I wanted to share my first impressions of the Pentax MZ-7 / ZX-7.
I have been considering a modern Pentax SLR for a while. What I would love is the MZ-S. But I'm not a pro earning any money from photography, and can't justify the high cost of that lovely camera. The MZ-7 is available now for peanuts, and delivers most of the functionality I want in a modern AF camera. Having had a chance to play with it, I can say that the MZ-7 is like the film equivalent of my *ist DL digital SLR.
When considering the MZ-7, there wasn't a lot of information about it. I think most MZ-7s were purchased and forgotten by their owners as the tide of digital cameras washed in. As a result there are a lot of like-new MZ-7s out there waiting to be put into service.
Here are the salient features which I like:
Quality of construction - feels better/more substantial than the bottom of the line MZ-M
Full manual control, including on-body control of FAJ lenses
Availability of a few auto-modes, easily available from a single dial
Exposure lock
Exposure compensation
TTL flash control
Readily available/inexpensive batteries
Low-light focus assist (strobing the flash)
The MZ-7 matches the style of the rest of the MZ line, and is a plastic-fantastic camera. The build quality seems improved however. Compared to the MZ-M, the plastic looks and feels better. The grip is also looks and feels better with a full molded rubber grip for the right hand. The fit of the parts seems tighter, and loading film in the camera inspires confidence. The film takeup assembly and pressure plate are well built, and the rear door seems to have less flex than in the MZ-M.
One of the primary reasons to want the MZ-7 is to take advantage of the Pentax 18-35 FAJ. To achieve the same field of view with the APS-C sized *ist DL, I would need a 12mm lens. Far cheaper to put the FAJ onto a fullframe film body, than to buy an expensive exotic superwide lens! The MZ-7 offers on-body control of aperture, which means the FAJ lenses are a great option with no compromises.
My first modern SLR was a Nikon F80. While I abandoned the Nikon for a number of reasons (scratching film, expensive lenses, and an interface that I found counterintuitive) there were some things I loved about that camera. One of them was slow-speed sync for night shooting. Veteran shooters would call it dragging the shutter. While it is easy to manually drag a shutter, having a "night portrait" mode makes it a no-brainer. I often use my cameras in social settings, and having some flexible automatic modes like "night portrait" can make for hassle-free shooting. The Nikon also offered low-light AF assist, with a seperate light. The MZ-7 strobes the flash to provide focus assist. Both work well in close quarters, and I'm glad to have the feature.
You can easily spend as much on flashes as on your camera. The MZ-7 offers TTL flash, which means that much cheaper flash options are available. I like true TTL flash. Not only is P-TTL expensive, but it's also not my favourite technology. I have actually considered adding an *ist D or DS to be able to use TTL flash with my DSLR.
Power sources for the MZ-7 are either two CR-2 lithium batteries (conveniently available at the Dollar Store for a dollar) or the ubiquitous Pentax FG battery grip loaded with AA batteries. Compared to other camera makes/models, the FG battery grip is the world's biggest bargain. They are regularly available used for under $20. The battery grip gives long-lasting power, provides a nice balance to heavier lenses, and gives the MZ-7 a bit more serious look. Powering from the CR-2 batteries is conveniently light weight and compact. With a lighter lens (like a 28-90 or a prime) the CR-2 batteries make for a very portable and low-profile camera. I like having the option.
General performance of the camera is good.
The viewfinder is bright and informative, featuring the sensible Pentax vertical bar graph showing over/under exposure in half stop increments.
Autofocus is quick and sure. Like other Pentax cameras, AF will usually do a "double check." That's a good thing -- my F80 was less accurate on focus because it didn't double check.
Controls are laid out slightly differently than my *ist DL, but everything important is easily accessible, including exposure lock and exposure compensation buttons.
The motor drive is fast -- I don't shoot anything that needs more than 2 or 3 frames per second.
The bottom line? The MZ-7 is a highly recommended camera, and a great modern 35mm Pentax.
I wish future digital bodies would be able to crop its viewfinders (to 1:1, panorama, vertical crop, etc) like these panorama cameras. It's no gimmick!
Linear Mode
