OT: Show of hands, who here shoots with Pentax M-42 SLR'S as well as Rangefinders

Uncle Bill

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I am finding I am developing an addiction to this breed of camera. I have an Asahi Pentax model K from the late 1950's, an S1a from the early mid 1960's and a Spotmatic SP 1000 from I guess the early 1970's. Anyone else with this little addiction? Looking for fellow Asahi fans out there (support Group) and of course information on my cameras especially my Model K. It has to be the fact the Takumar glass is so nice and so well priced out there.

Bill
 
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Spotmatic F, Chinon Memotron, Bessaflex TM (Topcon style), and a bunch of lenses having a "sleepover" in the Canon DReb bag.
 
I have a bunch of SMC M42 glass, but use a Cosina Voigtlander Bessaflex TM instead of a Pentax SLR. However, I do have a Pentax DSLR, so I kinda sorta have a complete Pentax system (grin).

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks
 
Well, I shoot a K1000 currently, but I used to have a Spotmatic years ago, black model with the Honeywell name.

I traded up to the K1000 primarily cuz it was kind of a hassle to change lenses rapidly. Right after I got the K I got a good deal on a 28-135 zoom, so the lens changing was kind of a moot point. I recently got a Sigma 18mm rectilinear in the K mount, and that is my latest toy so to speak. Yes, I guess you could say I'm an Asahi fan and I have been for 30+ years, not to show my real age.

I love the K1000 for general work, but I did feel a limitation with the f2.0 lens and the mirror slap at slow shutter speeds. I must admit that the Canon GIII and the Mamiya SD are better low-light cameras. (I did however, get some good night shots with the K1000 with Fuji 1600 and the Sigma 18mm.) :)
 
Argus/Cosina STL1000, same model that I learned on in High School. Grandfather of the Bessa R.
 
Incidentally, if you are a contax SLR user, the screwmount lenses work extremely well on the Contax body with an inexpensive adapter. I am sure someone else will chime in, but IIRC, the film-flange distances are the same. Useful for filling inexpensively filling in lesser used focal lengths in your (considerably more expensive) contax lens bag, without sacrificing quality.
 
Not currently, though I used to have a nice Mamiya DTL1000. Someday I'll probably get a Bessaflex as there are too many nice things out there for M42 mount.

William
 
Kurrently (heh) I still have a K1000 and my dad's OLD Pentax SL (circa 1968) that is completely manual and M42.

I haven't shot with either in a while.. they're small and light enough but just haven't seen a "need" to shoot with them

Cheers
Dave
 
I use a Spotmatic for telephoto work, because I'm unhappy with the 135 focal length on a Barnack Leica. It is also great for occasional flash work. I even use a Soligar 35mm f/2.0 (the computer designed version) and find it to be a great lens. The Takumar 55mm is also a very sharp lens.
 
Spotmatic SPII, Zenit EM, Yashica Electro, Vivitar 450/SLD, Fujica ST701, Practica MTL3, m42 adapters for EOS, Minolta MD, Y/C, Canon FD and about 20 m42 lenses but only 55/2 and 28/3.5 Super-Taks.
 
Two Spotmatics, a Spotmatic II, Fujica ST-701, Three Yashica TL Electro-X's, Two Ricoh Singlex TLS' and Prakticas from the model FX-3 to the EE-2....... over a dozen Prakticas of various models. A Sears TLS (same as the Ricoh Singlex TLS) and a Praktica MTL-3 are on the way.

Lenses range from 20mm to 1000mm. Some are Takumar and others are Pentacon, Meyer-Gorlitz, Yashinon, Rikenon, Carl Zeiss Jena (CZJ), Mamiya-Sekor, Fujinon, Tamron, Vivitar, Russian (Jupiter, MTO, Tair) and others.

Walker
 
I love the combination of the Spotmatic and the M42 Jupiter-9. They balance well, the J-9 is compact for an 85mm, and they're similarly demanding. The 55/1.4 Super-Takumar is really nice too. The sunlight unbrowning trick worked for me.
 
Spotmatic F and Super Tak: 28/3.5, 35/3.5, 50/1.4, 105/2.8, 135/3.5. All nice to use and have great feel. I picked up a while ago a CZJ 135/3.5 MC to compare against the Super Tak.

Also useful are the K/M42 and EOS/M42 adaptors.
 
No pentax M42 but Pentax 6x7 with 105 f2.4 and 165 f2.8 smc (the single most expensive lens I've bought new and the best) ...67's are getting cheaper I'm surprised no one's been tempted
 
No Pentax but M42 lenses...

Last week a friend of mine had a pre-birthday gift surprise for me... An M42 Tomioka Yashinon, 55/1.2 ! :eek:

The poor Zenit suddenly looked small with it :D I'm heading towards getting an adapter to use that piece of glass on my Nikon F2. I'll lose infinity focus, but who wants to shoot infinity at f/1.2 anyway? :p
 
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