Anyone else using Chinon K-Mount bodies?

Felinik · Mar 8, 2013

Just got my hands on a CE-5 and a CE-4s, these are SWEET 35mm K-Mount shooters with loads of features, and a price tag way below anything else that even come near them in terms of features.

Anyone else who has experience with this range of Chinon cameras?

Ian Grant · Mar 8, 2013

I had a CE-4 and CE-4s that I bought new around the time they were released, I was switching from screw thread Pentax cameras and needed quicker bayonet mount cameras for shooting rock concerts. At the time the Pentax K mount range were much larger and the ME was too limiting in it's features. Another photographer I worked alongside had a CE-4 and suggested I try it.

So yes I agree they are great cameras, the Chinon f1.4 50mm standard lens is superb, a friend borrowed mine with some lenses to shoot the Le Man 24hr race for Lucas (in preferance to his Nikon) and they caused a stir in the press room (which had E6 processing). Unfortunately they were tolen a few years later and replcaed by an ME Super and MX.

I have another pair of Chinons now but I rarely use 35mm these days.

Ian

Felinik · Mar 8, 2013

Yeah, the only manual Pentax body that is even close is the k2 dmd, but they are pretty rare and quite expensive, AND only has 1/1000 as max shutter speed!

So the K-mount Chinons are well worth looking into, pentaprism, split-screen focusing screen, ae-lock, 1/2000 shutter etc. all the goodies, for tens of dollars...

Paul Howell · Mar 8, 2013

Felinik said:
Yeah, the only manual Pentax body that is even close is the k2 dmd, but they are pretty rare and quite expensive, AND only has 1/1000 as max shutter speed!

So the K-mount Chinons are well worth looking into, pentaprism, split-screen focusing screen, ae-lock, 1/2000 shutter etc. all the goodies, for tens of dollars...

Chinons and Riochs are very good buys. I have both M and K mounts Chinons the only weakness is the winder, sounds like a sewing machine. I tend to shoot with the CM CE 3s more than the CM4.

Felinik · Mar 8, 2013

PDH said:
Chinons and Riochs are very good buys. I have both M and K mounts Chinons the only weakness is the winder, sounds like a sewing machine. I tend to shoot with the CM CE 3s more than the CM4.

Definitely seems to be very competent M-42 bodies!

Ian Grant · Mar 9, 2013

PDH said:
Chinons and Riochs are very good buys. I have both M and K mounts Chinons the only weakness is the winder, sounds like a sewing machine. I tend to shoot with the CM CE 3s more than the CM4.

Pentax M cameras & lenses and K use the same K mount, needs clarifying. M42 was someing else because of the screw mount.

Ian

Felinik · Mar 9, 2013

Ian Grant said:
Pentax M cameras & lenses and K use the same K mount, needs clarifying. M42 was someing else because of the screw mount.

Ian

I assume M means M42 here, as the bodies mentioned by PDH are M42 bodies. You probably refer to the Pentax-M series lenses, that indeed are K-mount lenses.

Paul Howell · Mar 12, 2013

The CE, and CM 3s are M 42 the CE and CM 4s are K mount, for the most part the same camera with differnt mounts. I use my CE and CM 3 more often than the
4s as I have wider range of M 42 lens. I also have a CP7 which is much differnt from the CE 4, built in motor wider, LED controls, needs the K mount lens with A mode for all functions. I would also take a look at the Ricoh K mounts if you want a better winder.

Felinik · Mar 12, 2013

Just received the CE-4s here today, seems to be exactly the same body as the CE-5, with the only difference that the CE-5 has the autofocus contacts, and the CE-4s seems a tad lighter. Anyway, I love these machines, excellent gear!

Does any of the mentioned m42 bodies have AE-Lock and 1/2000 shutter as well?

Paul Howell · Mar 12, 2013

Felinik said:
Just received the CE-4s here today, seems to be exactly the same body as the CE-5, with the only difference that the CE-5 has the autofocus contacts, and the CE-4s seems a tad lighter. Anyway, I love these machines, excellent gear!

Does any of the mentioned m42 bodies have AE-Lock and 1/2000 shutter as well?

The CE 3 has the AE lock but not the 1/2000, the CM 3 of course is manual. Some folks feel the draw back of the CE 3 is the long shutter plung need to capture the shutter speed in AE mode. I have not found this to be an issue but can the reason for concern.

Cybertrash · Mar 14, 2013

The Chinon CM 4 was my first camera, I inherited it from my mother who bought it when travelling around Asia. It's served me well for some time, it's obviously not pro-grade, but it has all the basics you need, and doesn't get in the way.

montecarlo · Mar 16, 2013

Yes, yes.. i like them also, namely CE-4 and CM-4s .. simple, cheap and reliable, but I admit, they don;t give me the same feeling like an M class pentax (MX or ME Super) while shooting
I can also recommend, as cheaper alternative to Pentax bodies, the Ricoh series, especially the older ones (with Copal square shutter - also found in Nikon FE and FM and Konica T4, TC, not Seiko ones). The XR-1 and XR-2. These I like better than Chinon and way better than the chepest k mount camera alternative offered by Cosina (found also under many names like Vivitar, Ricoh KR5II, Petri GX, Porst etc.).

Felinik · Mar 16, 2013

I went through this list, and searched the ones with the specs I wanted:
http://www.butkus.org/chinon/ultimate_k-mount.htm

And yes, I checked the Ricoh bodies though I didn't find anyone with faster shutter than 1/1000, hence why I went for the 1/2000 shutter Chinon bodies... And for the XR models, it seems that only the XR-2 provide AE-lock.

montecarlo · Mar 17, 2013

yes, its true, XR-older series does not have AE-Lock. They are more or less in the same generation as the Pentax K bodies. But, it might worth a look the newer XR7. Is has good features (AE-Lock implemented much better than in the Chinon - you just press AE-L button and you can leave it there. The camera memorises the exposure value until the shot is taken or until you press it again ;-) , also it has manually sectable shutter times till 16 seconds, if interested needed, smaler body, like the Chinon/Pentax-M, dof preview). What i didn't like on the XR7 is the elecronic needle in the viewfinder (does not use leds like pentax /chinon uses :-( ).

Felinik · Mar 17, 2013

Still only 1/1000 shutter (xr-7).

Steve Smith · Mar 17, 2013

I had one for a while but gave it away. I currently have a Ricoh KR-10x which is also a good, budget model body which uses K mount lenses.

montecarlo said:
but I admit, they don;t give me the same feeling like an M class pentax (MX or ME Super) while shooting

That's true. I now have an MX as well - Guess which one gets used!!

Steve.

Felinik · Mar 22, 2013

After shooting both CE-5 and CE-4s, a cpl of rolls in each body, I gotta say it's hard to decide which one is the better..

The AE-lock is better handled on the CE-5, but on the other hand the CE-4s is a tad lighter in weight, so I dunno, apart from those minor differences these bodies are completely identical!

Anyone else using Chinon K-Mount bodies?

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