[Isaac314]

Hi, at the moment i am using an MX and its almost perfect for me. The limits i am finding with it are the shutter speed only ranging from 1 sec to 1/1000th, and the lack for support for A lenses such as my DA lenses.

The pentax Super program seems about right for me, does anyone have any idea which camera in this kind of range would suit me best?

I am looking to spend no more than £50 ($80) second hand.

Thanks, Isaac

[ftpaddict]

Super Program or Program Plus are all very good choices. Personally I also LOVE the 80s design. I'd get me one in silver.

[Wheatfield]

I suspect you will need to go to the PZ series to get a significantly higher shutter speed. IIRC, the Super Program is 1/2000 second top speed (one stop faster than the MX). At least some of the PZ cameras go to 1/4000 second (2 stops faster than MX).
You might also look at the SF-1.

Otherwise, any K-Mount camera that supports programmed AE and shutter preferred AE will work with your DA lenses, after that it is just a matter of will your DA lenses cover the 35mm frame.

[Isaac314]

Super Program or Program Plus are all very good choices. Personally I also LOVE the 80s design. I'd get me one in silver.

Yeah the design is cool. I love my MX soo much but the knight rider looks of the super program are also pretty awesome.

Whats the difference between the two cameras? The super is higher specified right?

What is the battery life of this kind of camera?

[Isaac314]

I suspect you will need to go to the PZ series to get a significantly higher shutter speed.

Thats a point actually... The PZ series seems way overspecified in terms of motor zoom, AF etc... Also the models look pretty ugly.

Do any of these cameras support P-TTL flashes or do i have to go manual?

Thanks for the help guys

[Wheatfield]

Thats a point actually... The PZ series seems way overspecified in terms of motor zoom, AF etc... Also the models look pretty ugly.

Do any of these cameras support P-TTL flashes or do i have to go manual?

Thanks for the help guys

The Super Program and onwards supports TTL, but not P-TTL (I believe this is an invention of the DSLR era).
If you want a higher shutter speed specification than your MX will give you, then you pretty much are stuck with cameras that came after the A-Series of bodies.
If you can live with a 1 stop increase in shutter speed over your MX, than the Super program will do what you want.

I always thought the SF/PZ cameras looked pretty ugly as well. To the point that I completely skipped ownership of any cameras from that era. The MZ-5 was my first AF SLR.

Boz's site has a pretty good rundown on the bodies from that era.
Welcome to Bojidar Dimitrov's Pentax K-Mount Page

[k100d]

if you need P-TTL flash, there are only 3 bodies, the ZX-L, MZ-S and *ist
if you're interested in the MZ/ZX series, check out my comparison on the first page of the Film SLR forum

[AndrewG NY]

Program Plus is nice but offers only 1/1000 shutter, and for good use of DA lenses you want Tv (shutter priority) as well, which the Program Plus also lacks. For a 'retro' body, Super Program is probably your best bet. P-series have only 1/1000 shutters too.

For best compatibility with DA lenses you probably want a body in PZ or MZ/ZX series that offers body-controlled aperture. ZX/MZ-L/6/7 would be good choices. PZ-20 would be cheaper than these and isn't bad either. SF-series and some of the MZ/ZX-S/3/5/5n/M require aperture rings for full manual & Av support but should function in Tv mode. Avoid the lower-end 'crippled' MZ/ZX bodies such as ZX-60 if you want good flexibility in use of older lenses.

There are frequent threads in this forum about this topic so it would probably pay to peruse the postings here for various advantages/disadvantages.

[Isaac314]

For best compatibility with DA lenses you probably want a body in PZ or MZ/ZX series that offers body-controlled aperture.

Ahhhh. I had completely forgotten about the lack of any direct aperture control in the program bodies.. And i hadnt even realised that super program had Tv over the program plus, thats a pretty massive difference. I will have to think about that, and whether its worth the upgrade just to use my lenses as super wide circular-image lenses but without full functionality...

Still, i need a second body either way because at the moment i have to decide which speed film with no way of switching.

Thanks for the help everyone, i'm glad i checked here before making my decision!

[lithos]

As for M-series cameras, the ME Super has a top speed of 1/2000.

[elkarrde]

P5 is not bad choice. it works flawlessly with DA lenses, although in program mode only..

[felix68]

I suspect you will need to go to the PZ series to get a significantly higher shutter speed. IIRC, the Super Program is 1/2000 second top speed (one stop faster than the MX). At least some of the PZ cameras go to 1/4000 second (2 stops faster than MX).
You might also look at the SF-1.

Otherwise, any K-Mount camera that supports programmed AE and shutter preferred AE will work with your DA lenses, after that it is just a matter of will your DA lenses cover the 35mm frame.

The PZ-1 and PZ-1p both have 1/8000 second shutter speeds and support lenses with no apeture rings (DA included but image circle coverage is another story). They also sport the same 2 wheel setup as the K10D.
Some may think that the PZ series look ugly but when you shoot with them, they don't feel ugly. I have said it many times in this forum... the Pzip is my favorite film body and the only one that I use anymore.