Pentax Me Super vs MX: most reliable?

Soeren said:

My good old 6x7 gave up the spirit and was deemed beyond rescue by the repairman. One of the weaknesses on that model is the winding mechanism and it's Impossible for him to get spares.
So with early models inactivity will make them gum up and use maybe even heavy use will eventually wear them down. Funnilly the shutter on my 1933 Bergheil is still accurate

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Could you explain more concrete in wich way your problem with the old P67 model proceed? Have you noticed that it was hart to advanced the film before your Pentax failed - or was it more in a way :
"from One second to the next moment"?
with regards

benjiboy said:

The original poster hasn't been on this site since July 2016.

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I heard a story that he had been found on the Appian Way in a confused state, muttering about speed dials, cloth shutters, fiddly buttons etc. He may not have recovered yet.

It has to be a true story. I saw it on Facebook

pentaxuser

pentaxpete said:

Both the shutters on my MX's have given up and a flash contact is burnt out but nothing wrong with my ME Supers except I have to watch the exposure readout -- if it goes 1/2000th at f11 on 100 ASA then I know to turn the exposure compensation dial back and forth a few times to clean the contact underneath, then it will read something like 1/125 @ f11 in bright light for 100 ASA.

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I bought an MX with the 50mm f/1.4 at garage sale for $5 which is a great deal. The camera is in very good condition but the flash sync contact burned out. I love the camera but I sold it and the lens for $50 which I think is cheap. I currently have a very good ME super but I don't think I would ever use it. The fact that cloth vs metal I see no difference in reliability and I would much rather use an MX than an ME super.

trendland said:

Best in comparison to Pentax LX.
(If you can't affort a mind conditioned LX)
Because of some realy nice change screens and other equipment : winder / motor /
250 frame magazin a.s.o.
(everything also avaible with LX)

with regards

PS : Tipping on plastic isn't a real advance from 80th engeneering with Me series. Later the grant decision of Pentax was : back to the "wheel"

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The LX wasn't released when I got my first MX. I was mainly using 35mm to shoot rock concerts back then and wanted lighter cameras like the MX, especially when working with 2 or even 3 cameras, I think I only used a stringer twice in 30 years. (A stringer is s second photographer that you direct/control - usually your camera, lenses and films, when to shoot etc,

Ian

trendland said:

Could you explain more concrete in wich way your problem with the old P67 model proceed? Have you noticed that it was hart to advanced the film before your Pentax failed - or was it more in a way :
"from One second to the next moment"?
with regards

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Its a long time ago now so I dont remember exactly but in the end it just jammed.

Don’t forget about the fantastic little ME (not super) they seem much better built than the later Supers. I love the MX but have gone through 4 of them that all had/quickly developed shutter and/or meter problems, while my $7 junk store MEs just keep plugging away. Although it’s (mostly) auto-only, the exposure comp dial and fully mechanical 1/125 and B speeds can cover most any shooting. Plus they’re fun to use, and the brown leather SE version just looks so ‘70’s stylish! And they are dirt cheap!

Antigen said:

Hi,

I have the opportunity to buy a Pentax MX or a ME super, but i have a question.

I read that they Are so similar, but the MX have a silk rubberizef shutter and the ME super a Metallic shutter .

What is the most reliable camera?

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do you have a local repair shop you are friendly with ? why not ask the repair guy which camera he sees less often?
and see what an overhaul / cla would cost for whichever one he / she recommends. chances are old cameras will need a cla
so you probably need to add that into the purchase price. maybe the repair person has one in-shop he/she is selling ?
sometimes they have "stuff" for sale

jnanian said:

do you have a local repair shop you are friendly with ? why not ask the repair guy which camera he sees less often?
and see what an overhaul / cla would cost for whichever one he / she recommends. chances are old cameras will need a cla
so you probably need to add that into the purchase price. maybe the repair person has one in-shop he/she is selling ?
sometimes they have "stuff" for sale

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Good idea but if the repair store is specialized on 70th Pentax Slr's he would definitivly count on these explicid mentioned models...... Me, Me super, Mv, MG a.s.o ( ProgrammA, SuperA......)
If a repair service had not seen these models the next reason might be that their owners are afraid of costs.

with regards

KinoGrafx said:

Don’t forget about the fantastic little ME (not super) they seem much better built than the later Supers. I love the MX but have gone through 4 of them that all had/quickly developed shutter and/or meter problems, while my $7 junk store MEs just keep plugging away. Although it’s (mostly) auto-only, the exposure comp dial and fully mechanical 1/125 and B speeds can cover most any shooting. Plus they’re fun to use, and the brown leather SE version just looks so ‘70’s stylish! And they are dirt cheap!

