[Ana Maria]

Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here.

---

Any film you buy from Kodak will have DX coding. Arista Premium should have DX coding too, but good luck finding any, it was discontinued.

If you can use and AE-1 for the class then you can use a P3 as well.

OK,
I am of to class t discuss the DX coding issue. If spent 40 bucks for not I am going to be a mad Cuban ! And that isnot a good thing!

---------- Post added 09-02-14 at 09:01 AM ----------

It depends on the school and the instructor. The schools near my home generally allow automated exposure cameras as long as they provide full support for metered manual. That being said, almost all use the K1000 as an example of an acceptable camera. The local shops do a bang-up business selling K1000 kits at outrageous prices.

While the K1000 reigns as the King of student cameras, there are many other options for quality manual exposure bodies. In addition to the Pentax models noted above, I would add my personal favorite, the KM. If non-Pentax cameras are to be considered, I can recommend:

• Minolta SRT 101 and similar Minolta models
• Olympus OM-1
• Nikon FM and FM2

I would like to make a small comment in regards to cost for foam seals. Yes, most vintage film cameras use the foam seals and yes, the seals on many are in poor shape. The good news is that any camera purchased from a reputable shop (including online merchants) will have had the seals evaluated and/or replaced. Another element of good news is that replacement of the seals is not always expensive. My local repair guy charges a flat rate of $49 for seal replacement, light cleaning, and shutter/meter evaluation. If a person has a steady hand and about an hour's time, Jon Goodman's pre-cut seal kits* are still only $10 USD including shipping.


Steve

* PM me for Jon's e-mail address

---------- Post added 09-01-14 at 05:25 PM ----------



The manual exposure support on the AE1 is not very good in that setting the correct aperture cannot easily be done with your eye to the viewfinder (the meter is only coupled to shutter). It is the one big weak point of an otherwise nice camera. Based on your description of the course and the films being used, a P3N would work nicely. All the films listed have DX-encoded canisters.


Steve

---------- Post added 09-01-14 at 05:30 PM ----------



Arista Premium 400 is currently in stock at Freestyle (1 Sept 2014) and at a very nice price point too. Apparently they were able to secure a new contract with the maker.

Arista Premium 400 ISO 35mm x 24 exp. | Freestyle Photographic Supplies.


Steve

P.S. This was a surprise to me as well, now if they could only bring back Legacy Pro 100

Thx for all your avice. I am heading to class to expound on this info. Tell you what happened later guys.
Ana Marua

[Rick in Ohio]

Ana Maria, How about getting a "M" series or "K" series lens for the P3n, That should put you in the fully manual mode of the camera.

Rick

[stevebrot]

I'd agree that the AE-1 isn't the handiest camera, because it has only shutter-priority automation and a very limited viewfinder display, but it's a fairly minor inconvenience if you're only going to be using it for a one-semester class.

The OP is supposed to have a manual exposure camera. The AE-1 goes into manual mode when the aperture ring is moved off the AE position, but there is no coupling between the aperture ring and the camera body making use of the built-in meter a pain. The process for FD lenses goes something like this:

• Choose the desired shutter speed
• Look into the viewfinder and half-press the shutter to see what aperture the meter recommends
• Set the aperture on the lens (usually requires taking the eye away from the viewfinder) to the setting recommended by the meter
• Take the picture
• Continue to use these settings until either the subject or light changes

The third bullet is the clumsy part of the process. If you want to use a particular aperture for DOF purposes, it may take a couple of tries before finding a shutter speed to match.

The reason I even mentioned this "feature" is because I seriously considered the AE-1 when it first came on the market. Its manual exposure implementation nixed it in my mind at the time. Manual metering on the P3n is a lot more straightforward.


Steve

[Jonathan Mac]

Ana Maria, How about getting a "M" series or "K" series lens for the P3n, That should put you in the fully manual mode of the camera.

Rick

The P3N can use either A or M mode with "M" or "K" lenses. If the shutter speed dial is left on "A" then it will be in A mode. To put it in manual mode you need to select a shutter speed manually.

[Lowell Goudge]

Ana Maria, How about getting a "M" series or "K" series lens for the P3n, That should put you in the fully manual mode of the camera.

Rick

No,, because you have the aperture coupling to the camera for open aperture metering you still have aperture priority

---------- Post added 09-03-2014 at 06:30 AM ----------

OK,
I am of to class t discuss the DX coding issue.

As I said a while back I this thread. DX coding is not a killer. If there is no DX coding on the film, the camera exposes at ISO 100!

So if you are given ISO 200 film double the shutter speed from what the metering suggests or stop the lens down one more stop. It will require you taking your time and thinking the exposure through, but as a beginner, that's not a bad thing

[Ana Maria]

Hi JM,
That is very interesting. I will be purchasing the Arista as well. At the moment it is more economical than the TX400.
Thanks.

[TER-OR]

Check on Craigslist for a K-1000, you should be able to get one easily.

But also check with the instructor, perhaps your promise to behave and not use automatic functions is sufficient.

