Which M42 Camera Do Yoy Prefer & Use the Most?

I have an acquaintance that really loves M42 screw-mount cameras & is trying to get me interested in them as a

low-cost alternative to Pentax K-mount & digital cameras..

 

I know nothing about these cameras..Of the available cameras on the used market today, which ones have the best

reputation for reliability, durability, & functionality?..Which are the most popular, which I realize might not

translate into the previous three qualities..Which do you use & why..Can I assume that if I purchase any of these

older cameras that a CLA is in order?..

 

Thanks for your input..

 

Bruce

A lot of the Spotmatics have sticky meters, so a CLA is usually required. My personal user is a Fujica ST801; it takes modern batteries and is pretty well built. Also, if you use Fujinon lenses with it, the aperture ring couples to the light meter so that you don't need to use stop-down metering.

Pentax Spotmatic F.

 

I don't care if the meter is sticky or not, I use my Gossen Lunasix anyway.

Spotmatic F with black body. My dad gave it to me. It's beautifully brassed but in excellent condition. The meter might be sticky, but I always use a handheld incident meter with it anyway.

 

I recently paired it with a Super Takumar 55/1.8, which is now one of my favourite lenses. Much sharper and contrastier than the Takumar 50/4 macro that my dad used with it.

Admittedly not a classic, but I do use classic lenses on it - a couple of years ago I bought a Bessaflex - a recently-

produced M42-mount camera from Cosina-Voightlander. I don't think they're in production anymore.

 

It has the advantage of being pretty recent, and I bought it new, so it won't break down for some time. It does have

an LED-based +/- meter, which I found takes some getting used to.

 

However, I must confess the "M42 camera" I use the most is actually an M42-to-K-mount adapter on a Pentax ME

Super - when I want to use an SLR, I find aperture-priority very convenient, I really like the form factor of the ME

Super (very compact for an SLR), and while M42 lenses are available, K-mount are much more common locally for

me, at least, so an M42 adapter lets me have the best of both worlds (losing the automatic aperture of the M42 lens,

however, which isn't a big deal for me).

 

As for cost of K-mount lenses - not sure where your friend is getting that - many of the lenses I've seen locally and

on eBay are US$100 or less (sometimes much less), and that's in the same general range as M42 lenses (although

the M42 versions seem to sit longer in stores, so you may be able to strike a better deal in person for those).

I have a Hanimex 35SL which is actually a relabelled Chinon CS. It supports auto aperture, and it comes with a hot shoe flash mount and self timer. It is heavy, but dependable. I also use a Praktica Super TL. The super TL however doesn't have a flash mount or self timer. M42 lenses are a dime a dozen. If you want a little higher end, try the Pentax Takumars. You'll spend a bit more, but they are good. Some Russian lenses are also nice. I use a Jupiter 37A (3.5/135 mm) and it is sharp. I also like the Pentacon Electric 1.8/50mm and Makinon 2.8/28mm wide angle. I got them all for a song. I've also managed to get some versatility with a 2X teleconverter that doesn't compromise the image quality. The most I've paid for anything was $15.00 for the Makinon and $15.00 for the Hanimex body. The Hanimex (Chinon) was designed for the 1.35v mercury battery, but I"ve gotten away with alkaline batteries with no problem. If you want to get real finicky, just set the meter for one speed slower.

All M42 cameras are old, relatively speaking. I collect Prakticas/Contax S/etc so I have amassed a bunch of these old clunkers. Since, as noted, old meters are not likely to work well anyhow, I suggest getting a non-metered version of whatever you decide on. I personally think one of the most durable of M42 cameras is one of the non-metered L series of Praktica. These have a very nice vertical metal shutter. Avoid the Praktica IVs and nova series--in my experience few of these work anymore. Early Prakticas like the FX work well, generally speaking, despite their aging cloth shutters.

 

My own experience years ago with a Pentax H2 was that the shutter needed adjusting every two or three years. I have recently got another H2 and it has the same problem of shutter drag and uneven exposure. While in other ways the Pentaxes feel better made than the Prakticas, I still prefer the latter because of the shutter problems.

 

I think you will find that as broad as the selection of K-mount lenses is, there are even more M42 lenses out there and at even better prices.

 

The one genuinely problematic M42 lens is the Meyer Domiplan 50mm f/2.8. It was the cheapest of the cheap from the DDR and few of them have operable diaphragms these days although its optical quality was OK in a Lomo-ish sort of way. Avoid it as a plague. On the other hand, all of the other DDR lenses I have are good to terrific.