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It is a real play for gamblers.You can buy very cheap models of this time. But don't forget the age. If a 1978 built Pentax Me super has done it's job for 20 years it is a very good construction.But then it would have the need for professinal inspection since 1998.
The shutter of all models is THE first problem.Next is the electronic function.
Led's of that period you shouldn't care because 50% of them give no light any more. The mirrow dampener is allways too much expired on every Pentax model of that age. But one can work with it - the "clack" during exposing is a bit louder then.
Therefore the mechanical types are the best joice (MX,LX) yes AND no because these models were often used for professional work. (Look on Ian's post).
Best is a collectors one from proffessional mechanical type?
The cameras of Pentax from camera collectors are highly expensive but allways in "mint" condition.
But collectors don't use such cameras.
That's the key to shutter problems.What you would need is a permanently used Pentax.If such cameras are not in use more than some years the special oil is responcible of shutter failures.
But a permanently used camera from 1978 - 2018 is often in very bad condition. So you have to be a gambler.

with regards

trendland said:

Good idea but if the repair store is specialized on 70th Pentax Slr's he would definitivly count on these explicid mentioned models...... Me, Me super, Mv, MG a.s.o ( ProgrammA, SuperA......)
If a repair service had not seen these models the next reason might be that their owners are afraid of costs.

with regards

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pr it could mean no one is using film cameras for 15 years ?
i had to replace the clutch on mine 17 years ago, but any camera when used a lot
needs replacement parts. the me super is a great camera ,, i also have a k1000 ( also great )
haven't had the pleasure of using the other ones ...

You mean the clutch of the take-up spool?

Hi! Which of these cameras (ME super and MX) is better for long hiking or tracking? Key factors: weight, autonomy, reliability. Maybe there are other cameras suitable for this? Which lens is better for this? Thanks

Ryzg said:

Hi! Which of these cameras (ME super and MX) is better for long hiking or tracking?

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Since both cannot be bought new, there is no outright way of telling which would be more reliable. One that has been recently competently serviced would be more reliable.
The MX is not battery dependent so that is one less failure mode.

They are the smallest and lightest of their kind with the largest viewfinders.


With the 40mm pancake lens, they are jacket pocket size. The M42 fisheye - with an adapter, is also quite small. Both are very good lenses, again if found in good condition.

I use a Pentax ME Super with the 40mm pancake lens on quite often when I'm out hiking .
Very light and compact .
I also take the Pentax -M 135mm f/3.5 in a pocket as with the 40mm it's makes a good two lens combination .
I've probably had this camera about 15 years and never had a problem , though my main camera systems are Minolta auto focus and manual focus cameras if I'm shooting 35mm .

I don't have a Pentax MX , so I can't comment on that .

neilt3 said:

I also take the Pentax -M 135mm f/3.5 in a pocket as with the 40mm it's makes a good two lens combination .

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How to change lenses with a installed film?
What do you think about the comparison of MX/ME with the Olympus OM-1? Which advantages are there?

Ryzg said:

How to change lenses with a installed film?
What do you think about the comparison of MX/ME with the Olympus OM-1? Which advantages are there?

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These cameras are SLR's , and they have interchangeable lenses .
The whole idea really !
They don't have a shutter in the lens like a fixed lens point and shoot , the shutter is in front of the film itself .
The film is only exposed when a shot is being taken .
Likewise , the mirror is also down .
Press the lens release button on the camera body ( or the tab on Olympus lenses ) and turn the lens to remove it , replacing with a different lens is just a case of inserting it and twisting till you hear the click .

Regards the OM-1 the light meter is designed for use with a 1.35 volt mercury battery , which is not available anymore .
I believe the meter can be adjusted by a repair man for use with the current 1.5 volt batteries .

Regarding use , I shoot medium format and large format film with manual settings worked out with a spot meter .
Most of my 35mm camera have a built in light meter , and while some cameras are manual only , the cameras I tend to use the most have some form of automatic setting .
I tend to shoot in Aperture Priority , where I select the desired aperture and the camera selects the shutter speed depending on light conditions .

The camera needs to be shot in full manual setting though for when you want to shoot in conditions that require it .

