Super Program question

gratefulbruce · 04-06-2007, 02:40 PM

I've been a K-1000 guy since I graduated high school (I think in the dark ages) ... recently bought another K-1000 for my daughter who is in art school. While talking film cameras recently, my father said he had a "Pentax Super Program" and lenses in storage, and would gladly give them away. I jumped at the offer, and loaded it with film (after downloading a manual and skimming it), and set off to shoot and see. I found that in all three auto modes (speed priority, aperture priority, or both on auto), everything seemed fine. When I put all in manual, the camera told me I was way underexposing my pictures, and when it finally said I had the right light, I was down to an 1/8 of a second in a wooded daylight setting with 400 film. I knew this was not correct, and then set the camera to Auto aperture, and speed, and looked into the screen for the setting it was using, and it said 1/125 sec and f5.6 . I manually set these settings (1/125th, and f5.6) and this seems to have been correct. Has anyone experienced this, and could possibly help with a diagnosis. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Bruce

clm · 04-06-2007, 03:18 PM

What aperture were you in at 1/8 second? From your description, it sounds like you may have left it on A, which is stopped down all the way. You should adjust both shutter speed and aperture to get correct exposure.
So what lenses came with the camera? Anything good?

gratefulbruce · 04-06-2007, 03:43 PM

A Promaster 70-210 telephoto zoom 1:3.8, and a Chinar 28mm 1:2.8 I really don't know much about either, I've used the Telephoto, but not the 28mm yet.

JeffP30t · 04-07-2007, 07:40 PM

If the aperture is set to A, the Super Program is either in Program mode (if the mode dial is on Auto) or Shutter Priority (if the mode dial is on M) - it wouldn't be in Manual mode if aperture is on A. So if you had the +/- display for metering in the viewfinder, the lens was not set to A and you were in Manual.
Knowing what aperture you set to get 1/8 second is vital to know if anything is wrong. If the aperture was at f/22, 1/8 second would be the correct speed if Program mode gave you f/5.6 at 1/125 second.

gratefulbruce · 04-08-2007, 04:12 AM

Truly what is happening is that the camera is telling me different settings in different modes. In total Automatic lens to A, and speed to auto, the camera says it will shoot the picture at 125, f5.6. I'll put the camera in M and set 125, set the lens to 5.6, and look through the viewfinder, and the camera will say I am underexposing (-3) sometimes flashing minus 3. I am convinced the auto settings are correct, and have shot pictures at those speeds and f stops in the manual modes and they came out fine. So the manual speed, manual lens light meter seems to be off. I am guessing a trip in for repairs if I want the camera fully functional in all modes, but since I am a newbie with this camera, I also thought I'd ask if anyone else has found this problem, and perhaps it is something I'm doing (or not doing).

srudolph · 04-08-2007, 06:02 AM

First thing, find which meter readings match your K-1000's meter. If the manual readings match, and the auto readings are off, it sounds like what I've had happen to 2 Super Progam bodies, chip failure. There was a place in Chicago that repaired my first body twice, sorry I can't remember the name. After the second repair it was actually cheaper to buy a used body from KEH, than have the camera fixed. If you take it in for repair ask if the repair person thinks he can get a replacement board. The camera is getting on over 20 years old new parts are going to be hard to come by.

04-06-2007, 02:40 PM	#1
gratefulbruce Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina Posts: 78	Super Program question I've been a K-1000 guy since I graduated high school (I think in the dark ages) ... recently bought another K-1000 for my daughter who is in art school. While talking film cameras recently, my father said he had a "Pentax Super Program" and lenses in storage, and would gladly give them away. I jumped at the offer, and loaded it with film (after downloading a manual and skimming it), and set off to shoot and see. I found that in all three auto modes (speed priority, aperture priority, or both on auto), everything seemed fine. When I put all in manual, the camera told me I was way underexposing my pictures, and when it finally said I had the right light, I was down to an 1/8 of a second in a wooded daylight setting with 400 film. I knew this was not correct, and then set the camera to Auto aperture, and speed, and looked into the screen for the setting it was using, and it said 1/125 sec and f5.6 . I manually set these settings (1/125th, and f5.6) and this seems to have been correct. Has anyone experienced this, and could possibly help with a diagnosis. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Bruce

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04-06-2007, 03:18 PM	#2
clm Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 220	What aperture were you in at 1/8 second? From your description, it sounds like you may have left it on A, which is stopped down all the way. You should adjust both shutter speed and aperture to get correct exposure. So what lenses came with the camera? Anything good?

04-06-2007, 03:43 PM	#3
gratefulbruce Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina Posts: 78 Original Poster	A Promaster 70-210 telephoto zoom 1:3.8, and a Chinar 28mm 1:2.8 I really don't know much about either, I've used the Telephoto, but not the 28mm yet.

04-07-2007, 07:40 PM	#4
JeffP30t New Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 14	If the aperture is set to A, the Super Program is either in Program mode (if the mode dial is on Auto) or Shutter Priority (if the mode dial is on M) - it wouldn't be in Manual mode if aperture is on A. So if you had the +/- display for metering in the viewfinder, the lens was not set to A and you were in Manual. Knowing what aperture you set to get 1/8 second is vital to know if anything is wrong. If the aperture was at f/22, 1/8 second would be the correct speed if Program mode gave you f/5.6 at 1/125 second.

04-08-2007, 04:12 AM	#5
gratefulbruce Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina Posts: 78 Original Poster	Truly what is happening is that the camera is telling me different settings in different modes. In total Automatic lens to A, and speed to auto, the camera says it will shoot the picture at 125, f5.6. I'll put the camera in M and set 125, set the lens to 5.6, and look through the viewfinder, and the camera will say I am underexposing (-3) sometimes flashing minus 3. I am convinced the auto settings are correct, and have shot pictures at those speeds and f stops in the manual modes and they came out fine. So the manual speed, manual lens light meter seems to be off. I am guessing a trip in for repairs if I want the camera fully functional in all modes, but since I am a newbie with this camera, I also thought I'd ask if anyone else has found this problem, and perhaps it is something I'm doing (or not doing).

04-08-2007, 06:02 AM	#6
srudolph New Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Western New York, USA Posts: 9	First thing, find which meter readings match your K-1000's meter. If the manual readings match, and the auto readings are off, it sounds like what I've had happen to 2 Super Progam bodies, chip failure. There was a place in Chicago that repaired my first body twice, sorry I can't remember the name. After the second repair it was actually cheaper to buy a used body from KEH, than have the camera fixed. If you take it in for repair ask if the repair person thinks he can get a replacement board. The camera is getting on over 20 years old new parts are going to be hard to come by.