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

[Gordon Coale]

I'm running my first roll of film though this H1a. Lenses should be screwed on! I don't think those fancy schmancy bayonet mounts will last. A passing fad.

Kim -- Beautiful early Asahis!

Doug -- And a beautiful K! I love these early Pentaxes. Such uncluttered viewfinders.

 

[dostacos]

Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha!!!!!!
MY M-42 Monster lives! Hell I just scored a 105/2.8 Auto Tak. off the 'Bay for my Model K Asahi Pentax and S1a, I can't wait to use it. The scary thing is its cheap to get into, sort of like FSU glass without the quality control worries.

Bill

ahem,,, and you can get a 135mm and a 200mm to go with that 105mm that take the same filters 😀

Do you HAVE a 135? I have a several and have no use for more than 2 [one for me one for my youngest son] actually I just bought a ME SUPER of evilbay for my middle son and for some reason the kit included a M42 135mm lens so I think I have 3 extras one of which has a SS# engraved on the thing :bang:

 

[ray_g]

No wonder Rover's Spotmatic took so long to sell. Seeing this thread resurface, it seems almost everyone already has one (or more) 😉

 

[ErnestoJL]

I do use several M42 SLRs as well as some fixed lens RFs and two other in Contax mount. No Pentaxes or Takumars at home (yet). My first SLR was a Miranda Sensomat RE whose lens mount was double: a four leaf bayonet and and internal 44 mm screw mount which allowed a lot of original adapters for almost any existent lens mount. Later I bought in a rapid sequence a Fujica ST 801 plus two lenses, and a Praktica Nova Ib PL (with the bonus of having two normal lenses, one Oreston 1.8 and a CZJ 2.8 Tessar). Inmediately, the Miranda was converted to M42. Later came the Zenit 12XP, and another Praktica, a Super TL. Two months ago I received as a gift from a friend a (Cosina?) Carena Micro RSD with normal and two lenses, but body was DOA.

Today I don´t want to start over with another mount. Have a lot of excellent optics, bodies and accesories which are still in very good shape, and hopefully with adequate care will last long. Besides I can see no reason to part with them since I got used very well to shoot with manual old cameras!

Ernesto

 

[Doug]

I'm running my first roll of film though this H1a.

Very clean looking H1a, Gordon! I really like these earlier pre-Spotmatic Pentaxes for their clean uncluttered yet functional design. And the basic shapes didn't change over the years; they got it right and left it alone. A real classic...

 

[Kim Coxon]

I wonder what the Leica M users think of that 😀

Kim

I don't think those fancy schmancy bayonet mounts will last. A passing fad.

 

[jamiewakeham]

A bit late to this thread... I've built up a fair collection of M42 glass that I used on my EOS vai adaptors, but have finally joined the Spotmatic ranks thanks to Kim 🙂

Jamie

 

[oftheherd]

I have a Spotmatic that is currently undergoing a CLA, and I have picked up a couple of Yashica TL's to tide me over in the meantime.

Just in case no one else has mentioned it, I have to say that Yashicas seem to be really undervalued. I got both of mine for about $20 each off of Eb** I mean, come on, an M42 mount SLR with mirror lock up for $20 😀 😀 If I did not already have the Spotmatic, I may never have bothered to track one down.

Richie

Interesting to see this thread resurected again. How do you like you Yashica TL's? My first SLR was a Yashica TL Super. Great camera. I still have it but the mirror hangs closed too often. I guess I need to try and fix that. I don't know if the meter can be trusted either, but my Gossens will take care of that. I also have a couple of Electro X's and Pentax SV1's. Neither of the Pentaxes work well. One hangs the mirrow and the other has a problem with the wind lever return. Other projects I probably will never get around to. Of course my ST901 will remain with me and go to one of my daughters some day. Probably to my oldest who has the ST801.

Pentax, Fujinon and Yashinon lenses were superb! The Pentax lenses got their due, but for some reason, the Fujinon and Yashinon lenses never got the credit they deserved. The Fujinons have over time, as can be seen by their prices on the *bay, but not the Yashinons. Better for those of us who like to pick them up. 😉

 

[richiedcruz]

Hanging mirrors seem to be a problem with these old M42 mount cameras. That is why my Spotmatic is in the shop.

I have an Electro X, too. The mirror lock up is inactive, but it is otherwise mint, and came with new seals. Someone seems to have solved the hanging mirror condition on mine by removing the foam at the top of the mirror box, probably when the seals were replaced. I do not know how good for it that is. So I will probably send that in for a CLA next.

