[Baard-Einar]

I just got a Asahi Pentax S2, late version, from eBay.

What puzzles me is that the speed dial shows 1/1000, while all I have read on this model, is that the top speed is 1/500.


Any comments anyone?

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[aoeu]

The 'S3' brought the top shutter speed back to 1/1000s, although some versions still came with 1/500s as top speed. Some of the S3 versions had a cut-out in the shutter dial so that it could accept the Asahi Pentax Meter.

Just guessing here. Retrofitted with a later part for the meter?

[TomB_tx]

The S1 dial only went to 500 (although it still had the unmarked 1000 speed), but the Super S2 had the 1000 marked, and was slotted for the meter. Here's an "export" brochure that came with my S1:

I have S1, S3 and SV, but no S2 as yet.

[Baard-Einar]

Ok thanks! It could be a super s2 then. On all photos I have seen until today the film counter is the more modern version.


Inside the film lid is a sticker with a name of a photo store in Sao Paulo. Could it have been sold there or was it there for service. I guess I never will find that out.

Do you have the complete brochure scanned? I would very much appreciate a copy.

[aoeu]

An interesting link: Super S2 - The Asahi Pentax S2 Super was manufactured by Asahi Optical Company from 1962 to 1968 and is an enhanced S2 but with top speed of 1/1000 Sec and is identified in this way. There is no "Super" designation on the body. - Pacific Ridge Photog. Perhaps the camera review for the S2 needs updating.

[Baard-Einar]

Perhaps the camera review for the S2 needs updating.

Yes perhaps.

So it seems that the one I just got, is the first version of the S2 Super. And it was sold with a Super Takumar 55mm f2, not the Auto-Takumar as described on Pacific Ridge site. And was it only sold in Japan?

I will take it out and run a roll of film thru it. It is CLA'ed by Eric so it works just fine.

[Blue]

Ok thanks! It could be a super s2 then. On all photos I have seen until today the film counter is the more modern version.


Inside the film lid is a sticker with a name of a photo store in Sao Paulo. Could it have been sold there or was it there for service. I guess I never will find that out.

Do you have the complete brochure scanned? I would very much appreciate a copy.

I just looked at pics in van Oosten's book and the chrome S2 Super and black S2 Super have different film counters with the black one being of the older styles. Basically earlier Supers came without self zeroing counters and newer ones had them. Given that there were fewer black ones made, the non-resetting counters may be more common in black, but that is a guess on my part. It was generally sold outside the U.S. market.

[TomB_tx]

The early SV I picked up came with paperwork that indicated it was bought in Japan before the SV was exported. The base plate has "NO TAX" factory engraved in the back corner - similar to items for airport tax-free shops that wouldn't stay in-country. The included English instruction manual is for the "S1-S3" models, with an additional pamphlet marked "SV - Super S2" that begins with this statement: "The new Asahi Pentax SV and Super S2 cameras are so new that they are not yet being exported and the instruction booklet for these new models has not been completed. This instruction sheet is supplied with the instruction manual for the Asahi Pentax S1/S3 cameras to serve you to fully understand the different features of these new models."
So this information is for the first series of Super S2. It notes that the Super came with the "all-new fully automatic Super-Takumar 55mm f2 lens" - so the Super originally did not come with the semi-automatic Auto-Takumar. The SV that this came with had the reversed aperture scale Super Takumar 55 f1.8 - which is about when the same lens was sold as Auto Takumar (but was in transition to the "Super" name).
Information about these years is hazy now, so I was glad to get these original documents with this SV.
I'll try to attach the pdf scan of this supplemental brochure.
SV-SuperS2.pdf

[Baard-Einar]

I'll try to attach the pdf scan of this supplemental brochure.
Attachment 171264

Very nice, The brochure came thru just fine, thank you!

This is new information compared to what I have found before. Looks like the info here on Pentaxforums also needs to be updated.

So now I should look for a black S2, a non-super version.

[SteveM]

An interesting link: Super S2 - The Asahi Pentax S2 Super was manufactured by Asahi Optical Company from 1962 to 1968 and is an enhanced S2 but with top speed of 1/1000 Sec and is identified in this way. There is no "Super" designation on the body. - Pacific Ridge Photog. Perhaps the camera review for the S2 needs updating.

Thanks...that's my site. I have both editions from the second series.

It looks like Baard-Einar's is the earlier type with the green R. What a terrific copy..nice!

[TomB_tx]

I notice this unit has the Auto-Takumar 2.2, but the description published for this new model indicated they normally came with the 55 f2 Super, and the serial number on his body is a bit newer than the one in the illustration with the f2 Super. I imagine dealers then still mixed-and-matched bodies and lenses to the buyer's wishes.

[Baard-Einar]

Thanks...that's my site. I have both editions from the second series.

It looks like Baard-Einar's is the earlier type with the green R. What a terrific copy..nice!

Thanks, I stumbled over it by chance, the auction ended at USD77, included both broken, non-repairable Soligor zoom and Asahi Pentax Meter, but a nice camera that after Erics service ends up just terrific.

So now the hunt for the original lens, from what we have learned, should be the Super Tak 55mm f2.

[Baard-Einar]

I notice this unit has the Auto-Takumar 2.2, but the description published for this new model indicated they normally came with the 55 f2 Super, and the serial number on his body is a bit newer than the one in the illustration with the f2 Super. I imagine dealers then still mixed-and-matched bodies and lenses to the buyer's wishes.

TomB: The camera came with a broken Soligor zoom, the Auto-Takumar 2.2 is a lens I put on the body since the first info I had was that this came with such a lens. But now I need to find the proper lens.

[monochrome]

In case you haven't seen this here is the Asahi Optical Historical Club reference for Screwmount Asahi cameras. It shows the late S2 with the ST55/2 and which markets it was supposed to have been sold in.

[Ole]

The Super S2 according to that reference was sold only in Japan, but why then translate the user's manual?