Harmless, easy and quick survey for long time film users

[bladerunner6]

If you have been using film for a long time, that is before the digital age, I would like you to help me with a casual survey that take mere seconds. The question is:

When you think of Pentax from the film era, what are the first things that come to mind?

Simple and short answers are the best, please. And preferably in the order you think of them. This came up as a topic of discussion recently.

Thanks so much.

 

[Paul Howell]

Why do want to know?

 

[bladerunner6]

Why do want to know?

I was in a discussion with someone about Pentax and this topic came up and I am interested in un-involved third parties input.

I won't say more because I don't want to bias anyone toward any opinion.

Thanks for your interest.

 

[Dan Fromm]

Flimsy. This because when I was in the Army the Spotmatic was the 35 mm SLR of choice and many of the ones I was acquainted with jammed.

Klutzy. Stop-down metering? You can't be serious.

Popular. See above.

 

[benjiboy]

It's still the film age for me, and I never owned a Pentax camera.

 

[Axle]

K1000

 

[Les Sarile]

Elegant design . . .

Especially when seen with their peers . . .

 

[BradleyK]

The K1000. Like its counterpart the Nikkormat, this simple, no frills, camera introduced a lot of middle school kids to photography.

"Also-ran." Some quality products ("Spotties," the LX), that just never quite met the needs, or captured the loyalties, of the professional market dominated by Nikon and Canon.

 

[antmar]

My 1st "serious" camera, a Pentax S1a with 50mm f:1/1.4 Super-Takumar which I bought in 1985 (I was 16yo) and I still use them occasionally.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Light weight camera. Flimsy. Not a user. Still the film age for me.

 

[Bruce Osgood]

You sure this is hamless?

I had a Pentax once, because it was inexpense. It really was the cheaest I could find. But with inexpensive comes poor manufacturing, breakage and failure.

I believe they have cleaned up their act and the modern Pentax may well be worth the cost.

 

[DannL.]

Popular Photography magazine. I can't count the hours I spent drooling over the ads in the photography magazines. Pentax was very popular in the ads.

 

[Helgesverre]

The Takumar lenses!

 

[Sirius Glass]

Twice coworkers gave me Pentax cameras with lenses. All were in good condition. They added nothing new to what I had so I sold them to buy LF lenses.

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

Spotmatic
Takumar
ES
K1000
MX

Small
Ellegant
Simple

 

[Sirius Glass]

[h=2]Harmless, easy and quick survey for long time film users[/h]

Are some surveys harmful?

Interested readers want to know!

 

[LarryP]

My preferred brand.I've used them for 35 years and never had one break jam or otherwise malfunction. Love Super-Taks and smc lenses. I prefer kmount to spotties simply because of the lack of a meter switch.YMMV.

 

[OptiKen]

K1000 - Student Camera

 

[GRHazelton]

If you have been using film for a long time, that is before the digital age, I would like you to help me with a casual survey that take mere seconds. The question is:

When you think of Pentax from the film era, what are the first things that come to mind?

Simple and short answers are the best, please. And preferably in the order you think of them. This came up as a topic of discussion recently.

Thanks so much.

The Mighty Pentax LX and its natural mate, the 50mm f1.2 lens. Perhaps the best TTL metering system ever implemented. A full system camera.

Pioneer of the modern SLR, the Asahiflex with instant return mirror. I have my Father's.

The M series, the MX and the ME Super. Small, elegant, good handling, reliable.

 

[Alan9940]

K1000, though I never owned one.
Pentax 67 and 67II, of which I own both.

 

[GRHazelton]

The Mighty Pentax LX and its natural mate, the 50mm f1.2 lens. Perhaps the best TTL metering system ever implemented. A full system camera.

Pioneer of the modern SLR, the Asahiflex with instant return mirror. I have my Father's.

The M series, the MX and the ME Super. Small, elegant, good handling, reliable.

Whoops! I often think about the Pentax 645n. It is a biggish gem of a 120 camera.

 

[Paul Howell]

I bought my first Spotmatic in 1967, or was it 66, still have it. Reliable, simple, rugged, great choice of lens, in M42 mount I think only Pentax made a 120 and 150mm, and all those 3rd party lens. Moving to K, KX, K2, still rugged, open aperture metering, then moving to M line up, ME small, light, but I don't think as well made as the K lineup, the MX was as rugged. The LX, great system, likely the best full manual focus system. The AF, many small light and easy to use consumer grade, the PZ 1 MZ were as close to a pro camera as Pentax made but, but was not in the same league as the Minolta 9000 or 9, Nikon F 4 or 5, or ESO 1. Lens were overall good quality with some really nice AF zooms and primes.

In the 60 and early 70s many pros, newspapers, governmental agency used Spotmatics. I still take my Spotmatic out for walk a couple of times a year. The k1000 is very good camera, the early models made in Japan are likely better made that later years made in China, just overpriced.

 

[M Carter]

6x7 is the first thing that comes to mind. I remember one of my peers enthusing about his and played with it, pretty impressed. he had just purchased a Forscher back for it - PRICEY!!!

 

[filmamigo]

OK, I skipped the responses and went straight to reply. Here's my stream-of-consciousness:

* All metal, black finished cameras: the LX, the Spotmatic F
* Classic handling, right-sized cameras -- not too big and heavy, not cluttered with unnecessary frills
* Super Takumars! Great rendering, special to me
* FA Limited lenses in quirky but perfect focal lengths (31mm, 43mm, 77mm)
* Tough enough - my Spotmatic F was a photojournalist's camera that saw duty in the Vietnam war
* Pentax 67 - the Big Dog. Are you serious? Then you shoot a 6x7
* Conservative company, slow to move.

 

[pdeeh]

I think it's the film era now.
Or do you mean the time when there was only film?

If the latter, I just used to think "I'd really like an ME but I can't afford one"