| Author: | | New Member Registered: February, 2019 Posts: 15
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 6, 2019 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | It does what it was designed to do and it works | | Cons: | Often far too expensive and over-rated | |
It's an SP1000 with a timer and a slightly better meter averaging light reading system through the lens. Trouble is, you'll be lucky to find one that has the light meter working and even if you are lucky you will realise it's better to have a quality hand held light meter. Because of the pose kudos potential that comes from owning an "F" the prices are often pushed up so you buy a lot for what you could better invest in an SP1000 or SP500 (that has the extra 1000th speed hidden) and a lens or two, or a bunch of film to actually use.
| | | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: November, 2010 Location: California Posts: 2,223
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 10, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $180.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Design and Costruction, strong, easy to operate | | Cons: | Nothing Really. | |
This is a very good camera, built at the level of the Leicas and Rolleiflexes of the era. Surprisingly, the meter is very accurate as are the shutter speeds. Since several years using Leica, I had forgotten about the flap sound of the mirror returning, it brought memories back. Moving to this camera after being in the digital world. It is worth to have this camera. Everything that they said here in this review is ok with me. I just commented on the feeling aspect of it.
Here are some shots of the first roll taken with the camera:
 Spotmatic F by Palenquero Photography, on Flickr
 Spotmatic F by Palenquero Photography, on Flickr
 Bird of Paradise by Palenquero Photography, on Flickr
 Spotmatic F by Palenquero Photography, on Flickr
 Sunset by Palenquero Photography, on Flickr
| | | | | New Member Registered: September, 2010 Location: Melbourne Posts: 2
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 22, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Even simpler to use than SP and SPII | | Cons: | None | |
I bought this at auction 3 years ago and have used it regularly since. Of the 3 Spotmatics I have (SPF, SPII and ESII) this is the preferred body to use due to it's fully mechanical shutter and open aperture metering. The SPF has one less step in taking a photo, which means more brain cells concentrated on the composition and exposure. I bought plastic pinch caps for my lenses and keep them fitted between shots. The SPF, even though its meter must be very similar to the SPII, takes a much larger 625 size battery, which I guess was done to compensate for the extra time that the meter operates due to the 'always on' open aperture metering when the lens cap is removed and there is sufficient light to activate the meter. If the camera is placed in a bag without a lens cap, the meter will not draw power either. So to prolong the battery life, use a lens cap or place in camera bag, or use the original leather case between shots.
I use a 1.5V SR44 silver oxide battery with a bit of aluminium foil as a spacer. The meter is accurate as checked with grey card and handheld meter. Using black and white film with a yellow filter, I increase exposure by about 1 stop because the meter does not fully compensate for the filter. The filter factor is 1 stop but the meter only sees 1/3 stop less light. This was the same with the meter in my Pentax 67II meter and when I meter through the filter with my Gossan Lunapro meter.
The SPF seems to be at least as well made as the SPII and has the same wonderful design and durability. Older Takumar lenses can be used using stop down metering via the same SPII style switch on the side. Also, on my particular body, the meter reads 1 stop less light when using Super Takumar lenses (without the aperture readout coupling) and stop down metering. In the end, I upgraded my 85mm lens to an S-M-C version. All my others lenses are S-M-C Takumars.
This is my favourite camera.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: November, 2013 Posts: 1,740
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 24, 2015 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Open metering, image quality, building quality, smoothness, reliability | | Cons: | Certain M42 lenses cannot be mounted (Helio 44m), no split image screen | |
The Spotmatic F was the last evolution of the fortunate Spotmatic line and definitely the easiest to use today thanks to the new open metering that later was "transferred" to the more famous K1000 and KM.
In comparison to its K mounted successors the SPF feel smaller (especially in the lens mount area) and more refined in the operation, in particular the smooth advance lever (longer stroke tough) and shutter release. Unlike them, it also has a shutter lock like the KX. The DOF preview like all Spotmatics is on the left side but the meter is always active so it's important to have the cap at hand anytime. It uses a standard 625 battery and this is also another great advantage in comparison to the older Spotties.
The F debuted with the last generation SMC Takumars with rubber grip,usually sold with the 55/1.8 but was also available with the 50/1.4 that in this incarnation received a 8 blades diaphragm and that I consider superior to the glass of the competition of that era (Canonn FD50mm f1.4, Nikkor 50mm 1.4 S-C, Fujinon EBD 50 mm f1.4, I have them all), as you can see from the pictures the bokeh is lovely, the lenses can handle low available situation very well (one shot was taken a 1AM with the Tak 55mm 1.8 wide open and 1/30s shutter speed).
