Pentax MX, cuter than a button

[nikon_sam]

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The MX is a great camera. I love that its compact and the viewfinder is terrific. I only wish that the shutter was quieter. For a cloth shutter, I find it quite loud even when you don't take the mirror slap noise into account..

Nando...

I just love the sound of the MX's shutter "snap"...it's quite different than other cameras I have used..
I have a MX that needs work on it's shutter...compared to the other Pentax bodies I can hear when it doesn't hit right...The tail end of the first curtain has a bit of slack and seems to lag...:bang:

 

[patrickhh]

@Nando

Your fisheye pic looks interesting.
Does the pic from your peleng really fit into the frame as a whole?
Or did you some software cropping after scanning?

My peleng always hits the edges of a frame (especially at the bottom), so there is never a perfect circle.

 

[Nando]

wintoid,

Thanks for the link. I did see that ad but $500 is a bit more than I'm willing to spend at the moment. Though $500 seems to be a reasonable price for a new in box example and it actually sold rather quickly. I just bought a 35 Nokton so I'm low on funds. I also need to get another, smaller, 35mm to replace a damaged and currently unusable, 35 Ultron.... I'm hoping to nab a really nice MC Flektogon for around $200-250.

Sam,
We have to agree to disagree on this one. I find the camera a bit too loud and its quite distracting. The actual sound it makes is not a problem - just the volume. It's the only thing that really bothers me about the camera. I really can't fault anything else about it.

patrickhh,
Thank you for your comment. My Peleng behaves exactly like yours.YES, I'M GUILTY! 😀 I do crop all my Peleng shots into a perfect circle. They do come out in a slight oval - its close to a circle but not quite. However, after cropping, it is really hard to tell, I think. I also crop because I normally do not like those rings in the dark, unused area of the frame. I usually get a lot of rings with my Peleng and I find them distracting. That's a really nice shot by the way.

 

[nikon_sam]

Nando,

Try shooting a Nikon F2 in a quiet room...you can't hide after that goes off...
I can agree that the MX's shutter is loud BUT I do like the sound...

 

[Nando]

Sam,

Unfortunately, I've never had the pleasure of using an F2 but I'll take your word for it. My only experience with SLR's other than the MX was primarily with my old Canon Rebel dSLR and a bunch of other dSLR belonging to my friends. All seem a bit quieter but perhaps modern SLR cameras are quieter now... Perhaps, I've too gotten accustomed to RF's. I wouldn't doubt it if the MX's shutter sound compared well with its contemporaries.

 

[wintoid]

I'm with you on the sound of the shutter, actually. It's loud and harsh. The ME-Super, by comparison, sort of goes schhhlurp, and is less intrusive.

I don't know of the Flektogon, but guess I should research. Seems like we're in the same place re the 20mm lens.

As for the LX, well I've decided not to due to the horror stories I hear about keeping them maintained. However, I did spot that www.lcegroup.co.uk HAD a very cheap LX - ugh it's gone now

 

[Nando]

Chris,

Eric Hendrickson did the CLA on the MX I purchased on th Bay... According to the paperwork that was sent with the camera there was no mention of extensive work on the shutter except for checking for accurate speeds. The CLA was done about two years ago. Perhaps, I'm being a bit unrealistic about the shutter sound. (Shutters on both my MX bodies, one CLA'd and one not CLA'd, sound the same to me so I don't think I was cursed with an special, extra-loud example.)

Wintoid,

The LX does appeal to me but I'll likely stick with an MX since my SLR shooting is rather limited... I shoot RF's something like 95% of the time. My common sense does kick in from time to time.

In regards to the 20 Flektogon, here are some photos found on flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?s=int&w=all&q=flektogon+20&m=text

I generally like what I've seen and I hardly came any complaints about the lens. Unfortunately none of the photos I've seen are large enough to really assess resolution but the lens seems to have almost no distortion to my eyes. Here's a Polish page that shows light fall-off:

http://foto.recenzja.pl/Subjects-index-req-viewpage-pageid-34-pageno-2.html

There are two 20mm Flektogons, one with a maximum aperture of f2.8 and another with a maximum of f4. There are two generations of 20mm Flektogons, I believe. The first generation have the "Zebra style" barrels and are single coated. The later versions are black and are multicoated with "MC" written on the lens. I'm looking for a latter MC, f2.8 version.

 

[Doug]

As for the LX, well I've decided not to due to the horror stories I hear about keeping them maintained. However, I did spot that www.lcegroup.co.uk HAD a very cheap LX - ugh it's gone now

Maybe not quite as bad as all that! Pentax did restrict LX service support to authorized repair centers, as this was their model for professional use. I think they wanted to make sure service followed their procedures, and it was complicated by the camera's weather sealing.

It would be unfortunate to give up the benefits unnecessarily, as there should be experienced service personnel in the UK. In the US, importer Pentax Imaging Inc does LX service, and a former head of that shop (Eric Hendrickson) has done excellent CLA and repair work on mine.

My Pentaxes seem to come in pairs, as I have two each LX, MX, ME Super, K2. They're all fine, but the LX is simply a marvelous camera to use ... surprisingly compact too.

