Pentax MZ-S?

titrisol · Nov 26, 2008

I saw one of these the other day, I thought it looked good and may be a good pro-sumer camera.
From what I read it is a very late camera (2001) and was built until recently (2006)

Anyone has used/owned one

Opinions?

Jerry Thirsty · Nov 26, 2008

Sure, it's a fine camera. I would say if you're looking for an AF Pentax to tide you over until film makes its glorious resurgence and they start making film cameras again this would be the one to have. It could be argued that the PZ-1p is a slightly more professional-featured camera, but it's also a generation older. The MZ-S is much better built than the rest of the MZ/ZX line or the *ist. One caveat is that there's no way to manually control the lens aperture through the body, so if you get one of the newer lenses without an aperture ring, you're stuck with shutter priority and program. And I don't think you will be able to use the new SDM lenses on it (at least not with AF, you might be able to tape over the power zoom contacts and use MF).

titrisol · Nov 26, 2008

I have no AF cameras.... I bought a used MZ-50 but it died after 3 rolls due to the mirror-gear syndrome.....
so the MZs seemed like a decent option

pentaxuser · Nov 26, 2008

This is going to sound strange coming from "pentaxuser" but I recall several years ago seeing various reports which said that even then, the MZS wasn't really a match for the Canon and Nikon equivalents. Pentax had maybe begun to lose its way when the MZ-S came out. It was its analogue "swan song" and it quickly then lost irrecoverable ground to both Canon and Nikon which in analogue terms, I suspect, it had no intention of trying to make up.

If you can get one in excellent condition and at a price far cheaper than say a F100 or F5 then maybe it's worth buying but if my Pentax MZ7 packed up tomorrow then I'd switch to Nikon without hesitation.

Pity but there's no turning Pentax's clock back as they say.

pentaxuser

mudman · Nov 26, 2008

I've heard that it's a great camera, but I've never been able to use one because use prices are very high most of the time. ~300 to 400 last time I looked.

Jerry Thirsty · Nov 26, 2008

The label of prosumer is about right for the MZ-S; I don't think it was ever expected to compete with the F5 or EOS-1v. It's reasonably equivalent to an F100 I think, or maybe just a smidge lower. I always wanted an F100, until a co-worker loaned me his for the weekend. By my standards, that thing was huge! Cured me of that episode of GAS. The MZ-S is actually a little smaller than the F3, which feels about right to me.

elekm · Nov 26, 2008

I recall reading the reviews of this camera, and most were very favorable. I recall wanting to buy one, but I was starting my move into rangefinders and German classics at that time, so I never did get one.

titrisol · Nov 27, 2008

Thanks all for your comments, if I find one for good price I'll get one

Pentax MZ-S?

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