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11-05-2014, 06:43 AM   #2191
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QuoteOriginally posted by Jonathan Mac Quote
A couple of shots of my SP1000 with SMC 55/2 mounted
My favorite Spotmatic. I had to give my daughter a MX to pry her SP1000 from her hands

11-05-2014, 07:17 AM   #2192
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QuoteOriginally posted by Nesster Quote
My favorite Spotmatic. I had to give my daughter a MX to pry her SP1000 from her hands
11-05-2014, 12:44 PM - 1 Like   #2193
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A nice little FA 50mm f1.7 in lovely condition as an AF alternative to the K55 f1.8.






Last edited by hoopsontoast; 11-05-2014 at 02:47 PM.
11-05-2014, 01:56 PM   #2194
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QuoteOriginally posted by Cuthbert Quote
Ok guys I completed my Pentaxian quest getting the last camera I didn't have:

Can anybody educate me to the Way of the LX? The accessories to have, not to have, do, don't do, problems, etc...? I'm relatively ignorant regarding this camera, while I had some info about the Nikon F2 and the Canon F-1N I don't know how it compares besides the fact it's tiny and perhaps my back will be happier to drag this camera around London...BTW I heard it has been changed through its long production run, is this one supposed to be an early or late model?
The things you need to know about the LX:

Interchangeable Viewfinders
Interchangeable Screens
Random-access double exposure
Mirror Lockup
AE Autoexposure is off-the-film-plane, during the exposure...they are amazingly accurate, especially in low light.

This is the only camera I own two of on purpose.

QuoteOriginally posted by LesDMess Quote
Really . . . the last camera . . .

COngratulations as it looks in good shape. It also looks like you have the hard to find sync cover? I also don't have the soft cover and been looking for one in good shape myself.

As you already noticed, the LX saves some weight compared to the Canon New F-1.



Since you are already familiar with the F-1, some differences between the two are:
  1. Both have substantial build quality but the LX was more weatherproof.
  2. The F1 has spot meter option using specific screens while the LX does not.
  3. The F1 has shutter priority when used with the motordrive while the LX does not.
  4. The F1 does not have MLU while the LX does.
  5. The F1 has a viewfinder blind while the LX does not need it.
  6. F1 film speed to 6400 while the LX to 3200.
  7. F1 in aperture priority AE finder limited to 1/1000 while the LX is 1/2000.
  8. X Sync for the F1 is 1/90 while the LX is 1/75.
  9. The LX has TTL OTF flash while the F1 does not.
  10. LX finder is 98%V and 95%H coverage from 0.55X to 1.35X depending on viewfinder - see below.
  11. Both have the same range of shutter speeds available in manual mode when batteries die but the F1 battery has to be physically removed for it to work.
  12. The F1's timer is battery dependent while LX self timer is manual.
  13. The F1's multiexposure is the "universal manual" method with no guarantee of perfect registration while the LX has perfect frame registration going forward or backward.
  14. The F1 - and all Canons past or present, can only aperture priority autoexpose to a maximum of 30 seconds.
  15. The LX metering range is superior to any camera ever made past or present at EV -6.5 to EV 20, and can aperture priority auto expose for as long as it takes to achieve a proper exposure or batteries die.
Selection of LX viewfinders.


If you don't have it already, here is a link to the 1985 booklet of the Pentax LX -> Google Translate
Just Wow.

QuoteOriginally posted by LesDMess Quote
MLU = mirror lock up. Canon had it on the the previous F-1 model but decided to omit it on this model.

The LX doesn't have electrical contacts to take advantage of the A lenses.

The LX has four studs so that you can add the handgrip and still put the neck strap on the other side which will have the camera hang vertically.

Also, are you already aware of this site -> Photography in Malaysia
It has an LX review -> Pentax LX - Index Page / Modern Classic SLRs series
And an F-1 review -> Canon New F-1 SLR camera - Modern Classic SLRs Series

This site made me really get into it . . .
The LX has three strap lugs. The "fourth" lug on the lower right-hand side of the camera is a screw-hole for the optional grip.

11-05-2014, 02:20 PM   #2195
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A couple of new lenses I'm playing with at the moment:

Cosina Cosinon 40/2.5 pancake.
This is an interesting one. A steal at £25 and it handles nicely and has a little extra speed over the Chinon and Pentax equivalents, not that it really matters. Looks good on later K-M mount cameras (ME Super, CE-5 etc) and essentially it's just a nice little curio to have. Light and easy to carry too.



Zeiss Pancolar Auto MC 50/1.8
My first Zeiss lens, so I'm quite excited. Lovely condition and, praise be, the focus isn't gummed up like I've heard they can be. Nice handling (but not quite as nice as a Takumar or the M42 Chinon/Tomiokas), to be honest it's always nice to own a legend. I'll be posting results once I have some (now I have £10 a year darkroom access at university I'm shooting film like there's no tomorrow).



