I’m a professional photographer / filmmaker and have recently inherited my grandads MX - my first analog camera! This video was really helpful for getting to know my way around the camera, thank you.
I just inherited my dad's Pentax MX as he downsizes. It's my first ever analog camera, and after watching your video, I'm even more excited to learn how to use this baby! Thank you for being so thorough.
Darned right! My daily shooter. Love it. Bought it used 20 years ago and it's absolutely reliable, exept in under minus 10 C -- the mirror will lock up.
Believe me or not, I've sold my Fujifilm mirrorless and I've bought a Pentax MX in mint condition. I've started to develop my photos too. Best choice I ever made.
Thank you so much! my grandfather passed away, and now i have a wierd camera that i know nothing about... your video helped me very much and now i take it with me everywhere ^^
The very first 40 seconds.....IS VERY VERY VERYYYYYYYY FUNNY. Very good ICE BREAKER. At time/frame...11:00....yes that meter cell was very accurate.....and did not have the MEMORY DRAG that the C.D.S. had. With cds, you had to wait for the needle to die down, BEFORE you could meter again...... That was a selling feature, over other company s. Your comments were VERY TRUE.....and you have a great SPLASH OF WORDS/SENTENCES, that i thought was ggrreeaaatttt. Thxs....good show.
Thank you! I ordered it on eBay bulk, but you can also order 1,000 feet at a time from Kodak. Also, some guy in Hong Kong is re-spooling it and selling individual rolls on eBay.
It makes a noise but mirror does not move. I can actually pull the mirror down with a little latch located on on the left side of the camera (when looking at it). The mirror stays down and i can see through the viewfinder. However when i press the button to take a picture the mirror goes up but does not come back down. When I advance film nothing happens with mirror.
I just acquired a Black Pentax MX (the coolest SLR ever) off ebay for peanuts. It works, but has a sticky mirror, broken self timer and the light meter is broken. Someone removed one of the copper contacts that make a circuit when the shutter release is depressed. They soldered the wire directly to the other contact presumably to keep the light meter on all the time (smh). just bought a soldering iron and copper wire. Determined to restore this thing to its full former glory.
sorry the little latch is located in the lens hole. You can see this latch in your video about a cm down from the red dot on the lens seating area and just inside the hole.
this is my first film camera, and first time trying photography. This video really helps us new people get the urge to use it. thanks for the crash course and the breakdown of it!
Great videos David!! I was wondering, which camera do you think is more comfortable for an eyeglass wearer, the Pentax MX or the Nikon FM2? Do you have any other suggestion (apart from the obvious Nikon F3 HP)?? Many thanks!!!!
Thank you! For glasses wearers, on the MX and FM2, six one way, half dozen the other. I might have a slight preference for the FM2 in that regard. That said, other options besides the F3HP are the LX with the rotating finder, old Canon F-1 with rotating finder, Canon F-1 New with stock finder, and the Olympus OM-any single digit. Those I find are all great as a glasses wearer.
These very small cameras with a short telephoto lens, say 105-135 are great for both street photography and candid shots in a crowed or gathering. Your staying back a bit and the subject doesn't even know your there!
Bought this camera today for £79 on a total whim. Knew nothing about it. I've previously been shooting with a plastic Holga. Thank you for this video. Super helpful. Luckily mine seems to be a little better looked after. The lens isn't fused to the body. Can't wait to start shooting.
Just got a pentax mX and I have to say love it so far !. I really like the huge bright viewfinder. I'm like wow! This is pretty good. The viewfinder completely thrashes practically any other camera. I wear glasses so it was more important than I had realized. The viewfinder alone is almost worthing getting the camera for and is far superior the pentax me , me super etc and practically any other camera around at that time. It's one of those things you dont think is important previously because you've never had a really good one. I like it being all mechanical except the lightmeter too.
It's a fantastic camera, for sure. I agree on the importance of the viewfinder. In addition to being all mechanical, except the meter, the build quality is simply superb.
It's a whole lot more robust, smaller, and lighter and with LEDs for the meter, but otherwise, no. The K1000 was basically a Spotty F with a K mount, so it's the closest of the K bodies to the F.
Hi David @david Greetings!! Hope you are doing well I was looking for a used 35mm film camera. luckily found a MX nearby but with a mirror stuck issue in only few shutter speeds. The deal we finally settled on is 7,500 rupees(= ~ $102 usd) with the lens smc 50mm f1.4. wanted to check with someone, whether the issue is a deal breaker..if we need fix it how much does it going to cost me? thanks in advance
With the 50mm lens, that's an okay deal. If you assume that the lens cost you 3,750 rupees and the camera the same then that's a little expensive for a problem camera, but not too much because the lens is great. Typically those lenses sell here in the U.S. for around $100 or so. Another way to look at it is that you bought the lens and got a free camera, which is a good deal. In the U.S. that repair costs around $100 plus shipping. It will be needed for the camera to be sable in an enjoyable and reliable way.
Hi +David Hancock I'm trying to find a manual slr with an outstanding viewfinder and was thinking of a pentax. I already have a canon ef and a minolta xd7 and wondered where you would place these on the viewfinder front. I really like working with the canon in particular as it's interface is so intuitive, but unfortunately I have an early model which does not have a split focusing screen. Many thanks. Oliver
+Oli Kite Photography I haven't used either the XD7 or Canon EF, but at least the EF should have a fairly large viewfinder being an older manual-focus camera. The MX has a pretty incredible viewfinder and the hardest part about it is getting used to how large it is. It covers close enough to the entire image frame that it requires a bit of eye retraining to get used to scanning the whole image field before taking the image. It's also likely brighter than the EF being a newer camera.
