lambert_s.

<p>Thanks Peter, I now saved it in the hard drive!! </p>

<p>Well, it's over 15 years later and I found this! Very, very clever Martin, and very cool little program, Thomas! Thanks to both!</p>

<p>Ezio: Will have to google this because I didn't understand. :) Thanks!</p>

<p>Ezio: yes I am, I owned for ages a Pentacon 50 and a Schacht 200 in M42 and I was using them on my ME Super, before getting the Praktica. Not the most comfortable thing in the world, I know.</p>

<p>Grazie Ezio, I will be given a 101, then I'll see for a better model. As many of you will confirm, buying cameras is dangerous :) Once you start with one, you end up with many others (come le ciliege... una tira l'altra) :) That's why I am a bit scared of venturing in Olympus territory... But I admit I've always been fascinated by the design and the compactness of The OM (1 digit) series. And the interchangeable focusing screen is a nice feature for sure! Thanks!</p>

<p>Thanks Randy! That's an interesting model as well and it will be kept into account.<br>

As a side note I finally understand why the CO-Y rear lens cap that came with the Pentax M 50 f/1.7 wasn't closing well, actually it was pretty rubbish at doing its job. :D</p>

<p>Well, it's not really about the price, I am sure that if I go to buy a roll of yarn and some felt it will cost the same or more than the foam, it's about trying to do something better. Once.<br>

I know I come from nowhere, with 9 or 10 posts, and I dropped a mega bomb on the forum, but - oh, well. I was just asking... </p>

<p>Thanks again, and no, its "worthlessness" is not as much "worthlessness" because I really like it besides the light meter and the light seals issue. Bright viewfinder with a diagonal single split screen, which I like and wish all cameras had. <br>

<br />As for the foam, I looked for alternatives because when I first got my ME Super I tried to blow off few dust specs on the focussing screen, and blowing I detached some goo from the foam which landed on the focussing screen marking it all. It was day 1, minute 1, after taking it out of the parcel. True story, and I fear for this when I see deteriorated foam so close to a such a delicate area.</p>

<p>Thanks Brian, I agree on the density, it was honestly my only concern back then, but it was my first film camera, I wanted to use it, no place where to fix it where I used to live, and so I went for the mouse mat.<br>

I think I will try with felt for the mirror bumper as Paul explained, this should be more of the appropriate density/thickness (considering a strip of double sided tape).<br />At the end of the day the camera has a useless light meter which I doubt can be fixed without spending more than the camera is worth, and virtually no seals, so I wouldn't do anything else with this camera anyway. </p>

<p>Paul wheatland, the mouse pad I found was a very cheap found in a Chinese shop, so it was not really that thick. Thanks for the yarn suggestion, it's less invasive than silicone for sure! And I obviously don't have to wait with the camera open for it to dry. I will try it later!<br /><br />Gary Leonard: ?<br>

Lucky you! It seems you got all your cameras with perfect light seals, I may be rather unlucky because most of the ones I got had them shot (2 over 3) and the only one that was perfectly fine was my Praktica, that doesn't have any foam. For sure they deteriorate: http://j.mp/1iUe6N6<br />That's where my thinking is coming from. Thinking outside the box isn't rude.<br>

The mouse pad <strong>does</strong> <strong>work</strong>. It worked for 3 years no stop, until the camera fell over. But I guess that's not related.<br /><br /><br /></p>

 

<p>So, is there a specific reason why most cameras have foam that after a <em>n</em> number of years deteriorates creating mess inside a sterile item such a film camera?</p>

<p>I am not the only one thinking about this, Prakticas have apparently some strings running in their gaps, and the mirror bumper is almost inexistent.<br /><br />In the past I fixed my ME super with a mouse pad foam creating the mirror bumper, and a couple of film canister felts, for the door hinge. The door strips were fine, so I never touched them. many fil rolls went through it, and eventually stopped working just because I dropped it from the tripod and landed on its film rewinding knob.</p>

<p>Now, I am about to use alternative (and pretty much durable forever) materials to fix up my Ricoh KR10 Super:</p>

