[boriscleto]

The P3N seems to be getting a lot of love, so I'll go with the P30T just to be contrarian

[ctrout]

Lord Lucan, how can you say that the KX is underrated when it has the highest rating of any manual focus film SLR on this site? It has higher marks than both the LX and the MX, the two cameras that people here can't seem to say enough about.

[Lord Lucan]

Lord Lucan, how can you say that the KX is underrated when it has the highest rating of any manual focus film SLR on this site?

Sorry, but I was meaning under-rated generally (like in ebay prices) and had not realised it was meant to be underrated in the reviews here. I should have read the first post more carefully. I'm glad the KX is rated high - we are obviously connoisseurs here



---------- Post added 09-27-17 at 06:44 AM ----------

My vote goes to the P3n (not the P3).

I have owned neither, but I understand that the only difference other than some cosmetic ones was that the P3 had a screwed-in battery cover and the P3N had a hinged cover. I'd be interested to know of any other differences. Outside the USA the P3 was known as the P30 by the way.

7. DX ISO setting. No, you can't manually override it, but when was the last time you actually did that?

Quite often. The P3 does get slated for no override, and it seems an oversight by the designers. When in Auto on any camera I don't think of it as changing the film speed, I think of it as biasing the exposure (but the mechanism is the same). However, I understand the P3 has a manual mode so you can always drop into that to bias the exposure.

[pathdoc]

The Pentax ME. Lots of folks dismiss it because it is aperture-priority auto-exposure which requires batteries to operate.

I agree.Given the users it was pitched at, automatic control was just fine; and who among them needed more than two stops of exposure comp anyway?

If only it had had exposure lock, it would have been perfect. The size makes it a dream to carry as a walkaround camera. I have a 28mm f/2.8 Vivitar lens which is small and light as such things go (certainly smaller than the monster Ricoh turned out in the same era), and serves well if you want or need something somewhat wider than the 40mm pancake for which the camera was basically intended.

[Steve Beswick]

Steve, I just popped over and looked at the reviews for the P3N and I see that the single biggest complaint is that there is no override for DX coding. For the person who only shoots single cartridges of film this would be a non-issue. As someone who shoots bulk film, I have to say that the lack of DX override would be a deal breaker for me too. I would guess that many people here probably do there own developing and bulk film loading so I can see why the P3N is rated the way it is. Usually those of us who are drawn to "old school" things like film cameras have an aversion to plastic too so I think that might also be a contributing factor. Of course, there are a lot of very personal considerations that go into choosing an "ideal" so it would be easy to understand why some folks would say that something like the SV should never rate higher than a 6 because it's heavy and has no built-in meter.

I have used bulk loaded cartridges in the P3n too. Just learn the DX code and scratch it into the side of the cassette with the edge of the blade on a utility knife. Again, it's not really as big of deal as most people make it out to be.

[boriscleto]

Just learn the DX code and scratch it into the side of the cassette with the edge of the blade on a utility knife.

They sell stickers too...And DX coded bulk film canisters.

[Steve Beswick]

...
I have owned neither, but I understand that the only difference other than some cosmetic ones was that the P3 had a screwed-in battery cover and the P3N had a hinged cover. I'd be interested to know of any other differences.
...

- The P3 had a metal film door, metal bottom plate, and if I remember correctly no thumb rest.

- some P3's have a focus screen where the microprisim part around the slit image is rectangular instead of round

- some P3's do not have a cable release attachment point

...
Outside the USA the P3 was known as the P30 by the way.
...

I did know that. I guess I just forgot to put it in my post.

There is also the P3t/P30t, which has a different body color scheme and a diagonal split image. If I remember correctly, the shutter sounds different to the other P3 line cameras, but I could be wrong on that.

Edit: also, the P3t send to be the rarest if anyone cares. I've held all the others in my hand at some point. I'm not sure I've seen a P3t outside of a photo on the k-mount page.

[gofour3]

For instance, why is the KM not rated higher than the K1000?

Lack of knowledge mostly. Over three million K1000's have been sold, so everyone knows about them. The KM was only available from 1975 to 1977, so sales would have been way less.

Phil.

[stevebrot]

I have owned neither, but I understand that the only difference other than some cosmetic ones was that the P3 had a screwed-in battery cover and the P3N had a hinged cover. I'd be interested to know of any other differences. Outside the USA the P3 was known as the P30 by the way.

I have owned the P3n and the differences are more than cosmetic...see below.

- The P3 had a metal film door, metal bottom plate, and if I remember correctly no thumb rest.

- some P3's have a focus screen where the microprisim part around the slit image is rectangular instead of round

- some P3's do not have a cable release attachment point

Add Av mode and cool grips and the list of differences should be complete. In other words, adding the "n" was accompanied by a significant improvement in the functional feature set. That is why the P3/P30 is not underrated.

