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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
11-18-2022, 04:10 PM
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Hello,
The manually reset frame counter, the lack of the notch for the meter coupling and the early style back door release all suggest earlier model. The 55 f2 Auto Takumar was the standard kit lens as well. However the serial number seems to be within the range of the S2 series, rather than the SV as usual.
The rewind knob R been orange suggests later model but that part is very easily interchangeable.
Assuming the camera has not been altered in over 60 years, I would say it is an earlier version with a later version rewind knob.
That lens needs immediate attention.
Those cameras are dangerous and I am certified to dispose of them properly... in my collection :p
Thanks,
Ismael
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
11-19-2022, 02:04 AM
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I was given a P30 on Thursday. The A 50mm f2 had light fungus on the front element and the battery cover was jammed but once I had cleaned the lens & soaked and freed the cover ipopped some new batteries in and presto. Its a tremendous camera. I love it. The only issue is the winder sometimes doesn't cock the shutter but I just press in the rewind button and give it another go. For a camera that is described as "plastic", its really robust, and, having a speed dial rather than buttons is so much better.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
10-23-2022, 04:12 PM
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I use depth-of-field preview all the time.
The KM has this feature but it was deleted on its cheapened successor the K1000.
There's a workaround on the K1000, however it's clumsy and risks a dropped lens.
It is ironic that the more full-featured made in Japan KM often sells for less than the budget K1000.
Chris
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
10-23-2022, 10:35 AM
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The K1000 is a reliable but dead simple SLR that accepts Pentax K-mount lenses.
Pentax M42 screwmount lenses can also be used with an inexpensive adapter.
Many former college students learned film photography using a Pentax K1000.
It was for many years the choice of Photo 101 courses as it was the cheapest new 35mm SLR with standard lens kit.
For many getting one now is a nostalgia thing.
Interestingly though I collect and use Pentax film SLR cameras, I have never wished to own a K1000.
I must confess I do have a couple of Pentax KM bodies though, a similar model I much prefer.
Chris
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
10-17-2021, 01:07 AM
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Pentax M42 lenses are broadly compatible with the Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL with a prominent exception, those labeled S-M-C Takumar or SMC Takumar. The S-M-C/SMC lenses were the last series of Pentax M42 lenses and were designed to allow open aperture metering with the Spotmatic F, Spotmatic ES, and Spotmatic ES II cameras.
While those lenses are backward compatible to prior model Pentax M42 bodies, that compatibility does not extend to the Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL. At issue are the screw holes on 1000 DTL mount face. Those have a strong potential to foul a small spring-loaded pin on the S-M-C/SMC Takumar mount face such that the lens, once mounted, may not be removable without serious damage to the lens or camera.
If you own S-M-C/SMC Takumar lenses, keep them separate from your non-Pentax bodies.
Steve
P.S. I own a 1000 DTL and several S-M-C/SMC lenses.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
04-25-2020, 01:18 AM
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Personally I call it ‘real photography’ .......I am off to get my kevlar helmet :)
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
01-28-2020, 12:55 PM
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I just received the LX....... It's GORGEOUS!!!! All shutter speeds work. Auto works great, bulb mode as well. Film advance is smooth. The shutter!!!! Oh the shutter sounds like a dream come true!!!! Feels great in my hands. Loaded a roll of film to go and shoot this afternoon. The only thing I can't figure out is the DOF view. It doesn't seem to change the view at all when I use it. Not sure what's going on there. Self timer works... I don't know what else to say other than this sexy beast is finally here, and I can't wait to go shoot some frames off!!!
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Forum: Film Processing, Scanning, and Darkroom
01-28-2020, 01:34 AM
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In order of difficulty from least to most:
B&W, C41, E6, K14.
If you like challenges and are not worried about frustrating trials and errors, then go for it with the E6. However, it's not pain free to shoot a roll of E6, spend money and time on the chemistry, only to get poor results. I've done it all and my best experiences with color chems was P30 Ciba or Ilfochrome. The rest is really a matter of nailing temperatures and times with swings in density, contrast, and color balance that can be confounding without a ton of patience, information, and precision.