Disadvantages? Like all Spotties it doesn't have a split screen unlike some of the competition (Fujica ST705 and 801 first) so sometimes I have to be careful with focusing, the viewfinder is bright but not as bright as the Fujicas and the metering is average and not centre weighted, but probably the most important thing to know is that the F can destroy the pins of certain lenses if you try to install them without paying attention like it almost happened to me with an Helios. Among the M42 cameras the SPF is one of the three that allowed open metering but this had a price in terms on compatibility, the other systems were the electric M42 of the DDR Prakticas (less invasive) and the Fuji that looks suspiciously like the later Nikon AI mount (there is a pin on the back of the lenses that some smart guy files to install on other cameras thus negating the advantage of this system), so while it can be disputed if it's the best M42 camera ever (the Fujicas are serious contenders) surely it's one of the best and I would recommend more a SPF than a K1000 to a beginner.
 | | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2012 Posts: 1,972
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 13, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $160.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Built, reliability, accurate meter, smooth operating, | | Cons: | none really but .. ok, the meter running when cap is off | |
I picked it recently to replace my ES II which I sold some time ago and regretted since .. it came with S-M-C Takumar 50mm f1.8. I paid pretty dollar for it but both the camera and lens are in close to mint condition, with new light traps and mirror bumper and came with case, lens hood and few other bits.
What can I tell to add to what others have said already.... It is a wonderful camera really. I like it as much as I loved my ES, because I occasionally only relied on an auto-exposure function, and more on selectable speeds, and this is precisely what I do now with this Spotmatic F. It is actually even better as the meter is ON and needle metering is just brilliant. Easy to see, very accurate. Also easy to compensate just click or two with the speeds selector or aperture and voilà 
The viewfinder is pretty big and bright, maybe not as big as MX but still amazing compared to other cameras of that age. The S-M-C Takumar lenses are amazing and I love my 105mm and 35mm f3.5. The 55mm f1.8 is a classic and takes well deserved place beside my Super Takumar 50mm f1.4 8elem
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this camera as well as accurate metering and focusing. I wear glasses and so had to pick a -2 dioptre , but now I can nail the focus with my 1.4 lens with close to 100% accuracy
To sum up - if you are either a beginner and want to learn the film photography; an enthusiast who just wants to go back to the basics to reinvigorate your love for the photography ; or a professional who wants to add some uniqueness to the offer with some creative film photography - this camera will never fail you and if there is *anything* wrong with your results , be sure it is Your fault :P
Here is my setup :
And a few photos from recently shot 2 BW rolls :
   | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2012 Location: Colorado Posts: 1,437
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 29, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $11.38
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Ergonomics, metering, 1.35-volt battery | | Cons: | S-M-C lenses are spendy compared to others, most S-M-C lenses have rubber focus grips not metal | |
From a technical and usability perspective, this is the best of the Spotmatics that I've used (I've never used either of the ES bodies.) This is probably the only Spotmatic that I like more than the SPII. The metering is simple and accurate, it uses the mercury batteries so today there are options:
1- Get a PX625 (the ones that's the same size) and compensate for the voltage difference by changing the ISO using the SUnny 16 rule as a guide (anticipate about a two-stop difference due to the voltage difference.)
2- The better option is to go to eBay and search for LR 44 or A76 battery adapter. For $5 each, I picked up about a dozen of these and they fit around an A76 battery so it seats well inside the F's chamber. This allows the F to be used normally with no ISO compensation for the voltage difference.
This is an eminently usable camera -- by and large they remain sound mechanically and electronically. Also, the ISO range is more than adequate (20 to 3200) for basically any use.
The Spotmatic F is one of those cameras that is a good choice for any skill level. It's easy enough to learn it if you're a novice and capable enough to keep an advanced user happy with their work.
 | | | | | Junior Member Registered: December, 2012 Location: Southwest Colorado Posts: 39
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 24, 2013 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | One of the best of the M42 mount cameras. | | Cons: | None | |
It is my favorite M42 mount camera. In 40 yrs I had to replace the light seals, and that is it. All speeds work fine. Light meter has been excellent. I became a much better photographer using this camera. It will never be sold or traded off as have other cameras I've owned.
I use this camera continuously, which I believe keeps it in good shape. I have not given in to the digital craze..
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: December, 2010 Location: Bucharest, Romania Posts: 1,465
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 21, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | open aperture metering, Spotmatic body, shutter release lock | | Cons: | badly designed open aperture metering system | |
It it weren't for the poor design of the open aperture metering, this would have been my favourite M42 camera. Basically, they just introduced a new, hybrid mount that also allowed their old Takumars and some lucky other M42s to be mounted. Unfortunately not some unlucky others. And the small pin on the aperture-coupled SMC Takumars was also a pretty bad idea, but that's not the point of the review. It used to rely on mercury batteries, but also works with Varta 625 and the like (same as Zenit TTL, fun fact that it shares batteries but not lenses).
All in all, this camera is a Spotmatic, with both great things and limitations, but at today's prices, you could just get both a classic Spotmatic and an F, and just enjoy its good things and walk around its limitations.
It even has the great sound that Spotties make at 1/30 and 1/15. There was a topic on the forums with somebody asking if they had mice inside 
Did I mention the redesigned leatherette for this camera? I find it the best improvement from the SPII.
