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10-14-2012, 02:13 PM   #1996
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Thank you!!

Yes, it is a 28-200mm.

I am so glad that you noted the change in aperture. It has been something that has been confusing. I thought I was doing something wrong. As to the older bodies, I have considered the K1000 for the light meter, is it worth investing in? I use the term invest loosely because on ebay now, a K1000 with new seals and a M50mm 1.8 lens is $77, including shipping.

One more quick question, the lenses that the ZX-5 use, can they be used ton the K1000 or the ME models?


QuoteOriginally posted by Argenticien Quote
I used a ZX-5 for awhile, with a Tammy 28-200 zoom. (Your "200mm" is actually a something-to-200 zoom, isn't it? From memory, I don't know a fixed focal length KAF 200mm Tamron.) So your upgrade questions really should be two: body and lenses. Lens sloth is one of the reasons that people upgrade from zooms to prime lenses. Consumer zooms have that downside where they are rarely faster than f/3.5, and also annoying to me is that they change aperture without telling you. (Such as an f/3.5 - 5.6 zoom, if you're at f/3.5, and you zoom to the length where f/5.6 is the max, it must change from 3.5 to 5.6.) If I'm concentrating on composition, focusing, or shutter speed at the moment, to me it's a nuisance that the lens now un-sets a setting I had already set. Solution: a nice, fast manual-aperture, manual focus prime. You can get 50mm or 55mm f/1.8 primes for dimes, and f/1.8 is two stops faster than the fast end of many consumer zooms. Next good spend is a 35/2.0 (or similar speed). In other words, start covering the focal length range with reasonably fast lenses (100/2.8 etc.) before going back to spend more on crazy speed at the same length (50/1.2, etc.).

As to bodies, upgrading there won't help the slowness. That said, you'll find that the solid metal feel of any vintage Pentax (K or M models from the 1970s, or obviously Spotmatic models and older) quite more satisfying than the plastic fantastics, and many are less battery dependent. (Defenders of the ZX line reading this: No need to flame! I loved mine at the time and still think it's great among plastic fantastics for its faux-analog controls, good feature set, and modest size.)

--Dave


10-15-2012, 04:21 AM   #1997
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QuoteOriginally posted by haycyn Quote
One more quick question, the lenses that the ZX-5 use, can they be used ton the K1000 or the ME models?
Pentax is great in that any lens for any Pentax 35mm SLR from ~1975 until the present will physically mount on any other such camera. (Go here for the full story of the K mount.) So you can use a manual focus K or M lens from the 1970s on a 2012 DSLR. Or you can mount a modern autofocus lens on a K1000. The trouble comes after that. It will mount, but of course you have to manually focus the lens on the K1000, and most autofocus lenses have very short, badly damped focus throws when in MF mode, making that a bit inconvenient. What's worse is if the modern AF lens has no aperture ring because it expects the camera to control aperture electronically. The K1000 can't send that signal, so the lens will be stuck at wide-open (lowest-f/numbered) aperture. Some will say "this is great, I always shoot wide-open anyway" but you shouldn't. My Tammy 28-200 zoom from 1997 has an aperture ring, so it would work fine, although honestly I don't think I've ever tried it on my ME Super SE. It mostly stays in the cupboard now; too many primes, too little time, to muck about with a plastic AF zoom!

As for the K1000, I'll leave it to others to make the case for alternatives as is always done whenever anyone mentions that model.

--Dave
10-16-2012, 07:53 PM   #1998
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My Pentax film bodies...all bought new:
  • '68 Pentax S1a
  • '74 Pentax ES 11

Also '80 Pentax K1000

Favourite lenses from film days:
  • 135mm Takumar F 3.5
  • 55 MM f 2.0 Takumar
  • 50 mm Takumar F 1.8
  • 28 mm F 2.8 Takumar (K mount)
  • 50 MM Takumar Macro F 4 (K mount)
  • 35-105mm Pentax Macro F 3.5 'A'....wonderful lens.
10-17-2012, 05:36 AM   #1999
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3 Amigos

