What's so special about the LX?

Wheatfield · 02-20-2011, 03:16 PM

An passingly interesting little gallery can be found here...

Index

**tranq78** · 02-20-2011, 04:48 PM

Originally posted by Wheatfield

An passingly interesting little gallery can be found here...

Index

Wheatfield, welcome back!

The only thing that annoys me about the LX are those magic needles. I have a heck of a time getting them to work, but that's just my clumsy fingers.

Wheatfield · 02-20-2011, 05:05 PM - **1 Like**

The idea of them was to put the film tongue into the take up and then put the cassette into the camera.
Done that way the Magic Noodles worked fine.

DanielT74 · 02-20-2011, 06:27 PM

Thank you for the answers! Very informative!!

I enjoy using the LX and thinking about getting a split image focusing screen because I just don't trust my eyes with the standard one. Will decide after I develop the first roll!

stevebrot · 02-20-2011, 08:21 PM

Originally posted by wlachan

I think it's the sentimental value which is more than anything else to some Pentax fans. Against other pro cameras of its time, I don't think the LX was particular reliable or rigid. It was, and still is, however, the only true pro system Pentax has ever attempted for the K mount. Its predecessor, the MX, was really too late and not quite up to pro standard of its time. You don't see Canon or Nikon fans brag about the F-1 or F3 these days as they have moved on, but Pentax has never attempt the pro market (120 is another story) since. I guess some Pentax fans just need some reassurance through the old time icon.

I was alive when the LX debuted and it was very competitive and highly acclaimed. There is a reason why it enjoyed such a long lifetime and outlived all of its competition. I was also alive then the MX debuted and remember that it was positioned as a niche camera to compete with the Olympus OM system, though less successfully. (The OM bodies are hard to beat.) Canon shooters don't talk up the old stuff too much because those older cameras were really not that great and used an archaic mount with no continuity to the present. Nikon fans practically worship all F-series bodies. Value remains high for all Nikon F, FE, and FM variants just as it does for the LX.

Probably the most telling point in the LX story is the high market value for these cameras today. They regularly command prices in the same range as the Nikon products and usually more than competing Canon models. Outside Pentax fan land, the LX enjoys a solid reputation that helps keep those prices up there.

Steve

stevebrot · 02-20-2011, 08:26 PM

Originally posted by Steve Beswick

Now can you find me a weather sealed lens that works with a LX? I didn't think so.

Not really needed Steve. Most manual focus lenses of the time were pretty weather-tight by design and resist incidental moisture quite nicely. The main value of the weather sealing on that camera is to protect the electronics. The lenses were free of that stuff (the A contacts are passive in design).

Steve

stevebrot · 02-20-2011, 08:31 PM

Originally posted by ChrisPlatt

I have owned several different Pentax ZX/MZ series camera models and currently own an MZ-3.
Their build quality and the feeling of precision in operation are frankly poor compared to older Pentax cameras.
Though they may suit many users needs they're simply not in the same league as the Pentax LX; not by a long shot.

Chris

Double plus agree with this statement. The AF Pentax film bodies are one reason why I did not even consider purchase of a replacement for my Ricoh XR7. The Ricoh may be sheathed in polycarbonate, but under the skin is a cast metal chassis. On the ZX/MZ cameras, plastic chassis, plastic covers, plastic gears...

Compared to the LX...give me a break!

Steve

Steve Beswick · 02-21-2011, 01:11 AM

Originally posted by stevebrot

Not really needed Steve. Most manual focus lenses of the time were pretty weather-tight by design and resist incidental moisture quite nicely. The main value of the weather sealing on that camera is to protect the electronics. The lenses were free of that stuff (the A contacts are passive in design).

Steve

Sorry, but I think you couldn't be more wrong. If you would like to prove your point, please take one of your classic manual focus lenses out in a real rainstorm without an umbrella or other protection. Try something nice and valuable, like a K 50 f/1.2, strapped to the front of a LX. Make sure to take a few photos pointed up at a street light, with the rain pouring down on the front of your camera.

The next time I want to shoot in the rain, I will take one of the many $20 or less cameras that I own, with the understanding that if it dies from water damage I will throw it away. I will then smile, realizing that I saved ~$1,000 over your camera setup. Better yet, I will take my weather sealed Olympus P&S that I paid a whole whopping $2 for. Heck, I paid more for the battery than I did for the camera!

**tranq78** · 02-21-2011, 09:35 AM

Originally posted by Wheatfield

The idea of them was to put the film tongue into the take up and then put the cassette into the camera.
Done that way the Magic Noodles worked fine.

Oh, never thought of doing that. Thanks.

stevebrot · 02-21-2011, 09:51 PM

Originally posted by Steve Beswick

please take one of your classic manual focus lenses out in a real rainstorm without an umbrella or other protection.

