| Author: | | New Member Registered: March, 2024 Location: Adelaide, Australia Posts: 1 | | Review Date: April 1, 2024 | Recommended | Price: $94.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Very easy to use, a good learner's camera, good value, K mount | | Cons: | Can't set ISO | |
The P30t is the first film camera I ever used, and I think as a learner's camera it does a decent job, being an electronic camera that can also shoot manually. It also has the K mount, so there are endless lens options.
I'll admit that it feels a smidge plasticky in hand but it's not too bad. It's pretty ergonomic and easy to use, although the light meter can be a little hard to get used to (when manually changing shutter speed). What really bugs me is that you can't manually set the ISO. I haven't had any issues with that, but it feels a little weird and could definitely be a problem in the future.
Personally, I really like shooting with the P30t. For the price, if you can find one in good condition, I think it's worth considering. The P30t is a very underrated camera, imo.
| | | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: September, 2009 Location: Dayton, OH Posts: 403 | | Review Date: May 25, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $45.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Price, program mode | | Cons: | No manual iso setting | |
I missed film and wanted to shoot some, but didn’t want to spend a lot of money.
The P30 wasn’t a flagship model and lacks a few features, but most people probably won’t miss them. Here are my observations:
1) The shutter sounds like car door slamming. I don’t think I’ve owned a camera that was this loud before. Perhaps it needs a CLA?
2) I can’t set the ISO manually, but I can get over that since I don’t bulk load anymore.
3) The viewfinder is pretty good and the diagonal focusing ring is super nifty.
4) It’ll do full manual, program, or aperture priority. I tend to use manual or AV on all my cameras, so that works for me,
5)Batteries are cheap.
6) It’s light, but doesn’t feel cheap like the ZX series that came after it.
7) No bracketing or EV compensation, so that’s a bummer.
8) Definitely doesn’t shoot fast, but I’d buy a different body if I cared about a high frame rate.
9) I’ve gotten spoiled by AF and forgot how hard it is to focus a slow lens by hand.
10) It’s full frame!
I’d probably pick a different body if I still shot a lot of film, but I don’t and this was an affordable camera that’s intuitive to use.
| | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2019 Posts: 3
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 7, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $25.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Solid performer, ease of use, accurate metering, light weight, good battery life | | Cons: | Electronic shutter | |
I bought this as a cheap body off ebay for £25 (UK£) to use whilst my MX was being serviced. Turned out that it had either never, or else very rarely been used as it was in mint condition.
I have very few auto lenses, and have pretty much used it as a straight manual camera in shutter speed priority (set the speed and twiddle the aperture) but equally easy to set the aperture and twiddle the shutter speed. Works perfectly well in manual mode and is enjoyable to use in this way. Only minor hitch is not being able to see the aperture in the viewfinder like my MX, but this is not a major issue for me.
Controls are well placedand smooth in operation. In fact, the ergonomics are excellent, with the shutter speed dial being easily turned with the right forefinger and having distinct click stops.The DOF preview lever is located on the right side of the lense mount and is also conveniently placed.I think that Pentax got the controls more or less spot on for the P30T.
I know that people have criticised the DX ISO setting, but it's easy to bypass this if you want to, and equally easy to just use the camera in manual (as I do). I haven't used the manual lock feature using manual mode so can't comment. I also find the shape of the body comfortable with the chunky right hand grip. One comment I will make is that you know when the shutter fires as it makes a solid kerr-chunk. Not a bad sound, but you know when it's fired!
I understand that some don't like the looks, but I really do like the look of the camera with the two-tone grey. I understand criticisms of the plastic build, but this is something that doesn't bother me. It seems robust enough, and whilst I wouldn't want to drop it down a flight of steps (I did with my A-1 and it survived!) it's certainly up to day to day use.
I'm currently carrying it round with an SMC 55mm f1.7, Tamron Adaptall 200mm and a Tamron 35-70mm. I'm overall very happy with the camera and the results. It makes a perfectly good carry about camera when I don't want to drag my venerable MX about.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: March, 2012 Location: Joensuu (Finland) Posts: 1,761 | | Review Date: October 15, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $5.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Good VF | | Cons: | Shutter feedback is not great | |
cheap, robust and reliable.
