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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
05-29-2023, 06:12 PM
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Hey all -- I've had an ME Super that's worked just fine for a couple of years -- but last week, after sitting on the shelf w/ no batteries for a couple-few months, I popped a couple of batteries into it, and while the meter is working, it sounds like it's only firing at a single speed, whether in automatic or manual mode. (Sounds the same as 1/125.) Bulb works. Is this a fatal error?
Aaron
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
05-17-2023, 07:33 PM
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Excellent!! I hope you enjoy yours as much as I like mine! :)
---------- Post added 05-17-23 at 07:34 PM ----------
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Wow! I know the Pentax M-series cameras can go way past their rated 8 seconds -- I've done 30-second-or-so night shots that came out well. But I don't think they can do 40 minutes!
Aaron[COLOR="Silver"]
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
05-13-2023, 09:32 PM
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I'm waaaaaaaaaaay late to the party, as usual (or did I answer and forget?)
If you like old style, I say KX or K2 -- the latter is great if you want the advantage of an automatic mode. I have always been a KX devotee, but now I have a K2 and am *amazed* at how much I like it. (I think mechanical shutters, while lovely, are overrated. I also don't care for the MX; don't like the meter display.)
If you are going to *primarily* shoot in automatic mode, I say get an ME Super. It's one of my favorite walk-around cameras, super small and light. Also GREAT for long exposures. If you never want to shoot manual, try ME or MG, which are less expensive still.
If you are on a tight budget, I would also recommend Ricoh, but I prefer the XR-2 (or XR-2s) to the XR-7 -- I don't care for the LCD meter display in the newer Ricohs; XR-2 has a match needle. XR-1 is an all-mechanical camera (basically Ricoh's answer to the KX) but I've had poor luck finding a working one.
I'd stay away from the LX, they are expensive, complex, and difficult to get repaired. For what you spend on that camera you could get a K/M *and* have change left over for some nice lenses.
Aaron
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
03-29-2023, 08:10 PM
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I can't remember and I don't know. :) I think one shutter curtain was hanging up -- I honestly don't remember. Had it repaired by the local guy rather than a Pentax expert, btw.
How do I tell late from early production?
Aaron
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
03-28-2023, 08:30 PM
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I thought the MXs were prone to shutter problems? Certainly seems that a lot of owners have issues with shutters (including me).
My KX has been running for 40-odd years (albeit with a two-decade break 1999-2019) and still works just fine with a good meter and shutter timing. BUT -- if I were going to guess at the most robust, I'd say the KM. Less features to break than the KX and K2, and didn't suffer the "decontenting" of the K1000.
Aaron
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
02-12-2023, 07:45 PM
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I would disagree -- if you're using a camera with a fully mechanical shutter, you have to worry that it's timing is correct. Mechanical shutters will likely go out of adjustment and/or can be slowed down by caked-up lube.
A camera with an electronic shutter (K2, all Ms save the MX, Ricoh XR-series) will need a battery for the shutter (at anything but sync speed) -- but if the shutter works, you can count on it to be timing correctly. As I understand it, they rarely go out of adjustment. The only way to guarantee that with an older mechanical camera is to get it CLAd -- and the $125 or so that costs you buys a LOT of LR-44 batteries. :)
I really do think that electronic shutters get a bad rap, and that clockwork cameras are overhyped. There is something very cool about an all-mechanical camera, but most of my film workhorses have electronic shutters. The feel isn't quite the same but they cost less to buy and work just as well, if not better.
Aaron
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
01-26-2023, 10:29 PM
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I actually rather like (and agree with) your ratings.
If I had to rate my Pentaxes, favorite to least favorite... well, lets try it.
1. KX -- My first real camera, so hard not to love it. It really has everything I could want, so much so that I bought a second and had it CLA'd. But then I bought...
2. K2 -- I almost wish I'd bought this before I got the second KX. It's handy to have an automatic mode, and the electronic shutter, IMHO, doesn't distract from the sensation of using it. (Sounds better than other electronic-shutter cameras I own.)
3. PC35AF -- I don't like P&S cameras generally, but I consider this a star of my arsenal. So light, so quiet, such a good meter and such a lovely lens. Would if all P&S cameras had this much character.
4. ME Super -- Great, light-weight walk-around body. Too bad it's such a pain to use in manual mode. With a proper shutter dial, it might rank above the K2 due to its lower weight.
