Senior Member Registered: August, 2009 Location: Broomfield, Colorado Posts: 152 | | Review Date: September 14, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $5.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | imprints date or time stamp on negative | | Cons: | Date range expired in 2019, doesn't adjust exposure to ASA/ISO of the film | |
Pentax Data Back FB for SF-series SLR cameras
This is technically just a 'Quartz Date' or "date back". The term "data back" is somewhat misleading in that there are other data backs useful to expand the capabilities of the camera beyond just recording date/time. This FB version appears to be a compatibility upgrade for all SF-series SLRs compared to the prior F version made for the SFX/SF1 models according to its manual. The FB version also uses a longer lasting lithium battery instead of the F version's LR44/SR44 batteries.
My 'Data Back FB' was already attached to a used Pentax SFXn AF SLR. I guesstimated the used price in consideration of the overall price paid for the camera with a 28-80mm Pentax-F lens. From a collectability standpoint, it's obviously worth a lot more if you ever can find one in mint condition in the original retail box with the clam-shell style storage case and user manual. 
Here's a link to a nice online color copy of the Data Back FB manual; requires p/w Pentax
http://www.pentax-manuals.com/manuals/accessories/databack_fb.pdf
PROS:
As others have described it, it's basically "a digital clock" with a tiny LCD display built-in to the camera's back film door that makes an imprint/exposure of the date or time onto the film's negative simultaneously along with a photographic exposure.
It also uses a longer lasting lithium battery.
CONS:
Unfortunately, the date range was 1987-2019 which has now been surpassed.
At least it survived the Y2K 'crisis' without a hitch, but had no vision of making it to 2020.  BTW, time is still usable, but is it really that useful?
Also, it doesn't adjust exposure to the ASA/ISO setting of the film, i.e. imprints at ISO 50 look dim, imprints at ISO 1000-1600 look blurred/over exposed
Requires an extra battery separate from the camera's battery (CR 2025 lithium).
Rating:
7/10 for being what it was when is was needed during its usable date range, but now expired.
My recommendation was "yes" since I wouldn't avoid buying a used camera that already has one installed. Practically speaking, it really doesn't matter if you have it or not since the usable date range has expired.
Conclusion:
If you buy an SFX/SF1/SFXn/SF1n equipped with this 'data back' it doesn't hurt anything to have one if it's turned off or the battery is removed.
I suppose you could consider it as making the camera look like a more collectible and sophisticated 'advanced' or upgraded version. 
Perhaps you could even use it for a watch if you don't have your smart phone or wrist watch with you, just like the time feature is also useable on a DSLR.
FOOTNOTE: If you're looking for a 'data back' that expands the SF1n/SFXn camera's capabilities, there was also an "Interval Data Back F" for SF-series cameras that adds interval shooting with settings for start time/interval length/frame number/time exposure/pre-charge signal of an external flash.
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