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Fiddlefye

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Pentax H and Spotmatic are beautiful classics, the ME and MX very cute (esp with their tiny M lenses), but the LX never quite rang my bell. On paper it answers every wish list any owner of the MX or an Olympus OM could have, in practice its a bit polarizing (and the uninspiring repair issues don't help matters). Finding one in mint condition at a reasonable price is quite a catch for any Pentax enthusiast (and Fiddlefye you do have an enviable knack of finding amazing bargains like your recent Canon F-1 acquisition).

 

Unless I've lost track, this should nearly complete your collection of legendary 1970-1980 full-system 35mm SLR variations? In short order you've found very nice examples of Leicaflex, Canon, Olympus and Pentax to keep your existing Nikons company. Now all you need is a Contax RTS and Topcon Super DM-1, then you can rest awhile. ;)

 

If you really want to go all out, perhaps later hunt down a Minolta XK Motor, Contarex SE, and Rolleiflex SL2000 (which can accept M42 lenses with full auto diaphragm coupling). Tho bargains among these rarities are very unlikely.

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Congratulations on your LX and lenses--I used 4 of them professionally for many years with only one repair, an erratic film counter. One of the things I still miss is the bright, contrasty finder and the various viewing options. I still have two that don't get the use that they should, but both are still fully functional. I always found the Pentax lenses to be excellent performers, and despite being lighter in weight than many comparable focal lengths from other manufacturers they were also very durable under hard use. One of the best lenses I own is a Pentax 85 mm f/1.8 that I bought new in 1978. It is very sharp and focuses as smoothly as the day that I bought it.
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Pentax H and Spotmatic are beautiful classics, the ME and MX very cute (esp with their tiny M lenses), but the LX never quite rang my bell. On paper it answers every wish list any owner of the MX or an Olympus OM could have, in practice its a bit polarizing (and the uninspiring repair issues don't help matters). Finding one in mint condition at a reasonable price is quite a catch for any Pentax enthusiast (and Fiddlefye you do have an enviable knack of finding amazing bargains like your recent Canon F-1 acquisition).

 

Unless I've lost track, this should nearly complete your collection of legendary 1970-1980 full-system 35mm SLR variations? In short order you've found very nice examples of Leicaflex, Canon, Olympus and Pentax to keep your existing Nikons company. Now all you need is a Contax RTS and Topcon Super DM-1, then you can rest awhile. ;)

 

If you really want to go all out, perhaps later hunt down a Minolta XK Motor, Contarex SE, and Rolleiflex SL2000 (which can accept M42 lenses with full auto diaphragm coupling). Tho bargains among these rarities are very unlikely.

Truth is that these lovelies coming to me hasn't been an organized campaign, rather a bit of luck and answering the door when opportunity knocked. These cameras came to me via varying paths - the OM-2n/50 f1.8 was a gift from a friend when they gave up film photography, the OM-1/35 f2.8 was a garage sale find a half decade ago. The two Leicaflexes were extremely fortunate ebay buys a year and a half ago, the Canon F-1 (as I mentioned) was a random estate sale find while taking a break from work. The Contax RTS and RTS II (and some lovely Zeiss glass) were my main system through the second half of the 80s and 90s so I have had the privilege of extensive experience with them (loved them!). A Topcon Super DM-1 would be interesting, but they don't turn up often around here. The Minolta XK has always fascinated me, but again rather rare and pricey. If one turned up like the F-1 did it would certainly come home with me, though. I had a few Contarexes in my camera collecting phase in the late 80s, though a SE eluded me. I also had a couple of Rolleiflex SLRs (bought to match some lovely Zeiss glass I found orphaned at a yard sale, lol), though never the snazzy and unique SL-2000. My tech hates working on them and would probably disown me if I bought one. :( He loves fine older cameras and enjoys what I drag in for service (instead of yet another worn-out Canon Rebel), but he does draw a line...

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Back in the '70s I hopscotched between Olympus OM-1 and Pentax MX, then years later moved to Nikon FM and eventually the F2AS that I expect to be buried with. When I had the smaller systems, they drove me crazy because neither was just right. Pentax MX had hands down the worst LED meter display ever put in a camera (it washed out near a 60 watt bulb, forget visibility in normal daylight).The Pentax M lenses were multicoated, with much smoother focus ring feel, but I preferred the OM Zuikos in some focal lengths. The OM-1 had the quietest, best-damped shutter/mirror of any SLR, but film advance feel was ragged, the finder was so bright it lacked some of the contrast that made the Pentax easier to focus, and the Zuikos were a rather more variable lot than their current legend admits (some were great, some really not that great: just like Nikon, the OM Emperor was occasionally buck naked).