Been there...done that. Salt spray too.

You forget, I live in the Pacific Northwest. We know about rain up here. Snow too. The trick is to not be stupid. Incidental moisture is just that. Dump the camera in a stream and it will die. Expose to a few rain drops and the moisture stays where it is supposed to...on the outside.

To be honest, a bigger hazard up our way is condensation caused by having the camera in a warm high humidity environment (say a ski lodge) and then stepping out into the snowy cold. I have heard stories of water running down the inner lens surfaces accompanied by total fogging of the viewfinder optics that took hours to clear.

Steve, the other

stevebrot · 02-21-2011, 09:59 PM

Originally posted by Steve Beswick

The next time I want to shoot in the rain, I will take one of the many $20 or less cameras that I own, with the understanding that if it dies from water damage I will throw it away. I will then smile, realizing that I saved ~$1,000 over your camera setup.

The ultimate answer...don't worry about ultimate durability. Buy cheap but functional and discard when dead. Works great! BTW...that is my basic approach as well, except that my dirt cheap cameras stand up to moisture pretty well...at least the Ricohs do...

...the problem is that none of those cheapies are a LX. Sort of like my FED-2 and Zorki-4K. Same mount as a Leica, similar picture quality (I can see the fireballs coming) but no comparison in user experience.

Steve

lithos · 02-21-2011, 10:26 PM

I'd bet the M-series aren't as good as the LX.

They're very good cameras, yes, but in the pursuit of one-upping Olympus, the brass used in them is notoriously thin.

GeneV · 02-22-2011, 02:35 AM

Originally posted by Steve Beswick

Quality - Subjective, but not appreciably better than a well maintained MX.

Size - Not any smaller than the M line, and they all take winders as well.

Viewfinder - Again, the MX and ME Super also have great viewfinders.

Control position - Totally subjective. Personally, I think the P3n has a better position and design for the shutter speed knob than the LX, and has a better location for the cable release socket. Does that make the P3n a better camera?

TTL flash - Way, Way, Way overrated, especially if you are a pro.

.

To each his own. I own both an MX and an LX, both of which are well maintained, and, to my subjective eyes and hands, there is a big difference. I do use TTL flash and off the film metering. The LX is my go to for low light film work because of the OTF metering and the finder layout with LED on the side. TTL flash is not just a pro feature. It makes the camera work with newer dedicated DSLR flashes like the AF540 and 360 without a lot of resetting. I've blown more than one shot with non-TTL bodies like the P5 by forgetting to set the AF540 from its PTTL/TTL default to Auto and then dial in adjustments from there.

I don't get the point about the P3N. If you find one of the advantages of the LX on another camera, or one thing you like better about another camera, it does not necessarily make that camera better as a whole. The P3N is not in the same quality league.

But, if you don't use the weather sealing (I don't either), or the interchangeable viewfinder, or find the camera feel more pleasing in the hand, or use the off the film metering, or use the TTL flash, or the sturdier winders/motor, or find the size (slightly larger than the MX) a better fit than the other M series, then you shouldn't spend the money for the LX. As I said, to each his own.

pickles · 02-22-2011, 04:34 PM

Around 20 years ago, when I "got into" Pentax, it was via a friend's Spotmatic....loved it, wanted to buy it, but she wouldn't sell. So, looked around at what else Pentax had, & discovered the Super A, & bought one...a great little camera...very under rated...still is. Then, looked around a bit more, & discovered the LX, so I bought a S/H body...it was all good, because all my "A" lenses that I had for the Super A fitted.
Then I discovered the LX "system", I became really enthusiastic, sold my S/H body & bought a brand new one....then I started to accumulate every LX accessory I could lay my hands on, motor drive, all the viewfinders, 400 flash, ring flash, remote electric shutter release etc etc.
I used to do a lot of M/Sport photography, & by this time of course, all the Press guys were using auto focus Canons & Nikons etc, but when I used to go to the press room for lunch etc, you'd be amazed at the number of pro guys that came to look at my LX stuff.....they ALL new what it was, & REALLY admired it.
And the LX IS that special......it's a really fine piece of machinery.....just like a fine swiss watch....I loved handling it.
I lost interest in the late nineties, & sold the lot to one person...he was happy to buy it....and I got my money back.....plus a bit!
But I never sold my nice SP11, which remained in the cupboard for years....until I decided to take a few photos again.....so now, unlike most who've moved forward to digital.....I've gone back to screwmount!
But yes, the LX is truly something special, I don't think we'll ever see its like again.
Cheers, Pickles.

ysmin7 · 02-22-2011, 05:37 PM

It's so expensive for me and not much different than others.
But I would like to buy it someday!! I love PENTAX's cam.
The reason why I'd like to have it is nothing.