The shutter action is too short for my taste.
I have used DA lenses including the DA40 and DA10-17 which I enjoyed very much but there is no aperture control on the body.
 | | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: July, 2007 Location: North West UK Posts: 390
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 9, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $10.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Lightweight, nice looking, has Av! Quite reliable | | Cons: | A bit plasticky, The grey divides opinion. only 1/1000sec | |
This seems to be a body that split opinion, and I can see why.
The greyness divides everyone, you either love or hate it. and it is a big plasticky compared to the better built P30n, which is part metal build.
But it does have one major advantage over the P30n, and that is Av mode.
If this was in the P30n with its better build, then it would be knockout. As it is I have both cameras for different things, and I must admit I think they are very underrated bodies. At least they don't have the shutter cog issue of later ranges (MZ and SF series being a case in point)
Get one cheap, put a good roll of 100ISO film in it, and then put the K55mm F1.8 on the front and really have fun with it.
A little gem.
| | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2015 Posts: 22 | | Review Date: November 26, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | best focusing screen I've used so far, enormous bang for the buck | | Cons: | all plastic | |
I got this one as a companion to my K2, replacing the SFX I used before. While the SFX is a solid performer, it has too much automation for my taste. For film, I prefer fully manual operation and the P30 delivers that pretty well.
The P30 series shares a lot of genetic material with the classic K-series metal bodies. Apart from the grip/thumb rest, the over-all design and dimensions of the body are almost identical to my K2 (and thus much larger than, say, an MX). The grip/thumb rest isn't all that big, but for me improves handling significantly. Most visible parts of the body are made of plastic, which helps to reduce weight. On the other hand, it doesn't feel as solid as a metal body, and some parts are actually a bit flimsy. On my body, one of the two – uhm – "teeth" on the rewinding shaft (the ones that go into the film cartridge) broke off. Rewinding still works, but unfortunately those teeth are also used for unlocking the film door when pulling up the rewind crank. With only one of them left, opening the film door becomes extremely fiddly (unless you have somehow marked the exact position the crank needs to be rotated to). Making that part out of plastic: Not a good idea.
Feature-wise, it is also pretty close to a classic manual body, including DOF-preview, mirror lock-up and a (mechanic) cable release port. It doesn't have any flash sync ports, but personally I don't care about this. Lack of exposure compensation/manual ASA setting is also no biggie for me.
I can't say anything about how good the automatic modes are, as I use it in full manual mode all the time. If I had to choose the one thing I like most on this camera, it's probably the focusing screen. The one on the K2 is great, but the P30t has a diagonal split-screen in addition to the microprism ring, which I enjoy very much.
If you want to dip your toe into all-manual film shooting for the first time, this is the perfect choice. These cameras are really not that old, so things like deteriorated mirror bumpers should be a non-issue and thus the chances of getting a ready-to-shoot one online are pretty good.
If you're looking for an inexpensive second body to accompany you classic Pentax SLR, you should definitely consider the P30 series as well. I used it as my main film body while my K2 was away for repair and it turned out to be an unexpectedly good surrogate.
The bottom line is: With the P30t you get about 90% of the shooting experience of a classic K-series SLR for a fraction of the price.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: March, 2015 Posts: 6,381
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 22, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $15.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Small size, ergonomics, P, M and Av modes | | Cons: | No EV, no manual ISO setting, embarrassing failure mode | |
Despite the let-downs described in the "con" section, this camera should be regarded as Pentax's last good manual-focus SLR, and probably the best available to the mass market. It should have been the last, full-stop.
What it loses from the original P3/30 in the plastic body, it gains in far better ergonomics (especially when larger lenses are fitted) and in its aperture priority mode with pre- or non-A K mount lenses. At the same time it's a fully-manual camera for those who want it, and it does have exposure lock if you need to use the camera as a reflected-light spot meter for tricky shots. The depth of field preview is nice to have, as is the diagonal split screen, and the old familiar "match the blinking shutter speed" display is there, together with shutter speed info in P mode in case you're wary of camera shake and want to tripod-mount it or bring out a flash.
