Pentax ZX-5N and ZX-M:
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The Pentax ZX-5N auto-focus SLR is the pinnacle of the ZX-family of
non-professional cameras from Pentax. It provides programmed AE, aperture-priority AE,
shutter-priority AE, metered manual exposure, and several TTL flash modes with the
built-in flash or compatible shoe-mount flash. The ZX-5N has
switchable multi-pattern, center-weighted, and spot metering modes. With non-A series
lenses, multi-pattern metering is not available. The owners manual is unclear about what
happens if a non-A series lens is mounted but the metering-mode switch is left on
multi-pattern. A response to an email I sent to Pentax USA indicates that the
ZX-5N probably defaults to center-weighted in this instance.
The technician is sending the question to Japan.
(Mark Roberts will modify older lenses
to support the multi-segment metering, so for $20 per lens, this becomes a non-issue.)
The ZX-5N lacks the split-image and micro-prism focus aids of the ZX-M
(and my older SLRs) but with manual-focus lenses, it provides focus-confirmation through a
viewfinder display and a defeatable beep. So far, I haven't missed the focus aids.
If the ZX-5N is the pinnacle of the line, the ZX-M might be considered
to be the bottom of the ZX-family of cameras. The ZX-M is manual-focus only, and whereas the
ZX-5N has an all-glass pentaprism viewfinder, the ZX-M has a plastic
penta-mirror. The ZX-M provides multi-pattern metering with A-series lenses and
center-weighted metering with all others--the metering mode is not switchable. The ZX-M
lacks a built-in flash and doesn't support TTL flash metering but does support other
dedicated flash functionality. The ZX-M lens mount is polycarbonate, unlike the ZX-5N which
has a stainless steel mount, but this hasn't proven to be a problem for me. The ZX-M is
4.3 ounces lighter than the similarly-sized ZX-5N.
The user-interface of these bodies, consisting in the main of two large
knobs and the aperture ring on the mounted lens, is extremely intuitive and easy to
master. I prefer these bodies over the older bodies for "action" photography--for
this the motor-drive, ease-of film loading, and light weight are decided advantages.
In "stock" form, the ZX-5N and ZX-M are almost too small
for me to hold comfortably. However, the addition of the FG
battery case makes these bodies much more pleasant for me to hold, and the four
alkaline AA-cells in the FG battery case cost significantly less to
replace, are more readily available, and last longer than the pair of costly CR2 lithium
cells otherwise used in the bodies.
The ZX-5N and ZX-M viewfinders are significantly smaller than those of
my older SLRs but this hasn't proven to be a problem.
The ZX-5N and ZX-M have an electronic socket for remote release.
I use a home-made cable--see my notes for details.
Both the ZX-5N and ZX-M lack a PC-socket so a hotshoe
adapter is required to fire studio flash.
I had to send my ZX-M back to Pentax for repair after it began to display what I understand
is a common overlapping-frames problem but since its return the body has been trouble-free.
After my camera bag was accidently pulled off of a table onto the floor, my
ZX-5N mirror-return failed. I sent the camera to Pentax USA for a $162
repair. Upon receiving the ZX-5N back, I saw on the invoice that items
other than the mirror mechanism were repaired:
- Repair or replacement of parts and assemblies as needed. Cleaning and calibration of all functions to ensure proper working order.
- Repair of mirror timing and charge mechanisms. Includes the replacement of worn gears and levers. Align and calibrate mirror and shutter timing.
- Repair or replacement of electronic flash components including circuit board, flash pop-up mechanism and wirings. Complete disassembly and computer alignment required.
- Replace and/or repair battery cover and related components. Requires adjustment of battery switch and a complete functional check.
I am bothered that both of my newest-generation bodies have failed. Are these truly
"Reliable Gear for Your Adventures"?
Pentax Super Program:
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The Super Program was described by Pentax as "a photographer's fantasy come true"
and was Pentax's top-of-the-line non-professional body in the mid-1980s. It
provides programmed AE, aperture-priority AE, shutter-priority AE,
metered-manual, several TTL auto-flash and programmed auto-flash exposure modes.
The Super Program uses center-weighted metering. The addition of the Winder ME II gives the Super Program
auto-wind capability similar to that offered by the ZX-5N and ZX-M, but at the price of
dramatically increased weight. (I own a Winder ME II but haven't used it a
significant amount.) The Super Program, sans winder, is about the same size as the
ME-Super (i.e., very small) although the finder magnification is slightly reduced
when compared to the M-series body. The addition of the Grip Super A to
the Super Program makes it easier to hold than the ME-Super. The glass pentaprism
finder in the Super Program is superior to the penta-mirror in the ZX-M. I have
found the in-finder LCD displays to be difficult to read in low light, even with
the use of the built-in light, which makes the ZX-5N or
ZX-M a better choice for evening or night photography. I have a Pentax AF200T TTL
flash and a third-party off-camera cable to use for TTL-flash photography with this
body.
