[gofour3]

My vote is for the LX too as one of the best of all time . . .

Go Spain go!!

Phil.

[gabriel_bc]

I too enjoyed the LX while I had it, but I actually liked my black K2 more, though it is heavier. It's the same size and heft of the Spotmatics - "a mass of brass and glass" as I used to think of it. For the price of an LX in need of a CLA you can buy a nice K2, have it CLA'd, and have money left over for lenses. A K2DMD would be even better, since it gives you the Judas window for aperture readout.

Or, if you're ok not having an AE mode, the MX is a classic.

I'd say skip the MZ / ZX series - light, flimsy things just waiting to have a mirror drive gear strip out and kill the camera.

[Blue]

Is there a timeline on the various Pentax film SLRs from the Spotmatic forward. Not just the models, but the features, good points and bad warts and all.

I currently own a Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic that I bought new in '67 or '68 and am thinking about purchsing something a little higher up the food chain.

I am comfortable with film and don't want to go the digital route just yet. I have about 7 SMC Takumar M42 screw mount lenses [ 28mm - 300mm all primes] so getting an adapter to use on the bayonette mount bodies is not an issue.

Thanks for your help

Jay

Here is a link to the Asahi Optical Historic Club page with timeline for names and dates of M42 Pentax camera bodies.

Screwmount

This is the AOHC k-mount timeline

http://www.aohc.it/slr03e.htm

This is the AOHC AF timeline

http://www.aohc.it/slr04e.htm

[Baard-Einar]

I would also support all the fine words on the LX. I bought mine brand new in 1983, while still in high school, and it has served me fine ever since. Did do a CLA a few years ago, not because it needed, but I wanted it done before the last spare parts were gone.

LX is my first choice. Weather seals, high quality build, top notch metering.
MX is my second choice. Size matters, but still sold as rock, interchangeable screens and a nice motor drive with at perfect grip.

Then I am more unsure what to recommend. I do not have any experience with newer film based cameras. Older stuff: I do agree, the K2DMD is nice.