ME Super or K1000SE?

tibbitts · 12-05-2010, 09:21 AM

Originally posted by webkrawler

I thought I saw the K1000 on a list somewhere....the 50 best 35mm SLR cameras of all time...I even thought about trying to find one..

I don't see how anybody would put a dumbed-down and less refined spotmatic (with a different lens mount) on a list of the 50 best 35mm cameras. Most popular, maybe.

Paul

magkelly · 12-05-2010, 10:08 AM

Not everybody thinks the K mount is vastly superior to the M42 mount. I don't. I like both just fine and I don't care which I am using really. Simple can be good for some people. I personally like the K-x etc but the one thing I don't like about them is that I have to have video and all that on there just to get a new Pentax camera with a new warranty. I don't use it, never will. It's just an unnecessary feature for me.

The Spotmatic was actually an advanced camera in it's day. It still holds it own in terms of the quality of pictures it can take with many of it's later descendants. Ditto in so far as ease of use. If there is one downside to new technology coming along it's that along with the new tech you inevitably have manuals to read that are a couple of inches thick. My first VCR unit the manual ran about 10 pages I think. The new VCR/DVD unit we have 20 some years later? You practically need a week to read the manual and an engineering degree to be able to set it to simply record a TV episode!

There's good reasons the Spotties and K1000's remain popular. They're good cameras but they don't have a lot of bells and whistles and some people just like that when they are learning. It's hard enough to learn on a camera with just the basics. Learning on one with a lot of technology can make things too hard for some people. I actually wouldn't have an *ist if some guy hadn't bought it and decided that it was just too much camera for him.

I know a guy who has a top of the line Canon that in 2 years of ownership has yet to learn to use it properly just from the tech angle. The guy doesn't even know how to adjust his own white balance or when to switch lenses. He's just running around with what amounts to a $1500 point and shoot. Fact is he would do just as much good shooting with a pocket camera as he does with his Canon but he's the type who just has to think he's a real live pro when it comes to his hobby.

He probably would actually end up being a better photographer if he had to make do with a Spottie for a while, seriously. Maybe the simplicity of it would teach him something real?

Originally posted by tibbitts

I don't see how anybody would put a dumbed-down and less refined spotmatic (with a different lens mount) on a list of the 50 best 35mm cameras. Most popular, maybe.

Paul

macTak · 12-05-2010, 02:53 PM

If you can afford it, why not consider the MX--it's got the small size like the ME super, but more manual control. But the ME Super should really be fine.

magkelly · 12-05-2010, 03:48 PM

Nah, it's not "fine" for me. It's got features and a size I like, but buttons that I honestly find hard to use. Hence the fact that I just listed that ME, two other Pentax bodies I had and my Tamron on CL this morning. I still think a K1000 might suit me better, but I'm definitely not into this ME as much as everyone here seems to like it. Sorry guys, might end up with a K1000 SE someday, but not the ME. It's history as soon as I can unload it. Hopefully it will sell off with the rest of my gear in this next week and I'll be able to put some $$$ away in Hello Kitty. The ME is wasted on me, clearly.

macTak · 12-05-2010, 07:20 PM

No need to apologize for finding what works for you! Keep the MX in mind, much like the ME in size, but with a normal analog dial interface and none of those buttons (more features than the K1000 SE, but of course pricier). The KX and K2 also come to mind as models you might want to look into that have slightly more features.

tibbitts · 12-05-2010, 07:54 PM

Originally posted by magkelly

Not everybody thinks the K mount is vastly superior to the M42 mount. I don't. I like both just fine and I don't care which I am using really. Simple can be good for some people. I personally like the K-x etc but the one thing I don't like about them is that I have to have video and all that on there just to get a new Pentax camera with a new warranty. I don't use it, never will. It's just an unnecessary feature for me.

The Spotmatic was actually an advanced camera in it's day. It still holds it own in terms of the quality of pictures it can take with many of it's later descendants. Ditto in so far as ease of use. If there is one downside to new technology coming along it's that along with the new tech you inevitably have manuals to read that are a couple of inches thick. My first VCR unit the manual ran about 10 pages I think. The new VCR/DVD unit we have 20 some years later? You practically need a week to read the manual and an engineering degree to be able to set it to simply record a TV episode!