[Oldbayrunner]

Two other great fully manual cameras that are inexpensive and are easy to find is the Ricoh KR-10 or KR-10 Super or the KR-5 series, all of which will use any K-mount manual lens or m42 with an adapter. Plus you don't run into a battery voltage problem with the meter since they use an easy to find 1.5v LR-44 or SR-44 batteries.
http://www.shopgoodwill.com/search/SearchKey.asp?itemTitle=Ricoh&catid=172&s...&showthumbs=on
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=Ricoh&_from=R40&_osacat=15230&_from=R40...0&_sacat=15230
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=Ricoh+Kr-10&_from=R40%7CR40&_osacat=152...5&_sacat=15230

PS.. If you need a manual for what ever camera you wind up with you can find them here; http://www.butkus.org/chinon/index.html

[Ana Maria]

The OP is supposed to have a manual exposure camera. The AE-1 goes into manual mode when the aperture ring is moved off the AE position, but there is no coupling between the aperture ring and the camera body making use of the built-in meter a pain. The process for FD lenses goes something like this:

• Choose the desired shutter speed
• Look into the viewfinder and half-press the shutter to see what aperture the meter recommends
• Set the aperture on the lens (usually requires taking the eye away from the viewfinder) to the setting recommended by the meter
• Take the picture
• Continue to use these settings until either the subject or light changes

The third bullet is the clumsy part of the process. If you want to use a particular aperture for DOF purposes, it may take a couple of tries before finding a shutter speed to match.

The reason I even mentioned this "feature" is because I seriously considered the AE-1 when it first came on the market. Its manual exposure implementation nixed it in my mind at the time. Manual metering on the P3n is a lot more straightforward.


Steve

Good Morning Steve.
I am going to remember this (printed it), I just found out my Pentax P3 is dead or out of commission. :-{. I purchased new batteries, loaded the film and nothing. I note there is a switch on the top, it goes from O to I (the I being red) I also tried to move these in their respectiveopposites and again dead. I will have to sell it on eBay for parts. Keeping the lens.
Ana

[Jonathan Mac]

Are you sure you put the batteries in the right way?

[tibbitts]

The OP is supposed to have a manual exposure camera. The AE-1 goes into manual mode when the aperture ring is moved off the AE position, but there is no coupling between the aperture ring and the camera body making use of the built-in meter a pain. The process for FD lenses goes something like this:

• Choose the desired shutter speed
• Look into the viewfinder and half-press the shutter to see what aperture the meter recommends
• Set the aperture on the lens (usually requires taking the eye away from the viewfinder) to the setting recommended by the meter
• Take the picture
• Continue to use these settings until either the subject or light changes

The third bullet is the clumsy part of the process. If you want to use a particular aperture for DOF purposes, it may take a couple of tries before finding a shutter speed to match.

The reason I even mentioned this "feature" is because I seriously considered the AE-1 when it first came on the market. Its manual exposure implementation nixed it in my mind at the time. Manual metering on the P3n is a lot more straightforward.


Steve

We haven't heard yet what the instructor's view is, but my hope is that the instructor only wants a manual-capable camera. So it may be that only a very few, or possibly no, exposures would involve some combination of metering with the camera, and then transferring the meter settings. Other scenarios might involve setting the shutter and aperture without in-camera metering involved, where the awkward transfer process wouldn't be a factor.

[Ana Maria]

Regardless of how we feel about the value of film being taught in photography classes, hopefully everybody can agree that there is no valid reason for requiring a manual-only camera vs. a camera that is capable of, say, aperture or shutter-priority auto exposure. Hopefully the OP will find that essentially any film-era camera will suffice.

Thanks. I was out today in this rainy day in Miami. Headed out to what is left of the agriculture, horseback riding, greenhouses, palm trees land. (Homestead/Redlands Area if anyone is from Miami). I set the film to 200, @ f8, shot two rolls, the light never changed, so I kept it on f8. Now, I hope I took something that will actually produce a positive. (LOL) Beginners fears!

---------- Post added 09-06-14 at 10:29 PM ----------

The P3N can use either A or M mode with "M" or "K" lenses. If the shutter speed dial is left on "A" then it will be in A mode. To put it in manual mode you need to select a shutter speed manually.

Hey JMac. Ok, I think I know how to load the batteries, but here goes. When I opened the small area in the bottom of camera I dropped two batteries in thicker side up one on top of the other..I am putting myself out there...come on I know how to load a battery...do I? LOLOLOLOL!

[stevebrot]

come on I know how to load a battery...do I?

The user manual is your good friend. The batteries go in with the "+" facing toward the cover. The manual fails the user in one area, however. It does not include the battery size. You want to get two SR44 or equivalent silver oxide cells.

As for the manual, you can download a good pdf copy from:

Pentax P3n instruction manual, user manual, PDF manual, free manuals

You will want to get the manual in two halves. The link for the single download gives the first half of the manual only. If it is helpful, you can pass Mr. Butkus a few dollars via PayPal to show your appreciation.


Steve

[Ana Maria]

Steve,
Truly appreciate your copying me on the pdf. I am also looking for an AE1 for the Canon I currently have. The batteries I put into the Pentax are Energizer 357/303's. I need to check and see if these are compatible to the SR44's.

[boriscleto]

Steve,
Truly appreciate your copying me on the pdf. I am also looking for an AE1 for the Canon I currently have. The batteries I put into the Pentax are Energizer 357/303's. I need to check and see if these are compatible to the SR44's.

The 357 is either sr44 or lr44. Either one should work.