Also, if love lasts a lifetime, bury me with my CE Memotron. You'd probably have to reinforce the coffin though.
11-05-2014, 06:53 PM   #2196
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Found a Fujinon 50mm/f1.4 at a thrift shop. Good condition except the blades were a little stick when i first got it. Only works on my Spotty since it can't be switched to manual. Otherwise it's wide open on anything with an adapter. Hope it's as good as the Super-Tak 50/1.4 Also had two Tamron Adaptall with m42 mount adapters at the same thrift shop. Contemplating whether I want to go back for one of them.

11-05-2014, 11:48 PM   #2197
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QuoteOriginally posted by edmundrt Quote
A couple of new lenses I'm playing with at the moment:

Cosina Cosinon 40/2.5 pancake. ...
Thanks for your post. I have never come across this "faster" 40. First time I have seen one ... J

11-06-2014, 02:05 AM   #2198
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QuoteOriginally posted by unixrevolution Quote
The things you need to know about the LX:

Interchangeable Viewfinders
Interchangeable Screens
Random-access double exposure
Mirror Lockup
AE Autoexposure is off-the-film-plane, during the exposure...they are amazingly accurate, especially in low light.

This is the only camera I own two of on purpose.



Just Wow.



The LX has three strap lugs. The "fourth" lug on the lower right-hand side of the camera is a screw-hole for the optional grip.
Thank you all guys, I received the camera yesterday, unfortunately the half case is damage and has a tear, but I understand it's very hard to find and I'll try to repair it. The finish is flwaless, very little debrassing around the corner where the straps lugs are, clear viewfinder, everything looks in order, later in the week I'll take some pics because the camera came with the original owner's manual and the brochure you sent me the link.

I like the idea of bringing the camera in a vertical position, I always do that with my Leica M5 (the only other camera with three strap lugs I have) and I already installed the strap this way, the and since I don't like the steel studs I decided to buy a used grip, along with the square plastic hood (to change a little bit, I already have a round one on my Spotmatic F) and with my three Pentax 49 mm filters (cloudy, light yellow and yellow-green) I think they'll be a nice set.

Unfortunately the camera came with the cheap 50 mm f1.7, a disappointment for me because as I understand the camera is supposed to sport a f1.4 as standard lens. Reading the manual and the brochure I found an interesting thing: it appears that what we call today the "K mounted" lenses weren't discontinued and totally replaced my the M-series, just the ones they could "miniaturise", but the manual clearly states that the 50 mm f.13 and the 15 mm f3.5 (the lens that was first available as Tak then as K) were meant to be in the LX "system" while the new M lenses were indicated by an asterisk. The brochure is even more interesting because it's later and reports as standard lenses the new A lenses BUT there are two f1.2 described, the "normal" one and the A, so I assume that lens remained in production and transitioned directly from K to A because they couldn't make it smaller like the f1.4, while the 55 mm f1.8 was replaced by the M 50 f.17 because the magnification of the new M series and LX finders was greater than the K cameras so the 55 m format wasn't necessary anymore.

Talking about the f1.4, I would like to procure one, but I'm undecided between the M and the A, the former is much more common and cheaper, I understand the latter is aesthetically different and have the A position that is meaningless for the LX, but I read some unconfirmed rumours than the A is actually the sharpest 1.4 available. I already have a 50 mm f1.4 "K" so i wonder if it's worth to spend twice more for the A or they are just old wives' tales.
11-06-2014, 03:32 AM   #2199
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QuoteOriginally posted by Cuthbert Quote
I read some unconfirmed rumours than the A is actually the sharpest 1.4 available
Personally I don't think this is true, I had multiple copies of K mount 50s, and out of all of them: the A 50mm f/1.4 it was one of the worst*. My copies of the Pentax K and A series 50mm f/1.2 lenses were significantly sharper across the frame at f/4~f/8 aperture range than a majority of pentax 50mm lenses.

*especially at its widest aperture.
11-06-2014, 05:12 AM   #2200
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QuoteOriginally posted by Cuthbert Quote
Unfortunately the camera came with the cheap 50 mm f1.7, a disappointment for me
This 1.7 is likely to be sharper than the 1.4. It is a fine lens and there is nothing "cheap" about it. Large fast lenses need to make compromises that slower lenses avoid - not that a 1.4 is much faster than 1.7 anyway.
11-06-2014, 05:33 AM   #2201
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QuoteOriginally posted by Digitalis Quote
Personally I don't think this is true, I had multiple copies of K mount 50s, and out of all of them: the A 50mm f/1.4 it was one of the worst*. My copies of the Pentax K and A series 50mm f/1.2 lenses were significantly sharper across the frame at f/4~f/8 aperture range than a majority of pentax 50mm lenses.

