Becoming a Pentax enthusiast

My first camera was a Canon A-1 bought in about 1980. Every camera I've bought before 2024 was a Canon. When I got back into film photography, I bought an F-1N to replace my original A-1, which I had given to my youngest son. I bought a flurry of Canon's last fall with 2 FX's, 3 FTs, 3 FTbs, another F-1, AL-1, T-70 and 8 A-1s. I do like Canons.

In January of this year, I spotted a decent looking Pentax Spotmatic IIA in the inop camera bin at the local camera shop for $10. I bought it and fixed it but was not overly impressed at that time. Then, I saw a black KX in the bin on one trip and it had beautiful brassing, so I thought that it needed saved. I did a CLA on it and very quickly came to like how it shot. After that, I picked up another Spotmatic, 2 MXs and an SV and I have to say that I love every one of those. My go-to camera for every day use is now one of the MXs with the KX stepping in from time to time. The MX usually sports a 40mm f2.8 Pancake which is a really nice combination. The SV and Spotmatics are generally shot through some beautiful old Takumars. The KX generally carries an f1.4 50mm SMC that I really like. My camera cabinet may be a radioactive hot spot between all of the Pentax and early Canon glass.

I'm actually a bit soured on the Canon's right now after the Pentax experience. All of the Pentax cameras have been beautifully reliable after a basic clean and lube with fresh light seals. Most of my older Canon's have needed shutter capping issues addressed before joining the active shooter group. BTW, I need to find a better name for the camera's that I actively shoot. My early F-1 has had issues despite sending it out for a professional CLA in frame spacing and recently, a mid-roll film jam that required unloading and reloading in a darkroom. The new F-1N just went down last week too. I thought it was just due for a battery but I find that with a battery installed, the camera is completely dead. With a battery removed, I have the standby 1/60 shutter speed working. I have not opened that one up to diagnose what went wrong. It's had about 15 rolls of flawless performance since I added that and I've always considered it to be my go-to for times when I really need to have a working camera.

Faith in Canon's has taken a hit. The pure reliability of the all mechanical Pentax's I own gives me a level of confidence that I've lost in my Canon's. I still love my fleet of A-1s and I really do enjoy shooting them, but truth be told, it's the MX that gets the nod most of the time now.

Before I bought my first SLR camera I borrowed my friend's and uncle's Nikon's F2 and pretty much had decided that's the system I will acquire. Later I purchased F601. After that all of my 35mm are all Nikons because of the lenses that I had. But during one of my school holiday, when I still had my F601, I borrowed my uncle's Pentax K1000 and 50mm f2.0. Boy I loved using that camera for its simplicity. I have never purchased a Pentax since then but I feel like I have a soft spot for the brand. I think it is being so underrated considering their optical performance. I had a Canon AE-1 for a short time but I sold it for the reason that I can't remember.
Now I have been constantly browsing the fleabay for one of those small bodied M series. I have a strong feeling that I developed early sign of GAS. I may need to sit down in one of those GAS Anonymous meetings.

To be fair the Canon made before their EOS were not that great. Too complicated and not very reliable. But they have made great improvements since the EOS due to the fact they swiched electronic interfacing. I like Pentax too but I never can like an auto focus Pentax SLR.

I started out using a Canon AE-1 when I was still in the Navy; they were cheap in the ship's store(which only carried Canons and Nikons). Problem was it didn't last long before breaking, I ended up chucking it into the Firth of Forth. My wife, as a birthday present, gave me a Sears KSX(Ricoh KR-10) and I used it constantly for 20 years until it literally fell apart. I now own a number of Pentax, Minolta, Olympus and Konica film slr's, but my most used are the Pentax LX, KX and MX in that order. The only one that needed work was the MX. I sent it to Eric Hendrickson and he replaced that ridiculous light meter with another. That, and I just bought one of those 3D printed grip extensions that are around now, so it finally fits in my somewhat large hands. I just finished putting a roll through my KX and now have the LX loaded. I always use the LX with the winder, so it's comfortable, and the KX is fine just as it is.