+David Hancock thanks for your reply, much appreciated. I really like that action of scanning the frame before taking the shot, it really slows me down and I take a proper critical look. Just spotted one with a 50 f2 for £50 so I'm in.
+Oli Kite Photography That's a fine price for a good MX. And the 50mm f/2 that Penta made tested out as the sharpest kit lens from any of the makers back then, and it's lpmm ratings are still higher than most films can record today.
David, great video. I have a little bit of a different question. I inherited a Pentax MX (along with other pentax lenses) but cannot see through the viewfinder. After taking off the lens i noticed the mirror is stuck in the up position (I'm pretty sure it is not supposed to be). The mirror does pull down very easily but snaps back up when let go. I notice there is a small dent on top of the camera above the asahi logo. Is there anything I can do to fix the mirror? Any info would be appreciated.
David, do you have any suggestions for a jammed film advance lever on the MX? Camera's in great shape, but lever seems to advance only about 1/3 of the way...would appreciate any repair guidance you can offer! Thanks in advance.
Hmm. If there's no film in it, that probably needs a professional repair. Typically that involves opening up the whole camera and replacing some gears.
Thank you! The photo at 13:09 is really simple. You'll need a few items, maybe $10-15 in materials. 1- A ring LED light (like this: www.ebay.com/itm/2X-40mm-White-12-LED-SMD-Car-Angel-Eyes-HeadLight-Halo-Ring-Light-Bulb/254349682433?hash=item3b386c2701:g:kuUAAOSw-q9dby~w) 2- A 9-volt battery to connect to the light 3- A locking cable release (www.ebay.com/itm/16-40cm-Mechanical-Locking-Camera-Shutter-Release-Remote-Control-CablNWUS/323974783750?hash=item4b6e66e306:g:-jAAAOSwzJ5XTqEi) In lieu of a cable release, a good rubber band can work, but the cable release is simpler and has a lot of uses. Next, in a DARK room (read as: exactly zero light on) or in a very dark outdoor setting set the camera's focus (the light can be on for this) and then once focused with the lights out set the shutter to "B" and open and lock it open with the cable release. Then you or your subject can connect the battery to the LED ring and move it around. If you had a switchable 9-volt battery case that makes the process a bit easier (www.ebay.com/itm/9v-Battery-Holder-Case-with-ON-OFF-Toggle-Switch-9-Volt-Box-Pack-Cover-USA/151262411781?hash=item2337f13c05:g:Hh8AAOSwajVURTNI). And that's how it works. Simple, cheap, and you can be as creative as you want with it.
SIx one way, half-dozen the other. They're both excellent cameras and you won't go wrong with either. The OM-1 uses old batteries that are no longer made, so you'd need to compensate for the voltage difference in metering, buy a voltage-adapting battery adapter, or have the circuitry modified (which is easy enough that I've done it myself.) The MX does not have that issue as it uses 357 batteries. So it has an edge there.
Hi David. Thx for the insightful video. I just scored a pentax mx from a goodwill store. Everything seems in order, but, it had no body lens cap, so the insides were exposed, and it did not come with any lenses. In looking through the viewfinder, I see dots/specks...I have not purchased an air blower yet, but do you have any suggestions/advice on self-cleaning the "insides" of my camera (if the air blower does not work)? Also, could you refer me to or advise on mounts and lenses to get me started? I'm fairly new to film, so I'm assuming that different lenses require specific mounts, is that correct? I thank you in advance for any help you provide.
Kiana L. I'm glad to help answer your questions, and congratulations on a great camera. For cleaning, a soft brush can help clean dirt off the mirror and focusing screen. The focusing screen is removable, so you can also clean under it. Don't use any chemicals (on anything inside the body) as those will strip the silver off the mirror, even if they just drip onto the mirror chemicals can ruin it. Once the focusing screen is out of the body, you can use rubbing alcohol on it. As for lenses, any K-mount lens will work. A good first lens would be the Pentax SMC-M (or SMC-A) 50mm f/2. They run about $10-15, I think, for a good one. Just make sure that you get one with good optics and function, so buy it from either a good store or a good eBay seller. Other good lenses are a 28mm (there are lots of great 28mm lenses, even non-Pentax ones.) Some good 28mm lenses are the Pentax, of course, but Tokina and Vivitar also made a number of fantastic 28mm lenses. If you'd like to take portraits, longer lens works better. 77mm, 85mm, 100mm, 105mm, and 135mm are all popular portrait lengths. Of those, 135mm lenses will be the cheapest and they're plentiful. Vivitar made a LOT of great 135mm lenses. You'll probably also want to know about film. The least expensive films out there are Ultrafine, Lucky, Foma, and Kentmere. Any of them are a good option and can return nice results. Those are all black and white, though. For Color, Fuji and Kodak both make great films. One thing to make sure of when you drop off or send out your film is that the shop returns it. Many shops now are not returning negatives, only prints and CDs. That means that if you want other prints in the future, you're stuck using the scans. That's a problem if the lab's scanner was filthy. I used oldschoolphotolab.com for all my color film now. They're great and have better developing results and better customer service than pharmacy labs. And they're the same price but also return your negatives. I strongly suggest using them instead of, for instance, CVS or Costco.
