| Author: | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2006 Location: Ames, Iowa Posts: 774
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 10, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | well designed picture taking machine | | Cons: | electrical switches can get unresponsive with age | |
I'll lead off with the summary: this is among the film bodies I could be entirely happy with if required to restrict myself to only one.
The viewfinder is thoughtfully arranged. Like its cheaper little brother the Program A/Program Plus, it keeps its numerical information below the composition frame and out of the way, and the LCD introduces no more light into the frame. It is there when you want to see it, but does not distract at all from the subject. Also, the Super Program provides a switchable backlight so you can see this information in low light. The lack of such a switch in the Program Plus is my biggest complaint about that model.
Some people miss the capability for mirror lock up, but apart from that, the Super Program has all of the essentials as far as I'm concerned. Meter manual mode works well once you're used to the pushbutton shutter speed controls; you also get a depth of field preview control positioned in a convenient place, the ability to select full-program, Av or Tv shooting modes, TTL flash logic, shutter lock (though this seems built for someone with smaller fingers than mine) and a good grip that helps the camera feel secure in your hand.
My only reservation is, I have noticed in two different samples that the shutter switch and the backlight switch can go unresponsive with age. Symptoms of this are that you have to press too hard to get the desired response. A half-press might fail to turn on the light meter until you have gone too far and released the shutter; and the recessed position of the backlight switch makes it especially hard to use once it has lost sensitivity.
The shutter is one of the rugged Seiko mechanisms used by Pentax over several model lines, and will last almost indefinitely if not abused.
| | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: December, 2006 Location: Gabriola Island Posts: 619
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 1, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $25.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | TTL flash, quite sturdy, pleasant handling, good metering. | | Cons: | Illumination window for LCD vulnerable to impact; electromechanical linkage for aperture can be unreliable. | |
I bought my first Super Program in 1986 for the combination of A lenses and TTL flash. The A 70-210 was and continues to be a fine lens.
My latest Super Program was at a thrift store, for far less money.
I used Super Programs extensively for about 15 years under conditions of rough travelling and extreme cold. Considering that they weren't built or priced as professional-level bodies they did very well. Nice handling with a winder and the 70-210. Shutter priority mode is very handy for action photography, I'm not bothered by the push buttons.
One ongoiing annoyance was that the frosted plastic illuminator window on the pentaprism could get punched in fairly easily. I was usualy able to repair that myself. As well, the rotating ring in the lens mount that transmits aperture info to the body seems to have electrical contacts that become dirty. The result is really wacky exposure indications, usually in the form of wildly fluctuating shutter speeds. This led to a couple of trips to the shop. When the bodies got old and I was reluctant to spend money on them, I found that a good shot of electrical contact cleaner on the offending ring usually sorted things out.
My original Super Program looks well-worn but works well. Still use it occasionally. I parked a second body because the aperture linkage problem eventually became permanent. Not economical to repair in my view.
My new thrift store body needs seals, but is otherwise pristine and appears to be working perfectly. The lubricants seem to still be fine, as is usually the case with Pentax bodies that have had reasonable care.
I'd say the Super Program is a good bet as a used camera at least for now. How long the electronics will last is anyone's guess.
If buying, just make sure that you test it with an A or later lens to confirm that the aperture linkage is OK. Look for shutter speeds bouncing around when body/lens are in program mode, and for inconsistent changes in shutter speed when changing aperture manually. When you turn the aperture ring in A mode you should see a fairly smooth progression of shutter speeds as aperture changes.If you see drastic and somewhat random changes of shutter speed as you rotate the aperture ring, it's a warning that service is needed.
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: October, 2011 Location: Belton, SC Posts: 33 | | Review Date: October 31, 2011 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
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Small, light, sturdy, easy to use. The LCD in the viewfinder leaves something to be desired for me though, but it works so I shouldn't complain. Definitely my main film camera, and it's never let me down. Takes great shots...
