Best M42 camera ever made

[Vonder]

So, what gets your vote? I'm not experienced enough with M42 mount bodies to have a good opinion, so I wanted to hear what others thought...

I am looking for a reliable body for use with a CZ 50mm lens that I like.

 

[Ian Grant]

Spotmatic F, followed by ESII. Both have full aperture metering are well built & very reliable.

Ian

 

[FilmOnly]

I would have to say the Spotmatic F is the best of the M42s.

 

[Uncle Bill]

A third vote for the Spotmatic F.

 

[BradS]

I'll have to vote for the original Spotmatic. I think they're better looking than the newer ones that have a hot shoe.

(EDIT Wait...I just remembered the Bessaflex TM...never owned one but, always wanted one.

Really, just about any modern body with a M42 mount would be cool. Wasn't there a Vivitar branded body too?

 

[Rol_Lei Nut]

A vote for a non-F Spotmatic, because of its incompatibility with some very good non-Pentax M42 lenses...

A Rolleiflex SL35-E (or 3003) with an m42 adaptor is a very good M42 user, but trying to call it "best" would open all kinds of cans of worms!

 

[John Koehrer]

Spot 500 or 1000. Without the acc. shoe.
If the CZ lens you have has the proper coupling for the meter it will meter WO on the F, if not you may as well buy the older camera.
The Vivitar, Ricoh, Sears etc. cameras weren't made by Asahi.

 

[Trond]

My opinion obviously: Original Spotmatic or SV/H3v.

Trond

 

[Rol_Lei Nut]

If the CZ lens you have has the proper coupling for the meter it will meter WO on the F, if not you may as well buy the older camera.

It will certainly NOT meter wide open on the Spotmatic F.
You are probably confusing the "auto-diaphragm" with full-aperture metering.

In fact, several CZJ M42 lenses are among the ones which won't mount on a Spotmatic F.

 

[BradS]

My opinion obviously: Original Spotmatic or SV/H3v.

Trond

Oh, yeah! The SV/H3V and their siblings the S1a/H1a were fantastic bodies...surely the best built.

 

[abeku]

I'll have to vote for the original Spotmatic. I think they're better looking than the newer ones that have a hot shoe.
/QUOTE]

... and they are true working horses too.

 

[Pumal]

I like my Spotmatis SPII and SP1000. I use them quite often. Very comfortable, reliable. I always use my Sekonic Hand Held Meter.

 

[2F/2F]

I like the Spotmatic.

 

[Vonder]

Interesting comments so far, and many thanks for all the suggestions. I am curious though, have many of you used anything other than the Pentax bodies? It's possible that you may not have seen the best... my one M42 camera is a Chinon, model "SLR", and it seems very well built. The meter is wonky though.

So how 'bout them other brands? Fujica? Chinon? Practika? Any others worth considering?

 

[Rol_Lei Nut]

So how 'bout them other brands? Fujica? Chinon? Practika? Any others worth considering?

In M42, I've used Fujica, Mamiya, Exa, Praktica, Voigtländer, Zenit, Zeiss-Ikon (Ikarex) and Rolleiflex with adapters (practically like native M42). Also a "few" others with mounts other than M42
(Yes, a very bad case of GAS... ;-) )

The Spotmatic is a very compact camera with good ergonomics and is very tough and reliable. In practice, a very sweet user. It has its shortcomings, but the only one which really keeps me from normally using it (it is my risky/dangerous/suicide situation camera) is the screw mount - I change lenses very often and that is too much of a PITA with it.

Others might have better technological arguments (Fujica, Mamiya, Pentacon electric, Rolleiflex + adapter), but none have the overall reliability, ergonomics and general usability that the Spottie does.

The "best" 35mm camera is another argument, but for M42, the Spotmatic is a true jewel (with Rolleiflexes + adapter as outsiders with several caveats).

 

[Anscojohn]

We true Luddites used a Pratica Nova IB--the "B" for Belichtungsmesser--which was a non-coupled selenium cell meter stuck in the body.

Guy I knew swore by his H1 and HIa bodies.

I have a Spot F II on the shelf--and, yes, a coupla Prakticas, still. Oh, for real CLASS, leave us not forget the Zenit!

Over the years I have used Canon, Miranda, Minolta, Nikon, all with M-42 adapters.
BTW, anyone want an M-42 Miranda adapter send me an address and I'll stick it in an envelope and snail it to you.

 

[mudman]

Spotmatic F for the two that I've used. The other is a vivitar, and while a good camera, it doesn't feel as nicely made as my spottie.

 

[richiedcruz]

I vote for the Yashica TL Super, if only for the fact that it has MLU.

 

[Pumal]

We true Luddites used a Pratica Nova IB--the "B" for Belichtungsmesser--which was a non-coupled selenium cell meter stuck in the body.

Guy I knew swore by his H1 and HIa bodies.

I have a Spot F II on the shelf--and, yes, a coupla Prakticas, still. Oh, for real CLASS, leave us not forget the Zenit!

Over the years I have used Canon, Miranda, Minolta, Nikon, all with M-42 adapters.
BTW, anyone want an M-42 Miranda adapter send me an address and I'll stick it in an envelope and snail it to you.

I didn't know that photography was about CLASS. I thought it was about a vision, light and composition.

 

[Towermax]

One interesting option is the Chinon Memotrons--CE, CE II, and CE III. I have the Alpa SI 2000, which is a rebranded and mildly restyled CE-II. In addition to full manual control, you get aperture priority AE exposure with any auto M42 lens.

Here's a few comments by Stephan Gandy at CameraQuest:
http://www.cameraquest.com/slr42ae.htm

And here's a comparison with the Spotmatic F on a Photo Net thread:
http://photo.net/pentax-camera-forum/00EtZh

Unlike the later K-mount Chinons, these are solid, well-built, reliable cameras. Not as refined, perhaps, as the Spotmatic, but with their own unique features.

 

[Steve Roberts]

With a CZ lens mentioned (which I'll assume doesn't have the cams for open aperture metering) I'd have to say the Pentax Spotmatic II.
It scores over the original Spotmatic by having a hot shoe, over the SP500 & 1000 by having the delayed action mechanism and of course the extra speed in the case of the 500. Nice as it is, the lack of a proper meter switch always irks me with the Spotmatic F (ie meter is on/off according to whether a lens cap is fitted).
As for non-Pentax bodies, I always liked my Yashica TL Electro, which had stop-down metering, would take any old M42 lens and used two LEDs to indicate over, under or correct exposure.

Steve

 

[Shangheye]

Spotmatic or Spotmatic SPII. The F limits your choices of great lenses from other sources and that is the only reason I did not buy it. Oh...and the originals just seem more built like bricks (and their associated lenses were metal). Mine is 38 years old, the meter still works, and I am going to be buried with it (because it will outlast all my other cameras I reckon ;-)) K

 

[Rick A]

Olympus FTL same metering as the OM-1

 

[tony lockerbie]

I think that I have them all, SP's, SPF,ES, Yashica TL Electro, Olympus FTL, Prakticas FX to 1V, Chinon CS, Ricoh Singlexes etc. Having used them all, I would still take out the original Spotmatic, it's the prettiest, great to handle, and has nice lenses ( the 50mm 1.4 is hard to beat).
Also have the CV Bessaflex, another cracker, sure to become a modern classic.

 

[Steve Roberts]

Mine is 38 years old, the meter still works, and I am going to be buried with it K

Perhaps a wide lens and fast film might be in order just in case you come back from the dead and want to use it!
Steve