Originally Posted by Lowell Goudge
Its really my inherent lazyness that keeps me away from M42 lenses, I just like automatic apature, so I get K mounts.
I am told: SPF and ES
Never tried either of them but they are open aperture reading screw mount cameras
Fuji had a couple too though these are a bit more specialized, mount wise... I've hankered for the ST705 at times.
Originally Posted by jgredline
As far as comparing it to the Pentax, it is big..perhaps bigger than a K1000...All in all I prefer my ME-SUPER over it...Image quality, appears to be the same...
Yes those are large cameras, and do not really have an advantage over Pentax. My daughter really liked her uncle's AL though, that's the one with the focus confirmation light. Your kit is approximately what I'd consider perfect, and it's a different aesthetic and aim: larger stuff, faster aperture. Pentax (and Olympus, once they got their OM together) were more about elegance and portability.
I do have a Nikon EM around, I've had the thought of sometime getting into the pre AI Nikons too. There is something different about the lenses. But again, probably no real advantage relative to Pentax these days.
Minoltas I've always heard good things about, but I've never been tempted to become a Minoltean. When I moved to full frame SLR back in '85 Olympus was the natural choice from the Pen FT. The decision back then was interesting: I ruled out Nikon and Canon on the grounds that they were higher priced due to the pro cachet. I also ruled out Pentax because I considered it too amateur. Which left Minolta and Oly. The Minolta view finder was better... but my heart was with Oly.
Perhaps something like Fuji X mount or Konica would make a good adopted brother for the Pentaxes.