The Pentax Super A.

[Huss]

Just picked one up because, well, it looks cool. IMO the Super A looks much better than the Super Program (same camera/different market) because it's all black like the New Zealand national rugby team versus silver and black like the Oakland Raiders American Handball team...

I've now got a few Pentax SLRs, and to be frank while I 'like' the Super A, it just seems a bit disappointing.

The K2 is superbly built in comparison, and has a much easier to read analogue shutter speed scale in the VF. Also really easy to turn it on - just pull out the film wind lever. Strike against it is the awful film speed setting ring. Just a little bit worse than the Nikkormats..

But, the ISO setting on the SA is fiddly/awkward to set too. With one fingernail you need to push down a release button inside the setting ring, trying not to touch the setting ring as you need to spin that with another finger and/or hand.

The mode dial on the SA is taken from the ME Super, and frankly horrible. It feels fragile and again very fiddly to use, with techno 1980's calculator buttons to set the shutter speed. At least they added an LCD so you can see the shutter speed set.
Interestingly it fires at 1/1000 until frame 1 is reached. Using Sunny F16 in manual mode that means you can still pop off a few frames before frame 1..

LCDs in the VF are pretty hard to see -my ME and P30T are much easier to see the shutter speeds. At least it has a warning if exp comp is being used.

My ME seems to have more charm. Less fiddly stuff, cleaner design. And you still can adjust exposure using the exp comp dial.

My P30T seems to be slicker to use. Simple on/off switch. Regular shutter speed dial. Top shutter speed is only 1/1000 vs 1/2000 but that never seems to bother Leica shooters.. But the P30T does have an exp lock button, which is key. I use that all the time. Only DX coding is a bit of a buzz kill though..

My MX - worse film wind action - much longer than any of my other Pentaxes. Cool mechanical camera. Hard to see LEDs in the VF, worse than the SA (the SA also has a button to illuminate them at night). Great shutter release action - super crisp.

I'm sure the SA will grow on me, but at the moment my order in shooting pleasure is:

1. K2
2. ME
3. P30T
4. Super A
5. MX

The SA was an ebay buy, in very good condition with an SMC 50 f2 for $30. The lens however is defective - super oily blades that occasionally stick. So camera and a fancy body cap for $30.
It is kinda crazy how cheap good hardware is, as long as you stay away from the trendy stuff.

I attached one of my decent lenses for this pic (and how I am using the camera at the moment):

 

[p.giannakis]

Never had a Super A, looks like a cool little camera.

I have (had) the ME, MX and P30T. Didn't bond with the P30 - felt like cheap thin plastick, did its job well though.

I liked the MX but ended up with a faulty mirror and sold it off. I get tempted sometimes seeing some black ones online..

I really like the ME. I use it as a P&S, i have a 24mm sigma and a 35mm Pentax f/2.8 and i use it quite often. It suffers from the erratic underexposure issue (possibly due to dirt under the ASA dial).

Here is a pic taken with it:

 

[Huss]

The P30T definitely is plasticky but, to me, feels dense and surprisingly solid.
It just works w no gimmicks.

I really like the ME. What a gem of a little camera. Your pic taken with it is excellent.

 

[charjohncarter]

Never had a Super A, looks like a cool little camera.

I have (had) the ME, MX and P30T. Didn't bond with the P30 - felt like cheap thin plastick, did its job well though.

I liked the MX but ended up with a faulty mirror and sold it off. I get tempted sometimes seeing some black ones online..

I really like the ME. I use it as a P&S, i have a 24mm sigma and a 35mm Pentax f/2.8 and i use it quite often. It suffers from the erratic underexposure issue (possibly due to dirt under the ASA dial).

Here is a pic taken with it:

You mentioned the P30T, I have two P3n bodies (probably the same as the P30T). They are great. They feel like a less expensive body but I've used worse from Canon. My first one was bought by me in 1989 and I've used it ever since. I bought another body in case something goes wrong with the first. Nothing ever has and they are in constant use and really reliable (good meter). I don't like the no DX changing, but the split image finder is my favorite plus it is A-priority, S-priority, full auto and full manual. Love them.

 

[twvancamp]

Good assessment. I think the SA looks great, very chunky and 80s. Plus it handles well assuming you stick with A Priority mode. Otherwise, the mode wheel is useless. Meter is only so-so.

I wish I could combine all those Pentax cameras into 1. I never got along with any of them as well as I do the K1000, though I wish it had a split screen. Somehow I never tried a K2!

 

[ChrisPlatt]

Pentax P3N aka "NEd" (upside down) is almost identical.

P3N and P30T have AE memory lock and DOF preview.
Some popular earlier Pentax models have neither.

Chris

 

[jsrockit]

It's actually quite handsome...

 

[gavinlg]

The super A has that great 80s techno-mecha look to it... Pity about the shutter speed buttons although probably not a deal breaker. I've got a real thing for the manual focus Pentax lenses.

 

[Huss]

The super A has that great 80s techno-mecha look to it... Pity about the shutter speed buttons although probably not a deal breaker. I've got a real thing for the manual focus Pentax lenses.

It's crazy how good Pentax lenses are. At least optically. This 50 SMC-A lens, as well as the 50 1.7 SMC-A that I tried before, have pretty miserable to use aperture rings. They are not smooth at all and feel like they a binding/have a lot of stiction. The previous generation SMC lenses (which seem to be more metal in construction) are built much better.

I'm currently using it in the P mode and it is interesting to see the aperture/shutter combo that the SA is picking. Pretty much what I would do with Sunny F16!

Back to the lenses, coming from the world of Leica it's just nutty that I bought the 50 SMC-A for $15...

