The viewfinder magnification was very useful - but undermined by the split micro-prism. I could not stand the M series lenses either - too small and not the best optically. If you’re looking to buy some film but you’re not sure what to get or where from, then this link will solve all of your problems! How To Use The Pentax ME Super? But just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it’s falling short. Here are some of the things that I love about the Pentax ME Super.

This outwardly simple camera’s semi-automatic nature, its diminutive size, and its surprisingly good performance left us with some questions. Specifically, why is this camera so often overlooked by shooters? How’d they make this thing so small? And why doesn’t Pentax get any respect? Now i know they were not so called "pro" cameras but with over 20 years of abuse and still going strong i say that it is more that good enough for me.The Pentax Super Program (called Pentax Super A in some markets) is a versatile A-series film SLR featuring support for P, Tv, Av, and M exposure modes. You control the shutter speed using the push buttons on the camera, and the aperture via the aperture ring. Both can be set to auto (given you have an A-series lens or newer), which then brings the camera into Program mode. With M and K lenses Av and M exposure modes are available. Disregarding the Pentax LX which is in a class by itself, the Pentax Super Program is the top model among all Pentax manual focus cameras when it comes to features and specifications. Though they are both from the same era of Pentax M series SLRs, that’s about where the comparisons end. Where the MX is a fully manual and mechanical SLR that works with or without batteries, the ME Super is all but entirely battery reliant. I say “all but”, because it will fire without batteries, but only at the 1/125th flash sync speed and bulb. This is an entirely fair article, and it’s unfortunate that the deal-breaker is (pretty much) the only shortcoming of the ME Super. Funnily enough I was recently thinking about buying another one as I’ve accumulated some nice K-mount lenses recently and bought an MX instead which I like very much but find a lot harder work than the ME Super. My fingers know every nuance of every control on the ME Super without having to engage my brain beyond what I’m trying to take a picture of.

It has and lcd on the top and two lcds in the viewfinder, the latter which can be illuminated either by ambient light or via a lamp (button under flash mount). Further upwards pricing pressure is caused by Pentax DSLR users purchasing and collecting lenses. Third party companies tend not to manufacture anything for the K-mount, unlike the Nikon F or Canon EF mounts. The Pentax ME Super has a manually selectable shutter speed, ranging from 4 to 1/2000 of a second, it is controlled by up and down buttons on the right-hand side of the camera, or can be put into aperture priority mode, and the camera metering will decide on the appropriate shutter speed based on the manually selected aperture on the lens and the available light. The selected shutter speed is displayed with LED lights in the viewfinder. The aperture is controlled manually on compatible K-mount lenses. As long as a lens has a physical aperture ring, it will be compatible with Pentax film cameras. Keep in mind, it isn’t a smart idea to waste money on expensive features that can not be used by the camera. An exception would be if you already use a Pentax DSLR. When I received the test roll from the lab, I was both surprised and disappointed. The 50mm F1.7 lens turned out to be an excellent performer, and due to the fantastic viewfinder, I nailed focus on every frame. This camera & lens combo can focus as well or better than my autofocus cameras.I'll lead off with the summary: this is among the film bodies I could be entirely happy with if required to restrict myself to only one. The 40mm doesn’t really belong in this test and was added as an afterthought. It has the least subject separation and things are never too far out of focus. Wide open at f/2.8, there isn’t really much bokeh to speak of. What little bit there is, has a nice round character and in general, the out of focus areas are pretty neutral. They neither add to nor detract from the picture. The Pentax ME Super is a highly successful 35mm single-lens reflex camera produced by Pentax of Japan between 1979 and 1984.

The first few rolls I put through came out surprisingly well. This camera is just so easy to use. I missed focus numerous times – which should be expected as this was my first time shooting a manual camera. What impressed me the most was how everything came out correctly exposed. I’d rate the light meter trustworthy and accurate. The only incorrectly exposed photos that came out of the camera were due to operator error. I haven’t used any of the automated modes and cannot comment on their effectiveness, but if the meter works this well in manual I’m sure the various automatic and priority modes are fine. At its intended purpose, the ME is pretty fabulous. It’s one of those rare values in the world of vintage cameras that offers a near perfect balance of assets; excellent form factor, robust construction, technical prowess, and low cost. There are similar cameras in its category that may be just as good (Nikon’s EM springs to mind), but no camera in its segment is decidedly superior to the ME. I’m a big fan of the SMC 50/1.2 and would have loved to see it included in your study. This lens is noticeably sharper at wide apertures and even when stopped down. It’s size and weight are justified to me and I happen to think it fits on a K1000 size body very well, though it’s not so hot on an M series.If all fails read the manual Dep’t: two batteries inserted upside down. The self-timer lever needs a push to activate, unlike normal cameras that pressing the shutter activates the timer.

The key differences between the ME Super and the K1000 are the sizes, differing faults, the ME Super’s aperture priority, price and the fact that the ME Super can’t really be used without a battery (It can but only on a select few settings). A key takeaway from this is that for nearly half the price of the K1000, you can get a camera that you can take as good images on and it’ll be easier. In short, Pentax mixed all possible elements to create a camera awkward to use. Not sure how many were sold, assume not many. Current value, Pentax ME / MV / MG / MX The ISO is manually set by pressing a small button on the exposure compensation dial and rotating the outer ring. The Pentax Super Program can accommodate film speeds from 6 to 3200.Both of the Vivitar macros were manufactured by Komine and were sold under several different brand names. If you search for one also look under the Panagor, Elicar, Quantaray, Spiratone, and Rokunar brand names. There are plenty of wider Pentax focal lengths to select from, but they’re frequently significantly higher priced or third-party options have visible amounts of barrel distortion. Also, it is easy to see chromatic aberrations and other optical flaws in third-party lenses. More Options