[Lord Lucan]

I don't know how many models after the K2 before the MX, if I understand correctly those in between were cloth shutters,

Year of introduction:

1975 (three models launched together) :
K2 - Metal vertical shutter
KX - Cloth horizontal
KM - Cloth horizontal

1976 :
K1000 - Cloth horizontal

1976 :
K2 DMD - Metal vertical

1976 (two models launched together) :
ME - Metal vertical
MX - Cloth horizontal

All Pentax cameras introduced after 1976 had metal shutters.

I don't know to the month if the K1000 was launched before or after the MX, but the K1000 was really only a slightly altered version of the KM of 1975 (actually they were both basically late 1960's designs). Of course, the K1000 continued to be made until 1997.

[lotech]

Year of introduction:

1975 (three models launched together) :
K2 - Metal vertical shutter
KX - Cloth horizontal
KM - Cloth horizontal

1976 :
K1000 - Cloth horizontal

1976 :
K2 DMD - Metal vertical

1976 (two models launched together) :
ME - Metal vertical
MX - Cloth horizontal

All Pentax cameras introduced after 1976 had metal shutters.

I don't know to the month if the K1000 was launched before or after the MX, but the K1000 was really only a slightly altered version of the KM of 1975 (actually they were both basically late 1960's designs). Of course, the K1000 continued to be made until 1997.

Thanks for the info. I also have the KX which is much larger and heavier, also with darker screen.

[TwoUptons]

There were no cloth shutters after the MX, but there were also no mechanical shutters after the MX...

All of the K-mount cameras with electronically-timed shutters used metal shutters.

I don't know what the ES/ESII used...

-Eric

[lotech]

There were no cloth shutters after the MX, but there were also no mechanical shutters after the MX...

All of the K-mount cameras with electronically-timed shutters used metal shutters.

I don't know what the ES/ESII used...

-Eric

So the MX is the must have to me !

[TwoUptons]

There's something of a religious disagreement between the relative merits of the MX vs the KX, so be careful

I have both, and prefer the MX, but I can see why some folks really like the KX...

-Eric

[titrisol]

Cloth shutters are reliable if maintained properly and made of good materials.
Soviet cloth shutters have a tendency of having pinholes, my guess is that the rubberization process was not as well controlled.
Japanese cloth shutters rarely fail.
German cloth shutter (post war) have been good in all the camera I got.

[Eyewanders]

There's something of a religious disagreement between the relative merits of the MX vs the KX, so be careful

I have both, and prefer the MX, but I can see why some folks really like the KX...

-Eric

There really is in a way, but I think they're just two denominations of the same faith.
I'd never cast out a KX devotee.

(I have one and it's an amazing machine. But I have three MXs.)

---------- Post added 06-12-22 at 07:41 PM ----------

Cloth shutters are reliable if maintained properly and made of good materials.
Soviet cloth shutters have a tendency of having pinholes, my guess is that the rubberization process was not as well controlled.
Japanese cloth shutters rarely fail.
German cloth shutter (post war) have been good in all the camera I got.

That's generally been my experience. One can even see the lesser quality of the coating found on many of the Soviet RF curtains visually. It has a thicker application and seems to have a tendency to give up and separate after a while. (Though curtains in both Kievs I've had were absolutely - one still is - just fine.)

[lotech]

There really is in a way, but I think they're just two denominations of the same faith.
I'd never cast out a KX devotee.

(I have one and it's an amazing machine. But I have three MXs.)

---------- Post added 06-12-22 at 07:41 PM ----------



That's generally been my experience. One can even see the lesser quality of the coating found on many of the Soviet RF curtains visually. It has a thicker application and seems to have a tendency to give up and separate after a while. (Though curtains in both Kievs I've had were absolutely - one still is - just fine.)

Simply take a look at the cloth curtain of the Fed 2 you can quickly tell the difference, which the fabric is fully exposed like uncoated, where on the KX it is very smooth with thick coating.

[ChrisPlatt]

Manufacturers began to use preassembled modular metal shutter units
mainly because it made SLR camera manufacture simpler and cheaper.

Chris

[reh321]

BTW, did you know that todays modern SLRs cannot be pointed directly at the sun as it will damage their shutters?

That subject was discussed endlessly in 2017 at the time of the solar eclipse.

[LesDMess]

That subject was discussed endlessly in 2017 at the time of the solar eclipse.

All topics do get recycled when new folks find the forum or equipment or forget then re-remember . . .

Myself, I was really more interested in the development history of how they even came to decide that a titanium foil had to be used in the first place. As far as I can tell, Nikon was the first to do this and apparently as part of the Nikon F development - SLR with mirror lockup. Which seems odd to me as the window of opportunity to burn the shutter curtain seems narrow compared to their rangefinder where there is no mirror to protect it. Anyway, Nikon developed it for their F first and then rolled it into their rangefinder after since those two models share the exact same shutter system.

For those who didn't know, Nikon and Canon - and all other camera companies except Pentax, were making rangefinders first before they made an SLR. As far as I can tell Pentax was the only camera company that never made a rangefinder. Anyway, Nikon and Canon saw the writing on the wall when Leica released the M series that they no longer had a market in rangefinders and saw that Pentax solved the blank viewfinder problem and tried to release an SLR ASAP. Nikon took the quickest route by retrofitting a mirror box into their rangefinder to produce the F. In complete contrast to Nikon's success was Canon's spectacular failure with their first SLR - the Canonflex.

[Wheatfield]

The shutters in the Japanese and West German cameras should be good unless they've been sunburnt.
The old Russian stuff is universally junk, so no surprise the shutter in your old Fed has a hole in it. The things were built and QC'd by people more interested in vodka than building anything good.

[arnold]

Cloth shutters are reliable if maintained properly and made of good materials.
Soviet cloth shutters have a tendency of having pinholes, my guess is that the rubberization process was not as well controlled.
Japanese cloth shutters rarely fail.
German cloth shutter (post war) have been good in all the camera I got.

Regarding cloth shutters, I have found that the ribbons let go when they get old. I had an "SV" and a "K", both recently serviced and in good condition, have a shutter ribbon let go. I suppose the glues used could be the weak spot with these. As a non related side note, my MX, never serviced since I bought it in 1977, finally had mirror problems. I sent it in to a local service fellow in Queensland. The quote for a "restoration" AUD 425.60 (US $300). Since I have an emotional history with the camera, I gave the OK. However, it can be seen that repairs far exceed the value of most cameras.

[lotech]

The shutters in the Japanese and West German cameras should be good unless they've been sunburnt.
The old Russian stuff is universally junk, so no surprise the shutter in your old Fed has a hole in it. The things were built and QC'd by people more interested in vodka than building anything good.

Very true, but unfortunately that's the only affordable way to try out RF with changeable lenses, and some Soviet/Russian lenses are indeed very good.

[Wheatfield]

Very true, but unfortunately that's the only affordable way to try out RF with changeable lenses, and some Soviet/Russian lenses are indeed very good.

I recall with many of the lenses that they were simply taking West German lenses and copying them via reverse engineering, so no surprise there are some pretty good lenses from the old Soviet era.
They were stealing the best technology of the day.