 

[Huss]

Pentax P3N aka "NEd" (upside down) is almost identical.

P3N and P30T have AE memory lock and DOF preview.
Some popular earlier Pentax models have neither.

Chris

The memory lock is super handy, I use it all the time.
At least the exp compensation dial is very easy to use on the SA.

 

[Huss]

As an interesting comparison, the camera I shot just before the SA was the Nikon N2000



It's a little bigger than the SA, but has a built in auto winder. Add that to the SA and the SA would be a lot bigger. It came out 2 years after the SA but is a fair comparison as both today can be found for about $30.

Judging by the brassing on the edges, and the weight, the SA is a metal camera while the N2000 is a type of plastic. The Pentax definitely feels more impressive to hold.
The only advantage I see that the SA has is the exp comp ring does not have a lock out, while the Nikon needs a separate button pushed before it can be turned. And the ring itself feels very plasticky/cheap.

On the other hand the Nikon has a regular and large shutter speed dial which also incorporates the exposure modes. So so much better than the SA's teeny buttons and awkward mode dial. Also the Nikon can shoot in program mode with any lens just by turning the aperture dial all the way to the minimum. That's it. The SA needs an SMC-A lens, and the aperture dial set/locked to A.
The SA can shoot in M, P, A, TV. The Nikon in M, A, P and P Hi. Both have shutters that go up to 1/2000.

I think I prefer the N2000 as it has exposure memory lock, much easier to use controls, and an excellent center weighted 60/40 meter. But the Pentax just looks so cool...

 

[p.giannakis]

I used the F301 for a short while together with the pancake 50 E. Mine had a worn out on off switch and was rotating out of setting (it was so worn out you didn't have to lift it up). Good camera but noisy winder.
Going back to the ME, what I like best about it is the nice mechanical feel of the shutter button - you know when it will trigger the shutter and has a relatively short distance to travel. I wish my OMs had that, you have to press the button deeper to take a pic.

 

[p.giannakis]

You mentioned the P30T, I have two P3n bodies (probably the same as the P30T). They are great. They feel like a less expensive body but I've used worse from Canon. My first one was bought by me in 1989 and I've used it ever since. I bought another body in case something goes wrong with the first. Nothing ever has and they are in constant use and really reliable (good meter). I don't like the no DX changing, but the split image finder is my favorite plus it is A-priority, S-priority, full auto and full manual. Love them.

Hi John, I know you like you Pentax, it was some of your comments in another thread together with some pictures that made me pick up the P30T when I found it cheap. Very good camera, no doubt about it - I just prefer the older ME.

 

[Huss]

..
Going back to the ME, what I like best about it is the nice mechanical feel of the shutter button - you know when it will trigger the shutter and has a relatively short distance to travel. I wish my OMs had that, you have to press the button deeper to take a pic...

I prefer the ME to the ME Super, as the simpler design just works better. Not only is the shutter release so nice, but the film wind action is perfect, and much shorter than the vaunted MX.
Great viewfinder too.



I just finished the roll of film in the SA. It is a lot of fun to use in P mode (if using a SMC-A lens), it feels nice in the hand, the film wind action is short and sweet, and the exposure info (shutter and aperture) in the VF in P mode is great.

Once I see what the images look like I may change my mind on its ranking!

 

[zuikologist]

Huss, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

I have a Super A that looks like it has been through a war - brassing everywhere. Love it. I use it with the SMC-A 35-105 and on Program with the DA40mm pancake. I prefer the SMC-M to SMC-A lenses - Pentax added a contact and spring to the aperture ring in the A line to cope with Program mode. It makes the aperture quite notchy. The SMC-M lenses have more in common with the Takumars. Anyway, the Super A is great and the viewfinder is like Cinemascope compared to DSLRs and EVFs.

 

[p.giannakis]

I prefer the ME to the ME Super, as the simpler design just works better. Not only is the shutter release so nice, but the film wind action is perfect, and much shorter than the vaunted MX.
Great viewfinder too.



I just finished the roll of film in the SA. It is a lot of fun to use in P mode (if using a SMC-A lens), it feels nice in the hand, the film wind action is short and sweet, and the exposure info (shutter and aperture) in the VF in P mode is great.

Once I see what the images look like I may change my mind on its ranking!

This ME is beautiful !

 

[charjohncarter]

Hi John, I know you like you Pentax, it was some of your comments in another thread together with some pictures that made me pick up the P30T when I found it cheap. Very good camera, no doubt about it - I just prefer the older ME.

Yes, the ME is probably more solid but I just can't get out of the habit having a control knob for the shutter speeds. I have an Auto Focus Pentax body without a shutter knob and even though I use it a lot it doesn't feel like home. You would like it, its a brick.

I really like the size of the ME.

 

[p.giannakis]

Sighty off topic but one of the reasons why i don't feel the need to invest on another Pentax is this cute little guy.

Speeds up to 1/2000, depth of field preview, exposure lock, aperture priority and manual, even multiple exposures. Bottom plate is metal (top is plastic though). Metal Seiko MFC shutter, same as the Minolta XD-7 and the ME-Super and best of all it costs almost nothing to get it ( i was given mine for free). A very nice camera, sometimes i pict this up instead of the ME.

 

[charjohncarter]

Nice, Pentax made the K mount open source so these little beauties could be fitted with K lenses.

 

[Huss]

Developed the film from the Super A. No light leaks, every exposure spot on. Used it exclusively in Program mode, but I paid attention to the exp settings selected (as it shows aperture and shutter speed in vf) and was happy with it.
I like this camera. A lot. It would be (almost) perfect if it had a shutter speed dial instead of shutter buttons.

Pentax Super A, 50mm SMC-A f2, Arista 400, Cinestill DF96