<p>Mouse pad foam, film canister felt and <strong>black silicon</strong> for the door strips.</p>

<p>While I obviously don't give a flying damn about originality in this camera (also because the LCD light meter has a leak), do you think this is not advisable? Why?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>I am more and more convinced that XE-1 can be a valid upgrade to a proper camera. I looked many times at Nikon, as my dad when was working had a company's F3, and I had my very first photographic experiences with it. The Minolta was already away, and I almost never saw it. <br />But, Nikon generally turn out quite expensive in terms of lenses. To build a system with a wide angle, a 50, a long prime and a general purpose zoom with Nikkor I may break the bank.</p>

<p>As for battery, I was about to get <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004ZQNYZS/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3VIVQF34TTKNH&coliid=I341J5MINOEES0" target="_parent">this one</a> to try the camera out. Then, later I will find out a better way to use maybe the 1.5V ones.</p>

<p><br /> As for "local" market, for a laugh please have a look at what prices some things are sold here: <a href="http://www.segundamano.es/madrid/equipo-completo-de-fotografia/a52390981/?ca=0_s&st=a&c=52" target="_parent">"photographic equipment"</a><br /> <br />This is in Madrid, mainland Spain, and although I wouldn't have to pay loads for the shipping (well, probably the same as if it was from UK) I would have most certainly to pay import fees, as we are in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with a special tax regime, so a world apart.</p>

<p>I am now waiting for a Mamiya M645 eyecup which supposedly fits the Praktica, then I will put a dioptric lens in it as I did for my ME Super:<br>

<img src="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm315/look-aa/DSCF9977.jpg" alt="" width="331" height="247" /><br>

I hope it will make me love the MTL5B a bit more, as it has been a bit a delusion when I saw its viewfinder. I am sure that Praktica is an outstanding brand, and I agree it is too much in the shade in the photography world, and that's a pity. I bought mine because I needed a M42 body, I had a Pentacon 50 - f/1.8, so I decided to get the matching body. I seriously love the feel this 'brick' gives me, that's a real solid camera. I would be afraid to drop it on the floor, I may break some tiles, no joke.<br>

<br /><br />As for the Minolta XE-1 you mentioned, I didn't know it, and that's a very good candidate: nice viewfinder, cool looking and it has the aperture priority mode too, which is a bonus. And the indicator of the aperture, which is handy. Oh, and normal batteries!</p>

<p>The SRT is arriving wearing the standard Rokkor 55mm f/1.7, and with a Hanimex zoom 80-200mm f/3.3; moreover, also a Maxxum 400si is arriving together with them, wearing a Sigma AF 24-50mm, but I don't know if the lenses will be interchangeable between the two cameras - I'll find it out later. I believe the next step would be almost naturally Minolta, then. Always if I like the SRT, but I just read good things about them.<br /> </p>

<p>I recently saw Pentax cameras and lenses going up in price quite a lot, though.<br /> Minolta, yes, the look definitely cool, and when I'll receive in May the SRT101 I will see if it has the kind of quality I like. So far it's very promising.<br /> <br />I am not very much into Canon-Nikon stuff because they end up being very costly, not only as initial investment for the body, but also for their lenses. The popularity they have now amongst digital camera manufacturers reflects in the prices of their old second (or third and fourth) hand 35mm cameras. I know in ebay UK FE2 are selling at affordable prices, but I have to take into account a shipping to Canary Islands, and additional import duties I have to pay here. So a £60 body may cost easily £85 / £90, and still it would need a lens, which would be subject to shipping and import duties as well. Here nobody uses film cameras, there are not serious labs where to process the film, and yet a Pentax P30n can be sold at 100€, imagine something metal, and more serious; so the local market is out of discussion.<br /> Colin, My budget? Roughly 100€ max, including lens if not a PK or MD mount camera, as I have already lenses for those. <br /> Witold, I got the MTL5B very cheap and with a cool lens, because it was listed as "Praktica camera good condition uploaded via iPad" and it arrived with just the battery oxidised, I just fixed it 3 days ago, that's why I haven't used it yet. It was 10£ including shipping to a friend living in London. I agree that sometimes it's worth taking risks, but when prices are already over a certain amount I have also to take into account international shipping and duty fees that nobody is going to refund, so I'm limited, unfortunately.</p>