 

The Takumars are superb, and even some of the no name lenses are made by excellent Japanese manufacturers before they came to dominate the markets worldwide.

Pentax Spotmatic fits my hand better than any other camera, any vintage, any mount. They are very tough and are likely to have lasted to now better than other brands. Both mine have functioning meters. They can take a modern silver battery. In my experience they have no problems or quirks except for the shutter issue mentioned above, which on an old camera is not so surprising (just had the shutters replaced on my Leica IIIF, shutter work on one Spotmatic, and will likely send off the second for the same). So except for some shutter work once or twice a decade, its a day in day out user. My first real camera was a Spotmatic back in 1967; my current bodies don't seem to be any different condition/operation-wise than it was back then.

I have several Prakticas in the L series and even a PL Nova IB from 1970 and an F from 1950. The Selenium meter on the Nova is still working. I bought some L series Prakticas with lenses, such as, Pentacon, Auto Reflecta [Japanese Tessar] and the Russian Helios [biotar]. These Cameras with case and lens are available for about less than $10 each from the UK. The meters work in all of them with modern non-mercury button cells. The CdS meters can be adjusted from the bottom of the camera after opening the bottom plate. It is simple Wheatstone Bridge circuit where you adjust three varibale resistors in combination with the timing dial. They are sturdy cameras and the metal bladed shutters are more accurate than the traditional cloth shutters. They need very little attention except for keeping them clean. All the best.

I have a slew of M42 cameras and I probably don't use any of them enough. If I can remember all of them the list includes three black Vivitar 220SL cameras, a Spotmatic II, a Chinon of some kind, a Yashica TL Electro or TL Electro X, a Mamiya 500DTL and most recently a Ricoh TLS 401. These cameras all have stop down metering. Eventually I will get a Spotmatic F. The Vivitar 220SL cameras have the same clicking meter switch as the Spotmatic II. I find the switches annoying and almost prefer to use a separate meter. The Mamiya 500DTL allows you to pull out the film advance lever and then push it forward to close down the lens for metering. I think this is the smoothest and nicest stop down metering system with the possible exception of the Canon FT QL/TL QL/Pellix. I use the Ricoh TLS 401 more now. The novelty factor of the switchable viewfinder is still high. From a collector's standpoint I don't think I have the correct lens for the Ricoh. It has the 55/1.8 Takumar SMC lens on it now. I consider that lens to be possibly the sharpest and best coated M42 standard lens to be made by any company. If am not mistaken the 55/2 model is the same lens but with different markings. When I'm not in a rush I sometimes like to use M42 lenses with adapters on my Canon F-1 and Minolta X-700 cameras. Some of the other standard focal length M42 lenses I enjoy using are the Alpa 50/1.7 (Made In Japan), the 50/2.8 Rikenon with front element focusing and no A/M switch, the 551.8 Super-Multi-Coated-Takumar, the 55/1.4 Mamiya Sekor, the 50/2.8 Industar (1:3), the 55/2.8 Vivitar macro and the 50/1.7 Yashinon. I also have adapters for M42 lenses to fit Konica, Pentax K, Mamiya NC and Fuji X. My dream adapter is the Mamiya P adapter for the Auto XTL. That adapter allows stop down metering with the Auto XTL with M42 lenses. If I ever find one at the right price I will get it. I could not see spending hundreds of dollars on a Bessaflex. I have several Vivitar V4000S cameras which are essentially the same except that they have the Pentax K mount. These can be had for $25.

Regarding your question on CLA I bought all my L series from England via Ebay. Some of them looked brand new and hardly used. The ones that looked oldish also were very clean inside. So please do have a look inside the Camera and take some test pictures, before you go in for a CLA. Only thing you may need is to redo the light seals especially the one near the hinge. You can do it at home in about 10 minutes with Pliobond or similar rubber adhesive solution and black felt. I found that most of the L-series is well sealed from the weather. And the only lubrication and cleaning it may need are in the mirror chamber [especillay the lever hinges] and the stems of the roller, the wind and rewind knobs. After opening the bottom there are only one or two lever joints where you may clean with a ear bud dipped in alcohol and dab a little vaseline. For the cost of a CLA in the US you can possibly buy 5 cameras including postage from England!

