[gofour3]

I would have like to have the LX in a chrome model too . . .

The Pentax K2DMD is only in Black as well. But someone in Japan has posted a shot of a chome version. If this is not a fake then who knows there may be a chrome LX out there as well.

Here is a link to the translated chrome K2DMD story:

Google Translate

Phil.

[Ratmagiclady]

Well, the nice thing if you like chrome cameras is that if both chrome and black exist, you can usually find one of us who prefers black to trade with.

The bright metal tends to draw more attention and such, so aesthetics aside that's why many of us (and typical pros) prefer black.

[LesDMess]

Nice K2DMD find there Phil. I don't have one in either black or chrome!

It's hard enough getting bits and pieces for the LX let alone those that are even considered rare!

[Petrus_One]

Got an eye on a man with K2DMD black, KX Black, K2 Black, MX Black, LX Black. I've bought all nice chromes from him, so we talk weather when we meet now ;-)

Photo trade fair in my city is a nice source of classic Pentax Bodies. If anyone is looking for something specific - I can take a look.
------------------------
Just got back from a 700km trip south with my motorised ME(+winder)+SMC-A 35-105 f/3,5. What a nice big piece of engineering all put together!!!! Dreamy monster.
ME is chromium of course, but winder is black ;-D

[grhazelton]

I heard Praktica mentioned. My first 35mm SLR was a Hanimex Praktica LTL, 42mm screw mount, stop down metering center weighted. While the fit and finish aren't up to contemporary Japanese standards of the time, the price was right. While not elegant, East bloc engineering was certainly competent. We should remember that the Praktina by Pentacon was a true system camera, with a spring and electric powered winders, etc.

Here's an interesting overview of the Praktina: The first 35mm Single Lens Reflex System

The Praktica LTL is a very nice handling item, with perhaps the best implementation of stop down metering out there. It still works, after about 40 years, lots of hard use then stored after I went K mount. The shutter still sounds accurate at the slow speeds. A tough box: it got bounced off concrete once or twice with less damage than to me! I should get the f1.8 50mm that came with it cleaned, the diaphragm is sticky, and see how the old gal works.

[tromboads]

I heard Praktica mentioned. My first 35mm SLR was a Hanimex Praktica LTL, 42mm screw mount, stop down metering center weighted. While the fit and finish aren't up to contemporary Japanese standards of the time, the price was right. While not elegant, East bloc engineering was certainly competent. We should remember that the Praktina by Pentacon was a true system camera, with a spring and electric powered winders, etc.

Here's an interesting overview of the Praktina: The first 35mm Single Lens Reflex System

The Praktica LTL is a very nice handling item, with perhaps the best implementation of stop down metering out there. It still works, after about 40 years, lots of hard use then stored after I went K mount. The shutter still sounds accurate at the slow speeds. A tough box: it got bounced off concrete once or twice with less damage than to me! I should get the f1.8 50mm that came with it cleaned, the diaphragm is sticky, and see how the old gal works.

Yes you should. They are worth nothing on the evil bay.

I started collecting Praktica's after getting an IV.

Now my shelf is lined with those beautiful film bodies :P And yes, nothing wrong with reliability. Every dam single one of them works!

FYI the 50mm f1.8's are great. Colours are crazy, and they focus down to 0.3m Handy as!

[Hayob]

My Black Olympic edition Zenit EM, I'm sure I have a chrome Zenit E somewhere, I'll try and find it

Attached Images

 

[tromboads]

I always wanted one with the Olympic logo :P Does the light cell still work?

[Petrus_One]

Wiki:
"The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. (...)

Led by the United States, 65 countries boycotted the games because of the Soviet war in Afghanistan, though some athletes from some of the boycotting countries participated in the games, under the Olympic Flag. This prompted the Soviet-led boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. (...)"

This logo is not sth to desirable so much for my generation. I was a kid by that time, happy with big event, not understanding the cold-war-political background beneath.

One thing that definitely went down to the history from this Olimpic Games was a "Kozakiewicz gesture" - watch from 1:18 to 1:45:

You Tube

You Tube

The gesture itself (as described in a film) was a spontaneous and brave answer to the humming and whistling rUssian audience at the Olympic stadium - not being able to accept the clear skill superiority of Polish pole jumper over his rUssian competitor. You may not feel it - but for years on... even now we smile resembling this. And here again a salute to the Man - Władysław Kozakiewicz - for showing a "bent my d...k" to a hated ruler of our part of the world required steel balls.

[tromboads]

Had not even heard of this scene.. From another source..

"....After the 1980 Olympics ended, the Soviet ambassador to Poland demanded that Kozakiewicz be stripped of his medal over his "insult to the Soviet people".[3] The official response of the Polish government was that Kozakiewicz's arm gesture had been an involuntary muscle spasm caused by his exertion."

It's hard not to romanticize the social change you lot went through back then, and it's naive of me to even link all that suffering with any sentiment.

That's a wonderful story I was completely naive too.

Thank you for sharing it!

[Petrus_One]

Thanks for it Tromboads. "...muscle spasm caused by his exertion..." - some man it was who prepared this answer. It was brave enough as could be the cause to loose the job and put someone with biiiig trouble by this time. On the other hand - you can feel the spirit of mind that spread causing people to FEAR-NO-MORE. Better die standing than live on your knees.
Ok, enough of old times. New times now let us judge people by what they do, thanks to personal contact. I got friends in Russia and Germany and I'm happy with it.

[calsan]

The Pentax K2DMD is only in Black as well. But someone in Japan has posted a shot of a chome version. If this is not a fake then who knows there may be a chrome LX out there as well.

Here is a link to the translated chrome K2DMD story:

Google Translate

Phil.

LX is 'available' (if that's the right word) in both gold and titanium as well as the standard black.

[Hayob]

Yeah the light cell is perfect, get its right every time

[tromboads]

Yeah the light cell is perfect, get its right every time

awesome!

[jford]

My first camera was a Zenit - 1972, purchased in a local camera store - silver and black, like the one shown by kcobain1992, except Roman letters, not Cyrrilic. $100, as I recall. My second was a SP-500, silver, and when that was stolen, a silver K-1000. At the time (late 1970's), black was rare. I recall reading (in Modern Photography, as I recall) something to the effect that "pros perfer black bodies because they are less obvious." I always wanted a black MX, just because of that, I suppose.