I used my MX from when i got it at 15 for 20 years till I went autofocus. It still takes great pictures, but ergonomically, even for its generation it IS slow handling compared to the OM-1. But the MX is a jewel of a camera.
merkury06 I agree across the board. In terms of size, I think the OM-2N (and OM-1, by proxy) handle better. The MX has proven to be more mechanically and electronically robust, though.
Hey david. So i go this camera recently from a friend. Before loading film, i tested it and everything seemed to be working fine. Now that i have film in, i got to maybe frame 10 and i noticed that the shutter button was locked when i was about to take a picture. I somehow managed to get it to shoot. (Opening the bottom and closing it up again) Now it seems that the advance lever is stuck. Any idea what i can do. I dont mind fiddling with it myself.
Hmm. That sounds like a stripped part. Check with Eric Hendrickson (www.pentaxs.com) or the Fix Old Cameras channel here on YT. That probably needs a professional repair.
So, I'm thinking of buying an MX instead of the probably-nicer-but-not-on-budget LX. Is it worth paying the extra moolah for one "Serviced by Eric"? Or should I take my chances with a more affordable one from a Japanese vendor?
I had Eric service ALL my Pentaxes. I'm going to send him my original K soon, too, because it's the only one he hasn't seen and it's shutter capping. That aside, it's worth it. Eric restored the MX I bought, which was REALLY rough, and got it back to working pretty close to on-spec. So I would say that as long as Eric is willing to fix a Pentax, send it to him.
I actually have FOUR of these. They are going to waste as my life priorities have changed. I don't even have time to sell them. But I still love them. Best camera I ever had.
Hi David! I was wondering regarding with the lens, I've recently found my grandpa's old pentax mx, and it's lens are broken. i have limited budget, and i've decided to spend my budget for CLA instead of buying a new lens. can i reuse my old canon rebel G lens for this pentax mx? would that be possible?
Hi, Dianne, no, EF lenses can't be adapter to Pentax K. Fortunately, Pentax K lenses are cheap and plentiful. Some good, third-party lenses that cna usually be had for dollars include the Phoenix 50mm f/1.9, Sears 50mm f/2, and many Vivitar lenses. Most of those can be had for around $5-15 and will work for you for a long time.
David...Thanks a bunch! That was super helpful!! I appreciate you getting back to me. I'ms still a little confused about mounts. So, would I have to purchase various mounts to make various lenses compatible with my camera? (Maybe I'm referring to adapters). Or, is it a matter of buying one mount that can be used for all size lenses? Or, is a matter of simply purchases some of the lenses you mentioned, screwing them on my camera and start shooting?
Kiana L. Stick with a Pentax K lens and you'll be fine. There are lots of mounts -- each camera makers had one or two of their own. Canon lenses, for instance, won't fit on a Pentax. Some Tokina and Vivitar lenses will if they were made for Pentax. Definitely avoid using adapters on lenses to get them on your camera. Adapters don't let lenses function properly and it can be very hard to figure out if a bad image is caused by an adapter issue or a mistake in taking the shot. So adapter-mounted lenses add a needless layer of complexity. Your best bet is to look for lenses from Pentax marked SMC-M or SMC-A. Those will work great and are there are some incredible SMC-M and SMC-A lenses that take great photos.
Jack Wang I prefer the K1000's match-needle light meter and I like its weight a bit more. However, the MX has a much better light meter (in terms of accuracy), better constructions (especially compared to the newer K1000 bodies), and it's significantly lighter.
+Jack Wang (Para_J) I've had a K1000 for 30 years, and a pair of MX's for a couple of years, and agree with everything David said. If I was heading out with just one camera and one lens, specifically to "do photography" I'd happily take the K1000 (which I really enjoy using). If I wanted to take two bodies with me (for two different films), I'd always turn to the MX, just to keep the weight down. If you want to do a lot of low light work (e.g. at ISO 1600), go for the MX. Many people find the MX too small to hold (the vertical height is quite low) but you can get leather half cases built to order on eBay. They have a fairly thick base, so make the camera just that little bit taller. The only real ergonomic issue remaining is then the stiff shutter speed dial, which I probably wouldn't bother about had I never used a camera with one that was easier to turn.
The MX is a lovely camera but your gag at the beginning kind of sums up how it feels in my hands 😉. I feel the previous K series (Such as my K1000) fits better in my pudgy hands than the MX does. Also in my example you can feel where the cost cutting started to bite such as in the plastic top plate as opposed to the metal in the early K series. Still a lovely camera and I hope to get to use it in anger at some point. Has your opinion of the MX changed at all in the years since you made this video at all, for better or worse?
an old trick with Mechanical Pentaxs without a shutter lock ? (eg MX, K1000,..) was to wind on, tap the shutter button lightly, (this takes a bit of practice), the mirror would lock up WITHOUT the shutter going off, a second pressure would then release the shutter..;)
They're still made in Ireland, but finding new old stock is easier. There are plenty of M3, 6, 26 and other types on ebay. The max speed with electronic flash is an abysmal 1/60, but FP gives you a guide number of around 45 at 1/1000 with ISO 100 film.
Really, I didn't know that. Who makes them? I'd be interested in giving them a shot. Flash syncs on these older cameras are a lot slower but the FP route would be great.
