[Ole]

The SL was essentially a meter-less version of the Spotmatic as it lacked the behind the lens ttl meter. It was pitched by Asahi Optical to replace the legendary SV. The SL had the slot on the shutter speed dial to allow it to accept clip on meters (model SL) and was popular with those that preferred using a dedicated Spot Meter.

Standard Lenses: Super-Takumar 50mm f/1.4 or 55mm Super-Takumar f/1.8 with fully automatic diaphram. Distance scale: 0.45m (1.5 feet) to infinity. Filter size: 49mm. With depth-of-field scale. Equipped with diaphragm preview lever which affords visual check of depth of field. Distance Scale: 45cm (18') to infinity.

Shutter: Focal plane shutter with single non-rotating dial (dial rotates to select shutter speed but remains stationary when exposure is made - this is a reference to earlier cameras that had shutter speed dials that rotated when the exposure was made). Shutter curtains of special rubberized silk.

Asahi Pentax SL
Also marketed as Honeywell Pentax SL	Year introduced 1968 or 1966?	Mount M42	Automatic aperture stop down Yes
Metering No light meter	Exposure modes Manual, B	Shutter speeds (auto) Not applicable	Shutter speeds (manual) B, 1 - 1/1000s
Shutter speeds (mechanical) B, 1 - 1/1000s	Self timer Yes	Mirror lock-up No	Auto bracketing Not applicable
Multiple exposures Yes	Winder Ratchet type rapid wind lever. 10° pre-advance and 160° advance angle	Flash hot shoe No	Built-in flash No
TTL/P-TTL flash No	Flash sync speed FP and X terminals - 1/60s	Flash exposure comp Not applicable	Viewfinder 0.88x (with 50mm lens)
Viewfinder type Pentaprism finder with Fresnel lens + microprism	Diopter correction No	Exchangeable screen No	Depth of field preview Through switch on lens where available
Image size 24 x 36 mm	Battery None	Size (W x H x D) 143 x 92 x 88mm (with standard lens)	Weight 598g

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Last edited by Ole; 10-10-2010 at 04:25 PM.

[asaru]

Pros	Build quality, ergonomics, fully manual, no batteries, no meter. Kit-lens optics (super-Tak f1.8/55mm).
Cons	no meter, necessity to overhaul.
Rating	8
Price (U.S. Dollars)	20
Years Owned	<1

I can recommend this camera: Yes

Value, Features, Performance & Size
see above

Camera Review
This is the Spotmatic reduced to its basics. There are no batteries, no light meter, no ISO setting (just a reminder dial). You load the film, remember the rules of exposure, eyeball the light, set the shutter, focus, set the aperture, stop down, check depth of field, adjust if necessary -- and press the button. As a camera to do all that and no more than that, with TTL composition, this is unsurpassed, for ergonomics, and for ease of layout and smoothness of controls.

Extras: There are plugs for X and FP flash, but no hotshoe. A tripod screw hole. A self-timer. That's about all. Lighter than a Spottie or a K1000, but same size -- ultra-simple to grip, after being used to MX a little big but can still be operated with the fingertips.

I got mine as-is, with a f1.8/55mm Super-Takumar lens that had a broken focussing ring but was optically clean. This particular camera was quite dirty and with lots and lots of minor scuffs and scratches -- but no dents, no gashes, and no unaligned seams. All the mechanical controls functioned smoothly. Only the mirror locked up a little at first, but exercising the shutter at all speeds for about twenty minutes -- in two rounds of ten minutes a day apart -- seemed to relieve that problem. It has not come back. The winding, diaphragm, and shutter seemed to function without hangup. The sound of the release is a little different for someone used to the MX action: it is deeper, a little quieter (at least on my example) and somehow more "conclusive" when it goes.

I shot a roll of B&W before I put the camera in for an overhaul. I was blown away by the sharpness of focus and the look of the background blur. Hard to say if I was just plain lucky in judging or systematically misjudging exposures, but all seventeen exposed shots were usable and more or less correctly exposed. The conclusion is that the mechanics of my SL have apparently survived their four and a half decades well. (I will still send the camera in for overhaul.)

It's hard to imagine anyone using this for serious or even hobbyist work in 2011, but if you want to remind yourself what photography is about, shoot a roll with one of these. Just don't cheat. Figure out the exposure youself. It'll be worth it.