There's good reasons the Spotties and K1000's remain popular. They're good cameras but they don't have a lot of bells and whistles and some people just like that when they are learning. It's hard enough to learn on a camera with just the basics. Learning on one with a lot of technology can make things too hard for some people. I actually wouldn't have an *ist if some guy hadn't bought it and decided that it was just too much camera for him.

I know a guy who has a top of the line Canon that in 2 years of ownership has yet to learn to use it properly just from the tech angle. The guy doesn't even know how to adjust his own white balance or when to switch lenses. He's just running around with what amounts to a $1500 point and shoot. Fact is he would do just as much good shooting with a pocket camera as he does with his Canon but he's the type who just has to think he's a real live pro when it comes to his hobby.

He probably would actually end up being a better photographer if he had to make do with a Spottie for a while, seriously. Maybe the simplicity of it would teach him something real?

I'm not sure you can make a list of "best", but perhaps you could make a list of "most significant", and I think some flavor of spotmatic might make that list. But not the K1000.

Paul

**ChrisPlatt** · 12-06-2010, 05:58 AM

More than 3 million Pentax K1000 cameras were sold in 20+ years of production.
During that time it was by far the most popular model for students learning 35mm photography.
Many of these cameras continue to serve the original buyers and others to whom they've been passed today.
Of course it is among the most significant cameras ever produced, even if it's not one of your favorites.

Chris

Last edited by ChrisPlatt; 12-06-2010 at 08:35 AM.

GeneV · 12-06-2010, 06:51 AM

Originally posted by ChrisPlatt

More then 3 million Pentax K1000 cameras were sold in 20+ years of production.
During that time it was by far the most popular model for students learning 35mm photography.
Many of these cameras continue to serve the original buyers and others to whom they've been passed today.
Of course it is among the most significant cameras ever produced, even if it's not one of your favorites.

Chris

True, neither a Toyota Corolla nor a VW beetle excites me, but it would be a stretch to say they are insignificant.

tibbitts · 12-06-2010, 05:08 PM

Originally posted by ChrisPlatt

More than 3 million Pentax K1000 cameras were sold in 20+ years of production.
During that time it was by far the most popular model for students learning 35mm photography.
Many of these cameras continue to serve the original buyers and others to whom they've been passed today.
Of course it is among the most significant cameras ever produced, even if it's not one of your favorites.

Chris

I guess you're right. Besides, 50 is a big number, and I'm not sure I could select fifty more significant cameras. It just seems that there aren't a lot of other "most significant" products that were specifically designed as a less refined, mostly less capable version of a product that had already been around for a generation.

Paul

stevebrot · 12-06-2010, 07:51 PM

Originally posted by ChrisPlatt

More than 3 million Pentax K1000 cameras were sold in 20+ years of production.

2.2 million Zorki 4 rangefinder cameras were produced by KMZ in Russia over 22 years of production. Fortunately, a serviceable K1000 is a lot easier to find that a good working Zorki.

Did Zorki break into the top 50 list?

GeneV · 12-07-2010, 05:21 AM

Originally posted by stevebrot

2.2 million Zorki 4 rangefinder cameras were produced by KMZ in Russia over 22 years of production. Fortunately, a serviceable K1000 is a lot easier to find that a good working Zorki.

Did Zorki break into the top 50 list?

At least you can find out about it for cheap.

stevebrot · 12-07-2010, 08:14 AM

Originally posted by GeneV

At least you can find out about it for cheap.

Sort of...a Zorki that looks decent enough on the auction listing will set you back the price of the camera plus another $35 for shipping from Russia or Ukraine (total price generally about $75). On this side of the world, Yuri at Fedka gets $119 for a serviced and warrantied Zorki 4K with Jupiter-8 50/2. Yuri provides great customer service and shipping time/cost if there is an issue is much less than if you were dealing with even the best seller in Moscow. Camera shows/swap meets would be another option, but FSU rangefinders are scarce here in the Northwest. As a result, the term "cheap Russian rangefinder" is only true in relative terms in my region.