Meggaflash makes modern bulbs, but the older ones are smaller, much cheaper, and just as useful. Most of the older leaf-shutter German cameras can take M-sync bulbs (which are considerably cheaper and more abundant than FP) at up to their maximum shutter speed. The only downside is that bulb flash can't be automated, although the Polaroid Land Camera uses M3 bulbs in conjunction with it's automatic shutter. The light output of these things is just incredible, I've made successful shots at 70+ feet at night. They even work with infrared film!
David Hancock Interesting, as I have most of these. I frequently use my P5 in the Program Depth mode for street shooting. Awesome results nearly every time.
Your video is little bit long Lol. I own two of these cameras but I prefer the model before it, the KX. The MX is great for night shooting because the the meter lights. I also prefer the ME for ease of use.
Poorly done. You missed the depth of field preview lever (shared with the self timer) and that the rewind knob doubles as the back release on the first go-round. Haven't watched to the end yet, but also betting you missed the release for removing the film back. (you did, and had to cover later.)You also cheaped out by not releasing the focusing screen to show how easy it is to swap compared to other cameras. (finger nail works fine). Completely missed that controls are all in the STANDARD places so anyone familiar with a manual camera can immediately pick it up and be comfortable. Your hands aren't that big that being small is all in your head. If you need bigger, attach the winder. The last miss was the take-up spool which is easier to use and more reliable than standard, so much so that you can tuck in the film, close the back, advance twice and start shooting yielding an extra 2-3 frames per roll. May have been more but this is what I remember from 40 years ago.
David, again...Thanks for all of your help and advice!! You've been super helpful!! I'm looking forward to more Pentax MX videos :-). Btw, I'm going to give the developer you mentioned a shot when I start shooting.
Hi David...going through the video w/my camera in hand...Do you have any suggestions where I can find a set of camera strap lugs/screws?? I've checked on amazon and ebay, but I've had no luck. They are completely missing (I've included a link to a pic of my camera). Unless I'm using the wrong keywords/search terms, I might be out of luck. If that is the case, what would you suggest using as far as a strap for security? There are no notches on the side to attach a wrist strap. Thanks again for your help! drive.google.com/file/d/0B_7g9XwgbyqYM2EyWDBRYkZHTUk/view?usp=sharing
Kiana L. Oh boy. That's a tough one. Installing the new lugs means taking the camera apart. So you have two options -- a professional service (www.pentaxs.com is the best option) at which point the tech would overhaul your camera and return it to as-close-to-brand-new operation as possible while also replacing the lugs if he has any spares. Alternately, you could pick up what's called tripod bushing strap. These are wrist straps that screw into the tripod bushing. I did a quick eBay search and this is the first one that popped up: www.ebay.com/itm/RETRO-60-S-70-S-camera-Wrist-Strap-fis-tripod-bush-/251607122397?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3a94f401dd No relationship with the seller. Amazon as well as custom camera strap sites like Souldier Straps and My Funky Camera, and Etsy, too, should have tripod options. That's probably the way to go. An overhaul is probably a $75-100 investment, so it's worth doing if you know you really like your MX and want to use it for another 20 or more years.
David Hancock I knew you'd have an answer for me. Thx for the info. I think I'll look into the tripod bushing strap. I think I did come across those during my search, but I didn't pay too much attention to them.
+Kiana L. A bit late perhaps..but try to get an "ever ready" case for your camera one that have lugs or a strap attached. Just mount the camera in the case with a tripod screw so it doesn't fall out.
+Michael Russo That's not at all the case. The MX is much more robust, mechanically, and has a significantly improved metering system compared to the Spotmatic.
David Hancock Metering yes, robust? I doubt that. Mechanically they are similar internally. You can tap the shutter on a MX just like a Spotmatic to lock up the mirror. The MX layout and features are very similar to a Spotmatic. However, the MX does a clever trick with the depth of view preview on the timer lever. Kind of liked that even though I rarely used this feature.
Sounds like you started with a very poor and much abused example of this camera to begin with! Q. WHY didn't you just spend a few bucks for a better example? They are "ON SALE" somewhere on the web, literally EVERY DAY!
I’m a professional photographer / filmmaker and have recently inherited my grandads MX - my first analog camera!
This video was really helpful for getting to know my way around the camera, thank you.
Thank you!
I just inherited my dad's Pentax MX as he downsizes. It's my first ever analog camera, and after watching your video, I'm even more excited to learn how to use this baby! Thank you for being so thorough.
Thank you!
Darned right! My daily shooter. Love it. Bought it used 20 years ago and it's absolutely reliable, exept in under minus 10 C -- the mirror will lock up.
Nice! Yeah, almost all cameras have issues when it's that cold. But these are totally reliable otherwise.
Believe me or not, I've sold my Fujifilm mirrorless and I've bought a Pentax MX in mint condition. I've started to develop my photos too. Best choice I ever made.
WOW! That's a huge change in approach to photography.
Great video
Thank you!
THANKS DAVID
Thank you, Terry!
The intro already got me hooked lol
:D
Thank you so much! my grandfather passed away, and now i have a wierd camera that i know nothing about... your video helped me very much and now i take it with me everywhere ^^
Thank you! I'm glad I could help you maintain that connection to your grandfather.