5. MG -- I haven't used this in years (had one as a kid and it's broken now; no need to replace since I have the ME Super). Obviously automatic-only is a limitation, but I was amazed at what I could do with what was almost a P&S.
6. P30t -- This is my love-hate camera. Love using it... until I run full-speed into its limitations, like DX-code-only speed setting (I bulk-roll) or the fact that it won't do super-long exposures like the automatic Ms.
7. MX -- Always wanted one, got one (somewhat beat up) and while I keep trying to love it, I can't. Don't like the meter display (am I 1.5 stops off or 6 stops off? Can't tell!), don't like the stiff shutter dial. With an analog match-needle display, it might rank higher.
I consider my Sears KS Auto (Ricoh XR-2s) an honorary Pentax, and if I had to slip it into this ratings chart, it'd be pretty high up there. Not as refined as the Pentax cameras, and that's its biggest drawback; but it's also my go-to knockabout camera, because it's so cheap that I don't mind taking some risks. Has all the features I could want, great meter display, works great in both manual and automatic modes, even has a Judas window, and the chief advantage over the K2 is that it's quite a bit lighter. How I wish Pentax made an M-series camera with this feature set!
And its worth noting that if I considered the other cameras I own, most of the Pentaxes (with the possible exception of the MX) would be way up high. I definitely prefer the P30t (and Sears KS Auto) to the Nikon FE, and I'll take the ME Super over my otherwise-much-loved (or at least much-liked) XG-E.
Aaron
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
12-02-2022, 11:01 PM
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Thanks for a cool review and damn you for making me want an *ist. PS, I'm a car guy too and the G6 Coupe was a cool car. Nice to see one that is still loved! I've made a few trips to Puerto Rico and it's a really enjoyable place to drive.
Aaron
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
12-02-2022, 10:51 PM
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Because I am a sick, sick man.
When I got back into film in 2019 (with my KX), friends started giving me their old cameras -- and I realized how many nifty cameras that I couldn't afford back then were affordable now. Finding great cameras for $50 or less has kind of become a thing.
Yes. No. I mean, YES. no YES, absolutely, I have too many cameras. SHUT UP NO NO NO NO NO
Seriously, I have calmed down a bit, as I now have all the cameras I can shoot, I've ID'd favorites and settled on mostly K-mount (Pentax and Ricoh/Sears) cameras. I've avoided the temptation to get into new systems and slow-rolled my search for a Signet 35...
Absolutely -- Explore this wonderful world! Buying and using new cameras has really helped me understand what I love about film photography. And as my eyes get worse, I have plenty of autofocus cameras waiting for me!
Aaron
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
12-02-2022, 10:45 PM
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You can, but it's a pain the tush -- you need an adaptor (which fits into the camera's K-mount ring) and then you have to stop down the lens to get a meter reading. Also, I've had adapters get stuck on lenses. No fun!
I'd suggest looking at K-mount lenses. The SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7 is a great lens, and you should be able to find one for $40 or less -- they're cheap because Pentax made a billion of them.
Aaron
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
11-28-2022, 05:47 PM
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Excellent! Thanks for letting us know how it worked out.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
11-24-2022, 05:23 PM
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Hey Haenzel -- I love Ricoh SLRs but don't own either of this model.
Have you seen this behavior when the cameras are loaded with film? I know there are some cameras that behave a little differently when you first load film -- for example they disable auto mode so you don't get a long delay when shooting and advancing film to the "1" position.
I'd suggest loading the camera with film, keep the shutter cap on, lens at its smallest aperture and shutter at its fastest speed. You should be able to fire off a couple of shots without exposing the film. Once done you can rewind it (don't rewind the leader into the cassette, obviously) and re-use the film.
Normally I'd chalk this up to an electronic glitch but with two cameras of the same series doing it, I have to wonder if it's some sort of a feature! :)
Incidentally that's a Ricoh model I did not know about and will look into. I have a few in the late-70s/early-80s series, including two copies of the Sears KS Auto (XR-2s). It's one of my favorite walk-around, knock-about cameras -- works beautifully and I don't think I paid more than $20 for either of them.