That kind of mirror's my experience a bit. My EOS cameras have been trouble free. I just picked up a beautiful used EOS 5D Mk II for just over $200 this week to use for digitizing medium format negatives. It's an older camera but looks and feels new in function. I've not gotten into newer Pentax cameras. My attraction to Pentax is in the completely manual cameras. My SV is a beautiful camera and shoots as if it were brand new. There's no meter on it, so no issues with batteries or voltages to worry about.

Lately, the thought rolling around inside of my head is that in the 1970s-1980s Canon made cameras to take great pictures where as Pentax made great cameras to take pictures. Put another way, Canon made it easier for an unskilled photographer to get a good picture but at the cost of durability. Pentax made a camera that offered little automation but was beautifully constructed to serve a skilled photographer for a long time. As I have repaired my FXs, FTs, FTbs and into the A series, I can trace how Canon moved from brass covers, gears and chassis to plastic gears and covers with aluminum chassis. Early Canon's had a variety of different screws holding them together where as later ones used a single screw type mostly. Machined parts gave way to stamped steel.

But, when it was all working, it was easier for a casual photographer to take a nice picture on an A-1, AE-1 or AE-1 Program than it was for a casual Pentax MX or KX shooter. I've not worked on an ME though, and Pentax may have been following a similar path.

MFstooges said:

Before I bought my first SLR camera I borrowed my friend's and uncle's Nikon's F2 and pretty much had decided that's the system I will acquire. Later I purchased F601. After that all of my 35mm are all Nikons because of the lenses that I had. But during one of my school holiday, when I still had my F601, I borrowed my uncle's Pentax K1000 and 50mm f2.0. Boy I loved using that camera for its simplicity. I have never purchased a Pentax since then but I feel like I have a soft spot for the brand. I think it is being so underrated considering their optical performance. I had a Canon AE-1 for a short time but I sold it for the reason that I can't remember.
Now I have been constantly browsing the fleabay for one of those small bodied M series. I have a strong feeling that I developed early sign of GAS. I may need to sit down in one of those GAS Anonymous meetings.

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I'm really liking the feel of shooting the MX. The only downside I've found is the shutter dial is a bit stiff and isn't overly easy to manipulate with a single finger. Other than that, they just feel right in my hand.

I have been a Pentax fan since the very early 80s when I bought a Pentax K1000 SE at a Reno pawn shop complete with the ever-present SMC Pentax-M 50/2 lens. I am still regularly using that same camera and lens but my current favorite is now a Pentax LX.

I think that once you have used one brand for a long time it is hard to switch to another. I have tried Canon, Nikon and Minolta over the years but the Pentax is always the one I reach for. One is not better than the other, you just get used to how the one brand of camera works so that is the one that becomes your default.

88E30M50 said:

Faith in Canon's has taken a hit.

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You're not the first shutterbug that has "found a new religion". Every brand has its "apostates", largely because they never tried anything else. It's common to see shutter-priority users fall in love with aperture-priority systems -- and vice versa. Next thing you know, someone will offer you a Minolta XD-11 (or whatever), and you'll find a "new love".

My first SLR was a Pentax SP500. The original is long gone but a couple of years ago I found another for 15 bucks and a friend gifted me a 50mm 1.4. I love that camera, beautiful!

Huh, I bought a K1000 as a switch from my father's Zenith E almost 20 years ago and that was a huge leap.
Still use this lovely camera regularly, especially with an 40/2.8.

Pioneer said:

I have been a Pentax fan since the very early 80s when I bought a Pentax K1000 SE at a Reno pawn shop complete with the ever-present SMC Pentax-M 50/2 lens. I am still regularly using that same camera and lens but my current favorite is now a Pentax LX.

I think that once you have used one brand for a long time it is hard to switch to another. I have tried Canon, Nikon and Minolta over the years but the Pentax is always the one I reach for. One is not better than the other, you just get used to how the one brand of camera works so that is the one that becomes your default.

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I think that part of the reason the switch was easy for me might be the period in life that I'm in right now. Being north of 60 has me really embracing simplicity in everything, so maybe I'm just more receptive to the small, simple, yet precise Pentax cameras.

Or, it could be that after 40 years of being a Canon guy, I needed a change to bring back some excitement.