Mine arrived used and without a strap, so I bought a cross-body strap that screwed into the tripod mount, and it was astounding how out-of-the-way it then was with a compact prime lens. The light weight really helped here, and the rubberised plastic exterior is probably better for absorbing mild bumps in this context than a metal chassis would be. A great walk-around rig.
Compared to the Pentax ME, which is full-time aperture priority with exposure compensation and manual ISO setting, the manual mode is sometimes a boon, while the program mode is the default if an optically appropriate DA lens is mounted and at least allows these lenses to be used if nothing else is available. This is something the otherwise flexible ME can't do, and in size terms the P30T isn't really that much bigger. In addition, the loading system for this camera is ridiculously simple to the point of being foolproof, and it makes for an easier introduction to film than most of its predecessors, which require you to insert the film leader through the winding spindle.
The automatic DX coding with no override is a pain to some, but IMO wouldn't have been a disadvantage to the consumer or prosumer market at which it appears to have been aimed. It suffers from comparison with the other Pentax film bodies released at the same time, all of which were AF, motor driven, and with far more electronic sophistication.
The worst thing about this camera is a particularly nasty failure mode in which the film-advance lever shears off its spindle, making it impossible to wind on the film any further. If you're shooting and winding-on quickly, it's possible to get overenthusiastic - and if the end-of-the-roll "pause point" of the film advance is in the second half of the stroke where the thumb has maximum mechanical advantage, and the internal spindle is brought to rest by the film "end" while the advance lever is being driven over hard, that's where the shearing is going to happen. I think this is how I broke mine. (EDIT: after repair, this was found NOT to be the case. Although this failure mode has been described, there was in my case a skipping of the gears of some sort which was easily correctable.)
Plastic as the exterior chassis may be, it actually comes across as fairly rugged, and the light weight and rubberised finish mean that any casual knocks and bumps that don't actually break the camera open get absorbed pretty well. But this is the P30T's one weak link, and this is one part that really should have been built the old-fashioned way. As it is, I recommend slow and cautious winding as the end of the roll is neared with pausing and film-rewind at even the slightest resistance - this should at least delay the inevitable, if not put it off indefinitely.
There are only two things that would have made this camera perfect. The first is a no-batteries default to the flash sync speed (1/100 s, which is manually selectable on the shutter speed dial). The second is for a shutter priority capability, with program mode being selected only when both lens and shutter speed dial were set to A, and the displayed shutter speed to blink if something outside the bounds of the lens's aperture range were selected. This would have given at least some ability to guess which aperture the camera was working at in Tv mode, even if it were not displayed directly in the viewfinder. Nevertheless, it is what it is, and it's not at all bad.
In the day it was created I don't think there was any Pentax lens that didn't have an aperture ring, and APS-C wasn't even thought of. That this camera can still at least function with all of them, even the ones that leave ugly black circles around the image, should be recognised and commended. I thoroughly recommend this camera to anyone wanting to dabble with film, as well as to film enthusiasts who want to give an older child their first film camera. Despite the unpleasant malfunction mine suffered, and the cons which more demanding photographers have previously identified, I have given it a ten because of its all-round flexibility, compactness and ease of loading and general use.
| | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2011 Posts: 5
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 22, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $10.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Stop down metering, easy to use, easy to source, cheap, reliable, light, PKA, lit viewfinder display | | Cons: | DX coding only (Box speed only), Top shutter speed could be faster | |
After lugging around a K1000 for a couple of years, this camera is delightfully light, but still retains enough weight for usability. Grip is pleasing, and the size is just so. It's fantastic ergonomically.
This is obviously a camera for beginners who want to get out and shoot. DX coding and full auto aperture and exposure make it a no brainer for everyday use, effectively turning it into a manual focus P&S camera. Stick a roll of 400 in it and you're ready to go.
It isn't perfect though. Top speed of 1/1000 isn't adequate for a camera of the 1990's, to be able to see aperture in the display would be nice, and auto DX coding will become a drag if you want to rate your film speed manually...
