Pentax SP500

[Andrew O'Neill]

Someone kindly donated one to our photography department. It's in mint condition and I really want to put it into circulation here...the problem is it takes a different battery than the K1000's that we currently use. If you currently use this camera, what battery are you using? Thank you!

 

[pentaxpete]

' Mercury Battery PX-400' OR a 'Wein Cell' replacement '

 

[BradS]

For my personal use, I use a handheld Gossen with all my Spotmatics now.

For students, I've started teaching the kids to use the light meter app on their smart phones. I'm using and recommending "myLightmeter Pro" but there are several that are pretty good. The kids catch on pretty quickly...well, some do anyway.

 

[abruzzi]

The spotmatics all work fine with silver or lithium cells, don’t they? My SP does.

 

[GRHazelton]

My Pentax Spotmatic F also calls for a mercury cell, but since the meter is a bridge circuit it is "happy" with a silver oxide cell. Given that both my Spotmatic F and the SP 500 rely on the centering of the needle for setting the exposure I'm pretty certain that the SP 500 also uses a bridge circuit. Thus a silver oxide cell which will physically fit should be fine. BTW, check with Pentaxforums.com for good info on all Pentax gear.

 

[BradS]

Although the light meter circuit in these Spotmatics may work satisfactorily with a modern, 1.5v battery, most of them need the CdS photo cells replaced by now. If the light meter response is be non-linear, then you pretty much know it needs new CdS photo cells.

 

[BradS]

My Pentax Spotmatic F also calls for a mercury cell, but since the meter is a bridge circuit it is "happy" with a silver oxide cell.

I believe that the Spotmatic F was originally designed for the 1.5V alkaline cell, not the 1.35V mercury cell.

 

[Paul Howell]

The manual index has the heading Mercury Battery then on page calls for 625, which was the size for the Mercury Battery. I have 2 Spotmatics and both work fine on newer 1.5V alkaline batteries. I think the K line was designed for alkaline batteries, not sure about the ES.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Cheers everyone for your help! I'll pop into London Drugs after school and see what I can find.

 

[BradS]

The manual index has the heading Mercury Battery then on page calls for 625, which was the size for the Mercury Battery. I have 2 Spotmatics and both work fine on newer 1.5V alkaline batteries. I think the K line was designed for alkaline batteries, not sure about the ES.

Ah, indeed you and GRHzelton are correct. When I had an Spotmatic F, I always used the newer, same form and fit, alkaline 625G. It worked perfectly. I guess I just assumed that since they changed the battery compartment to fit a different battery than all the prior Spotmatics, they did it to accommodate the non-mercury battery.

I currently have more than ten Spotmatics (and many more have come and gone over the years) and like I said previously, if the CdS photocells have not degraded, the meters all work well enough to be useful with a modern 1.5v battery but many Spotmatics, especially the older ones, need / needed to have the CdS photocells replaced.

The K and later bodies all use alkaline or the equivalent silver oxide.

 

[Paul Howell]

What about the ES and ESII, these were among the last M42 mounts Pentax made?

 

[BradS]

Not sure. I have never been interested in them but was under the impression that they used LR44 cells.

 

[Chan Tran]

If I have one of them I would simply use it no battery needed.

 

[Paul Howell]

Not sure. I have never been interested in them but was under the impression that they used LR44 cells.

Just checked the manual, 6 volt 544, which I think is the LR 44.

 

[GRHazelton]

Ah, indeed you and GRHzelton are correct. When I had an Spotmatic F, I always used the newer, same form and fit, alkaline 625G. It worked perfectly. I guess I just assumed that since they changed the battery compartment to fit a different battery than all the prior Spotmatics, they did it to accommodate the non-mercury battery.

I currently have more than ten Spotmatics (and many more have come and gone over the years) and like I said previously, if the CdS photocells have not degraded, the meters all work well enough to be useful with a modern 1.5v battery but many Spotmatics, especially the older ones, need / needed to have the CdS photocells replaced.