The very first 40 seconds.....IS VERY VERY VERYYYYYYYY FUNNY. Very good ICE BREAKER. At time/frame...11:00....yes that meter cell was very accurate.....and did not have the MEMORY DRAG that the C.D.S. had. With cds, you had to wait for the needle to die down, BEFORE you could meter again...... That was a selling feature, over other company s. Your comments were VERY TRUE.....and you have a great SPLASH OF WORDS/SENTENCES, that i thought was ggrreeaaatttt. Thxs....good show.
Thank you! That makes sense about why the meters are more accurate, too.
I have been referencing your channel for years when I'm in the market for a new film camera. Always helpful. Thank you sincerely.
Thank you!
Amazing video! just got mine in the mail today. Where do you find Kodak 2393 for stills? I'd love to try that.
Thank you! I ordered it on eBay bulk, but you can also order 1,000 feet at a time from Kodak. Also, some guy in Hong Kong is re-spooling it and selling individual rolls on eBay.
@@DavidHancock got it thanks. Is it converted or altered to be used for 35mm or just the way it is?
@@jacobchang-rascle1187 It's 35mm motion film, well is compatible with 35mm still cameras. So it's ready to use.
one of the most enjoyable Pentax videos on youtube.... I love my MX
Thank you! These are great cameras.
It makes a noise but mirror does not move. I can actually pull the mirror down with a little latch located on on the left side of the camera (when looking at it). The mirror stays down and i can see through the viewfinder. However when i press the button to take a picture the mirror goes up but does not come back down. When I advance film nothing happens with mirror.
Hmm. That's not a good sign. I think that will need a professional repair. There's likely a spring or other mechanism inside that has failed.
Thank you so much for this!
Thank you!
Sir the self timer on my camera doesn't come back all the way and click the picture it stops just before the end.
Is there any fix?
Hard to say without diagnosing what's wrong. I'd see if there's a camera repair shop near you that can diagnose the problem.
I just acquired a Black Pentax MX (the coolest SLR ever) off ebay for peanuts. It works, but has a sticky mirror, broken self timer and the light meter is broken. Someone removed one of the copper contacts that make a circuit when the shutter release is depressed. They soldered the wire directly to the other contact presumably to keep the light meter on all the time (smh). just bought a soldering iron and copper wire. Determined to restore this thing to its full former glory.
Sounds like a fun project!
I have a really weird question but does the film have to be black and white??
Nope. Any 35mm film will work.
sorry the little latch is located in the lens hole. You can see this latch in your video about a cm down from the red dot on the lens seating area and just inside the hole.
Yeah, it sounds like a broken part of the mirror return system.
I just bought a Pentax MX as my first film camera. Super helpful video!! Thank you
+Karolína Kučerová Thank you, and what a great first camera!
this is my first film camera, and first time trying photography. This video really helps us new people get the urge to use it. thanks for the crash course and the breakdown of it!
Thank you!
Luv my MX
They are awesome.
Loved the intro lmao
Thank you!
Great videos David!! I was wondering, which camera do you think is more comfortable for an eyeglass wearer, the Pentax MX or the Nikon FM2? Do you have any other suggestion (apart from the obvious Nikon F3 HP)?? Many thanks!!!!
Thank you! For glasses wearers, on the MX and FM2, six one way, half dozen the other. I might have a slight preference for the FM2 in that regard. That said, other options besides the F3HP are the LX with the rotating finder, old Canon F-1 with rotating finder, Canon F-1 New with stock finder, and the Olympus OM-any single digit. Those I find are all great as a glasses wearer.
Thank you very much! Great piece of information there!!!
These very small cameras with a short telephoto lens, say 105-135 are great for both street photography and candid shots in a crowed or gathering. Your staying back a bit and the subject doesn't even know your there!
Absolutely and great tip. Thank you!
Bought this camera today for £79 on a total whim. Knew nothing about it. I've previously been shooting with a plastic Holga. Thank you for this video. Super helpful. Luckily mine seems to be a little better looked after. The lens isn't fused to the body. Can't wait to start shooting.
Nice fine! 79 pounds is a pretty good price for this camera.
Just got a pentax mX and I have to say love it so far !.
I really like the huge bright viewfinder.
I'm like wow! This is pretty good.
The viewfinder completely thrashes practically any other camera.
I wear glasses so it was more important than I had realized.
The viewfinder alone is almost worthing getting the camera for and is far superior the pentax me , me super etc and practically any other camera around at that time.
It's one of those things you dont think is important previously because you've never had a really good one.
I like it being all mechanical except the lightmeter too.
It's a fantastic camera, for sure. I agree on the importance of the viewfinder. In addition to being all mechanical, except the meter, the build quality is simply superb.
Did you mention the depth of field preview?
I thought I had. I may have forgotten.
This is one of the best tutorials on a camera I've ever seen, thanks a bunch!
+Purveyor of Shitvids Thank you!
It's like a spotmatic F, only less beautiful. Does it do anything more (except allow you to remove the focus screen)?
It's a whole lot more robust, smaller, and lighter and with LEDs for the meter, but otherwise, no. The K1000 was basically a Spotty F with a K mount, so it's the closest of the K bodies to the F.
@@DavidHancockThe other thing that is better is the split focus. leds are nice for when its dark.
Hi David @david
Greetings!!