Eventually traded up for an MZ-6 body, which is definitely a better camera, but still hanker for one of these bad boys every now and then. They're fun, and ideal starter cameras for anyone looking to get into film photography.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: September, 2009 Location: Kyoto Posts: 72
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 29, 2012 | Not Recommended | Price: $10.00
| Rating: 5 |
| Pros: | solid, reliable | | Cons: | limited feature set | |
I notice this camera is highly rated. That puts me in a minority position, but so be it.
I love how this camera looks, low-slung, receded dials, and gunmetal grey/black two-tone finish. The style ages quite well I think, far better than most cameras of its era.
It's plastic, but feels robust and has a good hold. Film advance is manual, so it just needs batteries for the electronics, a pair of cheap SR-44s or similar.
I have several gripes, however.
1. Unlike older models, there is no indicator to tell if you remembered to advance the film or not. Trust me that's more annoying than it sounds.
2. No EV adjustment. Program auto is press-and-pray. If you think you need to dial in compensation, you have to take both shutter speed and aperture dials out of "A" setting, and set both, manually.
3. The aperture setting is not displayed in the viewfinder, neither by periscope nor digital readout. This means you have no idea what aperture the camera is using when operated in P mode. That, in my book, is a level 10 oversight.
4. It looks like the camera should support shutter priority operation, you can configure the camera in the expected way, with the aperture to "A" and changing the shutter speed dial manually, but it doesn't work.
Okay, I could forgive some of these, but 2.+ 3. destroy any credibility this camera might have had for being a serious tool. For kicking around on a Sunday afternoon it's fine though I guess...
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: June, 2011 Location: Melbourne Posts: 27
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 7, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $29.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Size, weight, easy viewfinder, ergonomics | | Cons: | No exposure comp, not much else | |
A very underrated camera, in any of the P30 versions. I originally had a P30, which I sold about 7 or 8 years ago.
I managed to come across the P30T for under $30, in new condition, and can't remember why I sold the first one!
The size is great, being somewhere between the older K bodies, and the M/A bodies in size. The 30T especially is a delight to hold, with soft rubberised coverings and rounded corners on the top plate, grip, and bottom. And yes, it's plastic, but the camera feels solid and well-weighted, and I can't fault the fit and finish. There is nothing whatsoever that suggests you are holding anything other than a quality camera.
It is a great, uncomplicated film body with it's Manual/Av/Program abilities. Any 'A' lens will give you virtually point & shoot convenience, otherwise it is very easy to use in either manual or Av. It has been mentioned before, but the viewfinder info IS very much like a match-needle affair, you just move the shutter speed dial until the blinking speed stops blinking... Simple, elegant, and intuitive.
I don't feel the 1/1000th top shutter speed is a detraction really, it's the same as a K1000, you just shoot the film that allows you to use the cameras specifications to their maximum. With exposure-lock, good old cable release socket, self-timer, and DOF, it is just a joy to hold and use.
Get yourself a P30, in any version, before EVERYBODY discovers what a wonderful little body it is. Think of it as your ME Super's younger second cousin.
| | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2012 Posts: 18
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 24, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $15.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Handling, reliability, depth of field preview, absurdly cheap second hand. | | Cons: | No exposure compensation. | |
I've owned 4 P30t bodies (and one P30n). One had to go years ago in part exchange for an upgade to autfocus, and three got stolen from my house last year. They're great cameras, a joy to use, and I had to buy another P30t as soon as I could. They are absurdly cheap for what they are.
Aside from one broken depth of field preview lever, I've never had any reliability or build problems with them.
They do lack exposure compensation, but as full manual exposure is so easy to use, that's a limited drawback. They are also excellent cameras to learn on.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: May, 2009 Location: North Carolina Posts: 836 | | Review Date: February 7, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $80.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Lightweight, Program/Av modes, DOF preview, cable release socket | | Cons: | Only works with DX coded film | |
I bought this camera with a fairly decent 28-80 from a local camera shop. The camera works great, it's lightweight, and is reliable. It's mostly plastic, so well-used models will show a lot more finish wear than a comparable metal body like the K1000.
