[6BQ5]

I collected Spotmatics until I got one of each model to try each one of them. The F and ES II ended up being my favorites. I had Eric H perform a CLA on the F and it works like a charm with modern batteries. Eric won't work on the Electro-Spotmatics but that's OK for me. My ES II seems to register light and control the shutter without any problems. Film has a lot of latitude and dynamic range that allows for under/over exposure. I always like my film to be "thick" so I overexpose by 1/3 or 1/2 if possible.

Now I have to do something with all the rest of my Spotmatics!

[pathdoc]

I'm trying to figure out what the SP means on the top cover of my second one. Apart from being an Asahi, it's outwardly indistinguishable from the first. I wouldn't have got it except that it came with a lens I wanted at a ridiculously cheap price. I may put it away somewhere safe as a backup in case the first one dies/needs to go away for CLA, or if my kids both want their own fully-manual camera one day.

So having two already, I must confess I'm not really in the market for any more right now!

[g026r]

I'm trying to figure out what the SP means on the top cover of my second one.

As far as I know it's just the two-letter model designation that Asahi gave the original Spotmatic. For whatever reason the Honeywell-badged ones don't have the model designation on their top plate, which was a bit of a change from the usual practice of doing so for the pre-Spotmatic models they released. (Though the model numbers did tend to change slightly for pre-Spotmatic Honeywell releases. e.g. the "S2" became the "H2", the "S3", the "H3", the "SV" the "H3v", &c.)

In other words: it's exactly the same as your Honeywell one.

[pathdoc]

For whatever reason Honeywell didn't put the model designation on their top plate for the original Spotmatic, though they appear to have done so for every other Asahi camera they released both before and after. (

Okay, that clears that up.

[titrisol]

According to the Pentax Way, that is just the original Spotmatic
Honeywells do not have that I think, I will check at home tonight

I'm trying to figure out what the SP means on the top cover of my second one. Apart from being an Asahi, it's outwardly indistinguishable from the first. I wouldn't have got it except that it came with a lens I wanted at a ridiculously cheap price. I may put it away somewhere safe as a backup in case the first one dies/needs to go away for CLA, or if my kids both want their own fully-manual camera one day.

So having two already, I must confess I'm not really in the market for any more right now!

[pathdoc]

The Sunny Sixteen film came back, and it had more keepers than I expected - at the risk of derailing the thread somewhat (but then I started it, so why not?), I seem to be underexposing the shadows and getting the bright spots just fine. The real test - the first metered film - should arrive in a few days. One thing is for certain - these cameras seem to show up the slightest hint of camera shake in a way that a digital camera, even with SR turned off, does not.

[Cuthbert]

The Sunny Sixteen film came back, and it had more keepers than I expected - at the risk of derailing the thread somewhat (but then I started it, so why not?), I seem to be underexposing the shadows and getting the bright spots just fine. The real test - the first metered film - should arrive in a few days. One thing is for certain - these cameras seem to show up the slightest hint of camera shake in a way that a digital camera, even with SR turned off, does not.

It's difficult to answer without knowing which film you used and see the pics.


For the cameras shake, I've never had any problem unless I shoot at 1/30s in certain conditions, sure you are holding the camera correctly?

[titrisol]

Yes, you have to think and hold the camera differently
The mirror slap can be quite hard, is your foam in good shape?
If not, consider replacing it using one of Jon Goodman's kits

The Sunny Sixteen film came back, and it had more keepers than I expected - at the risk of derailing the thread somewhat (but then I started it, so why not?), I seem to be underexposing the shadows and getting the bright spots just fine. The real test - the first metered film - should arrive in a few days. One thing is for certain - these cameras seem to show up the slightest hint of camera shake in a way that a digital camera, even with SR turned off, does not.