Hope you are doing well
I was looking for a used 35mm film camera. luckily found a MX nearby but with a mirror stuck issue in only few shutter speeds. The deal we finally settled on is 7,500 rupees(= ~ $102 usd) with the lens smc 50mm f1.4.
wanted to check with someone, whether the issue is a deal breaker..if we need fix it how much does it going to cost me?
thanks in advance
With the 50mm lens, that's an okay deal. If you assume that the lens cost you 3,750 rupees and the camera the same then that's a little expensive for a problem camera, but not too much because the lens is great. Typically those lenses sell here in the U.S. for around $100 or so. Another way to look at it is that you bought the lens and got a free camera, which is a good deal. In the U.S. that repair costs around $100 plus shipping. It will be needed for the camera to be sable in an enjoyable and reliable way.
Hi +David Hancock I'm trying to find a manual slr with an outstanding viewfinder and was thinking of a pentax. I already have a canon ef and a minolta xd7 and wondered where you would place these on the viewfinder front. I really like working with the canon in particular as it's interface is so intuitive, but unfortunately I have an early model which does not have a split focusing screen. Many thanks. Oliver
+Oli Kite Photography I haven't used either the XD7 or Canon EF, but at least the EF should have a fairly large viewfinder being an older manual-focus camera. The MX has a pretty incredible viewfinder and the hardest part about it is getting used to how large it is. It covers close enough to the entire image frame that it requires a bit of eye retraining to get used to scanning the whole image field before taking the image. It's also likely brighter than the EF being a newer camera.
+David Hancock thanks for your reply, much appreciated. I really like that action of scanning the frame before taking the shot, it really slows me down and I take a proper critical look. Just spotted one with a 50 f2 for £50 so I'm in.
+Oli Kite Photography That's a fine price for a good MX. And the 50mm f/2 that Penta made tested out as the sharpest kit lens from any of the makers back then, and it's lpmm ratings are still higher than most films can record today.
I've been wandering whether I should get an olympus om1 or a pentax mx for a while now. Thank you for helping me make my decision 👍
Thank you!
David, great video. I have a little bit of a different question. I inherited a Pentax MX (along with other pentax lenses) but cannot see through the viewfinder. After taking off the lens i noticed the mirror is stuck in the up position (I'm pretty sure it is not supposed to be). The mirror does pull down very easily but snaps back up when let go. I notice there is a small dent on top of the camera above the asahi logo. Is there anything I can do to fix the mirror? Any info would be appreciated.
Hmm. What happens when you press the shutter and advance the film?
Try it with the wonder. Granted, the battery door is poorly designed, but the grip could well solve your ergonomic problem,
Thank you!
David, do you have any suggestions for a jammed film advance lever on the MX? Camera's in great shape, but lever seems to advance only about 1/3 of the way...would appreciate any repair guidance you can offer! Thanks in advance.
Hmm. If there's no film in it, that probably needs a professional repair. Typically that involves opening up the whole camera and replacing some gears.
Just got the camera, really nice video. Can you give me a tutorial on how to take photo like 13:09? How to set up the shutter, b and f. Thanks!
Thank you!
The photo at 13:09 is really simple. You'll need a few items, maybe $10-15 in materials.
1- A ring LED light (like this: www.ebay.com/itm/2X-40mm-White-12-LED-SMD-Car-Angel-Eyes-HeadLight-Halo-Ring-Light-Bulb/254349682433?hash=item3b386c2701:g:kuUAAOSw-q9dby~w)
2- A 9-volt battery to connect to the light
3- A locking cable release (www.ebay.com/itm/16-40cm-Mechanical-Locking-Camera-Shutter-Release-Remote-Control-CablNWUS/323974783750?hash=item4b6e66e306:g:-jAAAOSwzJ5XTqEi)
In lieu of a cable release, a good rubber band can work, but the cable release is simpler and has a lot of uses.
Next, in a DARK room (read as: exactly zero light on) or in a very dark outdoor setting set the camera's focus (the light can be on for this) and then once focused with the lights out set the shutter to "B" and open and lock it open with the cable release. Then you or your subject can connect the battery to the LED ring and move it around. If you had a switchable 9-volt battery case that makes the process a bit easier (www.ebay.com/itm/9v-Battery-Holder-Case-with-ON-OFF-Toggle-Switch-9-Volt-Box-Pack-Cover-USA/151262411781?hash=item2337f13c05:g:Hh8AAOSwajVURTNI).
And that's how it works. Simple, cheap, and you can be as creative as you want with it.
Hi! Can I ask for your opinion on which one to get between the MX and the olympus OM-1?
Thanks!
SIx one way, half-dozen the other. They're both excellent cameras and you won't go wrong with either. The OM-1 uses old batteries that are no longer made, so you'd need to compensate for the voltage difference in metering, buy a voltage-adapting battery adapter, or have the circuitry modified (which is easy enough that I've done it myself.) The MX does not have that issue as it uses 357 batteries. So it has an edge there.
David Hancock thank you! I went for the MX 😊
Hi David. Thx for the insightful video. I just scored a pentax mx from a goodwill store. Everything seems in order, but, it had no body lens cap, so the insides were exposed, and it did not come with any lenses. In looking through the viewfinder, I see dots/specks...I have not purchased an air blower yet, but do you have any suggestions/advice on self-cleaning the "insides" of my camera (if the air blower does not work)? Also, could you refer me to or advise on mounts and lenses to get me started? I'm fairly new to film, so I'm assuming that different lenses require specific mounts, is that correct? I thank you in advance for any help you provide.
