So here we have a very interesting camera. A 135 (35mm) film SLR camera made around 1972 by Pentax. It was one of the last of the screw mounts produced by Pentax. It is built like a tank and was supposed to be an improvement over the Spotmatic II as it had a better link with the leading flash unit of its day (Strobo-eye). While this version of the camera was not very popular inside or out of the US it is a magnificent beast.
It is a medium sized SLR but its all metal build makes it heavy. The lenses are absolutely amazing and also fully metal construction. The shutter speed goes from BULB to 1/1000 sec. ASA selection goes from 20 to 3200 giving you all the range needed for todays film. I have not bothered learning about the Strobo-eye settings on the camera so I will skip this part of the camera dials.
It is a medium sized SLR but its all metal build makes it heavy. The lenses are absolutely amazing and also fully metal construction. The shutter speed goes from BULB to 1/1000 sec. ASA selection goes from 20 to 3200 giving you all the range needed for todays film. I have not bothered learning about the Strobo-eye settings on the camera so I will skip this part of the camera dials.
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Aperture is set on the lens housing. The lens I have with it is a Takumar 55mm f/1.8 Super-Multi-Coated made in Japan. It is a phenominal lens that does not compromise on quality. It shoots with amazing contrast and it is very sharp. Bokeh is very flattering and with a 1/8 aperature it has great DOF.
The lens is all metal and very smooth on the focus ring. The aperture is crisp and the focus throw is long allowing for very precise focusing (necessary at f/1.8). There are eight varients of this lens, all are very good however the ones made in 1962 have a radioactive element which does yellow over time. This can impact image quality as it does not yellow consistently across the glass. |
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The viewfinder on my camera has an odd black line through the prism. Not sure where this comes from but it is the first I have seen of it. Not a big deal as it does not interfere too much and has no negative impact on the image.
The light meter has a simple dials seen to the right of the viewfinder image. Very easy to use as you alter the aperature or shutter speed until the dial is in the middle gap between the + and -. It is a bright viewfinder if a little small. The meter has one drawback which I will go into a bit later. It is not a show stopper, but it does slow you down a bit. |
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This camera and lens combo was a gift of a family member. He had not used it in some time, and when he saw my film camera brought it out. I slaped in a new battery and took it out shooting. The results were spectacular with a couple of the shots quickly becoming favorites of mine.
The Good:
The camera is built like a tank but ergonomically welcoming. The dials and switches are within easy reach and all are easy to use. The lens is first class allowing for some amazingly sharp images. The feel of the camera gives you confidence when out shooting allowing you to have it out more than most cameras. The broad range of ASA values makes it perfectly useable today. Even the battery can still be obtained these days. On all the versions I have seen the light meter seems to work which is an added bonus.
The Bad:
The camera is not a light camera. Built like a tank means heavy. If you want something that will stand the test of time I guess building it all out of metal makes sense. If you are looking for a light carry around camera there are others that are better choices. If you do not mind a few extra ounces this is easily overlooked.
The main drawback is the light meter requires the camera to be stopped down to work. There is a switch on the side of the camera which turns on the light meter and stops down the lens. This darkens the viewfinder making it harder to focus and compose. So I end up focusing, composing then turning on the meter and settign the aperature and shutterspeed only to refocus once opened again.
Overall:
Many people speak highly of the Pentax K1000 because it was popular with photography schools however the Spotmatic were the last of the screw mounts before Pentax moved to the K mount. Today screw mount lense go very cheap making the Spotmatic an excelent choice for a first film camera.
Price & Value:
There are plenty around although getting a SPIIa will be difficult there are plenty SPII available all over Ebay. Expect to pay between USD80-120 for a good model with the lens. The screw lens mount is just as viable today as it once was and you can get these lense for a song. Pentax lenses during this time are beyond reproach and at these prices they are an easy choice.
The Good:
The camera is built like a tank but ergonomically welcoming. The dials and switches are within easy reach and all are easy to use. The lens is first class allowing for some amazingly sharp images. The feel of the camera gives you confidence when out shooting allowing you to have it out more than most cameras. The broad range of ASA values makes it perfectly useable today. Even the battery can still be obtained these days. On all the versions I have seen the light meter seems to work which is an added bonus.
The Bad:
The camera is not a light camera. Built like a tank means heavy. If you want something that will stand the test of time I guess building it all out of metal makes sense. If you are looking for a light carry around camera there are others that are better choices. If you do not mind a few extra ounces this is easily overlooked.
The main drawback is the light meter requires the camera to be stopped down to work. There is a switch on the side of the camera which turns on the light meter and stops down the lens. This darkens the viewfinder making it harder to focus and compose. So I end up focusing, composing then turning on the meter and settign the aperature and shutterspeed only to refocus once opened again.
Overall:
Many people speak highly of the Pentax K1000 because it was popular with photography schools however the Spotmatic were the last of the screw mounts before Pentax moved to the K mount. Today screw mount lense go very cheap making the Spotmatic an excelent choice for a first film camera.
Price & Value:
There are plenty around although getting a SPIIa will be difficult there are plenty SPII available all over Ebay. Expect to pay between USD80-120 for a good model with the lens. The screw lens mount is just as viable today as it once was and you can get these lense for a song. Pentax lenses during this time are beyond reproach and at these prices they are an easy choice.
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Above you have two images I took on HP+ 400 film. I shot it at ISO 400 on the Spotmatic IIa using the 55mm lens described above. You can see the contrast in these images both shot and fairly open aperatures as it was a very cloudy and rainy day.
Below is a quick little video I made. Forgive the production quality as it is something I did in just five minutes. Basically I wanted to see what the Spotmatic shutter looked like when set at 1/60th of a second and shot in slow motion. Below is the outcome of this curious little project.
Below is a quick little video I made. Forgive the production quality as it is something I did in just five minutes. Basically I wanted to see what the Spotmatic shutter looked like when set at 1/60th of a second and shot in slow motion. Below is the outcome of this curious little project.