I've become quite a Pentax fan in the last 5–6 years. My first was a K1000 that I picked up on shopgoodwill.com for a very reasonable price. At the time, my only other 35mm SLR was a Nikon FE and I wanted to have a mechanical SLR as a backup. It came with a 50mm f/2 SMC Pentax M lens and I was very pleased with the images I got from this camera. I was not expecting the images to be as sharp as what I was getting from my more expensive Nikkor glass, but they were every bit as good.

Next I stumbled onto a Spotmatic with a 50mm f/1.4 Super Takumar and negotiated the seller down to $20, as I intended to use it for a "Cheap Shots Challenge" photo contest. The meter didn't work, but to my surprise I found I didn't mind just using Sunny 16 or an iPhone light meter app. And that Super Takumar lens was fantastic—easily equal to my 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor that I paid ten times as much for.

After that, I decided I wanted to have a properly serviced M42 Pentax and since I enjoyed the meterless experience, I bought an SL. That was a lucky find as well, as I found it on Ebay but the seller was local; I got it for a low price and we met face to face so no shipping. I had the SL serviced by Eric Hendrickson and it's now one of my favorite cameras. (In fact it's the only one I have film in at the moment.) I have acquired several Takumar lenses, all of which are great.

Overall, I couldn't be happier with my Pentax cameras and lenses, especially considering the minimal outlay to get them.

My first 35mm SLR was a Spotmatic, I bought in 1966, and still have it. In 1970 I bought a Konica T but kept the Spotmatic. When I moved to Nikon I kept the Spotmatic and added prime lens, 24mm to 400, the only prime I do not have is the 150. I saved my Nikon for work and the Pentax for personal use, vacations, weekends. The meter is getting dodgy, the shutter is still accurate, I have not had it CLA in 20 years now. I also have a K1000, and few AF bodies. The SF is petty good, the entry level AF bodies do not seem to hold up. I aslo have a PZ, which while not at the same level as my Minolta A mount pro bodies, works pretty well. In terms of M42 bodies I use my Chinons more, the CE3 and CM2 have good meters and the CE3 allows for aperture priority exposure with single pin lens.

I've got examples of all the Pentaxes from the Asahiflex up to the LX. More recently than the LX doesn't interest me, and I'm not totally sold on the LX. I use them all from time to time, but my favourites are the K2 and KX. My primary 'user' KX I've had for 38 years, during which time I've found it reliable and, of course, not dependent on batteries. It's new enough to use LR/SR 44s, so unlike the Spotmatics, no trouble getting them. The compactness of the MX is useful at times, but like a previous poster, I'm not happy with the LED meter. An MX with a Spotmatic-style match-needle meter would get my vote!

Though I have a lot of film cameras these days (they're so cheap and easy to buy - less easy to let go of!), I thought of myself as a dyed-in-the-wool Pentax man until I bought two Konica Autoreflexes in quick succession, both T2s. One is a superb black-bodied example with the f1.2 lens and the other a silver one, £8 for the body (car boot sale) plus £20 for an f1.8 lens from ePay. I replaced the seals, converted them to take SR44 batteries and cleaned the viewfinders (Autoreflex viewfinders often develop a haze, which I put down to evaporated lubricant condensing internally - it's easily removed). The Copal shutter is far from the quietest shutter in the world, but both of mine are smooth and accurate. At the first time of using the silver camera, I found myself ignoring the fact that it was like a brick around my neck, yet appreciating the manual metering, fully auto shutter priority option and the fact that it doesn't need batteries to work at any shutter speed. I soon abandoned the manual metering and set the lens to the 'EE' position.

The results have been excellent. The exposures of two films to date are spot on, mainly in 'EE' mode. After so many years of being a Pentax devotee, though dabbling with Nikon F, F2 and quite a few others, I find myself wondering whether had I acquired a Konica in my formative photographic years in the early 1970s, things might have turned out differently. It's probably academic as no way could I have afforded one back then!

Steve

I really liked my Konica T, only reason I traded it for a F was the motor drive. Along with Spotmatic and Chinions I shoot a T3 and T, and T4, Konica lens are all excellent. Pentax M42 had the most extensive lineup of primes, I don't think Nikon, Canon or Minolta offered a 120 or 150, not sure why Pentax did not make a 180.