Kiana L. I'm glad to help answer your questions, and congratulations on a great camera.
For cleaning, a soft brush can help clean dirt off the mirror and focusing screen. The focusing screen is removable, so you can also clean under it. Don't use any chemicals (on anything inside the body) as those will strip the silver off the mirror, even if they just drip onto the mirror chemicals can ruin it. Once the focusing screen is out of the body, you can use rubbing alcohol on it.
As for lenses, any K-mount lens will work. A good first lens would be the Pentax SMC-M (or SMC-A) 50mm f/2. They run about $10-15, I think, for a good one. Just make sure that you get one with good optics and function, so buy it from either a good store or a good eBay seller.
Other good lenses are a 28mm (there are lots of great 28mm lenses, even non-Pentax ones.) Some good 28mm lenses are the Pentax, of course, but Tokina and Vivitar also made a number of fantastic 28mm lenses.
If you'd like to take portraits, longer lens works better. 77mm, 85mm, 100mm, 105mm, and 135mm are all popular portrait lengths. Of those, 135mm lenses will be the cheapest and they're plentiful. Vivitar made a LOT of great 135mm lenses.
You'll probably also want to know about film. The least expensive films out there are Ultrafine, Lucky, Foma, and Kentmere. Any of them are a good option and can return nice results. Those are all black and white, though. For Color, Fuji and Kodak both make great films. One thing to make sure of when you drop off or send out your film is that the shop returns it. Many shops now are not returning negatives, only prints and CDs. That means that if you want other prints in the future, you're stuck using the scans. That's a problem if the lab's scanner was filthy.
I used oldschoolphotolab.com for all my color film now. They're great and have better developing results and better customer service than pharmacy labs. And they're the same price but also return your negatives. I strongly suggest using them instead of, for instance, CVS or Costco.
I used my MX from when i got it at 15 for 20 years till I went autofocus. It still takes great pictures, but ergonomically, even for its generation it IS slow handling compared to the OM-1. But the MX is a jewel of a camera.
merkury06 I agree across the board. In terms of size, I think the OM-2N (and OM-1, by proxy) handle better. The MX has proven to be more mechanically and electronically robust, though.
Hey david.
So i go this camera recently from a friend.
Before loading film, i tested it and everything seemed to be working fine.
Now that i have film in, i got to maybe frame 10 and i noticed that the shutter button was locked when i was about to take a picture.
I somehow managed to get it to shoot. (Opening the bottom and closing it up again)
Now it seems that the advance lever is stuck.
Any idea what i can do.
I dont mind fiddling with it myself.
Hmm. That sounds like a stripped part. Check with Eric Hendrickson (www.pentaxs.com) or the Fix Old Cameras channel here on YT. That probably needs a professional repair.
So, I'm thinking of buying an MX instead of the probably-nicer-but-not-on-budget LX. Is it worth paying the extra moolah for one "Serviced by Eric"? Or should I take my chances with a more affordable one from a Japanese vendor?
I had Eric service ALL my Pentaxes. I'm going to send him my original K soon, too, because it's the only one he hasn't seen and it's shutter capping. That aside, it's worth it. Eric restored the MX I bought, which was REALLY rough, and got it back to working pretty close to on-spec. So I would say that as long as Eric is willing to fix a Pentax, send it to him.
Lol in the first few seconds i thought this whole video was just a long troll
+jackmiliken6 :D
Thinking about this one as a back up for my LXs, and just as something different. Also I laughed out loud at the intro.
:D Thank you! This would b a good LX backup.
Dear David ! How did you set for camera to take the photos in the dark?
With or without a flash?
I'd be curious on how you would do it without the flash?
A long shutter speed and a tripod. With this camera, that would mean bulb mode for the shutter.
+David Hancock thank you so much David! And may i know what kind of film you have to use!
I actually have FOUR of these. They are going to waste as my life priorities have changed. I don't even have time to sell them. But I still love them. Best camera I ever had.
Dang. That's too bad. These are great cameras, too.
This is the camera Jonathan Byers uses in Stranger Things!
I did not know that. Thank you!
He actually uses an ME super.
Hi David! I was wondering regarding with the lens, I've recently found my grandpa's old pentax mx, and it's lens are broken. i have limited budget, and i've decided to spend my budget for CLA instead of buying a new lens. can i reuse my old canon rebel G lens for this pentax mx? would that be possible?
Hi, Dianne, no, EF lenses can't be adapter to Pentax K. Fortunately, Pentax K lenses are cheap and plentiful. Some good, third-party lenses that cna usually be had for dollars include the Phoenix 50mm f/1.9, Sears 50mm f/2, and many Vivitar lenses. Most of those can be had for around $5-15 and will work for you for a long time.
I have owned more than a hundred cameras during my life, and nothing comes even remotely close to the beautiful Pentax MX.
It's an absolutely stunning camera, one of the best made and designed cameras in history.
David...Thanks a bunch! That was super helpful!! I appreciate you getting back to me. I'ms still a little confused about mounts. So, would I have to purchase various mounts to make various lenses compatible with my camera? (Maybe I'm referring to adapters). Or, is it a matter of buying one mount that can be used for all size lenses? Or, is a matter of simply purchases some of the lenses you mentioned, screwing them on my camera and start shooting?