02-20-2011, 08:26 PM	#21
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by Steve Beswick Now can you find me a weather sealed lens that works with a LX? I didn't think so. Not really needed Steve. Most manual focus lenses of the time were pretty weather-tight by design and resist incidental moisture quite nicely. The main value of the weather sealing on that camera is to protect the electronics. The lenses were free of that stuff (the A contacts are passive in design). Steve Last edited by stevebrot; 02-20-2011 at 08:33 PM.

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02-20-2011, 03:16 PM	#16
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,987	An passingly interesting little gallery can be found here... Index

02-20-2011, 04:48 PM	#17
tranq78 Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,006	Originally posted by Wheatfield An passingly interesting little gallery can be found here... Index Wheatfield, welcome back! The only thing that annoys me about the LX are those magic needles. I have a heck of a time getting them to work, but that's just my clumsy fingers.

02-20-2011, 05:05 PM - 1 Like	#18
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,987	The idea of them was to put the film tongue into the take up and then put the cassette into the camera. Done that way the Magic Noodles worked fine.

02-20-2011, 06:27 PM	#19
DanielT74 Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Australia Photos: Albums Posts: 1,377 Original Poster	Thank you for the answers! Very informative!! I enjoy using the LX and thinking about getting a split image focusing screen because I just don't trust my eyes with the standard one. Will decide after I develop the first roll!

02-20-2011, 08:21 PM	#20
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by wlachan I think it's the sentimental value which is more than anything else to some Pentax fans. Against other pro cameras of its time, I don't think the LX was particular reliable or rigid. It was, and still is, however, the only true pro system Pentax has ever attempted for the K mount. Its predecessor, the MX, was really too late and not quite up to pro standard of its time. You don't see Canon or Nikon fans brag about the F-1 or F3 these days as they have moved on, but Pentax has never attempt the pro market (120 is another story) since. I guess some Pentax fans just need some reassurance through the old time icon. I was alive when the LX debuted and it was very competitive and highly acclaimed. There is a reason why it enjoyed such a long lifetime and outlived all of its competition. I was also alive then the MX debuted and remember that it was positioned as a niche camera to compete with the Olympus OM system, though less successfully. (The OM bodies are hard to beat.) Canon shooters don't talk up the old stuff too much because those older cameras were really not that great and used an archaic mount with no continuity to the present. Nikon fans practically worship all F-series bodies. Value remains high for all Nikon F, FE, and FM variants just as it does for the LX. Probably the most telling point in the LX story is the high market value for these cameras today. They regularly command prices in the same range as the Nikon products and usually more than competing Canon models. Outside Pentax fan land, the LX enjoys a solid reputation that helps keep those prices up there. Steve

02-20-2011, 08:31 PM	#22
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by ChrisPlatt I have owned several different Pentax ZX/MZ series camera models and currently own an MZ-3. Their build quality and the feeling of precision in operation are frankly poor compared to older Pentax cameras. Though they may suit many users needs they're simply not in the same league as the Pentax LX; not by a long shot. Chris Double plus agree with this statement. The AF Pentax film bodies are one reason why I did not even consider purchase of a replacement for my Ricoh XR7. The Ricoh may be sheathed in polycarbonate, but under the skin is a cast metal chassis. On the ZX/MZ cameras, plastic chassis, plastic covers, plastic gears... Compared to the LX...give me a break! Steve

02-21-2011, 01:11 AM	#23
Steve Beswick Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ontario, California Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,736	Originally posted by stevebrot Not really needed Steve. Most manual focus lenses of the time were pretty weather-tight by design and resist incidental moisture quite nicely. The main value of the weather sealing on that camera is to protect the electronics. The lenses were free of that stuff (the A contacts are passive in design). Steve Sorry, but I think you couldn't be more wrong. If you would like to prove your point, please take one of your classic manual focus lenses out in a real rainstorm without an umbrella or other protection. Try something nice and valuable, like a K 50 f/1.2, strapped to the front of a LX. Make sure to take a few photos pointed up at a street light, with the rain pouring down on the front of your camera. The next time I want to shoot in the rain, I will take one of the many $20 or less cameras that I own, with the understanding that if it dies from water damage I will throw it away. I will then smile, realizing that I saved ~$1,000 over your camera setup. Better yet, I will take my weather sealed Olympus P&S that I paid a whole whopping $2 for. Heck, I paid more for the battery than I did for the camera!

02-21-2011, 09:35 AM	#24
tranq78 Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,006	Originally posted by Wheatfield The idea of them was to put the film tongue into the take up and then put the cassette into the camera. Done that way the Magic Noodles worked fine. Oh, never thought of doing that. Thanks.

