Pentax Spotmatic F w/ Fujifilm Superia 200/400.

[farrance]

Hey all!

First time posting in this section! I just wanted to see what your opinions were on my film work, I'm really enjoying it, alot more than digital at the moment haha!

Here's 5 of my favourites;

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

Thanks!

 

[Just Dave]

Oooooh I have a spotmatic and K1000 fab cameras

 

[farrance]

Oooooh I have a spotmatic and K1000 fab cameras

Absolutely, the lenses are a bit hit and miss on the cheaper ones but the quality is the best. Low grain films suit it the most!

 

[Andysnap]

Welcome to F&C Alex, some nice work there looking forward to seeing more.

Andy

 

[Jao]

Alex, excellent set of images and welcome to the film area. I am very jealous of your charity shop bargain. I owned a SP 500 many years ago and is was a great camera.

 

[farrance]

Alex, excellent set of images and welcome to the film area. I am very jealous of your charity shop bargain. I owned a SP 500 many years ago and is was a great camera.

This is going to make me sound infinitely unprofessional but I've been wondering about a few of the features that split the Spotmatic F from the K's and the Supers..

I'm chuffed with my bargain too, I'll have to be pushed to get rid of it!

 

[Jao]

This is going to make me sound infinitely unprofessional but I've been wondering about a few of the features that split the Spotmatic F from the K's and the Supers..

I'm chuffed with my bargain too, I'll have to be pushed to get rid of it!

The Spotmatic F was the king of screw threads and an absolute classic! I remember the magazine add was a picture of Alan Whicker's well travelled SPF. The K1000 was a sort of bayonet Pentax K version, retaining the mechanical shutter, but of cheaper construction, the ME super was the auto and electronic shutter Pentax offering. I am sure others will add some other comments and differences though.

 

[Ambermile]

Those are cool, loving the deckchairs... perfect Autumn screensaver! Blonde lady would be nicer if she was looking away rather than just off eyeline maybe?

Whatever, welcome to F+C, looks like you're stuck here now

 

[s162216]

The Spotmatic F was the king of screw threads and an absolute classic! I remember the magazine add was a picture of Alan Whicker's well travelled SPF. The K1000 was a sort of bayonet Pentax K version, retaining the mechanical shutter, but of cheaper construction, the ME super was the auto and electronic shutter Pentax offering. I am sure others will add some other comments and differences though.

You've forgotten a key pair of Pentax offerings, the ES and ESII, the first cameras to use an electronic shutter and offer aperture priority! They came out in 1972 and 1974 respectively and were built off of the SPF body as well, when the SMC Takumar M42 lenses with the open aperture metering lug were used then you could just set the aperture, focus and shoot. In some ways the Pentax ME was the closest K mount version although it lacked a manual mode (but on the ES/ESII the light meter didn't operate in manual mode anyway)
Sadly most of them suffer from a cracked circuit board as it was built into the base and was prone to crack if dropped or knocked too hard, I have an ESII that I am not sure works or not (I brought it for the lens on the front - £30 is not bad for an SMC Takumar 28mm f3.5 in good condition, the camera was a bonus), I keep intending to find out as I took the bottom plate off and looked at the board, there didn't seem to be any cracks in it.

I love my Spotmatic F as its just such a nice camera to use and the SMC Takumar lenses that work with its open aperture metering are of wonderful quality and could probably hold their own today.

 

[freecom2]

The F, especially the black paint versions in good condition, are absolutely stunning. I had to pass on a minty Spotmatic F + 55mm f/1.8 just because I had too many cameras and I couldn't justify it, but it was an absolute marvel of engineering.

Spotmatic differentiation from the Ks/Supers - different generations, different mounts.

 

[excalibur2]

Well I pass on spotties as I still occasionally use my Pentax S3 bought new in 1961.....a camera I trust and took it to Ibiza as a backup camera to my Canon T70 (needs batteries) and some shots with the S3 and Flek 35mm f2.4 are posted here.

 

[medwaygreen]

Very much like #2 and #5 the other are just a bit meaningless, #2 with the deckchair colour on what appears to be a grey day reflects the beach pebble tones and pick up on the sea which is nice and flat, the fact there is no sky detail I believe enhances the overall composition, straight horizon and the angles of all the chairs against this is wonderful, maybe luck or not, but very pleasing.

#5 Lovely portrait, you have picked out the subject absorbed in the grass and if there was a little more bokeh it would be just so much better than it is. I think there is just a bit to much front focus to make it great, but never the less great shot.

Well done indeed.

 

[freecom2]

Well I pass on spotties as I still occasionally use my Pentax S3 bought new in 1961.....a camera I trust and took it to Ibiza as a backup camera to my Canon T70 (needs batteries) and some shots with the S3 and Flek 35mm f2.4 are posted here.

That whole generation of Pentax cameras really are the bee's knees... I've had the opportunity to pick one up several times but just can't justify it (already have a K1000, MX, as well as an army's worth of other cameras) :bang:

 

[excalibur2]

That whole generation of Pentax cameras really are the bee's knees... I've had the opportunity to pick one up several times but just can't justify it (already have a K1000, MX, as well as an army's worth of other cameras) :bang:

Yeah I know how you feel, I've nearly bought a spotty going for peanuts many times at boot sales but lucky I always think "your S3 is good enough for you so pass" :shrug:

 

[Ambermile]

... I had to pass on a minty Spotmatic F + 55mm f/1.8 just because I had too many cameras and I couldn't justify it...

Nope, sorry. Don't understand the question...

 

[ChrisR]

You've forgotten a key pair of Pentax offerings, the ES and ESII, the first cameras to use an electronic shutter and offer aperture priority! They came out in 1972 and 1974 respectively and were built off of the SPF body as well, when the SMC Takumar M42 lenses with the open aperture metering lug were used then you could just set the aperture, focus and shoot. In some ways the Pentax ME was the closest K mount version although it lacked a manual mode (but on the ES/ESII the light meter didn't operate in manual mode anyway)

I had an Electro Spotmatic (supposed to be Japan-only, probably bought in Hong Kong) for a few years in the 1970s; replaced with a Pentax ME that I still have and use regularly. I think I was worried that Pentax would abandon the M42 mount. I originally bought a different Spotmatic in 1971 (possible a II); no idea why that got replaced with the Electro Spotmatic! All 3 seem to have done a good job for me judging from recently scanned slides and negs! I've now added a 135mm SMC-M for £20, and I'm looking for an appropriate next-gen body, maybe a LX or a MZ-S!

 

[freecom2]

Yeah I know how you feel, I've nearly bought a spotty going for peanuts many times at boot sales but lucky I always think "your S3 is good enough for you so pass" :shrug:

The restraint can be so difficult when the price is low enough that they are basically donating it to you...

Nope, sorry. Don't understand the question...

Haha, I was expecting a response like this and it didn't take long!

 

[farrance]

Looks like everyone loves Spotmatics just as much as I do!

I'm looking for a F/1.4 lens, that'll be my next purchase for definite. Wouldn't suck if I moved it over to my Canon too

Thanks for all the comments on the photos, these are all from a couple of films I got for free from work and I didn't want to let it go to waste! Just aswell I've bought a few more, 3 200's and 2 400's to be exact! I've got some Ilford on its way too

 

[farrance]

Also, my light meter doesn't work very well! Infact, it's pretty much broken