13A_0017.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
20A_0024.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
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2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 30, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | TTL meter, build quality,Shutter button can be locked | | Cons: | meter runs unless cap is on | |
In the days when Pentax was known as Asahi Pentax, Pentax's legendary camera series was the Spotmatic series, best Spotmatic F, A simple design combined with an excellent match needle system. The metering system, which is based around cells on both sides of the eye piece looking into the prism, is accurate and reliable. SPF introduced in 1973 and was an excellent and solid camera at the time. I have used 2 SPF bodies since 1980, still have one.
| | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2016 Location: Arnhem, Netherlands Posts: 1
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 21, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Smooth yet failsafe | | Cons: | Hot shoe | |
Like all Spotmatics, this is a wonderful tool and a joy to use. Make it look through a Takumar and it becomes magic. The controls without exception work smoothly and let you feel the craftsmanship that Asahi put into it.
The SPF officially takes 1.4 volt mercury batteries, which are no longer available. All Spotmatics I know of will also meter perfectly on a slightly higher or lower voltage, and the SPF in particular offers many possibilities due to its big battery compartment. Last month when I found out on the first day of a weeks holiday that my battery was dead, all I had to do was pick up a blister of zinc (hearing aid) batteries on the corner of the street, drop one of them into the SPF and fill up the space in the compartment with a folded scrap of paper. The slides I took were perfect!
What would I change? I'd skip the hot shoe. I never use flash, and the sharp corners of the shoe can tear your clothes or the lining of the camera case. Without it, the lines of the camera look even better. In this respect the original SP and the SP1000, that lack th hot shoe, have even more Zen.
My black SPF set me back €90 in 2016, but this included a Takumar SMC 24mm - a true bargain ! - so I estimate the camera was something like $40.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: April, 2011 Location: Lost in translation ... Posts: 18,076 | | Review Date: December 21, 2013 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Great M42 SLR, love the old school feel, soild ... | | Cons: | Metering a bit of a pain at times ... | |
Bonjour,
I picked up my copy with a Auto Tak 55/2.2 and love it ... great feel and may send it off to Eric H for "CLA", even though it is in very fine shape ... other reviews have covered the bases for me, so here's a p0rn shot of my SP F gear acquisition ... Salut, J
 | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: August, 2012 Location: Queensland Posts: 4,294
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 6, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | A quality screw mount camera | | Cons: | Light meter engineering | |
If you are familiar with the most basic Spotmatic, then think of the "F" as the final evolution of the fully manual Spotmatics. The evolution from the level of the SP1000 to the "Spotmatic" was to include a timer. The next level "SP 11" added a hot shoe. The "F" added open metering, which meant that the moment you took the lens cap off, the meter would start reading. The switch on the lens (auto-man) remains locked in auto to achieve this. The way they locked the lens was to machine a groove in the camera mount on the "F". On later lenses, a small pin would fall into this recess and lock the lens in auto. Earlier Spotmatics had no recess and were able to use the manual position because the pin was pushed in.
The light meter as on previous models is turned off with the lens cap blocking light. There is no switch. I have two 'F' models, and they seem to overexpose a couple of stops. They probably need re-calibration
I am always torn between wanting my cameras to have all the features (which do fail over time) and the cleanest basic model limited to the essentials of manual focus - aperture - speed selection.
There were other refinements that culminated in the 'F' model, and it uses those quality screw mount lenses that the Canon guys desire, so if you want the fanciest manual Spotmatic, the 'F' is for you.
Honeywell Pentax "F" and 200mm f4 S-M-C Tacumar Mount Ninderry
 | | | | | Inactive Account Registered: March, 2010 Location: In Transition Posts: 173
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 26, 2011 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Supports lens with open aperture capability | | Cons: | meter runs unless cap is on | |
This body was pretty nice when released. It seems to get overlooked these days for the ES II. I purchased this camera just before I left Vietnam heading back to the States. I used it for film until I went digital. I never really saw the need to replace it with the K1000 and couldn't really afford the K2 when it was new. Blue has my copy. I traded it to him several years ago for a K1000 he bought new. I wanted the K1000 for my daughter to use in a photography class since it took K-mount lenses.
| | | | | Moderator
Site Supporter Registered: June, 2008 Location: Florida Hill Country Posts: 17,377
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 16, 2011 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Open apertue metering | | Cons: | meter runs when lens cap is off | |
This is a typical well made m42 camera body. It has open aperture capability with any of the Taks that support these feature. A few of the Super Taks, and most Super-Multi-Coated and SMC Takumars have a special lug on the rear of the lens to support the open aperture metering. The only done side to this camera is the fact the meter runs the battery down when the lens cap is off. It originally relied on the mercury battery.
| | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2024 Posts: 3 | | Review Date: March 16, 2024 | Recommended | Price: $75.00
| Rating: 6 |
| Pros: | Can use M42 lenses, solid build, mechanical, so doesnt need batteries. | | Cons: | Useless light meter, dim viewfinder | |
The Spotmatics are legendary cameras that deserve a place in camera history. They are incredibly reliable, extremely well built (every bit as good at the Nikons, Canons, and Minoltas of the day) - I have three - BUT I confess that I never use them. My main turn off are that they have rather dim viewfinders compared to the more modern cameras like the ME Super, or Minolta X700. The meters are generally useless and they are hefty pieces of kit.
For folks who want to get into film photography they are a solid choice because of the extreme reliability and access to the M42 lens range - as long as you are using an external lightmeter and are Ok with the dim finder I would recommend them.
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