Spotmatic 2-Super Takumar 50/1,4 (8-element)
KM-SMC K55/1,8
MX-SMC M40/2,8



10-17-2012, 02:50 PM   #2000
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QuoteOriginally posted by zantaphia Quote
Spotmatic 2-Super Takumar 50/1,4 (8-element)
KM-SMC K55/1,8
MX-SMC M40/2,8
Sweet Black KM.
Don't see those to often.
10-17-2012, 02:53 PM   #2001
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I recently acquired this Minolta XE-7 for basically $20. I've never really used any MD mount Minoltas (I sorta started out on an Alpha mount 303si Super), but I've always been curious about them. I ran across this one on ebay with bad photos and a bad listing but if you looked close at the photos, it didn't look to bad so I took a gamble and bought it. After a bit of a fiasco with shipping, it finally arrived so I put some batteries in it and low and behold, it seemed to work fine. I attached an old Rokkor 45/2 that a friend gave me, loaded some cheap film, and went outside shooting.
This camera is interesting in that (according to various internet sources) it was the first camera to come out of a cooperation between Minolta and Leica. When Minolta introduced the XE-7, Leica introduced the R3. Both cameras are nearly the same apart from the mount, focusing screens, and some electronics. Most of the user reviews (that I've found) of either camera, claim that they are possibly the smoothest operating SLRs ever made. Having used it only briefly, I will say they are probably right, though IMHO, the Asahi Pentax SV is smoother
I am also quite impressed with the little 45/2.

10-17-2012, 04:01 PM   #2002
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QuoteOriginally posted by Swift1 Quote
I recently acquired this Minolta XE-7 for basically $20. I've never really used any MD mount Minoltas (I sorta started out on an Alpha mount 303si Super), but I've always been curious about them. I ran across this one on ebay with bad photos and a bad listing but if you looked close at the photos, it didn't look to bad so I took a gamble and bought it. After a bit of a fiasco with shipping, it finally arrived so I put some batteries in it and low and behold, it seemed to work fine. I attached an old Rokkor 45/2 that a friend gave me, loaded some cheap film, and went outside shooting.
This camera is interesting in that (according to various internet sources) it was the first camera to come out of a cooperation between Minolta and Leica. When Minolta introduced the XE-7, Leica introduced the R3. Both cameras are nearly the same apart from the mount, focusing screens, and some electronics. Most of the user reviews (that I've found) of either camera, claim that they are possibly the smoothest operating SLRs ever made. Having used it only briefly, I will say they are probably right, though IMHO, the Asahi Pentax SV is smoother
I am also quite impressed with the little 45/2.
Nice find Colton, it looks about the size of a KX or is it smaller?

Phil.

10-17-2012, 04:23 PM   #2003
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QuoteOriginally posted by gofour3 Quote
Nice find Colton, it looks about the size of a KX or is it smaller?

Phil.
It's actually a little bigger.
I think it's about the size of a Nikkormat EL, weighs as much too.
10-17-2012, 04:38 PM   #2004
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Size reference to it's Pentax contemporaries . . .

10-17-2012, 04:42 PM   #2005
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QuoteOriginally posted by LesDMess Quote
Size reference to it's Pentax contemporaries . . .
Wow! The ESII is huge!
10-17-2012, 07:56 PM   #2006
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QuoteOriginally posted by Swift1 Quote
Wow! The ESII is huge!
My thoughts as well. My KX is just a hair taller than my Spotties and they are a few millimeters taller than the SV, but that ESII is a giant!


Steve
10-17-2012, 09:42 PM   #2007
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Yeah that’s surprising how big the ESII is, must be those new high tech electronics?

Phil
10-18-2012, 12:08 AM   #2008
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QuoteOriginally posted by zantaphia Quote
Spotmatic 2-Super Takumar 50/1,4 (8-element)
KM-SMC K55/1,8
MX-SMC M40/2,8
What's wrong with your self timers?
10-18-2012, 12:23 AM   #2009
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QuoteOriginally posted by zantaphia Quote
Spotmatic 2-Super Takumar 50/1,4 (8-element)
KM-SMC K55/1,8
MX-SMC M40/2,8
See how small a MX is comparing to the KM
10-18-2012, 06:15 AM   #2010
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QuoteOriginally posted by Swift1 Quote
Wow! The ESII is huge!
It is a little on the big side. Still, I manage to carry my ES/ESII combo around now and again. Took them to Nabraska last May and they did me proud.

K.
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