[timw4mail]

So, I recently bought 8! film bodies as a package deal, and a roll of Tmax 100, and Tmax 400.

Bodies:

• Pentax A3000
• Pentax SF1 (No battery)
  
• Pentax P3N x2 (One doesn't really work)
• Ricoh KR-5 Super
• Vivitar V2000
• Pentax PZ-1 (No battery)
  
• Pentax ZX-50 (No battery)
  

Also:

• Pentax SP1000 (No battery)
  

The last time I used film, I used a Minolta SRT-101, but that was like 9 years ago.



So, which body do you think would be the best to get back into film? Also, which would be easiest to use with adapted M42 lenses (in terms of light metering)?

[photoptimist]

What a fun challenge!

I don't know most of these models, but my approach would be:

Step 1: Double check the basic mechanical functionality of each body: light seals, curtain damage/holes, battery compartment corrosion, winder smoothness, shutter operation at various speeds, mirror snappiness, aperture stop-down actuation, smooth rotation of control dials, etc.) Reject the non-functional ones.

Step 2: Double check the electronic functionality of each body with a good battery: is the meter reading correct (compared to your KS-1's readings), does the meter change appropriately for different aperture/speed/ASA settings, if the body has autoexposure then does the camera seem to do the right thing in bright and dark conditions? Reject the non-functional ones.

Step 3: Ergonomics: how much automation do you want, which body has the nicest viewfinder, which camera feels best in your hands.

Have fun!

[Pentax Syntax]

PZ- 1 would be my choice hands down. It is a very good film body and the hyperprogram mode is very straightforward. Batteries are easy to find at most drug stores. I have used 4 of those bodies but the PZ-1 is hard to beat. Still shooting with my PZ-1p. The adapted M42 lenses will work with some tinkering. The later bodies maintained reasonable back compatibility.

[timw4mail]

PZ- 1 would be my choice hands down. It is a very good film body and the hyperprogram mode is very straightforward. Batteries are easy to find at most drug stores. I have used 4 of those bodies but the PZ-1 is hard to beat. Still shooting with my PZ-1p. The adapted M42 lenses will work with some tinkering. The later bodies maintained reasonable back compatibility.

The thing I find most interesting about the PZ-1 is the power zoom....especially since that never really seemed to come back in the digital era.

---

Last edited by timw4mail; 06-05-2017 at 12:26 PM. Reason: typo

[stevebrot]

I saw this lot when it was posted. With the lenses and accessories, you did well.


Steve

[RKKS08]

The Vivitar2000 (made in China, and had other names, too) is a cheaply made all plastic Pentax MX clone (besides using a Pentamirror and missing Judas Window). With half of these cameras, light measurement was inconsistant right from when they were new, getting worse over time.

I still have 2 of these (one Vivitar2000 and one labeled Braun); With the Vivitar, light measurement is erratic (+/- 2 stops), with the Braun this is ok, but the film transport is running free without transporting. But these cameras were very cheap.
By the way, they were available with other mounts than PK, too.

[Pentax Syntax]

The thing I find most interesting about the PZ-1 is the power zoom....especially since that never really seemed to come back in the digital era.

Yes I agree. The newer digital bodies also support power zoom but not the special functions. One function used the zoom to maintain image size. Another created the "zoom" exposure which simulates motion. Another setting stored a zoom value that could be reset instantly. The FA* lenses I have really work well on the PZ-1p. The power zoom is useful because it activates autofocus also. Speeds up acquisition time greatly for sports.

[MarkJerling]

I'd vote for the PZ-1 or the SF-1. Ergonomically, I prefer the SF-1, but the PZ-1 is the better camera.

[goatsNdonkey]

Most of the Ricoh KR series cameras (and their Sears-labeled equivalents) are good bodies, but I forget which features the KR-5 has.

[Cthulhugan]

The SP-1000 (not to be confused with the K-1000) is a thread-mount body, no adapter needed for M42 lenses. I don't think there is a reverse adapter to mount K-mount lenses on it, so it would be M42 only.

[leekil]

Yes I agree. The newer digital bodies also support power zoom but not the special functions. One function used the zoom to maintain image size. Another created the "zoom" exposure which simulates motion. Another setting stored a zoom value that could be reset instantly. The FA* lenses I have really work well on the PZ-1p. The power zoom is useful because it activates autofocus also. Speeds up acquisition time greatly for sports.

It seems like the least useful feature of the Power Zoom is the actual power zoom? Like it gives you no actual advantage over regular manual zooming, other than the special features that rely on using it?

[gutter rock]

I vote SF1 or PZ1. I have the SF1N and PZ1P which are the top models in those lines and find them both very capable and a joy to use. Bonus is that they were made with quality components and seem to not suffer from any common failures. Run away from any ZX series. If they haven't failed, they will soon. Plastic mirror gear failure syndrome is widespread and mentioned here often.

[timw4mail]

The SP-1000 (not to be confused with the K-1000) is a thread-mount body, no adapter needed for M42 lenses. I don't think there is a reverse adapter to mount K-mount lenses on it, so it would be M42 only.

I realize that, I have several M42 lenses.

[goatsNdonkey]

I realize that, I have several M42 lenses.

Since I got my Pentax ESII, also in the Spotmatic m42 body family with your SP-1000, in a $5.00 "broken camera" bin of camera store's liquidation sale, I have found myself shooting my m42 lenses more than I had been before, even though I had been shooting them on Pentax dslrs with adapters and sometimes on a Vivitar m42 body. I've even been adding to my m42 lens collection, which I nearly got out of having 15 years earlier! There is something about the feel of that ESII. The meter doesn't work on it, but I've got an external meter, so for a lot of kinds of pictures that is really no big deal. It's a great thing to have a good m42 camera body in the stable.

I would urge you to try all of these cameras at least once, even if the responses to this thread help you figure out probable favorites/keepers and which ones you want to start with in testing. There really is no substitute for actually using a camera. Sometimes the reviews of others seem irrelevant if they haven't taken into account something about a camera you would like or not like in practice. I don't even know how to describe what it is that I particularly like about my ESII, so how could someone else have steered me to it based on that quality through their comments about it? It is something tangible, but, yet, indescribable to me so far.

[Pentaxke]

Here is another vote for the Z1. I am sure it will work flawlessly. I had the A3000 and that was one camera to walk away from: incredibly noisy because of the build in winder and no functions to speak of. The SF1 (I have the SFx which is the same camera) is a nice camera if you don't use AF (it is s-l-o-w.) P3N could be a nice camera if you're in for sth compact. Don't really know the rest...