*especially at its widest aperture.
Ok I'll try to get a cheapo M-1.4 then, just for the taste of having the same camera in the paperwork. I always wished a Pentax 50 mm f1.2 (it appears this is its official name) but the prices are ridiculous, they go for double the price of a 1.2 Canon FD or Nikkor AI/Ais...not to mention the quotation of the golden lens, the A one.

QuoteOriginally posted by arnold Quote
This 1.7 is likely to be sharper than the 1.4. It is a fine lens and there is nothing "cheap" about it. Large fast lenses need to make compromises that slower lenses avoid - not that a 1.4 is much faster than 1.7 anyway.
I still have to test it but aesthetically speaking I'm not impressed, it looks like my 28 mm f2.8 that is not a great lens but does the job and I paid 30 euros for it, so far I've been happy with my fast lenses, the Nikkor 50 mm f1.4 Pre-Ai:



And the Canon FD 50 mm f1.2:



I also have a Nikkor AIs 1.8 and a FD 1.8 and I much prefer the big bowls.

Plus, I'm a bokehaolic (see my pics in that thread and my selfportraits in the critique area) and I love shoot bad pictures with stuff out of focus so I need something faster than 1.7, usually in that aperture my favourite lenses are Soviet, the Pk Volna 50 mm f1.8 of the Almaz 103 and the M42 Zenitar 58mm f1.7, they both look better that this tiny M50 f1.7 but of course I'm curious to see how it does perform against these two old glories of the Brezhnev era.

Last edited by Cuthbert; 11-06-2014 at 05:44 AM.
11-06-2014, 05:38 AM   #2202
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QuoteOriginally posted by Cuthbert Quote
Ok I'll try to get a cheapo M-1.4 then, just for the taste of having the same camera in the paperwork. I always wished a Pentax 50 mm f1.2 (it appears this is its official name) but the prices are ridiculous, they go for double the price of a 1.2 Canon FD or Nikkor AI/Ais...not to mention the quotation of the golden lens, the A one.
Where are you looking? KEH has one K "cheap" compared to European price levels ...
11-06-2014, 07:21 AM   #2203
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Edmundrt.
I was gifted a Chinon CE II Memotron which seems more documented then the plain CE Memotron. From what I understand the only difference is multiexposure control? Apparently it was sold under many names including one under the Alpa as well as Sears and GAF. It has interesting feature including mirror lock up in timer mode. I had a heck of a time figuring out how the film speed was set and that shutter release has to be the longest throw I have ever used on a camera!
11-06-2014, 09:20 AM   #2204
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QuoteOriginally posted by LesDMess Quote
Edmundrt.
I was gifted a Chinon CE II Memotron which seems more documented then the plain CE Memotron. From what I understand the only difference is multiexposure control? Apparently it was sold under many names including one under the Alpa as well as Sears and GAF. It has interesting feature including mirror lock up in timer mode. I had a heck of a time figuring out how the film speed was set and that shutter release has to be the longest throw I have ever used on a camera!
Yes, there's not much out there on the original CE Memotron. The original CE has multiple exposure control too, as did all the CE series - one of their strengths against the competition of the time. This page lists the only difference between them as being the flash sync speed. Thankfully the CE has a simple rotary dial to select ASA, unlike the weird pin system on the CE-II. A lot of Chinon's OEM stuff was rebranded in Europe and the US, as the ones you've mentioned as well as Prinzflex in the UK for the earlier models (Chinonflex TTL etc) and Revueflex in Europe for the later ones (CE-4, CE-5). As I've mentioned before, I have a fascination with Chinon stuff and the great products they made as one of the smaller Japanese camera manufacturers, borne out of my affection for my CE-5 which was my first film camera (£8.50 in a charity shop).
The real advantage that the CE, CE-II and CE-3 have is that they can work in Av mode with any M42 lens with an A/M switch, unlike the Pentax ES which needed the specific late model lenses. This makes them very versatile. The lenses that were made for this camera by Tomioka are very good, particularly the 55/1.7 and 55/1.4.
The trade off is the long shutter release throw to stop down and activate the meter, and the weight of that mechanism, but it is a thing of mechanical joy to use and it makes one hell of a click.

Last edited by edmundrt; 11-06-2014 at 09:31 AM.
11-06-2014, 09:24 AM   #2205
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QuoteOriginally posted by dcshooter Quote
There are various tutorials out there on how to mod the fujinon lenses for stop-down operation if you are interested in using it on digital, etc. Does the Fuji metering lug give you problems with infinity focus on the Spotmatic body? It definitely will if used with an adapter...
The little nub clears the Spotmatic, but it definitely interferes with mounting on a K-mount body with an adapter. Might keep a look out for another cheap body to mount this lens on since the Spotty is my only m42 mount camera.
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