I love having a DOF preview, and this camera has a KA mount so it will work with most of the DA lenses (as long as they cover 35mm), as well as the DFA 100mm WR Macro. You'll only get Program mode with lenses without aperture rings, though.
The DOF Preview is actuated by a plastic lever. Mine broke off but was easily glued back.
My biggest beef with this camera is I can't set the ISO of film manually. It reads DX codes, and if the DX code is missing or isn't successfully read it will default to ISO 100. I bulk roll film, and none of my cartridges are DX coded. It's possible to make your own DX codes, so this problem is easily overcome (indeed by using metered manual mode in the camera and ensuring you're 2 stops underexposed, for example with 400 speed, or making your own DX code). But I don't see why it wasn't included. This also means you can't shoot Tri-X rated at 1600 (as many people do), unless you create a custom DX code or ensure your meter reading and actual exposure are 2 stops off.
Overall, the camera is very nice. I love its lightweight, design, grip, and cable release socket. That's a great addition.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2006 Location: Ames, Iowa Posts: 774
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 22, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $15.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | good viewfinder, thoughtful control layout | | Cons: | several, but they don't seem to matter | |
A much-used camera, up there with the MX and KM among my practical favorites. It does everything right for the great majority of shooting situations, feels natural in the hand, is neither too bulky nor too light, draws no attention to itself, gets out of the way and lets you do your thing.
Yes, it lacks manual ISO control and exposure compensation. Although the ML lock is supposed to take the place of the compensation dial, its function times out too quickly for me, so I prefer to go to manual control in odd-light situations. The two speed indicators (one solid, one flashing) then act almost like a match-needle arrangement, fairly easy to get the knack of if you've shot a K1000 or similar.
Another odd limitation is the shutter speed range, 1 second to 1/1000 second except in bulb mode. Most of us won't much miss the 1/2000 second setting on the high end, but I was quite surprised to learn that the 1 second low end does not get extended in auto mode. If there's too little light for your aperture, the P30t won't keep the shutter open for 10-15 seconds as ME Super, Program Plus, LX, in fact most other auto-exposing Pentaxes will. Instead it will stop at 1 second and possibly underexpose. But rather tellingly, I used it for a long time before finding this out, and that was only experimentally; it never ruined a shot for me on that basis. Ultimately, if I'm going to push film, or do long automatic exposures from a tripod, I'll use something else, but I don't often have either of those needs.
The P series cameras (except P5/P50) tend to be in low demand, because they don't have the classic 70's SLR "look" and so lack nostalgia appeal. This translates to affordability.
Despite shortcomings, this is a camera with high build quality and pretty good gestalt; it's an easy choice for carrying to events and while traveling.
All of the above observations apply to the P30n as well. Between the two, I prefer the P30t slightly because of its diagonal focus aid.
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: December, 2010 Posts: 30
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 19, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Light body, comfortable grip, the way it looks!, superb viewfinder | | Cons: | Automatic DNX coding | |
Great little camera for walking around. With a fixed prime or even a small 35-80 or so, it has the perfect size and weight for carrying around all day long. It's like having a K1000 that weights half as much, but don't let the plastic mislead you, build quality is great.
Battery life is amazing, you can just keep shooting almost forever without using a spare.
The exposure meter is great, but it takes a little time to get used to. Instead of showing you that you are (say) two steps down like any other camera does, it shows you the "correct" speed you should use.
DNX coding is automatic, so if you want to push or pull film you should always remember which film you're using and adjust the meter manually, instead of just trust the camera.
Despite those (very minor) flaws, the P30t is a really great camera.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: February, 2011 Location: Murfreesboro Tennessee Posts: 3,458
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 6, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $15.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | light weight , can use all my lenses on it | | Cons: | | |
I have had this camera for about 9 months now . I enjoy it so much that I shoot almost as much with it as I do my DSLR. The batteries last a long time. In fact I am still on the set that came with the camera. It takes the same batteries as my K1000 so another plus
I like the fact that it can handle all my lenses from m to DAL
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