Steve

GeneV · 12-07-2010, 12:08 PM

Originally posted by stevebrot

Sort of...a Zorki that looks decent enough on the auction listing will set you back the price of the camera plus another $35 for shipping from Russia or Ukraine (total price generally about $75). On this side of the world, Yuri at Fedka gets $119 for a serviced and warrantied Zorki 4K with Jupiter-8 50/2. Yuri provides great customer service and shipping time/cost if there is an issue is much less than if you were dealing with even the best seller in Moscow. Camera shows/swap meets would be another option, but FSU rangefinders are scarce here in the Northwest. As a result, the term "cheap Russian rangefinder" is only true in relative terms in my region.

Steve

I was mainly referring to the Ebay prices, which are under $50, sometimes under $30. Who knows what you are getting, but that is true to some extent with the older K bodies that, after paying a good deal more, end up needing new seals and the like. From what I have read, there appear to be all kinds of unique ways a Zorki can get fouled up.

PGillin · 12-07-2010, 05:03 PM

I wish I hadn't known about fedka. Now I'm lamenting my recent KX purchase. (it's got an erratic meter, I paid 2x the cost of a contax copy, I have no K lenses, etc..)

stevebrot · 12-07-2010, 10:30 PM

Originally posted by PGillin

I wish I hadn't known about fedka. Now I'm lamenting my recent KX purchase. (it's got an erratic meter, I paid 2x the cost of a contax copy, I have no K lenses, etc..)

I have both the KX and the Kiev 4A. I like them both, but the KX is a much more capable camera. What is addictive about the Kiev is the shutter sound, or lack thereof, to be more precise. The shutter is vertical and moves at a fairly slow speed such that the sound is a soft swoosh at faster speeds and a gentle buzz at the slow speeds. There is a price, however. The flash syncs at 1/25s

Steve

12-07-2010, 08:14 AM	#27
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by GeneV At least you can find out about it for cheap. Sort of...a Zorki that looks decent enough on the auction listing will set you back the price of the camera plus another $35 for shipping from Russia or Ukraine (total price generally about $75). On this side of the world, Yuri at Fedka gets $119 for a serviced and warrantied Zorki 4K with Jupiter-8 50/2. Yuri provides great customer service and shipping time/cost if there is an issue is much less than if you were dealing with even the best seller in Moscow. Camera shows/swap meets would be another option, but FSU rangefinders are scarce here in the Northwest. As a result, the term "cheap Russian rangefinder" is only true in relative terms in my region. Steve Last edited by stevebrot; 12-07-2010 at 08:21 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
How do I remove the focus screen from a K1000se	Vampyreguy	Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras	3	06-01-2010 07:25 AM
Need advice! Pentax K1000SE - $110 plus lenses, etc...	lattyday	Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras	11	11-24-2009 06:23 PM
Wanted - Acquired: Pentax 105mm f:2.8 Super-Multi-Coated or Super Takumar	raymeedc	Sold Items	0	11-24-2009 10:05 AM
For Sale - Sold: Pentax Film Bodies: 2x SF1, ZX-5, Super Program, ME Super	arpaagent	Sold Items	13	03-19-2009 08:10 PM

12-05-2010, 09:21 AM	#16
tibbitts Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Oklahoma USA Posts: 2,196	Originally posted by webkrawler I thought I saw the K1000 on a list somewhere....the 50 best 35mm SLR cameras of all time...I even thought about trying to find one.. I don't see how anybody would put a dumbed-down and less refined spotmatic (with a different lens mount) on a list of the 50 best 35mm cameras. Most popular, maybe. Paul