Aaron
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
11-01-2022, 11:05 AM
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I'm not totally sold on the mechanical-is-better argument. Having bought several old cameras, my experience is that if the shutter works, it works properly, whereas clockwork shutters are more subject to gooped-up lube and will most likely need a CLA. I've received/bought a few electronic-shutter cameras that were DOA (including an ME Super and a P30t), but so far the ones that worked when I got them seemed to have kept right on working -- the exception being a Nikon FE, and I hear those aren't the most reliable cameras. Among Pentaxes, I have a pair of K2s, an ME Super, and a P30t all working perfectly, as well as a handful of Ricoh/Sears SLRs that are my go-to knockabout cameras.
That said... my first camera, Grandpa's KX, is still going strong and working fine after 45 years with no CLA.
Aaron
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
10-23-2022, 07:15 PM
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Yeah, but couldn't all of the same things be said about the KM, KX, MX, Spottie F (just to name Pentax cameras)?
For me, it's the match-needle vs center-the-needle meter display that makes the KX the winner in this group. No need to count clicks and no excuse that I didn't know what the shutter speed was. :)
Aaron
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
10-23-2022, 09:15 AM
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Nostalgia -- the K1000 is what so many folks shot with back in the 1970s and 80s and 90s. (I was lucky enough to inherit a KX.) I've been beating this drum for ages -- the KM is a much better camera (and just as simple), and the KX better still (and still mechanical), and even a Spotmatic F is a good choice for simplicity -- but K1000s continue to sell for more.
Let's not forget that, according to the Ilford surveys at least, the majority of film shooters are not the fictional bearded hipster that digitographers like to make fun of, but rather older folks who either never stopped shooting film or (like me) went back to it.
Well, I know that I got back to film because I wanted to get back to my roots; luckily I still had that old KX. I can't blame people for wanting that same old camera back in their hands...
Aaron
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
10-07-2022, 07:29 PM
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Not correct. If the ISO is the same and scene luminance (lighting) is the same, the exposure will be the same. In other words, if it's 1/60 sec @ f/16 @ 100 ISO/ASA on one camera, it'll be the same for any camera. External light meters don't know what size sensor/film you are using...
Aaron
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
10-05-2022, 08:08 PM
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Most under-rated camera in the K-mount universe, if you ask me. Magnificent little rig. As I mentioned before I have two Sears-branded versions (KS Auto) -- among my most fully-featured MF cameras and they cost me peanuts.
I think it gets a bad rap for quality -- it does indeed feel cheaper than a Pentax (think Chevrolet vs Toyota), but part of that is the use of lightweight polycarbonate for the body. Canon got all sorts of praise for switching to poly with the EOS cameras (or was it the Rebels?) but everyone seemed to ignore that Ricoh made the switch some 20 years earlier.
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Mine was beat to hell and repaired by someone who wasn't a Pentax technician (before I knew about Eric). So, not the best example -- but I still have trouble getting my fingers around that dial, despite having dainty little girl-hands.
True, but my first 35mm SLR was a Pentax KX with a match-needle meter, which I think is the best setup going for an analog meter. So I'm a bit spoiled. I don't like the ME Super's meter either; I think it makes a great automatic camera but a lousy manual one. P30t has a good digital meter display IMHO, closer in spirit to my KX.
I bought a KR-5 because I was curious to see how cheap a cheap camera could be (sadly, it has a gummed-up shutter and leaks like a pasta strainer). It basically has a match needle meter, but with the numbers removed! So you can indeed see how far off you are. I always thought the whole purpose of the KR-5 was to help the camera-store counter guys upsell buyers to something better...
Aaron
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
10-02-2022, 02:47 PM
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Personally I think the K1000 is overpriced due to nostalgia -- you're better off with its predecessor, the KM (which has more features), or better yet the KX (so far my favorite Pentax). Then again, these are all-mechanical cameras with clockwork shutter mechanisms, so they are more likely to need service to work properly.
MX is a smaller, lighter alternative; however I'm not nearly as big a fan as most others. I find the shutter dial difficult to turn (it's stiff and hemmed in by other controls) and I don't like the light-meter display (you get the same indication whether you're 1 stop or 5 stops off proper exposure). I much prefer the ME Super, but I don't think it's very good as a manual camera, as I find the buttons to be a slow and awkward way to set shutter speed.