 

For years I would dream of a magical combo: a Pentax MX with OM1 meter display that could mount both Pentax and Zuiko lenses, or an OM-1 that could mount both Pentax and Zuiko lenses. Eventually I split the difference with a Nikon FM: not nearly as refined as OM or MX, but perfect meter and far more consistently-sized and predictable (if not always equally good) optics. After a few years, the FM made me forget the appeal of small quiet cameras and I embraced the larger F2AS, never looking back. But the OM1 gnawed at me: that quiet shutter and convenient lens-mounted controls became irresistible until I caved and picked up another OM1. It won't surprise me at all if a Pentax MX joins it soon: then I'll have all my old friends back (except the FM, which I never really loved). And an excuse to re-buy some Pentax M glass, after dabbling in M42 Takumars the past few years.

Edited by orsetto
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Back in the '70s I hopscotched between Olympus OM-1 and Pentax MX, then years later moved to Nikon FM and eventually the F2AS that I expect to be buried with. When I had the smaller systems, they drove me crazy because neither was just right. Pentax MX had hands down the worst LED meter display ever put in a camera (it washed out near a 60 watt bulb, forget visibility in normal daylight).The Pentax M lenses were multicoated, with much smoother focus ring feel, but I preferred the OM Zuikos in some focal lengths. The OM-1 had the quietest, best-damped shutter/mirror of any SLR, but film advance feel was ragged, the finder was so bright it lacked some of the contrast that made the Pentax easier to focus, and the Zuikos were a rather more variable lot than their current legend admits (some were great, some really not that great: just like Nikon, the OM Emperor was occasionally buck naked).

 

For years I would dream of a magical combo: a Pentax MX with OM1 meter display that could mount both Pentax and Zuiko lenses, or an OM-1 that could mount both Pentax and Zuiko lenses. Eventually I split the difference with a Nikon FM: not nearly as refined as OM or MX, but perfect meter and far more consistently-sized and predictable (if not always equally good) optics. After a few years, the FM made me forget the appeal of small quiet cameras and I embraced the larger F2AS, never looking back. But the OM1 gnawed at me: that quiet shutter and convenient lens-mounted controls became irresistible until I caved and picked up another OM1. It won't surprise me at all if a Pentax MX joins it soon: then I'll have all my old friends back (except the FM, which I never really loved). And an excuse to re-buy some Pentax M glass, after dabbling in M42 Takumars the past few years.

The OM-1 is a rather unique camera. Paradoxically, much as I wish it had information in the finder I also rather enjoy that it doesn't. No, that doesn't make sense... I took mine out with the 50 f1.8 and 35 f2.8 for a long walk around the neighbourhood last weekend, shot a couple of rolls of HP5 and really enjoyed the experience. I found it interesting that while the film advance feels a bit ragged when the camera is empty it is much smoother when loaded. My Leicaflexes exhibit the same.

 

The one issue with the film advance in the OM-1 is that I find the lever pokes me when I shoot verticals (whichever way I hold the camera) and I do that quite a bit, probably more than average. The Leicaflex, Canon F-1, Nikon FE and Pentax LX have wind systems that manage to sit far enough away from the axis that they don't do that. The F2S is just marginal in that regard, at least for my face.

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Very nice.

 

I've long thought that many of the Pentax models are among the most beautiful SLRs.

My first SLR was a Heiland Pentax H2.

[ATTACH]1317307[/ATTACH]

I missed it so much that I found this one

My first camera was my father's Honeywell Pentax H3v, just slightly later than your H2. I used it right up until 1984 when I bought a Contax RTS then RTS II. It traveled the world with me served very well indeed.

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Black Spotmatics always seemed more rare and exotic for some reason: one of these days I'd really like to find clean black ESII to keep my SP1000 company.

 

Konica T3 is near-indestructible, other than the meters which nowadays rarely work. Got mine for pocket change, came with a fantastic 50/1.4 Hexanon which is now my go-to fast 50mm on mirrorless. Hexanons are a paradox: on one hand, nobody talks about them because Konica evaporated during the AF SLR explosion, and was never as common as Nikon, Pentax, Canon, Minolta. OTOH, enough people do know how incredible the glass is that the most desirable focal lengths are pretty much unobtainable now. Whoever last bought them, kept them, the few that come up for sale are very very expensive. I'd love a 355/2 and 85/1.8, but never see them around.

 

Gotta love mirrorless for finally making the dream of a universal mount come true: Zuikos, Takumars, Pentax M, Contax, Nikkors, Hexanons, etc all on the same camera body.

