Pros | Ergonomics, light weight, 1/4000 |
Cons | Viewfinder magnification, manual focus, durability |
Rating | 9 |
Price (U.S. Dollars) | 184 |
Years Owned | 0.5 |
I can recommend this camera: Yes
Value, Features, Performance & Size
A really ergonomic camera, all controls fall easily to hand, the traditional user interface is much nicer than buttons or menus. Non-crippled KAF2 mount. Autofocus is solid, 1/4000 top shutter speed is worth the trouble of finding this rather rare camera. Exposures have been accurate, as has autofocus.
Camera Review
I bought an ZX-7 for my daughter because it has push-button multiple-exposure. I expected it to be plastic junk, but was very pleasantly surprised. Since I'd bought a few Pentax-FA lenses for our *ist DS2 (50/1.4, 35/2.0, and 28/2.8 Soft), I figured it would make sense to have a matching film camera. So I decided to hunt down an MZ-3 to get the 1/4000 top shutter speed.
The controls are all incredibly natural to use. I think the viewfinder display is great, compared to the miserable LCD in the Super Program. The display is very readable, bright, and high in contrast, and packs in a lot of information in that's very well presented.
Built-in diopter adjustment is handy, works well.
The exposure compensation is easy to use. Auto-bracketing is a nice feature, I've used it several times when testing film speeds.
No settings are wasted on different modes, you just move the aperture or shutter speed off A, and you get the appropriate type of priority. Very natural.
While the autofocus isn't very sophisticated, it's faster than the *ist DS2. I've found it to be accurate.
The viewfinder magnification is reasonable, although pretty small compared to my MX. But the shutter speed dial is very easy to turn, where the MX has a annoying over-detented shutter speed dial, blocked by the wind lever.
The non-crippled KAF2 mount lets you use any Pentax K-mount lens with full metering. Now, it's not a great camera for manual focus lenses. I've swapped in the focusing screen from an ZX-M to get a split-image screen, which helps somewhat, but comes at the cost of losing accurate spot-metering. Of course, focus confirm can also be a useful crutch.
Of course, it is a "plastic wonder." Probably a disposable camera if something goes wrong.
I also swapped in the back door from the ZX-M, to eliminate the bulk of the stupid Quartz Date back. I'd already removed the battery from the back to prevent any risk of it ruining my pictures.
The price of the CR2 batteries is annoying, although not bad if bought from B&H or Adorama. The AA grip solves the cost problem, but at a serious penalty from the weight of four AA batteries. I prefer using it "flyweight" with CR2s.
Of course, the camera is totally battery dependent. That could be a stopper for many folks. The strap has pockets to store spare batteries.
The weak part on the flash is an annoyance. The replacement part is readily available.
The "Achilles Heel" is the gear on the mirror motor that shrinks and breaks. There's instructions on how to replace it, but it's a very ambitious repair, major tear-down required.
If you don't want to pay for the 1/4000 shutter speed, the ZX-5n/MZ-5n is otherwise exactly the same camera, and sells for incredibly low prices. The ZX-5n is extraordinary value.