02-21-2011, 09:51 PM	#25
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by Steve Beswick please take one of your classic manual focus lenses out in a real rainstorm without an umbrella or other protection. Been there...done that. Salt spray too. You forget, I live in the Pacific Northwest. We know about rain up here. Snow too. The trick is to not be stupid. Incidental moisture is just that. Dump the camera in a stream and it will die. Expose to a few rain drops and the moisture stays where it is supposed to...on the outside. To be honest, a bigger hazard up our way is condensation caused by having the camera in a warm high humidity environment (say a ski lodge) and then stepping out into the snowy cold. I have heard stories of water running down the inner lens surfaces accompanied by total fogging of the viewfinder optics that took hours to clear. Steve, the other

02-21-2011, 09:59 PM	#26
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by Steve Beswick The next time I want to shoot in the rain, I will take one of the many $20 or less cameras that I own, with the understanding that if it dies from water damage I will throw it away. I will then smile, realizing that I saved ~$1,000 over your camera setup. The ultimate answer...don't worry about ultimate durability. Buy cheap but functional and discard when dead. Works great! BTW...that is my basic approach as well, except that my dirt cheap cameras stand up to moisture pretty well...at least the Ricohs do... ...the problem is that none of those cheapies are a LX. Sort of like my FED-2 and Zorki-4K. Same mount as a Leica, similar picture quality (I can see the fireballs coming) but no comparison in user experience. Steve

02-21-2011, 10:26 PM	#27
lithos Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Brisbane, QLD, AUS Posts: 3,261	I'd bet the M-series aren't as good as the LX. They're very good cameras, yes, but in the pursuit of one-upping Olympus, the brass used in them is notoriously thin.

02-22-2011, 02:35 AM	#28
GeneV Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Albuquerque NM Photos: Albums Posts: 9,830	Originally posted by Steve Beswick Quality - Subjective, but not appreciably better than a well maintained MX. Size - Not any smaller than the M line, and they all take winders as well. Viewfinder - Again, the MX and ME Super also have great viewfinders. Control position - Totally subjective. Personally, I think the P3n has a better position and design for the shutter speed knob than the LX, and has a better location for the cable release socket. Does that make the P3n a better camera? TTL flash - Way, Way, Way overrated, especially if you are a pro. . To each his own. I own both an MX and an LX, both of which are well maintained, and, to my subjective eyes and hands, there is a big difference. I do use TTL flash and off the film metering. The LX is my go to for low light film work because of the OTF metering and the finder layout with LED on the side. TTL flash is not just a pro feature. It makes the camera work with newer dedicated DSLR flashes like the AF540 and 360 without a lot of resetting. I've blown more than one shot with non-TTL bodies like the P5 by forgetting to set the AF540 from its PTTL/TTL default to Auto and then dial in adjustments from there. I don't get the point about the P3N. If you find one of the advantages of the LX on another camera, or one thing you like better about another camera, it does not necessarily make that camera better as a whole. The P3N is not in the same quality league. But, if you don't use the weather sealing (I don't either), or the interchangeable viewfinder, or find the camera feel more pleasing in the hand, or use the off the film metering, or use the TTL flash, or the sturdier winders/motor, or find the size (slightly larger than the MX) a better fit than the other M series, then you shouldn't spend the money for the LX. As I said, to each his own.

02-22-2011, 04:34 PM	#29
pickles Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: melbourne Posts: 937	Around 20 years ago, when I "got into" Pentax, it was via a friend's Spotmatic....loved it, wanted to buy it, but she wouldn't sell. So, looked around at what else Pentax had, & discovered the Super A, & bought one...a great little camera...very under rated...still is. Then, looked around a bit more, & discovered the LX, so I bought a S/H body...it was all good, because all my "A" lenses that I had for the Super A fitted. Then I discovered the LX "system", I became really enthusiastic, sold my S/H body & bought a brand new one....then I started to accumulate every LX accessory I could lay my hands on, motor drive, all the viewfinders, 400 flash, ring flash, remote electric shutter release etc etc. I used to do a lot of M/Sport photography, & by this time of course, all the Press guys were using auto focus Canons & Nikons etc, but when I used to go to the press room for lunch etc, you'd be amazed at the number of pro guys that came to look at my LX stuff.....they ALL new what it was, & REALLY admired it. And the LX IS that special......it's a really fine piece of machinery.....just like a fine swiss watch....I loved handling it. I lost interest in the late nineties, & sold the lot to one person...he was happy to buy it....and I got my money back.....plus a bit! But I never sold my nice SP11, which remained in the cupboard for years....until I decided to take a few photos again.....so now, unlike most who've moved forward to digital.....I've gone back to screwmount! But yes, the LX is truly something special, I don't think we'll ever see its like again. Cheers, Pickles.

02-22-2011, 05:37 PM	#30
ysmin7 New Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 7	It's so expensive for me and not much different than others. But I would like to buy it someday!! I love PENTAX's cam. The reason why I'd like to have it is nothing.