B&W is almost always best done at home. Color is best done by pros, ideally with machines, unless you just want to scratch an itch.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
01-24-2020, 06:16 AM
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Hoping with the grip I won't drop it on my first outing 😉
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
01-22-2020, 09:27 AM
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This is a tragic tale of your start with the MX!
I'm hoping mine isn't as difficult - I bought it for a mere £20 + P&P, its LED's and meter fire up with batteries inserted no problems, everything seems to sit in sweetly and it winds and shutters without any obvious issue but I do need to change the seals once I've finished a potentially FUBAR'ed roll of Kodak Colorplus 200*!
*I accidentally rewound it, managed to feed it back out in a 'pitch-black' (or as close to as I could find) cupboard in a dark room so it might be a little 'illuminated'.
Here's hoping that it's plain sailings herein! I also fully agree that the shutter speed dial is a little stiffer than I anticipated, but it's fine. Gives me more time to plan my shot, so to speak.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
01-22-2020, 08:49 AM
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The Nikon FE is still one of my all time favorites
I bought one to replace my Spotmatic in the late 80s and was stolen in a trip to the amazon in 95.
Which sent me back to the Spottie ;)
Years later I got one for free that had been barely used and love it... came with the amazing Nikkor 28/2.8 and the Micro 55 which are hard to beat and I got a motor drive for it which I have barely used
To me it compares to the MESuper and KX (I dont own an MX) but the Nikon has intechangeable screens and a match needle meter
It is now in storage but I take it out from time to time just to exercize it
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
01-21-2020, 04:02 PM
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If you buy from Japan advise you examine all the photos very carefully.
Avoid cameras that exhibit corrosion or other evidence of humidity.
Rust on film guide rails is easy to spot and can be a warning sign.
Chris
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
01-20-2020, 08:53 PM
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the pentax ES is the same damn way!!
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
01-20-2020, 10:58 PM
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I use my Pentax MX only when I need motorized film advance, which isn't often.
It's the only Pentax body for which I own a winder. The Winder MX is very good.
I never liked the shutter speed dial location on the Olympus OM 1-4 cameras,
possibly because they are so compact.
It's far from ideal on the larger Nikkormat FT-3, but I find it a bit more tolerable.
The Nikon FE is a terrific camera, as is the motor drive MD-12.
Chris
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
01-19-2020, 04:42 PM
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Jan | Hanoi
MX, SMC-K 85/f1.8 and Tmax400
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
01-19-2020, 11:43 PM
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I never ever noticed what the the complaints about the MX's were, until they were pointed out to me. I just seemed to adapt to the LED meter and never was conscious of it being difficult to read against bright light. The speed selector was never an issue either. I just used thumb and finger on the rare occasions I needed to change the setting with the camera at eye level. My shooting from the hip style was to set a reasonable expected speed, aperture and focus distance. In most cases the camera was set to go for an emergency shot. If I had time, I would fine tune the focus and aperture. It felt like a six gun to me, ready for a quick draw without fiddling.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
01-19-2020, 09:48 PM
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Lol a great tale, I hope it works out in the end...
Far out that's cheap for a CLA with a new shutter box!
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
01-19-2020, 07:38 PM
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I hear you brother! I hear you! Welcome to the club! :)
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
01-18-2020, 02:27 AM
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The KX is a very good but otherwise unremarkable mechanical SLR - it's the best Pentax made with a needle. The LX is completely different in that it's features are unique across all manufacturers - it is also a much newer body (KX production ended about 5 years before the LX was launched).
The LX has a second way to activate the meter - pressing the exposure compensation lock button (the small button surrounded by the prism release lever) will also activate it.
If you really want an LX you should buy one, protect yourself as best you can by buying one you can return or with a warranty. Buying a half-happy compromise will probably still leave you wishing you'd bought the camera you want (been there many times). You'll probably up with both anyway...
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
01-17-2020, 10:57 AM
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Just testing the water here, is anybody interested in doing something like this?
I'm thinking we build a list of people interested in trying it out, pair people up and then every pair shoots 2 rolls of film. Post it to the thread and maybe even pick a couple winners?