On the Zeiss-Jena Flektogons, you've noted there are two 20mm models, one an f/4 and the other is f/2.8. I have the f/4 lens. Both are M42 screw mount and I think not made in K mount. There is a small uncomfortable tab on the lens that must be held in against its spring for stop-down metering. The 20-35mm f/4 zoom would be a more versatile and convenient alternative, as well as a fine performer.

 

[Nando]

Chris,

It's the shutter for sure. I just did the bulb test - once with the mirror slap and once without (did the MX-flick and held the mirror up with my finger). The mirrorslap noise is not that loud. When the shutter opens, the shutter noise is really soft... a soft flooop sound. When it closes, there's a loud THA-DING sound. I'd say that the noise from the shutter closing overwhelms the noise from the mirrorslap.

Doug,

Thanks for the warning about that tab on the Flektogons. I didn't know about that and I'll have to take it into consideration. Yes, all the 20mm Flektogons that I've seen are either m42 or Exakta mount... the vast majority being m42. Don't mind m42 or using stop-down metering but perhaps that uncomfortable tab would be a nuisance.

 

[Marc-A.]

Maybe not quite as bad as all that! Pentax did restrict LX service support to authorized repair centers, as this was their model for professional use. I think they wanted to make sure service followed their procedures, and it was complicated by the camera's weather sealing.

It would be unfortunate to give up the benefits unnecessarily, as there should be experienced service personnel in the UK. In the US, importer Pentax Imaging Inc does LX service, and a former head of that shop (Eric Hendrickson) has done excellent CLA and repair work on mine.

My Pentaxes seem to come in pairs, as I have two each LX, MX, ME Super, K2. They're all fine, but the LX is simply a marvelous camera to use ... surprisingly compact too.

On the Zeiss-Jena Flektogons, you've noted there are two 20mm models, one an f/4 and the other is f/2.8. I have the f/4 lens. Both are M42 screw mount and I think not made in K mount. There is a small uncomfortable tab on the lens that must be held in against its spring for stop-down metering. The 20-35mm f/4 zoom would be a more versatile and convenient alternative, as well as a fine performer.

Hey Doug,
Many times I considered buying a Zeiss Flektogon (35mm) for my MX, but I don't know what's worth the M42-to-K adapter. Does the infinity focus work? Is there any problem about the light metering? and does the apertures show in the prism VF?
I would appreciate your help,
Marc

 

[ChrisN]

I was going to ask this question in a new thread, but since it is already discuseed here:

The M42 Flektogon 20mm lenses - do any of the models have a manual/auto switch that allows you to leave the aperture closed down without holding a button or tab pressed?

 

[ChrisN]

On the Flektogon's that do not have a man/auto switch, there's a easy way to make them manual stop down. And the method is totally reversable.

Remove the arm that actuates the aperture (from the back of the lens)? I've done that to a Zenitar 16mm, for use on the Pentax dSLR. (Why? Dave knows - to make the lens easier to use in aperture-priority mode.)

 

[Doug]

Many times I considered buying a Zeiss Flektogon (35mm) for my MX, but I don't know what's worth the M42-to-K adapter. Does the infinity focus work? Is there any problem about the light metering? and does the apertures show in the prism VF?

HI Marc -- M42 and K-mount have the same back-focus distance. Some mount adapters are made with a wider flange that sits in front of the camera body's K flange, the thickness of this flange extending the lens-to-film distance. These will not allow infinity focus but are still useful for other purposes. Just the other day I saw one of these on eBay, and the seller made no mention of this issue. It was clearly evident in the photo.

When shopping for an adapter that will allow infinity focus, you can determine this pretty reliably in examining online catalog/auction photos. The M42 mounting flange diameter should be only barely larger than the K bayonet lugs behind it. The adapter must fit down into the bayonet recess of the body, flush with the existing mount. It will have a few cutouts around the rim to allow a pointed tool to compress a small spring to allow the adapter to be removed from the body, a fiddly operation. B&H has two correct adapters available for $14.95, one "generic" brand and the other Kalt. Either should be fine.

All metering will be stop-down metering; works fine in an M42 body. I have never adapted my Flektogon to a bayonet-mount body so I don't know if the apertures would appear in the MX (or LX or KX or K2 DMD).

Pretty nifty trick from Greyhoundman!

 

[peterm1]

wonderful MX

wonderful MX

Hmmmmm

Me-thinks I may have to consider getting another of these. I had a mint example in chrome that I bought perhaps 15 years ago and loved it. One day though, after owning it for a year or two, it was in its ever ready case hanging over my shoulder and when I took it out I found that the pentaprism housing had been dented. The only thing I could think of at the time was that as I walked through a door I may have lightly bumped the camera on the door frame. But it would have been a very light bump indeed. :bang:

Lesson: These cameras are very small and light: and hence, rather fragile. I was so upset I sold it shortly after - everything still worked but the loss if its pristine beauty was too much for me. And I did not want to remember my stupidity everytime I looked at it.

Later I bought an equally nice K2 - the larger Pentax bayonet mount camera which was top of the range at the time. Eventually I sold that also, this time for no particular reason I can remember but I do recall regretting it for a long time after.

But now looking at these photos reminds me that these cameras were truly a delight and the Pentax lenses just superb. I also own many old M42 Takumars which can be used on this camera with stop down metering. Those lenses were likewise wonderful. So - somehting else to spend my (non) wealth on!