Pentax MX camera

[leica M2 fan]

Have just about decided to get a Pentax MX (black) as soon as possible. Will probably get it with SMC Takumar 50/1.4 or 55/1.8. What do you guys think
of this choice.

 

[lynnb]

I'm sure you'll enjoy it, Tony. I've handled one and it's compact with a large, bright finder. The nearest comparison is an OM. It felt just as nice as an OM in my hands. Have fun!

 

[clachnacuddin]

The MX is my favourite camera out of all the cameras I've owned, good move!

 

[zuikologist]

My favourite also, use with a 40/2.8 pancake as a coat pocket camera or 50/1.4 as a low light machine.

 

[Dan Daniel]

Ha, just got one back from an overhaul this morning. Silver, not black.

Great viewfinder. If manual metering works for you, go for it. For everyday use I prefer the ME Super, which has aperture priority metering and is slightly smaller. The ME Super's mirror action is also quieter. But I keep the MX for manual metering or for simple guess-metering shooting.

Have you considered the SMC-M series 50mm 1.4 or 1.7? Well-built, a bit smaller, great lenses. The Pentax 50mm f/1.7 might be one the best lenses of its type for almost no money. Just cruise Ebay for an ME, ME Super, or Super Program; many have one of the better lenses on it and you can just toss the body.

 

[Swift1]

The MX is a great camera. I recommend getting the SMC Pentax or SMC Pentax-M lenses. The Takumar lenses are m42 screwmount. They will work with an adapter, but you lose open aperture metering.
The SMC Pentax 50/1.4 and SMC Takumar 50/1.4 are optically identical lenses, but with different mounts.

 

[FrozenInTime]

Superb camera and really nice with the 50/1.4 - served me well at high school.

Smaller than a well known German rangerfinder - a scan from the brochure.

 

[mfogiel]

I second the above comments. Lenses wise, as a go around the 50/1.7 is very appealing, while I would absolutely get the 55/1.8 for portraiture. Here's a little test of Pentax 50mm lenses:

COMPARO by mfogiel, on Flickr

 

[nikon_sam]

I think it's a great choice...I've owned two black body MX's since buying them new back in the early 80's...if you need something more to help handle it I would suggest putting a winder on it...
There's a nice bunch of lenses for this camera, it has a bright enough viewfinder and the shutter is pretty quiet...

 

[johannielscom]

The MX is smaller than the Olympus OM camera's and has a dial layout that I can comprehend, unlike the Olympus with its ASA dial where shutter speeds normally go.

Be sure to press the selftimer lever in the opposite direction and see the lens stop down. Such a nifty move, to combine the ST lever and the Stop Down lever in one!


Should you happen to get one that drains its battery very quickly: removing the bottom plate will allow you to simply bend the contact a millimeter away so that it truly only engages when you push the shutter button down halfway. Fixed!


My black MX has an Auto-Reveuenon 2.8/45mm pancake lens almost permanently attached to it but I also love my Tokina 2.8/24mm lens on it!

 

[John Bragg]

I wish you luck in your search for this lovely camera. It is only a matter of time before the supply and demand dictates a rise in price, so I am buying any film cameras that I fancy, whilst prices are at an all time low.

 

[misterb]

My first choice is the 50mm f1.4, M42 or bayonet, an absolutely brilliant lens. The 55mm f1.8 is noticeably softer and makes an excellent portrait lens.

 

[peterm1]

They are a fine little camera with excellent lenses. The only slight hesitation is that like the Olympus small frame SLRs they tend to be a bit fragile. Don't drop it, don't bump it on something hard. I had one many years back and loved the images it produced and it was a fun camera but found that a relatively slight knock could easily ding it. Kept working though. You do need to treat them with a little respect because of this.

As someone pointed out the range of larger frame K cameras (KM, KX and K2 plus the classic K1000 are all fine cameras too). I had a K2 for several years and loved it also.)

 

[ZeissFan]

Pentax MX is a nice little camera with the emphasis on little. If you have large hands/paws, it might seem too small to you.

Excellent viewfinder. Shutter dial is stiff to turn. The "magic fingers" for the takeup spool might break because of their age (coming up on 40 years).

Nice reliable cloth shutter.

I wouldn't pay extra for a black body, but that's just me.

 

[rbsinto]

Nice camera. I was given one (along with a K1000) and a bunch of Pentax and third-party k-mount lenses.
The MX seemed well built, and had all the features I like/need in a 35mm manual focus film SLR.
I sold the entire kit, but only because I already have two systems (Nikon F and Nikon rangefinder S) and didn't want to run another.

 

[oltimer]

I agree with others on the SMC 50 1.4, and the older Super Takumar 8/6 element. Either one I personally cannot tell the difference in pic's. Asahi/Pentax made some great lens; and if you can find a 83mm 1.9 in the 37mm or 42mm thread in good condition and a K adapter, you would be very happy with it on your MX

 

[paulfish4570]

50/1.4, no question.

 

[johannielscom]

Oh, and don't forget that the battery is only required to make the exposure meter go, but all speeds are available without a battery installed!

Also, while the shutter dial is stiff to turn, it is very intuitive to use, since the shutter speeds are also displayed on a sort of dial in the viewfinder, which rotates the same direction. VERY easy to change to correct shutter speed without taking the camera from your eye!

I have not found mine to be fragile at all, btw. YMMV.

 

[meeker]

I have both an MX and a ME-Super. Both are great, but I admit I haven't run roll through them for a few years. They are perfectly sized for travel, in my opinion, if all you need is a bare bones manual or aperture priority camera with a great viewfinder. I have SMC-M 50/1.7s on both, with the motor grip on the MX. If I didn't have an M6ttl I'd still be using them regularly. The only issue I believe with these is the mirror can hang up. I got mine CLA'd by Eric Hendrickson (IIRC), just in case. He did a first rate job. Personally, I like the handling of the ME-super better, but that's more down to its the one I got first. The MX has a cool little window on the front of the prism that lets you view the aperture setting on the lens. I believe, at the time, the MX is only bettered by the LX in the Pentax lineup.

 

[Wulfthari]

As an hardcore Pentaxian I've an MX, nice small camera, good light meter, but I prefer full size K bodies.

Obviously it's meant to be used with the miniaturized M lenses introduced at the same time, the 28mm f2.8 and the 50mm f1.7 have exactly the same size.