Pentax K1000:
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The large and heavy Pentax K1000 is one of the most
satisfying of my SLR bodies to use, its all-metal construction and wonderful
mechanical action being a true delight to the senses. (The slower shutter
speeds exhibit a particularly wonderful clockwork sound.) The all-glass
pentaprism finder is far superior to the penta-mirror finder in the ZX-M,
although I do notice the lack of a split-image rangefinder. The K1000 utilizes
full-frame metering. This particular K1000 is an early made-in-Japan example, having
the Asahi engraving on the pentaprism housing.
Pentax KX:
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The Pentax KX quickly earned the distinction of being my favorite mechanical SLR
body. It has all the mechanical charm of the K1000 in addition to
truly useful features such as a micro-prism/split-image rangefinder,
depth-of-field preview, in-finder display of aperture and shutter speed,
center-weighted metering, mirror lock-up, and a self-timer. The "match-needle"
system in the viewfinder is very easy to use and is quite informative--one knows
at a glance how far to change either the aperture or shutter for a given scene.
My first KX is all-black, but had been well used by a previous owner and is
rather heavily brassed--it looks like a well-traveled photojournalist camera.
Initially, my Vivitar 70-210 zoom didn't work properly with this body; the
aperture setting didn't transfer from the lens to the body. I diagnosed this
problem to be a slight misalignment of the aperture ring feedback lever of the
KX body. A very slight tweak of this lever on the body allowed the lens to work
properly.
I liked my black KX enough that I recently bought a second KX, this time a very
clean chrome version. The focusing screen in this KX has a micro-prism center spot
but lacks the split-image focusing aid.
(The Pentax KX brochure
shows that four focusing screens were available for the KX but doesn't provide
part numbers.)
Alas--the black KX has stopped reliably firing a flash. It might be time for a
visit to the repair shop.
Pentax ME-Super SE:
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The Pentax ME-Super SE, with its all-glass prism
and diagonal split-microprism, has a large and wonderful viewfinder and is
beautifully easy to focus. (For comparison, the ME-Super viewfinder
magnification is 0.97x whereas the K1000 and KX are 0.88x, the Super Program is
0.82x, and the ZX-M is a paltry 0.77x.) My first SLR was an ME-Super given to
me in 1981 by my parents as a high-school graduation present, a camera which I
lost in a 1990 fire, so I have a soft spot in my heart for the ME-Super.
Alas--my current ME-Super suffers from an ailing shutter and is not likely to
be soon repaired. (I have had a very kind offer of a replacement shutter from a
donor ME body, but I have not yet found a good shop, nor have I been able to
come up with suitable justification for the expense of the repair.)
Lenses for SLRs:
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My Pentax SMC-M and SMC-A lenses (28mm, 50mm, and 135mm) and the
Gemini 28mm lens all share the same filter ring size of 49mm. This is very
convenient as it allows me to buy and carry just one filter size. In addition,
the front elements of these lenses don't rotate, making use of a polarizer
very easy. I would like to add the SMC-A 100mm f/2.8 lens to my collection.
My favorite lenses seem to be the 50mm normal lenses and the 135mm telephoto.
One of each, plus the Gemini 28mm lens, are what my camera bag usually
contains.
The Vivitar Series 1 70-210 zoom lens allows me considerably tighter cropping for portraiture than
the SMC 135 does, but being the smaller lens, the 135 "handles" better than the
larger zoom does and is much easier to hand-hold. The Vivitar zoom lens is significantly
heavier than any of my other lenses, and I find that I don't use it much anymore, choosing
instead the 135mm.
I have not used the Sears 70-210 zoom lens enough to have any opinions on it.
It is smaller and lighter than the Vivitar zoom.
I do not yet own any autofocus lenses. I would like to have the FA 31mm f/1.8,
FA 43mm f/1.9, and FA 77mm f/1.8 Limited trio for use with the ZX-5N
but these are expensive enough it's not likely I'll ever get them.
Flash for SLRs:
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My favorite flash for the Super Program, ZX-5N, and ZX-M is the
Pentax AF200T, a GN66 (ft) flash that provides TTL operation with the Super Program
and ZX-5N bodies and full "Programmed Auto Flash" operation with
both of these bodies and the ZX-M. In manual mode, the AF200T provides four output
levels. Alas--the AF200T does not tilt or swivel. I have a Promaster TTL cable for
off-camera use of this flash.
