Recently Purchased a Pentax P30T

andrew_oms · 04-08-2017, 09:54 PM

Hi there! Lovely to be back here

Recently purchased a Pentax P30T, after using a Pentax SV for ~4 months.

I'm a relative amateur, and my skills in photography are very much centred around the SV, so is there anything I should know in order to transition from the SV to the P30T, and ensure that my images come out as well as they can?

Thanks for your responses, in advance, hopefully you're all enjoying a wonderful weekend!

**othar** · 04-09-2017, 02:19 AM

Hi Andrew!

I don't own a Pentax SV but I do the older P30. From the reviews I can see that you will loose multiple exposures functionality with the P30T, but you gain the P and Av exposure modes aside from the new K mount of course. One thing to remember is that you can't take pictures when your battery runs out, but that will rarely happen, they last forever in my P30 (because the film transport is still by hand). The only time I had a problem with the battery was on a very cold winter morning, I had to put the camera near a Warmbag for a short time to reactivate the battery but after that the camera worked fine for the rest of the day.
I don't know about the SV but if the film loading is nearly as inconvenient as with my Zenit E you will really appreciate the simplicity of the P30T.
Have fun with your new camera.

pathdoc · 04-09-2017, 03:27 AM

I don't have the SV but I do have the S1a and I also own the P30T.

IMPROVEMENTS
1) You will find having an onboard through-the-lens meter changes everything (did you have the clip-on for the SV, or were you using Sunny 16/external metering?). This will make things so much easier.

2) Film loading will be a dream. Pull the leader across to overlap the wind-on spool, close the back and go.

3) Program mode is available with A lenses; aperture priority with M and K. At a last resort, you can use some digital-era lenses on it (DA40, DA50/1.8, DA70/2.4 with a bit of vignetting).

4) Split (diagonal!) prism and microprism collar focusing screen.

5) Get an M42/K adapter and you can put the SV's lens(es) on the P30T.

6) Inbuilt flash hotshoe.

7) Film cassette window to show you what you've actually got in the camera.

DOWNSIDES:
1) You need a live pair of batteries in the camera (but LR44/SR44 and equivalent are cheap and widely available).

2) You have to accept the ISO/ASA at box speed - you can't adjust that manually. Any adjustments have to be made on the shutter speed or aperture dials.

3) A bit plasticky, if that's the sort of thing that annoys you (the grip is ergonomically better, though).

04-08-2017, 09:54 PM	#1
andrew_oms New Member Join Date: Feb 2017 Posts: 5	Recently Purchased a Pentax P30T Hi there! Lovely to be back here Recently purchased a Pentax P30T, after using a Pentax SV for ~4 months. I'm a relative amateur, and my skills in photography are very much centred around the SV, so is there anything I should know in order to transition from the SV to the P30T, and ensure that my images come out as well as they can? Thanks for your responses, in advance, hopefully you're all enjoying a wonderful weekend!

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
For Sale - Sold: Pentax P30T w/Pentax A 35-80 lens - New Facts!	ChipB	Sold Items	11	05-22-2016 12:50 PM
Recently purchased Pentax k50 from B&H	fastpitchdad	Ask B&H Photo!	1	03-17-2016 11:47 AM
Right angle finder, Pentax KX & P30t	Jorge Pinto Monteiro	Pentax Camera and Field Accessories	4	08-02-2015 08:20 AM
Repairing a Pentax P30t	MikeVT	Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras	4	05-12-2015 04:46 PM
recently purchased k-5 iis	alsorto	Pentax DSLR Discussion	10	12-15-2014 01:46 PM

04-09-2017, 02:19 AM	#2
othar Site Supporter Join Date: May 2014 Location: Linz Photos: Albums Posts: 3,098	Hi Andrew! I don't own a Pentax SV but I do the older P30. From the reviews I can see that you will loose multiple exposures functionality with the P30T, but you gain the P and Av exposure modes aside from the new K mount of course. One thing to remember is that you can't take pictures when your battery runs out, but that will rarely happen, they last forever in my P30 (because the film transport is still by hand). The only time I had a problem with the battery was on a very cold winter morning, I had to put the camera near a Warmbag for a short time to reactivate the battery but after that the camera worked fine for the rest of the day. I don't know about the SV but if the film loading is nearly as inconvenient as with my Zenit E you will really appreciate the simplicity of the P30T. Have fun with your new camera.

04-09-2017, 03:27 AM	#3
pathdoc Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,381	I don't have the SV but I do have the S1a and I also own the P30T. IMPROVEMENTS 1) You will find having an onboard through-the-lens meter changes everything (did you have the clip-on for the SV, or were you using Sunny 16/external metering?). This will make things so much easier. 2) Film loading will be a dream. Pull the leader across to overlap the wind-on spool, close the back and go. 3) Program mode is available with A lenses; aperture priority with M and K. At a last resort, you can use some digital-era lenses on it (DA40, DA50/1.8, DA70/2.4 with a bit of vignetting). 4) Split (diagonal!) prism and microprism collar focusing screen. 5) Get an M42/K adapter and you can put the SV's lens(es) on the P30T. 6) Inbuilt flash hotshoe. 7) Film cassette window to show you what you've actually got in the camera. DOWNSIDES: 1) You need a live pair of batteries in the camera (but LR44/SR44 and equivalent are cheap and widely available). 2) You have to accept the ISO/ASA at box speed - you can't adjust that manually. Any adjustments have to be made on the shutter speed or aperture dials. 3) A bit plasticky, if that's the sort of thing that annoys you (the grip is ergonomically better, though).