The K and later bodies all use alkaline or the equivalent silver oxide.

Good point about CdS deterioration. I'll have to compare my Spotmatic F with my Gossen and see if they track reasonably closely. With the latitude of BW film it can be hard to estimate visually from the negatives.

 

[BradS]

Cheers everyone for your help! I'll pop into London Drugs after school and see what I can find.

The Energizer 387S works pretty well. It fits the battery chamber perfectly.

 

[mshchem]

The spotmatics all work fine with silver or lithium cells, don’t they? My SP does.

Absolutely, the meter isn't voltage dependant.

 

[mshchem]

My first SLR was a SP 500, years later I found out that there was a 1/1000th second speed, it just isn't marked on the dial . That's what's referred to these days as a module variant. If you wanted 1/1000th on the dial it cost an extra 100 bucks. And it looked cooler too.

Take a 800 dollar refrigerator, slap some cheap stainless steel doors on it, add a dairy module put a Viking or Kitchen aid badge on it and sell it for 3000 bucks. Gravy from discriminating consumers. The badges are really nice and the units still work well, every one is happy.

 

[mgb74]

My first SLR was a SP 500, years later I found out that there was a 1/1000th second speed, it just isn't marked on the dial . That's what's referred to these days as a module variant. If you wanted 1/1000th on the dial it cost an extra 100 bucks. And it looked cooler too.

Take a 800 dollar refrigerator, slap some cheap stainless steel doors on it, add a dairy module put a Viking or Kitchen aid badge on it and sell it for 3000 bucks. Gravy from discriminating consumers. The badges are really nice and the units still work well, every one is happy.

Actually, the Spotmatic example is the inverse of your refrigerator example. Take a $400 SP1000, remove the 1/1000 marking (and the detent too I believe), and sell it as a $300 SP500. As I recall, Honeywell did that with some thermostats too; the functionality was the same but just missing the button to access it.

 

[mshchem]

Actually, the Spotmatic example is the inverse of your refrigerator example. Take a $400 SP1000, remove the 1/1000 marking (and the detent too I believe), and sell it as a $300 SP500. As I recall, Honeywell did that with some thermostats too; the functionality was the same but just missing the button to access it.

Actually the example stands, both are of identical quality and function. Except the 800 dollar refrigerator has powder coated or pre-painted galvanized steel which is WAY LESS susceptible to corrosion than 400 series SS.

 

[Paul Howell]

Konica made a similar line of bodies, the A to A3, same basic camera as the T and T, the A had top shutter speed of 1/500, no F stop read out in the viewfinder, lacked depth of field, but same build quality. The later A3 had the same shutter 1/1000. I have a meterless Pentax 500 in storage, it does not seem have the build quality of the Spotmatic.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

My wife checked online, in Japan, and apparently photographers are using an LR41 cell with a small rubber washer to hold it in place there. I could order the cells from Amazon...or just wait until I go to Japan in March...not in a real hurry.

 

[dynachrome]

There were two versions of the Konica Autoreflex A. The second one had Phillips head screws. The A1000 had a top speed of 1/1000. Minolta made the SRT 100, which had a top speed of 1/500.

 

[John51]

Actually, the Spotmatic example is the inverse of your refrigerator example. Take a $400 SP1000, remove the 1/1000 marking (and the detent too I believe), and sell it as a $300 SP500.

With the SP500, Pentax gave the illusion of an economy build. afaik, the f2 kit lens was the same glass as the f1.8 on regular Spotties but with the max aperture set to f2. Plus of course, no marking for 1/1000 on the shutter dial.

No hot shoe and no self timer on the SP500 makes for clean lines imo.

 

[DREW WILEY]

My Honeywell Pentax was pre-meter. No problem. I've used separate meters my whole life. That little camera survived a lot of mtn climbing incidents. One of the shutter speeds finally wore out.