The physically smaller AF160 is a GN52 (ft) flash and provides partial automation
with the Super Program, ZX-5N, and ZX-M: it will set the camera
to sync speed but will not properly set the aperture.
My Vivitar 283 is an older one. After measuring the trigger voltage to be
274 volts DC, I researched whether I should use this flash with the Super Program
or the ZX-series bodies. Initial research on the web indicated that modern Pentax bodies can safely
accomodate 600 volts at the hotshoe. A Pentax technician emailed me that the Super Program
can safely handle 350 volts and that one should use an "Adapter 2P" with the ZX-M. It is
unclear to me whether the recommended Adapter 2P is more than a passive device. I am
inclined to continue to use the '283 with the ZX-M without an Adapter 2P. (The
ZX-M and '283 mounted on a Stroboframe is my prefered kit for nighttime event
photography. See below.) Because the mechanical bodies rely on mechanical switches
to trigger the flash, the Vivitar 283 can safely be used with KX and K1000.
For the '283 I have a the VP-1 variable-power module and a PC-1 sync cord, and a
pair of the remote sensor cords.
I have a Stroboframe Quick Flip 35 bracket for use with either the AF200T or the
Vivitar 283. Alas--the first time I used the Stroboframe with the Vivitar 283, the
flash's foot broke. I have replaced the original plastic foot with a metal foot by Sonia.
For the '283 I have a LumiQuest Pocket Bouncer. I have been unable to find a nice
softener for the non-tiltable AF200T.
For shooting events such as the Athens Halloween Block Party I
have built an external lead-acid battery pack for the Vivitar 283 according to the
instructions provided by Al Jacobs.
This easy-to-build and inexpensive pack provides very quick recharge of the '283 and
should provide sufficient power for several hours of shooting with the flash. This same
battery pack will work with the Pentax AF200T once I decide I am willing to cut a slot in
this flash's battery-compartment cover.
Olympus 35 RC:
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The Olympus 35 RC rangefinder offers shutter-priority
automatic exposure as well as fully manual exposure setting and Flashmatic
guide number flash operation. The fully-mechanical shutter operates at all
speeds without a battery. This venerable little camera is a real jewel and the
crystal-clear viewfinder with display of aperture and shutter speed is
a real joy to look through. For this camera, I have an Olympus SY48.2C (Y2) 43.5mm
yellow filter for use with black and white film. (43.5mm filters seem to be
quite rare.) I am using the Wein zinc/air cell with this camera instead of the
now-illegal mercury cell it was designed for. I have a small Sears-brand autoflash
that I use with this camera in either auto-flash or guide-number manual-flash modes.
Here is a photo made with this camera and Kodak
T400-CN film. A good article on the RC, with instructions, can be found at Andrew
Yue's very nice Olympus 35 Rangefinder Cameras
site.
Alas--my Olympus 35 RC is now suffering from badly deteriorated light-seal foam. I will
be unable to use the camera until I replace the foam.
Olympus 35 ECR:
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This was my first rangefinder camera, which I purchased
to experience the rangefinder technique of photography. The Olympus 35 ECR has
fully automatic exposure but no manual over-ride, and features the
Flashmatic guide number flash operation. Alas--it appears this particular
example no longer triggers a flash, either on the hot-shoe or through a PC cord.
My experience with this camera is that no exposure compensation is necessary
when using the A640PX alkaline replacement cells even when shooting slide film.
Olympus Stylus Epic:
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Olympus calls this camera the tiny camera for
epic moments. This camera is so tiny and eminently pocketable that it can
be with me when even a slightly larger camera can't be. The little Stylus Epic
is weatherproof and features a very sharp and fast 35mm f/2.8 lens,
spot-metering, and sophisticated flash modes. (The Popular Photography
review of the Stylus Epic can be found
here.)
The viewfinder is a bit small, perhaps, and sometimes it takes me a moment to
find it with my eye, but otherwise operation of the camera is intuitive. The
fast lens allows me to take pictures in light that would otherwise require use
of the flash. I have two of these cameras, in two versions: a black Stylus Epic
and a gold DLX version with a fancy leatherette case,
quartz-date, and a panoramic mode. The gold finish certainly gives the
DLX model a posh appearance, but I find the black
finish to feel more "stealthy". (A note: while these cameras are weatherproof,
seriously sticky substances such as sunscreen can gum up the sliding cover so
that cleaning might require removal of the sliding cover, with subsequent loss
of the spring-loaded wee-little ball-bearing that provides positive latching.
No--don't ask me how I know this...) Information on the Stylus Epic's three
autofocus points, on how it reads DX-encoded film, and on its exposure program
can be found in this review at
photo.net.
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