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ctrout · 08-07-2016, 06:26 PM

Hello all. I have been debating for about 2 years getting back into film. Well, the other night I finally stopped thinking about and analyzing it and just went with my heart and bough a Pentax MX. I started back in the early 80s when I was about 12 years old with a Pentax MEsuper and eventually ended up with 2 MEsupers, an LX, and a K1000. I switched to Canon when I went digital in 2002. I had been thinking about getting an Eos3 and nearly pulled the trigger on one but decided that if I was going to shoot film, I might as well get back to basics so I decided instead to get a camera that I had always wanted but never got, the Pentax MX. It's coming from Japan so should arrive in a little over a week. I have already contacted Eric about a CLA so I will be shipping it off to him for about 3 weeks as soon as it arrives.

My primary interest in film is black and white so I can easily do my own developing. I have no reasonable space for a complete darkroom and no real interest in the science and art of printing so I will be scanning any negatives into the computer for processing. I can see the use and collection of classic equipment becoming an addiction so I will probably end up with a full complement of Pentax K mount gear. I'm already lusting after another LX. I loved my old one. I might end up with a 645 too because my wife and I always wanted to get into MF decades ago when they cost $1000s but couldn't afford or justify it. Anyway, here's the new old gear.

Attached Images

MarkJerling · 08-07-2016, 07:07 PM

Welcome to the forum!

Unregistered User 8 · 08-07-2016, 10:01 PM

Originally posted by ctrout

new old Pentax owner

Hi ctrout. Welcome to the Pentax forums and back to Pentax equipment. Many members here still " love " their film, so you will fit right in.

Nice looking kit you have picked up too !! Good to have you here.

**arnold** · 08-07-2016, 10:17 PM

Welcome. The MX is my favourite, but the KX is just as good. If that zoom is the Pentax 70-210, it is a good one. You can clean up the 28mm case with black shoe polish and armorall

ctrout · 08-07-2016, 11:56 PM

The zoom is an 80-200 f4.5 and it's pretty much junk because it's badly fogged. I'll be taking it apart as a project to see if it can be rescued. If I break it in my efforts, no great loss because it's really just a throw-away in its current condition. It did not influence my purchase in any way.

**BigMackCam** · 08-08-2016, 01:22 AM

Welcome to the forums - good to have you with us, and thanks for the interesting background. As Peter said, there are plenty of film fans here, so you'll be in good company. I'm only recently dipping my toe in film photography with an ME Super and a couple of non-Pentax bodies, but I've never tried home developing... would love to give that a go. Like you, I don't have space for a dedicated dark room.

That MX outfit looks great! Good luck with the 80-200 f/4.5. If you do manage to rescue it, it's a useful lens

**Kerrowdown** · 08-09-2016, 12:02 AM

Welcome to the forum and welcome back to the foal, good luck with your LX quest.

ctrout · 08-10-2016, 02:44 PM

In the mean time, I'm studying the lens reviews and hoarding glass. I found a mint 75-150 f4 M locally for $50. I got a mint 50 f1.7 M for $32 shipped, a near mint 35-70 f4 A, and a mint 200 f4 M for $47 shipped. As an additional bonus, I was digging around in the safe yesterday and discovered that I still have an AF-280T that is still in good working condition from back when I still had all of my original PK film gear. Oh, and I found a complete darkroom locally on craigslist for $75. It includes a Beseler Universal Colorhead (23c) and all of the trays, tanks, safelights, timers, and enlarger lens. I'll be picking that up on Saturday.

**RobA_Oz** · 08-10-2016, 02:52 PM

Originally posted by ctrout

In the mean time, I'm studying the lens reviews and hoarding glass. I found a mint 75-150 f4 M locally for $50. I got a mint 50 f1.7 M for $32 shipped, a near mint 35-70 f4 A, and a mint 200 f4 M for $47 shipped. As an additional bonus, I was digging around in the safe yesterday and discovered that I still have an AF-280T that is still in good working condition from back when I still had all of my original PK film gear. Oh, and I found a complete darkroom locally on craigslist for $75. It includes a Beseler Universal Colorhead (23c) and all of the trays, tanks, safelights, timers, and enlarger lens. I'll be picking that up on Saturday.

A belated welcome from me, too. You've done well with that lot, particularly the darkroom gear. There are still bargains to be found in lenses. A friend of mine who recently bought another friend's K-5IIs found a 35 f2 M locally, for $5AU! The little oval sticker had been removed, but aside from that, it was in excellent condition.

ctrout · 08-10-2016, 03:57 PM

So I was looking at the picture of the 80-200 zoom and I started to wonder what could be the cause of the optical defect that it has. Is this what delamination looks like?

**arnold** · 08-10-2016, 04:54 PM

Originally posted by ctrout

So I was looking at the picture of the 80-200 zoom and I started to wonder what could be the cause of the optical defect that it has. Is this what delamination looks like?

I looks like that alright. It may not be bad enough to affect a picture. Give it a check.