JVC JL-A20 Turntable by carlin.lusk, on Flickr
Reindeer Ornament by carlin.lusk, on Flickr
| | | | | New Member Registered: June, 2011 Location: USA Posts: 5
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 13, 2011 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | full-featured | | Cons: | ergonomics | |
Just wanted to add that ergonomics are personal and I sold the one I bought on eBay after shooting one roll of film. For me this had the worst ergonomics I have ever seen on a film SLR. I found the lock on the control dial EXTREMELY hard to release and the two tiny buttons next to it nearly as hard to use. The LCD on top reads a display down a dark hole viewed (with great difficulty) through a tiny window and the readout in the viewfinder is not much better. The later ZX-M and ZX-5n are at the opposite end of the spectrum with intuitive and easy to use controls while the A-3 and P-3 families are certainly easier (for me) to use than this. Your mileage may vary but if you are considering this model I suggest you get your hands on one and see if the readouts and controls annoy you as much as they did me. I mark it "recommended" only for the feature set.
| | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2011 Location: Paris, France Posts: 3,217
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 10, 2011 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | size, solid, "A" setting, TTL | | Cons: | need batteries, but they last long :) | |
Bought in the late 80's by my dad, still working 30 years later 
Pros :
- "A" setting : allow the use of every lense (even the DA like the DA(L) 35/2.4, or the DA 40/2.8 ltd. BTW the 35/2.4 is becoming my normal travel lense on this body)
- small LCD display on top and in the VF
- M/Tv*/ X125**/Auto mode : all are great and easy to use, and the Auto is quite accurate.
(*you choose speed, the body gives you an aperture that match for the exposure, so you can change speed to get the aperture you want)
(** the body is always set to 1/125 and will auto chose the aperture. sort of P mod)
- light, solid, metal build.
- cheap on the Market
Cons : need batteries (but they last long. Changed once in 5 years, shooting at least a film per month.).
This is the best film camera i have handle so far.
Very good for beginners who want to try film shooting without knowing a lot (or anything.), but feature some nice pro feature (TTL flash, flash speed sync, DOF preview) that allow to unleash your creativity.
Metal build make this body very resistant, to any kind of bad treatment (in fact i'm more affraid to damage my almost 2 years old K-x than my 30 years old SuperA).
Small, black, easy to handle, makes it discrete to any kind of shooting, especially in the street or private places (good for stalkers )
and Last but Not least : handle "A" lense, and so far all kind of lense like the FA/DA 
I did my last roll of film with the DA(L) 35/2.4 without any kind of exposition problem nor vignetting. Next will be a try with the DA 40/2.8 Ltd.
It means that any of your new lense that produce no vignetting on FF is usable without any restriction except AF.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: April, 2011 Location: Gwynedd Posts: 93
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 7, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Small Size, A compatibilty | | Cons: | Full stop shutter speed incrememnts, small viewfinder. | |
I thought long and hard before choosing a Pentax body. I was using an Olympus OM2 Spot/Program as my main camera,but was finding it difficult getting hold of lenses in OM mount, so decided to look around.
I was initially drawn to the ME Super, but after a little research plumped for the Super A on account of it's 1/2000th smax shutter speed and superior metering range. Although I didn't plan on using it the A setting compatibilty was also a factor.
I love the size and ergonomics, I find it a very comfortable camera to use, and it looks nice too, especially in black. 
Despite it's age everything is still functioning perfectly, the only fault on mine being the focus screen seems to have got covered in something black and gooey that refuses to clean up. The split prism is clear though so focussing hasn't been affected. (I initially bought this body to repair another Super A I had wit ha bust mount ring, but this one was overall better shape I decided to just live with the VF issues).
There are some negatives. Metering is in full stop increments, and is limited to Centre average. Not especially exciting and a fair step down from the OM2SP. You can if determined use the ISO setting to dial in 1/3 stops, but it's a fiddly faff and not something to be done every shot! I'm not sure why Pentax introduced this system as when used in Shuter Priority mode, it's quite happy to set 1/3 aperture stops!
Metering aside the only other downside is the small viewfinder. It's not microscopic, and it is pretty bright, but it is harder to use than the OM2 one.
Nagging issues aside, mine has quickly replaced the aforementioned OM2, which hasn't been touched since the Pentax arrived. I would thoroughly reccomend one as a good walkabout camera, though if you really want to control every last detail look elsewhere.
 | | | | | Junior Member Registered: May, 2010 Location: Gold Coast, QLD Posts: 32
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 20, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $10.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Superbly built-mostly metal construction and not too heavy, aperture priority and AE, DOF preview | | Cons: | Doesn't work without batteries | |
| Pros | Superbly built-mostly metal construction and not too heavy, aperture priority and AE, DOF preview | | Cons | Doesn't work without batteries | | Rating | 10 | | Price (U.S. Dollars) | 10.00 (with SMC Pentax-A lenses) | | Years Owned | 1 week |
I can recommend this camera: Yes
Value, Features, Performance & Size
Superbly built-mostly metal construction and not too heavy
Very easy to set shutter speed with up/down buttons
Self timer easy to activate
DOF preview lever
Aperture priority and AE modes
Viewfinder can be backlit with button on side of the lens mount
Hot shoe and PC sync sockets
LCD status display
Camera Review
The Super A is superbly built-mostly metal construction with nice and easy to use rewind crank and film wind lever.
There's a handy DOF preview lever on the front as well as a easy to activate self timer and up/down buttons on the top for changing shutter sppeed.
Shutter is a quality Seiko metal MFC-E3 shutter (the previous ME Super also used a MFC series Seiko shutter) .
Handy LCD status display for showing the shutter speed-also displays a indication when shutter is cocked, plus a great viewfinder can be backlit with a press of a button on side of the lens mount.
Hot shoe and PC sync sockets are standard-so you can have either usa a on-camera mounted flash unit or off-camera ones with a sync speed of 1/125.
When I used the Super A with several SMC Pentax-A lenses , I can easily use aperture priority or auto exposure programs.
One thing-you need to put in 2 LR44 batteries for operation, otherwise the camera's shutter won't release.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: January, 2011 Location: Leipzig Posts: 64 | | Review Date: March 8, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $45.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | very affordable, nice built quality, all shoting modes necessary, goood handling | | Cons: | (battery needed) | |
| Pros | very affordable, nice built quality, all shoting modes necessary, goood handling | | Cons | (battery needed) | | Rating | 9 | | Price (U.S. Dollars) | 45 | | Years Owned | 0.5 |
I can recommend this camera: Yes
Value, Features, Performance & Size
In contrast to the popular ME/ ME Super the 'A' models support the 'A' setting aperture mode.. which can be quite nice.
Camera Review
Great manual kamera to play around. Allows all important shooting modes (Tv, Av, ...) and gives a nice retro-fun feeling.
I used it very rarely but sometimes I just like looking through a full format view finder  .
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: October, 2009 Location: Nis Posts: 268
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 18, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Lite, small, exposure and flash modes | | Cons: | No mechanical shutter speed, mirror slap | |
| Pros | Lite, small, exposure and flash modes | | Cons | No mechanical shutter speed, mirror slap | | Rating | 9 | | Price (U.S. Dollars) | 50 with SMC-M 2.8/28mm | | Years Owned | 2 |
I can recommend this camera: Yes
Value, Features, Performance & Size
Camera have lots of exposure and flash features for time when it's produced. Precise Seiko metal shutter with wide speed range, motor drive possibility, LCD data of shutter speed and aperture in viewfinder with subsidiary light. Exposure compesation, precise TTL flash metering from film plane and Program flash metering. Body with 28mm lens, for example, is pocket size wich is ideal for street life photography. Nice design.
Camera Review
This is one of famous Pentax manual focus camreas improved from Pentax ME Super. Camera of the Year 1983. On this camera nothing more nothing less. Perhaps too small for people with larger hands (here I belong too). No mechanical shutter speed, this is only cons for this camera. Interesting, ME Super have it.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2008 Location: Albuquerque NM Posts: 9,830
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 19, 2010 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Uses A lenses, TTL flash, bright finder, compact
| | Cons: | Prone to stuck mode control, LCD in finder is dim
| |
| Pros | Uses A lenses, TTL flash, bright finder, compact | | Cons | Prone to stuck mode control, LCD in finder is dim | | Rating | 8 | | Price (U.S. Dollars) | ?? | | Years Owned | 20 |
I can recommend this camera: Yes
Value, Features, Performance & Size
Best manual focus era camera for Digital lenses
Uses A mode and displays aperture
TTL flash works with modern flashes
Nice, compact design
Finder is bright and focus is easy
Nice exposure modes
Camera Review
I own two of these. One has been around a while and one I bought a year or so ago. This is the best consumer-level auto-exposure camera of the manual focus era. The flash modes work as they should, as does the exposure automation. This is the only camera of the 80s that is a pleasure to use with lenses that don't have aperture rings, because it allows the camera to be used in shutter-priority mode and can display the aperture information. Later P models can't do this.
I have had a couple of reliability issues. One of my bodies has a stuck selector for the exposure mode (I keep it on manual) and the other does not read and display the aperture information from the lens consistently, though it appears to expose correctly. The stuck ring around the shutter which is used to select the aperture mode is said to be a common problem with this camera.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: July, 2008 Location: Rankin Inlet, Nunavut Posts: 3,948 | | Review Date: July 22, 2010 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | Compact, features
| | Cons: | Teeny buttons
| |
| Pros | Compact, features | | Cons | Teeny buttons | | Rating | 9 | | Price | 60 | | Years Owned | 1 |
I can recommend this camera: Yes
Value, Features, Performance & Size
Probably the nicest, most compact, full-featured SLR I've ever owned.
Camera Review
An excellent, small DSLR with Pentax superior engineering and style. The ergonomics are excellent. The shutter is exceptional.
The only major gripe I have is that shutter speed is set via tiny buttons instead of a dial, sort of presaging the push-button era, leaving behind the more tactile control era.
Excellent camera.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: April, 2009 Location: Waldorf, MD Posts: 1,861
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 9, 2010 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | Light and Small, Accurate, Easy to Use, Flash Compatability | | Cons: | Batteries Required | |
| Pros | Light and Small, Accurate, Easy to Use, Flash Compatability | | Cons | Batteries Required | | Rating | 9 | | Price | $100 with a/28mm f/2.8 | | Years Owned | 2 years |
I can recommend this camera: Yes
Value, Features, Performance & Size
This is a cheaply available, lightweight, compact manual focus SLR that is simple to use.
Camera Review
Of all my camera bodies, the one that brings me the most pure joy to use is my Super Program. With bodies ranging from an Asahi Pentax SV to a K10D at the ready, this says a lot.
The Super Program is built on the same frame as two other venerable cameras from Pentax: The very compact ME/ME Super, and the ultra-compact and legendary MX. The Super Program gives you a little more bang than those options. This was the first of the A-series SLR bodies, which allowed the camera body to control aperture automatically. A-series lenses were introduced with this model.
Pros: Feature-rich
This camera comes with all the bells and whistles. Except of course for autofocus, you get just about everything you'd need: Everything from Program AE to fully manual control, exposure information in the viewfinder, exposure compensation, self-timer and aperture preview. Everything you look for in a professional SLR, right there.
Pros: Light and Small
Despite the full list of features, the SUper Program is only a tiny bit bigger and a few grams heavier than the ME Super and MX...by many accounts, 2 of the smallest film SLRs in the world. The Super Program has a slightly bulkier prism housing thanks to the light collector for the LCD displays, and has a grip on the right-hand side, but other than that is every bit as tiny as its older brothers.
Pros: TTL Flash
The Super Program has a very advanced (for its time) TTL Flash system, letting you simply mount the flash, set the shutter speed at flash-sync and forget. You can also leave the shutter in Auto and it will know never to pick above sync. With an AF-360 FGZ flash, the Super Program's flash photography abilities are excellent.
Pros: Easy to Use
The Super Program shoots in four exposure modes: Program AE, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual. The way it does this is quite simple and, frankly, brilliant: If you set the aperture ring and the shutter mode dial both to Auto, you're in program. Move either one into manual, and you get shutter or aperture priority, depending on which you move. If you move them both into manual, you are in fully manual mode, metered, with a display of how many stops off you are in the viewfinder. I wish modern SLRS did this! The shutter speed LCD on the camera's right shoulder is also helpful when shooting from the hip, making street shots very easy.
Pros: Lens Compatibility
The Super Program can handle any Pentax or third-party lens you throw at it. K, M, A, FA FA-J, D-FA, and even DA lenses all work fine, though if you don't have an aperture ring you lose aperture priority, and there may be some cropping/vignetting/dark corners with certain lenses. I've used digital lenses on my Super Program many times, and the results have been very good. The Sigma 10-20mm at about 15mm is an especially fun choice.
Cons: Batteries Required
The Super Program has one Achilles Heel: It requires battery power in order to shoot at all. The fully-electronic shutter requires juice even to actuate, so if you run out of batteries you're totally dead in the water. On the bright side, the electronic nature of the shutter release makes Self-timer a solid-state function, and makes the shutter release very fluid and smooth.
Cons: DoF Preview in Av mode only
If you want depth of field preview to work on this camera, you have to use the aperture ring to select the aperture. I've wanted to see the depth of field of several shots in Program AE or on Digital lenses, and with the aperture ring set to A or a ringless lens, hitting the mechanical DoF preview lever gives you the minimum aperture available. A bit of a bummer, but not a show-stopper.
Conclusion
I love, love, LOVE this camera. It isn't perfect, but it's close. The smallness, combined with the ease of use make it a Go-to film body for me. Not only would I reccomend buying one, but I bought my dad one, and I would buy a digital version if one were ever made.
I'd rate this camera, overall, 9/10.
| | | | | Moderator
Site Supporter Registered: June, 2008 Location: Florida Hill Country Posts: 17,377 | | Review Date: May 8, 2010 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Size and loaded with features | | Cons: | limit use without battery | |
| Pros | Size and loaded with features | | Cons | limit use without battery | | Rating | 9 | | Price | don't remember | | Years Owned | 20 |
I can recommend this camera: Yes
Value, Features, Performance & Size
Supports the A lenses which is what the A in the name refers to. The ME II Winder will work with this body. There is also an optional motor drive for it.
Camera Review
This is a compact camera but is well built like one would expect from a Pentax. This is the flagship of the A series bodies. It as served as my film platform for macro photography for a long time. I bought it used in the late 80s and I don't remember the price.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: August, 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 674
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 17, 2009 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: N/A |
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Compared to the Program-A:
1) The Progam-A had only a 1/1000 max shutter speed compared to the 1/2000 of the Super-A.
2) Super-A flash sync speed is 1/125, Program-A is 1/100
3) Super-A has a top LCD.
4) Super-A has a film winding confirmation window.
5) Super-A has an viewfinder LCD backlight.
6 ) The Program-A doesn't have Tv mode, while the Super A does. That's the key difference.
The Program A is a nice camera but is really just a stripped-down budget version of Super-A - which is undoubtedly the better camera. (I had both).
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: June, 2009 Location: Santa Cruz Mountains Posts: 53
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 4, 2009 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: N/A |
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The big plus of the Super Program is TTL flash. The big negative is that I find the LCD viewfinder difficult. In weak light you need the illumination button..which give barely enough backlight. The real thing..I wear glasses and the LCD is so located that I have trouble seeing the full display and when I can the LCD numbers are blocky and take getting used to. The P3n went back to a shutter dial. The ME Super was a bit smaller-with a nice viewfinder (LED)..but neither had TTL flash.
If the P3n had TTL and spot meter....it could have been a terrific camera. Pentax later did put everything togather with the ZX5n....though the viewfinder again was difficult.
For flash..if you don't wear glasses...the Super Prog is quite solid.
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