12-05-2010, 10:08 AM	#17
magkelly Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,901 Original Poster	Not everybody thinks the K mount is vastly superior to the M42 mount. I don't. I like both just fine and I don't care which I am using really. Simple can be good for some people. I personally like the K-x etc but the one thing I don't like about them is that I have to have video and all that on there just to get a new Pentax camera with a new warranty. I don't use it, never will. It's just an unnecessary feature for me. The Spotmatic was actually an advanced camera in it's day. It still holds it own in terms of the quality of pictures it can take with many of it's later descendants. Ditto in so far as ease of use. If there is one downside to new technology coming along it's that along with the new tech you inevitably have manuals to read that are a couple of inches thick. My first VCR unit the manual ran about 10 pages I think. The new VCR/DVD unit we have 20 some years later? You practically need a week to read the manual and an engineering degree to be able to set it to simply record a TV episode! There's good reasons the Spotties and K1000's remain popular. They're good cameras but they don't have a lot of bells and whistles and some people just like that when they are learning. It's hard enough to learn on a camera with just the basics. Learning on one with a lot of technology can make things too hard for some people. I actually wouldn't have an *ist if some guy hadn't bought it and decided that it was just too much camera for him. I know a guy who has a top of the line Canon that in 2 years of ownership has yet to learn to use it properly just from the tech angle. The guy doesn't even know how to adjust his own white balance or when to switch lenses. He's just running around with what amounts to a $1500 point and shoot. Fact is he would do just as much good shooting with a pocket camera as he does with his Canon but he's the type who just has to think he's a real live pro when it comes to his hobby. He probably would actually end up being a better photographer if he had to make do with a Spottie for a while, seriously. Maybe the simplicity of it would teach him something real? Originally posted by tibbitts I don't see how anybody would put a dumbed-down and less refined spotmatic (with a different lens mount) on a list of the 50 best 35mm cameras. Most popular, maybe. Paul

12-05-2010, 02:53 PM	#18
macTak Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 759	If you can afford it, why not consider the MX--it's got the small size like the ME super, but more manual control. But the ME Super should really be fine.

12-05-2010, 03:48 PM	#19
magkelly Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,901 Original Poster	Nah, it's not "fine" for me. It's got features and a size I like, but buttons that I honestly find hard to use. Hence the fact that I just listed that ME, two other Pentax bodies I had and my Tamron on CL this morning. I still think a K1000 might suit me better, but I'm definitely not into this ME as much as everyone here seems to like it. Sorry guys, might end up with a K1000 SE someday, but not the ME. It's history as soon as I can unload it. Hopefully it will sell off with the rest of my gear in this next week and I'll be able to put some $$$ away in Hello Kitty. The ME is wasted on me, clearly.

12-05-2010, 07:20 PM	#20
macTak Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 759	No need to apologize for finding what works for you! Keep the MX in mind, much like the ME in size, but with a normal analog dial interface and none of those buttons (more features than the K1000 SE, but of course pricier). The KX and K2 also come to mind as models you might want to look into that have slightly more features.

12-05-2010, 07:54 PM	#21
tibbitts Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Oklahoma USA Posts: 2,196	Originally posted by magkelly Not everybody thinks the K mount is vastly superior to the M42 mount. I don't. I like both just fine and I don't care which I am using really. Simple can be good for some people. I personally like the K-x etc but the one thing I don't like about them is that I have to have video and all that on there just to get a new Pentax camera with a new warranty. I don't use it, never will. It's just an unnecessary feature for me. The Spotmatic was actually an advanced camera in it's day. It still holds it own in terms of the quality of pictures it can take with many of it's later descendants. Ditto in so far as ease of use. If there is one downside to new technology coming along it's that along with the new tech you inevitably have manuals to read that are a couple of inches thick. My first VCR unit the manual ran about 10 pages I think. The new VCR/DVD unit we have 20 some years later? You practically need a week to read the manual and an engineering degree to be able to set it to simply record a TV episode! There's good reasons the Spotties and K1000's remain popular. They're good cameras but they don't have a lot of bells and whistles and some people just like that when they are learning. It's hard enough to learn on a camera with just the basics. Learning on one with a lot of technology can make things too hard for some people. I actually wouldn't have an *ist if some guy hadn't bought it and decided that it was just too much camera for him. I know a guy who has a top of the line Canon that in 2 years of ownership has yet to learn to use it properly just from the tech angle. The guy doesn't even know how to adjust his own white balance or when to switch lenses. He's just running around with what amounts to a $1500 point and shoot. Fact is he would do just as much good shooting with a pocket camera as he does with his Canon but he's the type who just has to think he's a real live pro when it comes to his hobby. He probably would actually end up being a better photographer if he had to make do with a Spottie for a while, seriously. Maybe the simplicity of it would teach him something real? I'm not sure you can make a list of "best", but perhaps you could make a list of "most significant", and I think some flavor of spotmatic might make that list. But not the K1000. Paul

12-06-2010, 05:58 AM	#22
ChrisPlatt Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rockaway Beach NYC Posts: 7,696	More than 3 million Pentax K1000 cameras were sold in 20+ years of production. During that time it was by far the most popular model for students learning 35mm photography. Many of these cameras continue to serve the original buyers and others to whom they've been passed today. Of course it is among the most significant cameras ever produced, even if it's not one of your favorites. Chris Last edited by ChrisPlatt; 12-06-2010 at 08:35 AM.