You may also want check with MF lenses website for their grading [with sample pictures] of the German lenses from

Dresden. Also check their pages on Top rated lenses. You will find Nikon and some Japanese lenses along with a

host of Meyer, CZJena and Pentacon lenses. It gives a good comparison and sample pictures that highlight the

qualities of these lenses. Best wishes.

The one I use most (since it is the only M42 body I have) is a Edixa Reflex from the early 60s. Edixa SLRs have a lot of different designators, there were many many models (I think about 80) with only slight differences. Mine has fast speeds only, an instant-return mirror, open-aperture mechanism, no meter, black body and interchangeable viewfinder. I found it on a flea market and since not too many of the Edixa SLRs still work I was amazed to find a fully working one. It had a waist level finder installed but later I found a pentaprism finder (or, to be precise, a non-working body with that finder which was cheaper than the prism viewfinder alone on ebay). I also found a split-screen focussing screen (it came with a plain matte focussing screen). For candid shots you can remove the prism finder very easily and do the framing from looking into the camera from above.

Hard to go past a Pentax Spotmatic, whether it be a SP11 or SPF, or just the plain old Spotmatic. They are plentiful, cheap, reliable(except for the meter) and really nice to use. If you want a modern camera, then the Bessaflex is also a great little camera, with a nice bright viewfinder and excellent meter.

 

Tony

I have a really nice Spotmatic F, but the M42 I still use is the Fujica 605. I bought it new in 1976 and have never had it serviced. Takes modern batteries and is nice and compact. Even with stop-down metering, the viewfinder is nice and bright and the subject snaps into focus.

Spotmatic!

I have a Yashica TL Super that has become a favorite lately. It is hefty, well built and has a smooth film transport. I've recently cleaned it up and installed the focus screen from a Minolta XG so now I have a split image within a microprism collar.

 

With regard to Spotmatics, I've several and never encountered a "sticky" meter. I do enjoy them a lot too.

WRT Spotmatics and the sticky meter thing:

 

There are a lot of them out there that work fine. However, if you watch Spotties on eBay for a while you will start to get a sense of the problem. Maybe 10% of them will actually come out and tell you the meter is dead. About 50% will avoid mentioning it, or have some excuse, like they don't have a battery, or they don't know how it works, or they can't get the battery compartment open. The other 40% will actually tell you the meter works, or they ran a roll of film through it. Another good sample is to check out the listings at KEH; they list a rather large percentage with "meter inoperative".

 

My own experience is that out of the seven bodies I have with that Spotmatic-style needle meter, two are dead and one is so erratic as to be useless. That meter is also used in the K1000, K1000SE, and the KM; it may be my imagination but it seems to me like more and more of those are also showing up with bad meters. I'm guessing it's a question of age. Once they hit 30+ years they just take a dive. I did see one forum poster saying that all they need is to be opened up and have one part cleaned, but he wouldn't spill the beans on how to DIY.

I use the Pentax Spotmatic and the Zenit cameras. The build on the Spotmatic is superior to the Zenit, but looking at the prints, neither camera exceeds the other. They are both winners as far as I'm concerned. Check out the camera shows for the M42 lenses. I've pulled some very good glass from the $5 bins.<div></div>

Olympus FTL, one of the best M42 cameras ever made.

Practica LTL + Pancolar 50/1.8, Mir 20/3.5, Jupiter 135/3.5... Cheap and surprisingly good!

Jeff I'm going to run out to the kennel and get myself a black lab! That's such a good photo.

Zeiss Voigtlander Icarex 35s TM .Probably not the most popular, but with the whole charm and the superb German quality.

I'm a big fan of the Fujica ST series and I have used (extensively) the ST701, ST705, ST801 and ST605n. All are very good cameras with bright viewfinders (much brighter than spotmatics). Only the ST701 needs a mercury battery, the rest take silver oxide or lithium. They are compact, ergonomic, relatively quiet and well built. Fujica was in the forefront of SLR development. The ST801 had the very first LED viewfinder. Fujica were first with multicoating (EBC), black flocked mirror boxes and other innovations. These cameras do not hold up with hard use, however, but then I doubt any amateur-oriented SLR would. Fujicas are prone to the plastic take up spool losing its 'leaves'. I've certainly had my share of problems with Spotmatics no matter how 'bullet-proof' they are supposed to me. The worst M42 SLR? - Praktica by a mile.<div></div>

Pentax Spotmatic - never had a problem with my meter, except when I put my battery in upside down. Favorite lens: 55mm/f1.8.<div></div>