I would also suggest a third-party camera -- Ricoh is my pick. The KR-10 (not KR-10M or KR-10 Super; just plain KR-10) and XR-2 (or XR-2s) are great cameras with a good feature set and electronically-timed shutters. They are smaller than the Ks and have a lighter (though cheaper-feeling) polycarbonate body. And they are *very* affordable. Cheaper still are the Sears-branded version of these cameras, the KSX (again, no Super) and KS Auto. Last KS Auto I bought came with a Sears (Ricoh) 135/2.8 and cost me around $30 including shipping. I own several Ricoh/Sears cameras and don't think I've ever paid more than $40.
(Why no super? They have an LCD meter display that's difficult to see with a dark subject. KR-10 and XR-2 have match-needle meters like the Pentax KX.)
If you want mechanical, that's the Ricoh XR-1 (Sears KS-1000). I own one but it has bad shutter timing, and I'm not sure where to send it to get it fixed (or if I need bother as I have a KX!).
HTH
Aaron
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
09-28-2022, 10:27 PM
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I haven't used an FM, but as the owner of a few NIkons, including an FE, FG and FT2... I'll take my Pentax KX any time! :)
Aaron
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
09-28-2022, 06:23 PM
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You didn't mention which Spotmatic model it is, but if it's not an F or an ES, I believe you need to stop down the lens to get a meter reading -- did you do that? Also check the ISO dial... for testing a meter I usually set it to 1600 or 3200, that'll get a reaction from the meter indoors.
If the seller wasn't a "camera person" then it's possible they may have thought the camera was working but did not properly test the meter. (Good reason to keep those eBay descriptions as thin as possible...)
If the meter is indeed broken... if it was listed on eBay as "used" with the full description (including the words "fully functional"), that is the basis for a return at the seller's expense, even if the seller doesn't take returns. (It's an INAD -- Item Not As Described). I have been able to return cameras using this "out" even when the seller didn't take returns.
I don't (yet) own a Spotmatic so I don't know about the prospects for meter repair. I do know that a general CLA will cost around $100, give or take. If the camera is otherwise in good shape, it might be worth it to negotiate a partial refund and invest that in repair. If what you paid is comparable to Spotties that are advertised as having tested and working meters, it might be better off to return it and buy another camera.
I have found the best tool for buying on eBay is patience. Get a feel for prices, and sooner or later the right camera will come along at the right price.
HTH
Aaron
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Forum: Vintage Cameras and Equipment
09-07-2022, 11:17 AM
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Hey, thanks all -- I emailed Garry and he doesn't work on the 1000 DTL. I also did reach Bill at Mamiya Repair. Super nice guy, and his advice was that the 1000 DTL is really not worth repairing. He has the parts, but his opinion is the Mamiya 35s weren't made with reparability in mind. "I'd do it if you put a gun to my head," he said, but he didn't think it would be economically sensible. I told him I was between repairing this and buying a Spotmatic, and he thought I'd be better off with a Pentax -- and I know where to get those repaired.
Thanks for the recommendations -- I noticed that the lens is a little wonky, too, so rather than repair the Mamiya, I think I'll resume my search for a Spotmatic.
Aaron
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
09-06-2022, 05:08 PM
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I have seen this in my ME Super -- not sure if the film transport mechanism is the same, but I imagine something is slipping a gear somewhere (though it's strange that the spacing evens out on the next shot -- I just see frames too close to each other). Haven't noticed this in my MX but I don't shoot with it much.
I don't think it has anything to do with the "magic needles" -- I had an MG in years past that never had any problems like this. (Just shove the film leader between any two of the white pickets and you should be fine.) I imagine there are slipping gears or something like that inside the camera. I do try to wind gently when I remember to.
Aaron
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Forum: Vintage Cameras and Equipment
09-06-2022, 12:53 PM
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My uncle sent me his old Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL, and it's in need of some work -- meter is on the fritz and shutter hangs at slow speeds. Anyone know of a good Mamiya 35mm repair place in the US? I did reach out to Bill at mamiyarepair.com and haven't heard back (I'll try calling in a couple of days). Any recommendations and experiences would be appreciated!
Aaron
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
09-04-2022, 06:51 PM
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Thanks all. It is not a great deal, so I'll take a pass and keep looking.
Aaron
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
09-04-2022, 06:50 PM
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Ouch! I recently used Eric of Pentaxs.com to CLA a KX -- it was in okay shape, with a working meter, but I wanted it back to new, and for $130(US) plus shipping (around $12; he does return shipping) it came back just that way, just as I wanted. Realizing he's a long way away from Oz -- it might still be worth it to use him.
Aaron
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