I like both.

Canonitis is real. My Canon EOS 650 had a shutter issue that caused me to loose about 1/3 of the images on 30 rolls of film I took during a trip. I had tested it out just before and it had no problems on the first roll of film. Of course it's degradation of the foam affecting the shutter blades. It can be fixed at home with some careful cleaning by a basic enthusiast if it hasn't gotten out of hand.

The Canon EOS Elan 7E hasn't had a single problem, full of features and is a great camera, although it's 10 years newer so that's an advantage.

Canon F-1 and T90 had no problems after CLA, but both did need them.

Pentax Spotmatic was sold to me pre-CLA'd and never had a problem over 15 years of use except for one screw falling out which a forum member here kindly directed me on how to replace. I always loved how light it was, especially with a 28mm or 50mm lens. A joy to use, simple and effective. If I had to pick one 35mm SLR as the most reliable from what I've tried I'd go with this one.

In 1968, bought my first real camera, a pentax SL with the super takumar 50f1.4. No lightmeter, that had to wait another 6 months or so. I still have them both in working condition, and use them once in a while. Pentax cameras are great!

88E30M50 said:

I'm really liking the feel of shooting the MX. The only downside I've found is the shutter dial is a bit stiff and isn't overly easy to manipulate with a single finger. Other than that, they just feel right in my hand.

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There's also ME super but some people hate the idea of buttons for changing shutter speed.

Pioneer said:

One is not better than the other, you just get used to how the one brand of camera works so that is the one that becomes your default.

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For example—Canon lenses turn the wrong way when focusing and setting aperture. My Pentax, Nikkor, and Bronica lenses all turn the correct way. (Though the Nikkor turn the wrong way to mount the lens bayonet…)

abruzzi said:

Canon lenses turn the wrong way when focusing and setting aperture. My Pentax, Nikkor, and Bronica lenses all turn the correct way.

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Moderator (tongue-in-cheek) note:
No religious arguments!!!
Note complete.

loccdor said:

Pentax Spotmatic was sold to me pre-CLA'd and never had a problem over 15 years of use except for one screw falling out which a forum member here kindly directed me on how to replace. I always loved how light it was, especially with a 28mm or 50mm lens. A joy to use, simple and effective. If I had to pick one 35mm SLR as the most reliable from what I've tried I'd go with this one.

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This reminds me so much of my K1000 even today. I bought it in the 80s and used it until 3 years ago without any service at all. I finally sent it off to Eric because I decided it should at least be looked at but it was still working fine. He checked it, cleaned and lubed the innards, and sent it back saying it was probably good for another 20 years. Personally I believe there are some cameras, like other manufactured objects, that were just put together right in the first place, no matter who built it or where it was built. They just last and last no matter what is done to them. I think I was fortunate to get one of those cameras.

It was 966 or 67 when I first saw a Pentax SLR outfit, a classmate's father was a British MP and his son had borrowed his outfit, a Spotmatic, a second body, and numerous lenses, I had a Kodak Bantam 127.

When I bought my first SLR in 1968 all I could afford was a Zenit E, from my pocket money, but I knew I would get a Pentax eventually. That was 6 years later as a 21st birthday present, I quickly added a pair f SIa's.

Ian

Earlier this year, I bought an SV and am really enjoying that one as well. The camera shows almost no wear and has been a joy to shoot. It's a bit of a relief to shoot a 60s era camera with zero thought about whether or not the meter is accurate. It came mated with a Super-Takumar 50mm f1.8 lens that has that nice, radioactive amber cast to it. It's like finding a 64 Barracuda that had never been driven and was properly stored.

Did not know that the 50 1.8 has a thorium element.

yeeaaaahhh my new to me MX arrived!! And guess what, the shutter dial is not bad at all! It's actually better than my Nikon FM although it is more stubborn than Nikon FE.
Now I need to replace the mirror bumper but it seems unlike 1 piece bumper on Nikon FM this one has 4 pieces. Anyone has pictorial guide on how to replace mirror bumper?