. Then I found a real clean LX on eBay along with a 1.2/50mm SMC. So we've had experiences with LXs!

For some reason my Pentaxes seem to come in pairs, so I have a bunch of "two each": 110 Auto, 6x7 (1 non-MLU), 67II, 645NII, Pre-Spotmatic (K + H3), Spotmatic Motor Drive (just one), ES (one is ESII), K2 (1 chrome, 1 black DMD), ME Super, MX (1 chrome, 1 black), LX, (ZX-M + MZ-M), (ZX-5n + MZ-3), and dSLR (K100D + K20D).

Being so "invested" in Pentax, there's little interest in branching out to other SLR brands, but I did inherit my Dad's Olympus Pen FT, added another FT and an FV, then got a cheap OM-G so I could use the Tokina 500mm mirror I'd gotten in OM mount by mistake!

I have no reservations about Pentax lenses; they've been outstanding all along. I read once that Asahi Optical had early-on set their goal to match or exceed Zeiss quality.

 

[Al Patterson]

For the record, my Samsung DSLR is a re-badged Pentax. Samsung GX 1s, is some mod of one of the *ist 6 megapixel Pentaxes.

But, Pentax is a small sample of the SLR brands owned around here.

 

[titrisol]

ssshhhhhh.... don't say it too loud, proces will go through the roof!!!

Pentaxians always show up their stripes.....
I love pentaxes, my dad's Spottie was my first SLR, used it for years before switching to Nikon FE2 in the early 90s. But never sold it.....
Now I have a few models, and got love rekindled after I was given an ME Super. I find the AF bodies good, after looking for lenses for my dad-in-law K100D I got a few MZ/ZX bodies attached to those lenses.

@TedWhite, the KX is just like a Spottie with K-mount and I like it quite a lot.

 

[tedwhite]

Titrisol: The one that was recently given to me is actually a KM; probably also a spottie with a K-mount. I hear the meter is activated by removing the lens cap? Can't tell yet as the battery's dead.

 

[titrisol]

Titrisol: The one that was recently given to me is actually a KM; probably also a spottie with a K-mount. I hear the meter is activated by removing the lens cap? Can't tell yet as the battery's dead.

Not sure about that, in the KX it activates by moving the winder or half pressing the shutter which is much better than the K10000000
AFAIK the KM was the top of the line in Pentaxes of the time

Check for a manual @kim Coxon's site. pentax-manuals.com

PS The pentaxians have a secret hide-away:
http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-film-slr-discussion/

And talking of lenses... for me the spectacular lens is the fisheye 17/4
[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/89853469@N00/3183024800/" ]

[/url]

 

[motosacto]

Aw, did a Spotmatic kick your dog? 😉

?

Can't say my dog has ever been attacked by a Spotmatic. Spotmatics are cool. I have an ES with a 50mm F1.4.

 

[ruby.monkey]

Never heard of a press model Pentax. How is it different?

It clears out the minibar when no-one is looking.

 

[dmr]

Never heard of a press model Pentax. How is it different?

"Black Press Model" was what we (me, my friends, etc.) called the black cameras back around 1970 or so. I remember the Nikon F had the black model too, but that was out of my price range. They had that "cool factor" that the chrome ones did not. 🙂 I don't think that was the official name. I remember when I was shopping around for mine, I used that term and the salespeople always knew exactly what I meant.

 

[Doug]

Not sure about that, in the KX it activates by moving the winder or half pressing the shutter which is much better than the K10000000
AFAIK the KM was the top of the line in Pentaxes of the time

I believe the KM and KX were very similar, with the KX having an image of the set aperture at the bottom of the viewfinder, and the option of a motor drive. It was the "price leader" K1000 that had no meter switch, so the lens cap could be used to save battery drain. These three models used the same body casting I think, and shared most parts.

The K2 was the top of this line of K cameras, but was introduced a year later I believe. The K2 DMD was the motor drive version. But the K2 had extensive differences vs the other three... A vertical moving metal shutter rather than horizontal cloth, and a slightly lower deck height for instance. ISO and compensation controls around the lens mount.

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

anyone can reveal the difference between the ME and ME super? and what about the MG? (since I am considering buying an M but will sport it with a Leitz lens)

 

[Doug]

Ron, the ME's shutter was Auto, B, or Flash, while the ME Super added push-buttons (one + and one -) for control of the electronic shutter speeds in manual mode. (Original Pentax 645 had the same button control). My impression is the MG was sold outside the US and may be the same as an ME, at least very similar.

 

[jtzordon]

You think Pentax gets no love? You should look at Minolta!

 

[ChrisPlatt]

To clarify (?), more details than you probably want to know about the classic Pentax K series:

KX, K2 and K2DMD have SPD meter activated by combination of advance lever at standoff position
plus depress release partway; KM and K1000 have CdS meter activated by removal of lenscap.

KX and K2DMD have VF shutter speed and aperture readout; K2 displays shutter speed only.

KX, K2 and K2DMD have match needle meter (black needle and translucent blue bar over shutter speed display).
KM and K1000 have "center the needle" meter display.

K2 and K2DMD have aperture preferred AE plus manual; KM, KX and K1000 are manual exposure only.

K2DMD has AE memory lock and accepts a motor drive.

K1000, KX and KM do not accept a motor drive except (rare) KX Motor and KM Motor models.

KX, K2 and K2DMD have mirror lockup. KM, KX, K2 and K2DMD have DOF preview and self timer.

FWIW K1000 is essentially an economy version of the KM with no self-timer and DOF preview.

K2 and K2DMD have trouble-prone combined film speed and AE compensation dial around lensmount.


Chris

 

[tedwhite]

Chris, Does the MX have the same lens mount as the K series cameras? I have the 50/2 lens that came with the KM camera. Data on front is as follows:

SMC PENTAX-M 1:2 50MM.

The reason I ask, is that I'm contemplating buying an MX body.

 

[amateriat]

Chris, Does the MX have the same lens mount as the K series cameras? I have the 50/2 lens that came with the KM camera. Data on front is as follows:

SMC PENTAX-M 1:2 50MM.

The reason I ask, is that I'm contemplating buying an MX body.

Short answer: Yes. And, the MX is great.


- Barrett

 

[Doug]

Thanks, Chris... You nailed down more detail than I recalled! 🙂

 

[tedwhite]

Thanks, Barrett, Doug, Chris. Never thought I'd migrate from screwmount, but heck, why not? I'm particularly drawn to the MX because apparently the body is smaller. Just put a Canon G10 on ebay a short time ago so that should generate a bit of cash to help with MX and K mount G.A.S.

 

[Nando]

Ted,

I went the opposite direction. I started with two MX bodies and migrated to m42. I bought a Spotmatic II on a whim and just loved it. The MX is a very nice, compact and rugged body - you can't go wrong with one. Can't explain why I'm liking the old Spotmatic more but I just do.