[stevebrot]

The P3n, P30t and P30n have the same specs

Pretty much the same. The the issue of requiring DX encoded canisters is the only thing that has kept me from buying one of them.


Steve

[Voytech]

The P30t is nice but you don't get Tv mode, which is why I always recommend the Super Program when someone is looking for a manual focus pentax SLR:

Pentax Super A/Super Program - Manual Focus Film SLRs - Pentax Camera Database and Reviews - DSLR, Digital, and Legacy Cameras

Are you sure about the Tv mode Adam? My P30t has been in the drawer for a few months now but I vaguely recall that with an A lens you leave the aperture in A and set whatever speed you want on the dial. Will test tomorrow.

[Swift1]

Are you sure about the Tv mode Adam? My P30t has been in the drawer for a few months now but I vaguely recall that with an A lens you leave the aperture in A and set whatever speed you want on the dial. Will test tomorrow.

Pretty sure that the P30t defaults to Program mode if the aperture is set to "A", regardless where shutter speed dial is set.

[stevebrot]

Pretty sure that the P30t defaults to Program mode if the aperture is set to "A", regardless where shutter speed dial is set.

This is correct. With the aperture ring on "A", the body operates in program AE regardless of the position of the shutter speed dial. With the aperture ring on other than "A" the mode is either Av or M depending on the position of the shutter speed dial.


Steve

[magkelly]

I have both,
the ME Super is a joy to use, but it takes awhile to get used to those weird buttons to change shutter speeds.
now the P30 is my screw-mount camera with A program, plus the diagonal focusing screen is great

Those weird buttons are why the ME I have is sitting in a box unused, lol. I just don't like those things. Then again there's a P3 in there too and it's a perfectly good camera, just not quite as pretty as my Spotties or my K1000. I actually have had 2 of each of these at one point or another. I gave one set to a guy from the local college program, but he actually gave them back to me because none of the kids wanted them apparently. Free cameras, and they didn't want them because they were Pentax, but not K1000's apparently. I finally found a good home for them only to end up with two more exactly like them not even a month later. I put both of them on my trade list on CL but so far no swaps made there either. The only thing that's even vaguely popular around here in terms of Pentax is the K1000 which apparently is on the approved list for the college photo programs here and anything DSLR oriented. Anything that's not? Might as well keep it for all the good it will do you.

The P3 isn't too bad for all it looks like a plastic toy, but the ME I just don't really like. I know it's a good camera supposedly, but I just don't.

[Voytech]

Yep. I checked. P30T will default to P mode when aperture is set to A. Sorry for the confusion.

[bdery]

I've handled both. The ME Super is more of a classic, but the P30T felt more advanced, and a nicer tool. The Super program would be better but more expensive.

If you're not a collector, then I'd save a lot of bucks and go with the P30T.

[cbope]

I traded a P30, don't remember which model revision now, for an ME Super. The P30 is OK if you shoot in manual or auto program modes, but there is no exposure compensation or shiftable program and you can't override the auto-DX speed setting without resulting to taping on the film canister. Basically, for any creativity you have to go full manual. I like to shoot in program and use shift (Hyper in Pentaxian) or exposure compensation, or switch to aperture priority. The P30 is pretty limiting in this area, which is why I got the ME Super.

The P30 is also much more plastic-y compared to the almost all-metal ME Super. I still have a working ME Super... I'll have to ask my dad if the P30 still works (probably does, he takes good care of his cameras).

[ME Super]

As someone who has personally used both a P30t and an ME Super, I would go with the ME Super (did you really expect me not to recommend it? My ID is "ME Super" after all ). The shutter speed range on the ME Super goes from 4s to 1/2000 where the shutter speed range on the P30t goes from 1s to 1/1000. The P30t has a DOF preview that the ME Super lacks, and I find I don't use the program mode much, preferring the Av mode or Tv mode (both the ME Super and the P30t lack the Tv mode). Plus the ME Super can operate at 1/125 or B with no batteries. The P30t requires batteries in order to work, and has a lower flash sync speed (1/100 vs. 1/125 for the ME Super). The ME Super also allows you to use non-DX coded film (or set a film speed different from its DX coding), while the P30t does not have this feature.

Downsides to the ME Super are lack of a Programmed AE mode (which I don't use anyway) and lack of DOF preview (I do miss this) and you may need foam replaced sooner on the ME Super.

Myself I just got a PZ-20 for Christmas and have shot about half of my test roll in it. KEH has some PZ-70 panoramics for sale right now but I wanted a camera that I could manually set the film speed on and the PZ-20 has this feature but the PZ-70 does not. Other than that the feature set on the PZ-20 and PZ-70 is almost exactly the same. The PZ-20 has more features than I'll probably ever use.

Hope this helps,
ME Super

[Hayob]

Hi,thanks for this great infomation on the ME Super, For christmas i decided to go for a Minolta dynax 7000i. However im going to buy a ME Super as a backup camera,as i still love the feel of a ME (currently have a Black ME) and wish to still use that kind of camera.

Many thanks, Hayob