aldevo
Member
I bought another Fujica ST801. These have a 1/2000th shutter speed (unique for an M42 camera originating in the early-1970s) and a wonderfully-bright split-image focusing screen. The metering circuit is also very, very easy to adjust - and opening up the camera doesn't require you to improvise "custom" tools like filing down compasses to remove the cover for the takeup spool shaft Ever try to open up a Pentax Spotmatic? UGH! I'm not fond of the LED-based metering - which is a classic example of "why-tech?" not "high-tech" - and Fujica ditched it for their later STX05 cameras in favor of good old match-needles. Nonetheless, the accuracy of the meter (one of the first to use SBC metering circuits) is very good - better than, say, the meter on a Canon FTb - which was a competing model at the time and which I also own.
These cameras handle superbly with the smallish (frequently 49mm filter threaded) Super and SMC Takumar lenses. As a point of caution - there are some largish M42 lenses that should not be mounted to these cameras (e.g. a Yashinon DX 50mm f/1.4) because they will interfere with the movement of the mirror.
The weak point of the these cameras is their film transport mechanisms. I've owned 5 ST801s and three of them experienced film-transport-related failures. Two of them were the result of a very sad decision by Fujica engineers to under-spec the material for the film advance lever assembly. It is composed of a relatively soft metal with the consequence that the film advance shaft steadily "machines" the once-rectangular hole in the film advance assembly into a useless circular hold that causes the film advance lever to ultimately spin uselessly about the shaft. A shame.
I should also mention that all of the Fujica M42 SLRs are also susceptible to developing front-focusing problems - i.e. the focusing screen indicates that the image is focused further back than it actually it is - I would recommend that anybody looking to purchase one test for this as soon as possible.
These cameras handle superbly with the smallish (frequently 49mm filter threaded) Super and SMC Takumar lenses. As a point of caution - there are some largish M42 lenses that should not be mounted to these cameras (e.g. a Yashinon DX 50mm f/1.4) because they will interfere with the movement of the mirror.
The weak point of the these cameras is their film transport mechanisms. I've owned 5 ST801s and three of them experienced film-transport-related failures. Two of them were the result of a very sad decision by Fujica engineers to under-spec the material for the film advance lever assembly. It is composed of a relatively soft metal with the consequence that the film advance shaft steadily "machines" the once-rectangular hole in the film advance assembly into a useless circular hold that causes the film advance lever to ultimately spin uselessly about the shaft. A shame.
I should also mention that all of the Fujica M42 SLRs are also susceptible to developing front-focusing problems - i.e. the focusing screen indicates that the image is focused further back than it actually it is - I would recommend that anybody looking to purchase one test for this as soon as possible.