Pentaxians... Any out there?

The Leica M6 rangefinder and the Pentax ME SLR are two of my smallest 35mm cameras. When I need to carry just one lens and one small quiet film body, the Leica M6 is my first choice. When I need to carry one small expendable lens and film body, the Pentax ME is my first choice.


Small 35mm film Cameras by Narsuitus, on Flickr
 
cassel said:
Very cool - these cameras are under-rated in my opinion - cheap fun!
Click to expand...

and biuld like tanks, my technician told me he once repaired spotmatic half year after it was dropped into sea water.

DSC_1043.JPG
 
jbielikowski said:
and biuld like tanks, my technician told me he once repaired spotmatic half year after it was dropped into sea water.
Click to expand...
Similarly, I bought a chrome MX on the 'bay said to work but not the light meter and he didn't have a battery to test it. Hmmm.... I got it pretty cheaply, and indeed the light meter didn't work, even with a battery.
My local camera tech tore into it and reported his judgment that with the bottom plate area all corroded, it had probably sat for some time with salt water pooled in the base. Must have been dunked in sea water. The meter circuits were corroded, even the bottom of the lens mount was. But it worked fine sans-meter.
He was able to swap some parts with another MX and now it's fine... :)
 
Ah, you have on your 6x7 what looks like one of the handgrips made by Ino Yoon and sold on eBay. I have those on both of my 6x7 bodies... just what they needed for a more secure hold. :)
And, where's your Pentax Auto 110 for scale?
 
I just started shooting with this $5 flea market purchase MX w/50m, 1.4. The 40mm was purchased at a local shop for under $30.
I really like the way everything handles. Pretty fun so far.

34572376266_0f4a1686a6_k.jpg
 
JonWNC said:
I just started shooting with this $5 flea market purchase MX w/50m, 1.4. The 40mm was purchased at a local shop for under $30.
I really like the way everything handles. Pretty fun so far.
Click to expand...

Some people have all the luck. $35.00: you could buy a lot of film before you hit a DSLR price.
 
JonWNC said:
I just started shooting with this $5 flea market purchase MX w/50m, 1.4. The 40mm was purchased at a local shop for under $30.
I really like the way everything handles. Pretty fun so far.
Click to expand...

Really lucky find.
I really like the compactness of MX+40/2.8, made me leave my rangefinders at home.
 
A few years ago I donated all of my Pentax stuff (KX bodies (the film kind) and a few lenses) to a school. Now I'm slowly getting some back prompted a lot by the K-01 digital that I like. I've added an MX body that needs a CLA (slow speeds stick open) as I'm using digital less and less all the time. Most of my Pentax lenses are screw mount. Pentax glass has been quite nice since 1970 if not a decade earlier.
 
Thanks for the comments.
Yes, it was a very fortunate find. I had been wanting an MX, I just could not bring myself to buy one on the bay. I had made several passes through the flea market that morning, and had bought a lot of other camera gear already, and thought I had found it all. On the last pass before leaving, I just happened to look over to a table and saw it there. I was in disbelief when the seller said $5! I couldn't pay fast enough, to say the least. I put new Goodman light seals in it, reglued one of the cover panels, and have almost finished an initial roll through it. The 40mm came from a resale shop. There's some fungus inside :( that I need to try to clean, I just can't get the front nameplate ring off (haven't had the time to make a serious effort really).
Really liking it so far....it's kinda drawing me away from my Olympus OM's........ :eek:
 
JonWNC said:
Thanks for the comments.
Yes, it was a very fortunate find. I had been wanting an MX, I just could not bring myself to buy one on the bay. I had made several passes through the flea market that morning, and had bought a lot of other camera gear already, and thought I had found it all. On the last pass before leaving, I just happened to look over to a table and saw it there. I was in disbelief when the seller said $5! I couldn't pay fast enough, to say the least. I put new Goodman light seals in it, reglued one of the cover panels, and have almost finished an initial roll through it. The 40mm came from a resale shop. There's some fungus inside :( that I need to try to clean, I just can't get the front nameplate ring off (haven't had the time to make a serious effort really).


Really liking it so far....it's kinda drawing me away from my Olympus OM's........ :eek:
Click to expand...

Amazing deal, and Im glad to see a user rather than a "collector" got it :-D

The MX is just about perfect, I think. I have used OMs before, and find the MX to be superior in almost all regards. its the best 35mm manual SLR ever made, as far as I am concerned.
 
chrism said:
I acquired an SMCP-FA 85mm/f1.4 IF today. Heavy beast, but should be good for some portraits.
Click to expand...
That would be a treasure to have, Chris... except as you say, for the weight. I have a "KA" mount 1.4/85mm Zeiss ZK (manual focus) and it qualifies as a heavy beast too! Enjoy...
 
Am I a Pentaxian, I like to say I'm a Nikonian but a got a lot of Nikon gear, I have a fair bit of Canon FD gear, Olympus OM and a few Minolta bodies.

I guess this answers the question in my collection:

Asahi Pentax Model K,
Heiland Pentax H2,
Asahi Pentax SV in chrome and one in black
Asahi Pentax S1a
Asahi Pentax Spotmatic, Spotmatic II and Spotmatic F,
Asahi Pentax KX in chrome and another in distressed black finish.
and one MX. Yeah, I'm probably a Pentaxian
 
I will not read this thread. I will not be tempted to go down the excellent Pentax film rabbit hole. I will not. I am too invested in rangefinders and Nikon's. I will not.

BTW where is a good place to start?
 
I have been shooting Pentax since I got my first ME Super in the 80s. Still have it and it still works. At the moment I have a bunch of Pentax film bodies as I keep finding them for little to no money around here. My only digital Pentax is the much maligned K-01 which I love for my old Takumars.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom