I don't need any more cameras. I truly don't. I also don't need anymore excellent vintage lenses, I truly don't. So why did I make an offer on this Spotmatic F when I saw it by accident on the PF marketplace? I tell myself, I did it for the lens. After all, the only f/1.4 lenses I have are an Auto Rikenon 55/1.4 and MC Rokkor 58/1.4. Surely, there is a pressing need for the Asahi product...bull.
That all aside, I made a reasonable offer given that the working condition of the camera was unknown and the photos were a bit fuzzy. I took delivery yesterday and was greatly reassured. Both camera and lens are quite clean, I'd say VG or Ex- for both. The lens has radiation yellowing (under treatment for such as I type, courtesy of the IKEA JANSJÖ lamp), but is in good shape other than a few, very minor, paint scratches. The body has a little missing trim paint, but the film chamber is immaculate. The mirror box might also be except for foam crumbs from a rotted mirror damper. Shutter and mirror are sticky as are the metering couplers in the mount, so I am looking at a CLA. Surprisingly, the battery cap and chamber are spotless and the meter responds to light; it is even pretty accurate. The seller told me that camera had been set aside for some time. From all appearances, that time may well have been in the late 1970s.
The camera came with a genuine Honeywell version soft-snoot everready case (in reasonable condition that cleaned up nicely with a little shoe polish), a patterned "hippie" strap, and a Vivitar MC 1A filter. I am pleased.
Pentax K-3, KMZ Helios-44K-4 58/2.0
Steve