One of my TL Supers is behaving itself, and was in surprisingly good condition considering how much I paid for it. It was practically in mint condition. The other I got for parts and is pretty much useless.

Although I cannot compare them side by side, I think that the TL Super is at least equal to my Spotmatic in every way. Compared side by side with my Electro X, I cannot really pick out a difference between the two. It makes me wonder why they bothered putting the electronically controlled shutter in it, since it does not seem to do anything other than make it slightly bigger.

Then again, most M42 mount cameras seem to be well built, their lenses are mostly compatible with each other, and you can build quite a collection of them across a relatively broad spectrum of manufacturers. One could speculate that interest in M42 mount cameras is an early indicator of a predisposition to GAS, just like spending endless hours searching the internet for information on LTM cameras seems to be 😉 😀

Richie

 

[ChrisPlatt]

The great thing about the Spotmatic line is that they are still easily repairable.
Lots of spare parts around. The K1000 meter movement even fits them all!

"Excelsior, you fathead!"
-Chris-

 

[Kim Coxon]

The hanging mirrors are normally caused because the shutter needs a CLA. It has got gummed up and not completing it's travel which normally trips the mirror release.

Kim

Hanging mirrors seem to be a problem with these old M42 mount cameras. That is why my Spotmatic is in the shop.

 

[doubs43]

I have an Electro X, too. The mirror lock up is inactive, but it is otherwise mint, and came with new seals. Someone seems to have solved the hanging mirror condition on mine by removing the foam at the top of the mirror box, probably when the seals were replaced. I do not know how good for it that is. So I will probably send that in for a CLA next. Richie

Richie, there's no reason you can't replace the missing foam that buffers the mirror when it rises. If the camera has new foam otherwise and works correctly, it may not need more than new mirror foam. A seal kit can be gotten from ebay for $9.99 - shipping included - and that's a lot cheaper than a CLA. Here's an ebay auction number for what I consider to be the best kit available: 7572180465

BUT, if it really NEEDS a CLA, that's a different matter.

Walker

 

[planetjoe]

I go away for a few days, and I miss the perfect thread. I'm also in this camp, somewhat addicted as I am to lenses of small (physical) stature. I'm currently shooting e6 exclusively with an Asahi S1a, which was pretty beat-up when I bought it - the ASA reminder dial actually "flaked" right off the rewind stem.

Stupid 'bay purchase. But it was cheap, and there are tons of donor bodies out there. But...has anyone else noticed the prices on the used market creeping up a bit?

Anyway, I've only got FSU optics at the moment: a Helios 44-2 which I absolutely love, and a Tessar-clone Industar 50/3.5 that I haven't really tried yet. Anyone have any comments about this particular lens? I happen to like it because it is tiny, tiny like a pancake lens.

Oh, and I'm also obsessed with my RF gear, but that's another story. Great thread, thanks.


Cheers,
--joe.

 

[lkgroup]

I had my 1964 Spotmatic cleaned and added a new skin. I have the 50mm 1.4 and 35mm 3.5 Takumar

Recently picked up a mint 28mm SMC Takumar and am getting a 70-150 Tamron zoom Adaptall lens from one of our members, Chris Pratt, who sent it just for cost of mailing. Great Guy.

I will put this into a bag and use from time to time to remember how I learned to be Photographer, great memories.

leo

 

[richiedcruz]

Richie, there's no reason you can't replace the missing foam that buffers the mirror when it rises. If the camera has new foam otherwise and works correctly, it may not need more than new mirror foam. A seal kit can be gotten from ebay for $9.99 - shipping included - and that's a lot cheaper than a CLA. Here's an ebay auction number for what I consider to be the best kit available: 7572180465

BUT, if it really NEEDS a CLA, that's a different matter.

Walker

Thanks for the lead, but the M42 cameras that I have collected are going to be put to some serious work fairly soon, and I would be more comfortable having them freshly CLA'd.

I learned my lesson recently, when I was helping one of my professors catalog miscellaneous artifacts that he had hanging around and, since my one SLR (the Spotmatic) had developed a hanging mirror habit, I had to do it with one of my RF's.

The pictures were not quite what was needed to say the least, and I had to do them over again, with the Electro X that I bought off of Eb** in a hurry. Thank god the seller got it to me so quickly 😉

Richie