[Digitalis]

Do you know of another camera that will dependably aperture priority autoexpose as long as the Pentax LX?

Th Olympus OM-2(n)* springs to mind, It has a long exposure off the film metering system that isn't all that different from the LX. Though in AE modes the LX would alter long exposure times if the light changed as the metering system was still active during exposure.

For the record, Acros really doesn't' have much in the way of reciprocity failure.

Being a B&W film it doesn't have the added issue of colour accuracy.


*The OM-2 could meter down to -5.5EV (120 sec at ASA100 50mm f1.4) However, the Pentax LX OTF metering system beats the OM-2 by -1 EV

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Last edited by Digitalis; 10-12-2015 at 06:16 AM.

[LesDMess]

Th Olympus OM-2(n)* springs to mind, It has a long exposure off the film metering system that isn't all that different from the LX.

The OM2 was the first production camera with OTF metering but a maximum of 19 minutes exposure is nowhere near the LX. Read more at -> TP - OM-2/2N

[Digitalis]

The OM2 was the first production camera with OTF metering but a maximum of 19 minutes exposure is nowhere near the LX.

I said the OM-2 was similar, not the same. As I recall, the use of dual blue silicon cells caused the OM2 to chew through batteries, hence the limit on long exposures.

[LesDMess]

I said the OM-2 was similar, not the same. As I recall, the use of dual blue silicon cells caused the OM2 to chew through batteries, hence the limit on long exposures.

The OM2 has two CDS cels in the viewfinder for manual metering and one SPD in the mirror box for auto aperture. The OM4 was changed to a single backward facing cel like the LX. I really like the OM4's spot metering capabilities.

I am certain for most people, the LX's extremely long autoexposure is hardly ever needed and durations seconds long is sufficient given that there are no other camera with this capability.

BTW, I also tested the top Nikons, Canons and Minoltas as well as Yashica and Ricohs. I started with the EOS myself and thought the 30second maximum auto exposure was as good as it gets until I found the LX.

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Last edited by LesDMess; 10-12-2015 at 07:03 AM.

[Digitalis]

X's extremely long autoexposure is hardly ever needed

I have done many hour+ long exposures with the LX -as you have said, there isn't anything else like it before, or since.

[LesDMess]

I have done many hour+ long exposures with the LX -as you have said, there isn't anything else like it before, or since.

What film types and did you have to dial in any compensation?

Got pics to share?

[Digitalis]

What film types and did you have to dial in any compensation?

I used to shoot mostly transparency 35mm films. I only briefly used negative films, usually for projects where I felt the exposure latitude would come in handy. In those situations I would always use Kodak films for their superior colour accuracy. With My LX cameras* I have used Kodachrome 64**, Kodak T-MAX 100,Kodak E100G,Fuji Provia 100F, Fuji Astia 100F. Fuji Velvia 50 (the original, I never bothered with the new version)

I found this among my 35mm film scans:


Pentax LX - SMCP-FA 31mm f/1.8 ASPH Limited - Kodak E100G - ISO 100 f/4 40s (I was doing an experiment where I had the camera in AE and the camera cut the exposure short due to the lightning strike)

* I own 6 Pentax LX cameras.
** I have to admit with some pride that I have used this film.

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Last edited by Digitalis; 10-12-2015 at 07:59 AM.

[Eyewanders]

Do you know of another camera that will dependably aperture priority autoexpose as long as the Pentax LX? From all that I have tried - past and present by any other brand, there are none.

I don't think that is what Digitalis was getting at, only that even with the most accurate and amazing exposure (be it auto or human), no camera can make calculations/adjustments to compensate for the different behaviors of different films. Just important to note in terms of predictability - *we* can compensate if we think it's necessary but the LX will just do what it does, regardless of reciprocity failure.

[Digitalis]

I don't think that is what Digitalis was getting at

I was making a point that there was a camera with a similar metering system with accurate longer exposure capability...albeit not with exposures as long as the LX could deal with.

*we* can compensate if we think it's necessary but the LX will just do what it does, regardless of reciprocity failure.

Succinctly put. Besides I wouldn't trust anything automatic to get something like this right, there would have to be an override of some sort.

[Eyewanders]

Pentax LX - SMCP-FA 31mm f/1.8 ASPH Limited - Kodak E100G - ISO 100 f/4 40s (I was doing an experiment where I had the camera in AE and the camera cut the exposure short due to the lightning strike)

That is fantastic. It never occurred to me to let the LX take the "tinkering" out of lightning exposures. That's wonderful. I guess I know what I'm bringing out during the next storm.

[tuco]

Being a B&W film it doesn't have the added issue of colour accuracy.

My comment was for the OP who said he uses mostly Ilford films. Yes, color shifts on color film at long exposures. I think we all learned that in our first years of shooting film. And judging by digital landscapes today even digital doesn't render accurate colors.

[LesDMess]

I don't think that is what Digitalis was getting at, only that even with the most accurate and amazing exposure (be it auto or human), no camera can make calculations/adjustments to compensate for the different behaviors of different films. Just important to note in terms of predictability - *we* can compensate if we think it's necessary but the LX will just do what it does, regardless of reciprocity failure.

That was my first response.

I have tested a lot of aperture priority cameras - even digis, and all of them will do what they do and none will compensate for reciprocity failure. They can't because Kodak, Fuji - or any other, cannot/did not provide data for these extremes and we are left to test them for our specific applications given various lightsources.

The distinct advantage of the LX over all is that Pentax chose not to cutoff the exposure time as Canon to 30 seconds, and others unpredictably.

[Eyewanders]

That was my first response.

I have tested a lot of aperture priority cameras - even digis, and all of them will do what they do and none will compensate for reciprocity failure. They can't because Kodak, Fuji - or any other, cannot/did not provide data for these extremes and we are left to test them for our specific applications given various lightsources.

The distinct advantage of the LX over all is that Pentax chose not to cutoff the exposure time as Canon to 30 seconds, and others unpredictably.

Hear hear.

[gofour3]

With My LX cameras* I have used Kodachrome 64**

Kodachrome 64 was quite good for night work. I took this Kodachrome 64 shot in 1976 with my KX using the "B" bulb setting for about 4 seconds.



Phil.

PS I had an 24" x 36" enlargement of this shot done back in the 1970's using an inter-negative and it looks even better!

[kai_in_paisley]

Thank you everyone, for your replies and shared experiences, and night shots, so far! And Des, thank you for sharing your test series shots too, that's great!

Yes, so far I have used all sorts of tables (from manufacturers and otherwise) about suggested correction factors, which are of course out there. And of course, if you measure and time your exposure manually, then there shouldn't be any difference between the LX and any other camera. The added challenge with the LX, I thought, was in auto mode, where it continues to measure and adjust the exposure as the image is taken. Which could in turn make compensation more difficult to set. But then, from what I read and see in everyone's replies, it really seems like something not to worry about, at least not on negative film...