Pentaxians... Any out there?

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My MX and 50mm f/1.4 SMC-M just came back from Eric H. Outstanding work on an outstanding camera/lens combo. I can't wait to use it soon, hopefully this weekend, if the weather holds. Looks like rain though...

Phil Forrest
 
Thanks Colton …. one of a pair of Pentax for sale .
A chrome and a black .
I chose the black .
Paid far too much for it but its in perfect condition .
 
Michael Markey said:
Some one once mentioned that they weren`t very common but I can`t find and confirmation of that .
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I don't think the SL is particularly rare, but they are one of the more uncommon Pentax camera bodies. You can usually find 1 or 2 chrome ones on any given day on ebay. The black ones are harder to find, especially in good condition.
 
Used an SL for a few years and enjoyed it but not screwing and unscrewing lenses.

There’s a trick with SLs (maybe other Pentaxes, too): wind on, tap the shuttle release button (just a sharp tap with a finger) and the mirror will stay up but the shutter won’t fire… until you depress the shutter button again.

Never found a real use for it, except cleaning out the mirror box.

Caveat: never did any harm but now given the age of the cameras, try this at your own risk!
 
Brian Atherton said:
...
There’s a trick with SLs (maybe other Pentaxes, too): wind on, tap the shuttle release button (just a sharp tap with a finger) and the mirror will stay up but the shutter won’t fire… until you depress the shutter button again.

Never found a real use for it, except cleaning out the mirror box.

Caveat: never did any harm but now given the age of the cameras, try this at your own risk!
Click to expand...

It's a well-known faux method for mirror lockup. Pentax didn't design that feature, it's just a by-product of how the mechanism works. It will work on Spotmatic-derived Pentaxes; I think it works on K-1000's as well.
 
Pál_K said:
It's a well-known faux method for mirror lockup. Pentax didn't design that feature, it's just a by-product of how the mechanism works. It will work on Spotmatic-derived Pentaxes; I think it works on K-1000's as well.
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Thank you, Pál_K, for the confirmation…

Until now I didn’t realise this was well known - I discovered it myself by accident.

The SL was such a sweet, dependable workhorse. The firm I worked for had four as company cameras, together with a bunch of Takumars. I bought one myself (£79 with a 50mm f1.8) so I could borrow the lenses.
 
Thanks Brian …. didn`t know that .
Yes mounting lenses is err different and I do find it hard(er) to focus .
I`m comparing it to my RF`s of course .
 
Michael Markey said:
Thanks Brian …. didn`t know that .
Yes mounting lenses is err different and I do find it hard(er) to focus .
I`m comparing it to my RF`s of course .
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Michael, certainly it is!

I remember back in the late 60s heated arguments amongst photographers about the merits of screw or bayonet.

Some of the older blokes nearly came to blows with us younger whippersnappers about not trusting Nikon’s bayonet - any bayonet, really - because they were of the unshakable opinion and certainty (with no personal evidence!) that a bayonet wears excessively and will fail compared to a screw-mount - some even said they don’t trust bayonets because lenses get stuck on the body.

Nevertheless, all things German were revered. When the point was made about Leica’s bayonet mount as opposed to screw, many said, “Yes, but Leica is quality and Japanese isn’t: Nikon use ‘monkey metal’” aka cheap, soft and inferior metal that will never last.

One bloke actually lunged around three battered Rolleiflexes; a standard, a wide-angle and a tele when out on jobs rather than a Hasselblad, not because didn’t like the ‘blad but because he didn’t like bayonets.

Now looking back with hindsight to that time I find it all rather hilarious, especially now that so many of those Japanese cameras and lenses made from ‘monkey metal’ are highly sought after and collectable and still are being regularly used.
 
Brian Atherton said:
Michael, certainly it is!

I remember back in the late 60s heated arguments amongst photographers about the merits of screw or bayonet.

Some of the older blokes nearly came to blows with us younger whippersnappers about not trusting Nikon’s bayonet - any bayonet, really - because they were of the unshakable opinion and certainty (with no personal evidence!) that a bayonet wears excessively and will fail compared to a screw-mount - some even said they don’t trust bayonets because lenses get stuck on the body.

Nevertheless, all things German were revered. When the point was made about Leica’s bayonet mount as opposed to screw, many said, “Yes, but Leica is quality and Japanese isn’t: Nikon use ‘monkey metal’” aka cheap, soft and inferior metal that will never last.

One bloke actually lunged around three battered Rolleiflexes; a standard, a wide-angle and a tele when out on jobs rather than a Hasselblad, not because didn’t like the ‘blad but because he didn’t like bayonets.

Now looking back with hindsight to that time I find it all rather hilarious, especially now that so many of those Japanese cameras and lenses made from ‘monkey metal’ are highly sought after and collectable and still are being regularly used.
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It strikes me that photographers have for years essentially been arguing about the same thing . 🙂
 
With practice the Pentax trick can usually be performed but what's the point?
A cable release is cheap, doesn't take up much space and works every time.

Some other cameras have mirror prefire and aperture stopdown
merely by activating the self-timer, which IMO is far preferable.

Chris
 
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