Edited by orsetto
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Black Spotmatics always seemed more rare and exotic for some reason: one of these days I'd really like to find clean black ESII to keep my SP1000 company.

 

Konica T3 is near-indestructible, other than the meters which nowadays rarely work. Got mine for pocket change, came with a fantastic 50/1.4 Hexanon which is now my go-to fast 50mm on mirrorless. Hexanons are a paradox: on one hand, nobody talks about them because Konica evaporated during the AF SLR explosion, and was never as common as Nikon, Pentax, Canon, Minolta. OTOH, enough people do know how incredible the glass is that the most desirable focal lengths are pretty much unobtainable now. Whoever last bought them, kept them, the few that come up for sale are very very expensive. I'd love a 355/2 and 85/1.8, but never see them around.

 

Gotta love mirrorless for finally making the dream of a universal mount come true: Zuikos, Takumars, Pentax M, Contax, Nikkors, Hexanons, etc all on the same camera body.

I haven't trod the mirrorless path yet, but maybe one day. With the Nikon D750 I've been able to use every single one of my Nikkors exactly as when they are on a film body and that has been good enough for me to date. I have quite a bit of other glass though and apart from the Leica R stuff none of it can be made to work with the D750. Some of the cool old 50s German SLR stuff (not to mention the LSM rangefinder lenses) would be cool to play with in digital, but I'm afraid that I could end up overwhelmed by the possibilities and never get to know any of them well enough to take a decent photo!

 

One other interesting set of possibilities I have is through my Rolleiflex SL-66. I picked up a couple of new blank lens boards and with the bellows on the camera the potential is vast!

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I dragged the whole bag full of Pentax goodies over to my tech's shop today. It turns out that he is far more of a Pentax freak than I imagined as I've always known him to be a Nikon guy. He said that if I ever wanted to sell either the LX or the 50 f1.2 he has first dibs!He then dragged out his "A" 50 f1.4 and proclaimed he would never part with it.

 

The LX had the usual mirror sticking issues and for the first while was very sluggish and stuck up most of the time. After working things it got better and much to my surprise it now is perfect on every shot. I think it should still get the lube flushed and replaced, but I'll probably put a roll through before that anyway as my tech is still working on the canon F-1.

 

The other lenses I got with the camera are delightful, each in its own way. The 135 f3.5 is a tiny gem and easy to focus. I'll get a roll of something in there and take it all out for a walk as the weather allows.

Edited by Fiddlefye
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  • 3 weeks later...
The Pentax LX is definitely a nice camera. However, most "top" cameras are "Automatic" and the usage is so limited without batteries (as I remember, this is a common issue for Nikon F3, Olympus OM-4, Canon New F1, and Minolta XK). That is why I now prefer the Canon F1n (and I use it without batteries mostly, or even with battery and not turning on).
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The Pentax LX is definitely a nice camera. However, most "top" cameras are "Automatic" and the usage is so limited without batteries (as I remember, this is a common issue for Nikon F3, Olympus OM-4, Canon New F1, and Minolta XK). That is why I now prefer the Canon F1n (and I use it without batteries mostly, or even with battery and not turning on).

The Pentax LX will work without batteries at the sync speed (1/75) and higher. For slower speeds, the light meter and auto operation, batteries are required. When I was using these cameras professionally I replaced the batteries once a year just to be sure that they wouldn't quit when I needed them but I never wore them out.

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  • 2 months later...
The Pentax LX is definitely a nice camera. However, most "top" cameras are "Automatic" and the usage is so limited without batteries (as I remember, this is a common issue for Nikon F3, Olympus OM-4, Canon New F1, and Minolta XK). That is why I now prefer the Canon F1n (and I use it without batteries mostly, or even with battery and not turning on).

I also have a Canon F-1n and love it. While they both get the job done well they are definitely different beasts to work with. I was rather surprised to discover how good the Vivitar Series 1 35-85 f2.8 in the photo turned out to be.

49156362412_3abe615435_k.jpgDSC_6779 by fiddlefye, on Flickr

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, if we're going to post pictures of 'off brands' here......

 

Here's my shabby but still chic (and working) chrome SV sporting a surprisingly good Chinon lens.

839405372_PentaxSV.thumb.jpg.67112131e450e8060edf87025ede7a15.jpg

 

And my Spotmatic F wearing the opposition's colours.

348781108_SpotmaticF.thumb.jpg.27fb8e241451f870f3fec4f1f9eae466.jpg

 

Hey! Nikon make very good straps.

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  • 4 weeks later...

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