08-07-2016, 06:26 PM	#1
ctrout Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Photos: Gallery Posts: 444	new old Pentax owner Hello all. I have been debating for about 2 years getting back into film. Well, the other night I finally stopped thinking about and analyzing it and just went with my heart and bough a Pentax MX. I started back in the early 80s when I was about 12 years old with a Pentax MEsuper and eventually ended up with 2 MEsupers, an LX, and a K1000. I switched to Canon when I went digital in 2002. I had been thinking about getting an Eos3 and nearly pulled the trigger on one but decided that if I was going to shoot film, I might as well get back to basics so I decided instead to get a camera that I had always wanted but never got, the Pentax MX. It's coming from Japan so should arrive in a little over a week. I have already contacted Eric about a CLA so I will be shipping it off to him for about 3 weeks as soon as it arrives. My primary interest in film is black and white so I can easily do my own developing. I have no reasonable space for a complete darkroom and no real interest in the science and art of printing so I will be scanning any negatives into the computer for processing. I can see the use and collection of classic equipment becoming an addiction so I will probably end up with a full complement of Pentax K mount gear. I'm already lusting after another LX. I loved my old one. I might end up with a 645 too because my wife and I always wanted to get into MF decades ago when they cost $1000s but couldn't afford or justify it. Anyway, here's the new old gear. Attached Images

08-10-2016, 03:57 PM	#10
ctrout Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Photos: Gallery Posts: 444 Original Poster	So I was looking at the picture of the 80-200 zoom and I started to wonder what could be the cause of the optical defect that it has. Is this what delamination looks like? Attached Images

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08-07-2016, 07:07 PM	#2
MarkJerling Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: May 2012 Location: Wairarapa, New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 20,423	Welcome to the forum!

08-07-2016, 10:01 PM	#3
Unregistered User 8 Closed Account Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,694	Originally posted by ctrout new old Pentax owner Hi ctrout. Welcome to the Pentax forums and back to Pentax equipment. Many members here still " love " their film, so you will fit right in. Nice looking kit you have picked up too !! Good to have you here.

08-07-2016, 10:17 PM	#4
arnold Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,299	Welcome. The MX is my favourite, but the KX is just as good. If that zoom is the Pentax 70-210, it is a good one. You can clean up the 28mm case with black shoe polish and armorall

08-07-2016, 11:56 PM	#5
ctrout Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Photos: Gallery Posts: 444 Original Poster	The zoom is an 80-200 f4.5 and it's pretty much junk because it's badly fogged. I'll be taking it apart as a project to see if it can be rescued. If I break it in my efforts, no great loss because it's really just a throw-away in its current condition. It did not influence my purchase in any way.

08-08-2016, 01:22 AM	#6
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,704	Welcome to the forums - good to have you with us, and thanks for the interesting background. As Peter said, there are plenty of film fans here, so you'll be in good company. I'm only recently dipping my toe in film photography with an ME Super and a couple of non-Pentax bodies, but I've never tried home developing... would love to give that a go. Like you, I don't have space for a dedicated dark room. That MX outfit looks great! Good luck with the 80-200 f/4.5. If you do manage to rescue it, it's a useful lens

08-09-2016, 12:02 AM	#7
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,867	Welcome to the forum and welcome back to the foal, good luck with your LX quest.

08-10-2016, 02:44 PM	#8
ctrout Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Photos: Gallery Posts: 444 Original Poster	In the mean time, I'm studying the lens reviews and hoarding glass. I found a mint 75-150 f4 M locally for $50. I got a mint 50 f1.7 M for $32 shipped, a near mint 35-70 f4 A, and a mint 200 f4 M for $47 shipped. As an additional bonus, I was digging around in the safe yesterday and discovered that I still have an AF-280T that is still in good working condition from back when I still had all of my original PK film gear. Oh, and I found a complete darkroom locally on craigslist for $75. It includes a Beseler Universal Colorhead (23c) and all of the trays, tanks, safelights, timers, and enlarger lens. I'll be picking that up on Saturday.

08-10-2016, 02:52 PM	#9
RobA_Oz Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Tasmania, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,209	Originally posted by ctrout In the mean time, I'm studying the lens reviews and hoarding glass. I found a mint 75-150 f4 M locally for $50. I got a mint 50 f1.7 M for $32 shipped, a near mint 35-70 f4 A, and a mint 200 f4 M for $47 shipped. As an additional bonus, I was digging around in the safe yesterday and discovered that I still have an AF-280T that is still in good working condition from back when I still had all of my original PK film gear. Oh, and I found a complete darkroom locally on craigslist for $75. It includes a Beseler Universal Colorhead (23c) and all of the trays, tanks, safelights, timers, and enlarger lens. I'll be picking that up on Saturday. A belated welcome from me, too. You've done well with that lot, particularly the darkroom gear. There are still bargains to be found in lenses. A friend of mine who recently bought another friend's K-5IIs found a 35 f2 M locally, for $5AU! The little oval sticker had been removed, but aside from that, it was in excellent condition.

08-10-2016, 04:54 PM	#11
arnold Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,299	Originally posted by ctrout So I was looking at the picture of the 80-200 zoom and I started to wonder what could be the cause of the optical defect that it has. Is this what delamination looks like? I looks like that alright. It may not be bad enough to affect a picture. Give it a check.