Blog post on using the Pentax ESII

<p>Hello all<br>

I've been using the Pentax ESII for the last five or so years after bumping into Pennie Smith, who shot the cover of The Clash's London Calling, still using her battered Pentax at a gig.</p>

<p>I just published a post on using the ESII on my film photography blog.</p>

<p>http://zorkiphoto.co.uk/2013/09/29/pentax-esii-camera-review/</p>

<p>Do check it out if you're interested.</p>

<p>I'm keen to hear from anyone who's been using them aswell - I now have four bodies, and they're my ultimate travel camera.</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<p>Stephen</p>

<p>Hi Stephen, yes I have both the ES and ESII. I enjoy them and the fine SMC lenses very much. You might find my post on the ES enjoyable <a href="/classic-cameras-forum/00X86Q">HERE</a>.</p>

<p>Lovely and inspiring work from both of you. My film counter is onto the 3rd photo on my Spotmatic -- a shame. I don't even know if my copy is the ES version or not. I will visit both of your blog and forum post to learn more about the ES/ESII. </p>

<p><a title="IMGP6605 by hin_man, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5470/9531688841_3704cda972_b.jpg" alt="IMGP6605" width="1024" height="678" /></a></p>

<p>One new-by question that I have is on the focusing screen with the Spotmatic. I have not gotten used to the focusing screen without a split screen, is there any trick that you can share with me in coping with the focusing screen. I have found it to be quite difficult to be sure of focus especially in indoor shooting. I can set the M/A switch to A to focus wide open but I can easily move the focus position in toggling back from A to M. Do you know if the focusing screen on ES is replaceable? <br>

<br />Also any recommended for places to develop and scan developed b&w film into digital with reliable results will be of great interest to me. </p>

<p>You guys are all too advanced..I never owned a Spotmatic beyond the F!</p>

<p>Love shots on the site.</p>

<p>I, too, haven't been happy with local B&W film processing, not that I do a lot of it anymore (mostly with the 67). So if you hear anything Hin, I'd appreciate a reply too. t.</p>

<p>I broke my promise in stopping 135 film that I made in last new year dream of new year resolution. <br /><br />In getting the LBA flu (lens buying addiction flu that I get after every new year or the silly new year resoluiton), I get hooked with a SuperTakumar 35mm f/3.5. Everyone who does not mind slower lens has to give the Super-Tak 35mm f/3.5 a try, it is my most awesome M42 lens that is around $60 a piece with outstanding condition and with the original lens hood.</p>

<p>I absolutely go non-stop on the Super-Takumar (or SMC) and please don't embarrass me to list all the takumar related lens that I have secretly accumulated. It goes roughly in every apertures that you can find from 28mm to 150mm and the only thing that place a stop for me in getting the rarer super-Tak 200mm f/3.5 or the takumar 35mm f/2.3 are the joel-blow who outbid me in evilBay.</p>

<p>So there it goes my side-track story in my break-promise on the Spotmatic and 135 films. But in all honesty, I am so thankful to have bumped into the Spotmatic family because of my LBA flu on SMC (super)-Takumar lens series.</p>

<p>@Douglas, I love Dwayne Photo in Kansas as I think they are one of the most reliable in film development but I have a hard time with the low resolution scanning and hence I want to find an alternative place with good development like DWayne Photo but with good quality scanning. These three places are mentioned in my earlier thread with Black Spotmatic Beauty. I heard good thing in North Coast Photo and will try out a scan and report back hopefully soon.</p>

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<p><br /><a href="http://www.northcoastphoto.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">North Coast Photo</a> appears to offer $5.75 C-41 develop and $6.95 for budget scans. Printing looks to add another $5-6.5, and then shipping on top of everything.<br /><br /><a href="http://thedarkroom.com/film-developing/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Darkroom</a> does $10 process and scan, $5 for prints and $4 for shipping. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.photographicworks.com/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Photographic Works</a> (who I've used for 4x5" in the past) in Tucson does C-41 for $3.5, scans for 30� from an uncut roll ($10ish), apparently no option for typical 4x6" prints. Plus shipping.</p>

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<p><strong>Louis:</strong> Nice piece on the ES. I had one of those aswell, but gave it to a friend who was travelling through Asia on the way to Australia.I went with the ES II because of the extra ISO sensitivity - I like shooting in low-light and being able to shoot at 3200 is appealing.</p>

<p><strong>Hin:</strong> Good luck with your first roll on the Spotmatic. Takumar lenses are truly superb - love their trade-off with sharpness and creamy bokeh when shot wide open. </p>

<p>I live in the Uk so don't use US labs, but have hear great things about North Coast Photo.</p>

<p>Well, I had to have <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pentax-ESII-35mm-film-slr-body-chrome-/221294693594?ViewItem=&ssPageName=ADME%3AL%3ACOSI%3AUS%3A1123&item=221294693594&nma=true&si=S6135TZKLjrCjSrXSmcJRob9q9c%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557">one</a>!</p>