<p>hey wow, how many answers!<br>

Thanks! I tried to give an answer to everybody. <br>

<strong>Paul Wheatland</strong>, thanks: although I am sure the Konica works well, and it has the great plus of a grip (and a widely available and inexpensive battery)... well, it's in plastic... But if I can manage to find one for cheap, I'll consider it.<br>

<strong>Witold Grabiec, </strong>thanks: I'm seriously considering Minolta because also the look is important, so I will see how the 101 performs first, and if I can't live without the split screen getting a 102 won't be such a hard task.<br />Bayonet over M42. Nothing against M42, at the contrary! But, first of all I have already the Praktica which is M42, and I want to share some love with a bayonet fitting camera. Then, I can fit M42 on bayonet but not the other way round. Ultimately, limiting to bayonet excludes fantastic cameras in M42 flavour that unfortunately are just too old, and if sold in good conditions cost already too much. Also, it's not a requirement, but having an aperture priority mode is sometimes useful. I don't thing there are M42 cameras that do that, but maybe I'm wrong. <br>

<strong>Patrick S</strong>, I have already one and I seriously hate those buttons, and those LEDs. That's why I got the Ricoh...<br>

<strong>David Harris & David Carroll</strong>, thanks! Looking at the Olympus right now! <br>

David Harris, low budget, <strong>100€ max</strong> with a lens attached to it if not a PK or Minolta camera, in working conditions, not exotics, but also not cameras found in the back of a cupboard, not cameras which have not been tested with film, or sold by people who say "I am not expert with these things"... :)<br>

<strong>Colin Carron & Fred C</strong>, please read above ^^ :) they are out of budget... While I seriously like the FE2, I have never been attracted by the LX. I dig a lot the fact one can change the viewfinder prism for something else (waist level finder is so cool!) but I don't like details like the 2 dials with numbers like that... I mean, raised? It looks cheap. It's okay on a P30, not on the LX. I preferred the first answer Fred C, I like the K2. :)<br>

<strong>BeBu Lamar, </strong> thanks, I'll look at it! It looks simple which is good. And the price is right too.<br>

<strong>Tony Lockerbie, </strong>yeah, I guess so... In the meantime, I'll wait for the 101 - then let's see. <br>

Thanks again!</p>

<p>So, I am not new with manual film SLRs, but I have a limited budget and can't afford yet to buy just to try. Moreover, the same cameras I bought for little 2/3 years ago now sell for 5 or 10 times more....<br />So, I would like a film SLR with:</p>

<ul>

<li>bayonet mount. I understand there are adaptors for my M42 lenses anyway;</li>

<li>match needle light meter: not LED, not LCD, a nice needle is what I want;</li>

<li>1/1000 sec. minimum;</li>

<li>a bright finder. I was happy with the one of the ME Super, but oh boy those LEDs, and those fiddly buttons!</li>

<li>No buttons for the shutter speed, I want a dial;</li>

<li>a diagonal split screen! It's brilliant, I bought a Ricoh KR10 Super for that, but it arrived with a LCD light meter, and leaking for that matter;</li>

<li>hot shoe so I can use my flash;</li>

<li>a system which accepts nice lenses;</li>

<li>Something with the quality and solidity of the metal bodied Pentax, not too flimsy.</li>

<li>I found the solidity in a Praktica MTL5B I just bought but it's quite... big and heavy. so small bodied is preferred. And its viewfinder is dim!</li>

</ul>

<p>In May my Dad should bring me his 1970s SRT101, let's see if this is good for me... It won't have hot shoe and split screen (at all) but it ticks all the other boxes.<br>

As I have PK lenses and soon Minolta too, it would be grand if candidates were with those lens mounts, but it can be also something else - only thing it doesn't have to break the bank! :)<br>

Thanks in advance!</p>