You Tube
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src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vWhnNrZt9Gw?controls=1" allowfullscreen>
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
01-17-2020, 06:26 AM
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Thank you for the response. I have been going crazy thinking about all of this. The MX, and KX seem to be right next to each other on my list. And I'm sure I would be happy with either, probably the KX more. With that I read another post where someone said something similar as you did. Buying another camera and still wondering about the LX. I've been thinking about one for the past year or so. I have a perk with my job. Instead of giving me a raise, they give me points. After so many points you can either go through their website and purchase items (TVs, Laptops, Vacation packages etc.) with the points. Now, these items are WAY over priced. And if you just opt for the gift cards with your points, you can actually find the items they are selling for cheaper, and usually have some extra cash left over. I have enough points to cover purchasing a camera. So, when it comes to initial cost of purchasing a camera, I honestly can take a pick between all three. Now, if I go with a KX i'll have more money left over, and could just purchase a 100 ft roll of tri-x. Or, go for the gold and get the LX. After much consideration, and knowing that a camera body is a light box, and I can take the same crappy photos I do with any light box. I think I've narrowed it down to just getting the LX. If later on down the road it needs repairs, hopefully I'll have enough points saved through work to get those repairs done. In fact, I have enough points left over I could send it in and spend 200 bucks on a CLA and repairs. Thats IF the repairs only cost that much. I was quoted from Eric that it could be a 200-300 repair job. Of course, this is with out him seeing a camera, and the one that I have found on Ebay is still is fantastic working condition.
Yes, i'm sure I would be happy with a KX, or the K2. But I'm left wondering about the LX... My thought was I would get the LX, and maybe a KX later down the road. I do like the idea of using AE from time to time. I'm like you and enjoy going full on manual. The 1/2000 shutter speed on the LX will be an improvement alone from the k1000 (not sure what the top shutter speed of the KX is, I'm to lazy this early in the morning to Google it.) I just figured, if I'm spending money that I wouldn't normally have, why not go for the camera I'm REALLY lusting over?
Anyway, thank you for your response, and you're probably right, I should go for the "cheaper" camera. Have money left over for film and chemicals. I still haven't received the gift cards just yet, so I may have changed my mind by that point. The LX just has a few features that I haven't seen in any other SLR. The accurate film counter, being able to rewind the film and do multi-exposures on the exact frame your wanting to do it on. The metering off the film plane, AE, size, etc.... I could be going down a rabbit hole with the camera, I just have to find out for myself I guess...
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Forum: Film Processing, Scanning, and Darkroom
01-17-2020, 04:23 PM
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I sure am glad I learned it in high school and college, as anyone could back in the good old days.
FWIW I find most how-to videos tedious, and many filled with misinformation. Buy a book!
Chris
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
01-17-2020, 05:45 PM
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The FG's were touted as the cheapest way to access Nikon lenses . . . ;)
I picked up a couple for practically free but they continue to work just fine. I am not sure what Nikon was thinking when they released the FG after the EM because it was quite capable. They quickly remedied that by releasing the FG-20 to take away the manual capabilities.
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Forum: Film Processing, Scanning, and Darkroom
01-15-2020, 02:25 PM
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Citizens Photo in Portland, OR.
They're the cheapest I'm personally aware of. I use them frequently with fairly large batches (to keep my shipping costs in check relatively) of films I send via USPS flat-rate small box. Since moving two years ago I don't have local lab option less than 45-60 minutes drive so I've leaned heavily on Citizens since. I've used Darkroom.com, North Coast Photographic, and Dwaynes as well as a couple other one-offs, but Citizens has always been the best ratio of price/quality in my experience (e.g. I've gotten better results overall from Darkroom and NCPS but they're significantly more costly.)
90% of the time my orders are just dev only, with occasional push/pull, and returned to me sleeved but un-cut.
I stopped mounting my E6 long ago so can't recall what their mounting costs are. Slide frames are perfectly easy to mount yourself at home.
Photo attached of their pricing (which comes from a spreadsheet I made quite some time ago for price calculations using various mail-order labs which I send in my orders).
Note: the scanning prices listed are for their higher res scans; they've a lower-res, lower priced scan option available as well, $5 if I recall correctly.
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