12-06-2010, 06:51 AM	#23
GeneV Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Albuquerque NM Photos: Albums Posts: 9,830	Originally posted by ChrisPlatt More then 3 million Pentax K1000 cameras were sold in 20+ years of production. During that time it was by far the most popular model for students learning 35mm photography. Many of these cameras continue to serve the original buyers and others to whom they've been passed today. Of course it is among the most significant cameras ever produced, even if it's not one of your favorites. Chris True, neither a Toyota Corolla nor a VW beetle excites me, but it would be a stretch to say they are insignificant.

12-06-2010, 05:08 PM	#24
tibbitts Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Oklahoma USA Posts: 2,196	Originally posted by ChrisPlatt More than 3 million Pentax K1000 cameras were sold in 20+ years of production. During that time it was by far the most popular model for students learning 35mm photography. Many of these cameras continue to serve the original buyers and others to whom they've been passed today. Of course it is among the most significant cameras ever produced, even if it's not one of your favorites. Chris I guess you're right. Besides, 50 is a big number, and I'm not sure I could select fifty more significant cameras. It just seems that there aren't a lot of other "most significant" products that were specifically designed as a less refined, mostly less capable version of a product that had already been around for a generation. Paul

12-06-2010, 07:51 PM	#25
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by ChrisPlatt More than 3 million Pentax K1000 cameras were sold in 20+ years of production. 2.2 million Zorki 4 rangefinder cameras were produced by KMZ in Russia over 22 years of production. Fortunately, a serviceable K1000 is a lot easier to find that a good working Zorki. Did Zorki break into the top 50 list?

12-07-2010, 05:21 AM	#26
GeneV Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Albuquerque NM Photos: Albums Posts: 9,830	Originally posted by stevebrot 2.2 million Zorki 4 rangefinder cameras were produced by KMZ in Russia over 22 years of production. Fortunately, a serviceable K1000 is a lot easier to find that a good working Zorki. Did Zorki break into the top 50 list? At least you can find out about it for cheap.

12-07-2010, 12:08 PM	#28
GeneV Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Albuquerque NM Photos: Albums Posts: 9,830	Originally posted by stevebrot Sort of...a Zorki that looks decent enough on the auction listing will set you back the price of the camera plus another $35 for shipping from Russia or Ukraine (total price generally about $75). On this side of the world, Yuri at Fedka gets $119 for a serviced and warrantied Zorki 4K with Jupiter-8 50/2. Yuri provides great customer service and shipping time/cost if there is an issue is much less than if you were dealing with even the best seller in Moscow. Camera shows/swap meets would be another option, but FSU rangefinders are scarce here in the Northwest. As a result, the term "cheap Russian rangefinder" is only true in relative terms in my region. Steve I was mainly referring to the Ebay prices, which are under $50, sometimes under $30. Who knows what you are getting, but that is true to some extent with the older K bodies that, after paying a good deal more, end up needing new seals and the like. From what I have read, there appear to be all kinds of unique ways a Zorki can get fouled up.

12-07-2010, 05:03 PM	#29
PGillin Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Southern Ontario Photos: Albums Posts: 343	I wish I hadn't known about fedka. Now I'm lamenting my recent KX purchase. (it's got an erratic meter, I paid 2x the cost of a contax copy, I have no K lenses, etc..)

12-07-2010, 10:30 PM	#30
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by PGillin I wish I hadn't known about fedka. Now I'm lamenting my recent KX purchase. (it's got an erratic meter, I paid 2x the cost of a contax copy, I have no K lenses, etc..) I have both the KX and the Kiev 4A. I like them both, but the KX is a much more capable camera. What is addictive about the Kiev is the shutter sound, or lack thereof, to be more precise. The shutter is vertical and moves at a fairly slow speed such that the sound is a soft swoosh at faster speeds and a gentle buzz at the slow speeds. There is a price, however. The flash syncs at 1/25s Steve