BTW: The P3n/P30n has a metal film door as well. It is the P3t/P30t that has the plastic door. To best of my knowledge, the P3/P30 does not support a cable release in any variant. The rectangular microprism is a new one for me, can you (@Steve_Beswick) provide a reference?


Steve

[Xmas]

P3N/P30N

As for the SV, you are not alone in appreciating it qualities. I would wager that it is probably as highly regarded on this site as the Spotmatic that it shared market with through much of the 1960s...hardly underrated. (I am excessively fond of mine.)


Steve

Yes I’ve got two but prefer the S1a even more minimalist.

[TomB_tx]

Yes I’ve got two but prefer the S1a even more minimalist.

Agreed. I have both, but also prefer the H1a - but then an H1a was my first good camera in 1965.

[Jonathan Mac]

In defence of the P30 (which I do also like), it's a lot better looking than the more 80s-styled N and T variants.

The KX is a great camera and apart from size and weight (or maybe because of size and weight) I prefer it to my MX, but my heavier cameras (including all of the K line) almost never get taken travelling due to that one aspect of their design.

If we were to start a thread for the most over-rated pentax film SLR then I suspect the K1000 would come out on top. Not because there's anything wrong with it, but just because every other camera in the K line is superior and yet it's the K1000 that gets the fame, purely due to it's longevity in the line-up.

[Steve Beswick]

I have owned the P3n and the differences are more than cosmetic...see below.



Add Av mode and cool grips and the list of differences should be complete. In other words, adding the "n" was accompanied by a significant improvement in the functional feature set. That is why the P3/P30 is not underrated.

BTW: The P3n/P30n has a metal film door as well. It is the P3t/P30t that has the plastic door. To best of my knowledge, the P3/P30 does not support a cable release in any variant. The rectangular microprism is a new one for me, can you (@Steve_Beswick) provide a reference?


Steve

Steve,

I'm afraid the years have made me forget the little details until reminded. In regards to the film door thing, we are both right, and both wrong. The early production P3ns had the metal film door, but the later ones had the plastic door like the P30t. I have had 3 P3ns over the years, and they all had the plastic door. That being said, I do remember seeing a metal door example at a camera show once. I have no idea how many were made with one door versus the other.

I was completely unaware that the n-less P3 didn't do av mode. I owned one very briefly, but never actually put film in it.

For reference regarding the rectangular microprisim screen. The link is for the P5, but the early P3 had the same one:

Pentax P5/P50 - Pentax Manual Focus Film SLRs - Pentax Camera Reviews and Specifications

And a photo "compliments of" pacific rim camera:

[redbirdpete]

I have owned the P3n and the differences are more than cosmetic...see below.



Add Av mode and cool grips and the list of differences should be complete. In other words, adding the "n" was accompanied by a significant improvement in the functional feature set. That is why the P3/P30 is not underrated.

BTW: The P3n/P30n has a metal film door as well. It is the P3t/P30t that has the plastic door. To best of my knowledge, the P3/P30 does not support a cable release in any variant. The rectangular microprism is a new one for me, can you (@Steve_Beswick) provide a reference?


Steve

There are two versions of the P3/P30 - it is the later one that has the shutter release socket and the rectangular microprism area. They look identical unless you notice the socket on the side. I currently have examples of both.

edit: - you can just see the socket in the picture above. I'm told it will take a cable or an electric release but I haven't tried the latter. I'm not keeping my P30's - I prefer the ME Super / ME-F. Although I do miss the DOF lever.

[honey bo bo]

If we were to start a thread for the most over-rated pentax film SLR then I suspect the K1000 would come out on top. Not because there's anything wrong with it, but just because every other camera in the K line is superior and yet it's the K1000 that gets the fame, purely due to it's longevity in the line-up.

And the Number sold.

The K1000 was far from a over-rated Photography platform. The market usually will tell you what your best options are Cost, Quality, & performance for the all round Photographer - professional and amateur . There are specific usages that require a limited type of equipment response e.g. medium format for studio work etc. But in the 80's the K1000 was my platform for Aerial , Industrial, Commercial , Landscape , Exterior portraiture and even a lot of Interior and Studio photography. But you had to have talent and the deeper into photo shoots the more talent you had to have. A Lot of this talent could be gleaned from courses at Universities & Colleges across Canada that without fail I believe used the K1000 for basic to advanced tutorial. The K1000 was far from over-rated and was quite often under-rated by some with no knowledge of it's capabilities & construction Quality. Sadly I had to sell the last 4 that had served me so well in days past just this year but with the knowledge that they are still functioning (After 50 Years) and will continue for years to come.
OVER-RATED HARDLY!