For using my Olympus lenses I tend to use them on an OM-10 ( with it's seperate shutter speed controller ) small and light , as are the lenses .
It's a nice camera to use , though most people tend to look down their noses at it saying you should be using the OM-1 or OM-2 ( or "n" variants) .
I also have some of those , but prefer the OM-10 .
As long as you get the separate shutter speed controller , it does all you need . Small , light , uses modern batteries etc .

The Pentax ME Super also uses modern batteries , has Aperture Priority or can be shot manually .
For changing shutter speed in manual mode it has two buttons to change up or down .
I prefer a diall to do this , but shooting in Aperture priority mostly , this isn't really an issue .

Another compact , good quality camera with a good selection of lenses is the Minolta XD-7 .
Best of both really , full manual control by a dial as well as Aperture priority and Shutter priority modes .

To control the aperture on these cameras you move the ring on the lens .

There are lots of cameras to chose from that will do what you want , including Canon , Nikon and Contax etc , at the end of the day though , all they are is a light tight box .
Especially if you plan on just shooting manually , without automatic settings .
You probably want to start by looking at what type of lenses and made by who your interested in first , then select a suitable body .

Ok!
I have a small number of M42 lenses, which system is best for using them, Olympus or Pentax?

I have examples of the ME Super, the MX and the LX. My Supers work perfectly, although I sent one back because of the bad contact on the compensation dial alluded to above. My MXs all suffer from rapid cell drain. Yes, I've checked the little switch under the bottom plate. Other than that they work perfectly, and of course the sunny f16 rule or a hand held meter will keep you going. With the MEs, either the plain ME or the Super without a cell you have only 1/125 shutter. A little limiting!

Now the LX. As a glutton for punishment I have three. Two work perfectly, the other has the sticky mirror syndrome. A CLA on the LX is in the neighborhood of $200. Be aware that since it makes much use of electronics, parts availability is uncertain and will get worse as time goes by. Without cells the shutter speeds above 1/70 are available; it has a hybrid shutter.

Of the three the MX would be my choice for long-term reliability because of its simplicity. Both the ME and Super are at this time cheap enough to just buy another rather than fixing. The LX is a wonderful camera to use, but as I note above its feature array makes its long-term reliability more suspect, and repairs are costly. The LX was a direct competitor to the Nikon F3, thus a LX may have seen heavy professional use with all that implies. But what a wonderful camera!

Ryzg said:

Ok!
I have a small number of M42 lenses, which system is best for using them, Olympus or Pentax?

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In that case , non of the cameras being discussed here !
You would be best served with a camera that is natively m42 .
A Pentax Spotmatic would do , mind that the shutter isn't sticking at slower speeds though .
The Practika's are a bit big and heavy .
I've recently bought a Revue SD1 , a rebadged Chinon 3 + ( I think ) not finished the first roll threw it yet but it seems to work well .
Either set the shutter speed or aperture to what you want , move the meter leaver up to stop the lens down and adjust the other value until the green light lights up .
It uses stop down metering and is small and light .
If your looking at a Chinon be aware that they changed from M42 mount to K mount not long after Pentax did , so check first .

Ryzg said:

Ok!
I have a small number of M42 lenses, which system is best for using them, Olympus or Pentax?

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Pentax would be the obvious choice. While Olympus made a worthy M42 camera, see http://www.biofos.com/cornucop/ftl.html Olympus lenses to utilize the full aperture metering on that camera are doubtless rare. I imagine that an adaptor from M42 to the OM series probably sacrifices auto diaphragm. Pentax M42 bodies are readily available, inexpensive, and delightful to use.

Another contender is the Praktica LTL. Mine is old, heavily used, bounced off a sidewalk, but the shutter sounds accurate. It uses a bridge circuit meter so, even though it originally used a mercury cell any silver oxide cell which will fit should work fine. Fit and finish are not up to Pentax standards, but the stop down metering implementation is much better than Pentax's, IMHO. A working example should be cheap.

Ryzg said:

I have a small number of M42 lenses, which system is best for using them, Olympus or Pentax?

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Pentax or Fuji

Black M42 by Narsuitus, on Flickr

Fuji? Interesting, but example...? (with similar weight and dimensional characteristics like MX)

There is no full size manual SLR that's as small as the MX. It happens to also have the biggest full info viewfinder with interchangeable screens.



You can use an M42 lenses via a commonly available M42-K adapter.

Thank you all! MX - my choice!)