Kiana L. Stick with a Pentax K lens and you'll be fine. There are lots of mounts -- each camera makers had one or two of their own. Canon lenses, for instance, won't fit on a Pentax. Some Tokina and Vivitar lenses will if they were made for Pentax.
Definitely avoid using adapters on lenses to get them on your camera. Adapters don't let lenses function properly and it can be very hard to figure out if a bad image is caused by an adapter issue or a mistake in taking the shot. So adapter-mounted lenses add a needless layer of complexity. Your best bet is to look for lenses from Pentax marked SMC-M or SMC-A. Those will work great and are there are some incredible SMC-M and SMC-A lenses that take great photos.
I wish someone would do one on the KX
th-cam.com/video/Lpla1uDUPAc/w-d-xo.html
There's part 1.
how would this compare to the k1000?
Jack Wang I prefer the K1000's match-needle light meter and I like its weight a bit more. However, the MX has a much better light meter (in terms of accuracy), better constructions (especially compared to the newer K1000 bodies), and it's significantly lighter.
+Jack Wang (Para_J) I've had a K1000 for 30 years, and a pair of MX's for a couple of years, and agree with everything David said.
If I was heading out with just one camera and one lens, specifically to "do photography" I'd happily take the K1000 (which I really enjoy using). If I wanted to take two bodies with me (for two different films), I'd always turn to the MX, just to keep the weight down.
If you want to do a lot of low light work (e.g. at ISO 1600), go for the MX.
Many people find the MX too small to hold (the vertical height is quite low) but you can get leather half cases built to order on eBay. They have a fairly thick base, so make the camera just that little bit taller. The only real ergonomic issue remaining is then the stiff shutter speed dial, which I probably wouldn't bother about had I never used a camera with one that was easier to turn.
The MX is a lovely camera but your gag at the beginning kind of sums up how it feels in my hands 😉. I feel the previous K series (Such as my K1000) fits better in my pudgy hands than the MX does. Also in my example you can feel where the cost cutting started to bite such as in the plastic top plate as opposed to the metal in the early K series. Still a lovely camera and I hope to get to use it in anger at some point. Has your opinion of the MX changed at all in the years since you made this video at all, for better or worse?
Yes it has. I like the MX more now. I've found that as I've trimmed my Pentax collection, the MX is a camera I haven't really wanted to sell.
an old trick with Mechanical Pentaxs without a shutter lock ? (eg MX, K1000,..) was to wind on, tap the shutter button lightly, (this takes a bit of practice), the mirror would lock up WITHOUT the shutter going off, a second pressure would then release the shutter..;)
I have never quite mastered that.
Have you tried it with FP bulbs?
I have not. Those have been out of production for decades so finding them is hard. I don't think I've seen one since I was a kid.
They're still made in Ireland, but finding new old stock is easier. There are plenty of M3, 6, 26 and other types on ebay. The max speed with electronic flash is an abysmal 1/60, but FP gives you a guide number of around 45 at 1/1000 with ISO 100 film.
Really, I didn't know that. Who makes them? I'd be interested in giving them a shot. Flash syncs on these older cameras are a lot slower but the FP route would be great.
Meggaflash makes modern bulbs, but the older ones are smaller, much cheaper, and just as useful. Most of the older leaf-shutter German cameras can take M-sync bulbs (which are considerably cheaper and more abundant than FP) at up to their maximum shutter speed. The only downside is that bulb flash can't be automated, although the Polaroid Land Camera uses M3 bulbs in conjunction with it's automatic shutter. The light output of these things is just incredible, I've made successful shots at 70+ feet at night. They even work with infrared film!
Any idea on what the bulbs run? They don't list the price on their website. And are they one and done or are they reusable?
wooo... where u get the cute little Pentax figure toy?
zijun wang eBay. They sell them for a lot of different camera bodies, film, digital, Pentax, Canon, Nikon, etc. They also make various lenses.
David Hancock thank you sir~
small typo in the description...I think it was meant to say 'durable' instead of 'curable'?
Thank you and fixed.
hi david i was wondering between a canon ftb ql and this, which do you think is a better body?
thank you David , this is really a useful video. Help me a lot !
+黃筱文 You're welcome and thank you for your comment.
OK, so what are your top 5 favorite Pentax bodies?
LX, 6XMLU, MX, AP, K1000. Including digital, the K-1 and K-3 would be bumped to 1 and 2, respectively.
David Hancock Interesting, as I have most of these. I frequently use my P5 in the Program Depth mode for street shooting. Awesome results nearly every time.
Nice! I haven't used a P5, but it has great reviews. Some of P-series bodies are really great cameras.
I just got mine at an estate sale for $10!
Nice! That's an incredible deal.
better good word usage
Thank you
Poor MX. Whoever had it before you like, hated it. But loved it.
It just needed a good overhaul. I really like the MX now.
Nice!
Rafael Imenes Thank you!
Your video is little bit long Lol. I own two of these cameras but I prefer the model before it, the KX. The MX is great for night shooting because the the meter lights. I also prefer the ME for ease of use.
+Michael Russo Well, there's a lot to talk about with these cameras.. :D
Poorly done. You missed the depth of field preview lever (shared with the self timer) and that the rewind knob doubles as the back release on the first go-round. Haven't watched to the end yet, but also betting you missed the release for removing the film back. (you did, and had to cover later.)You also cheaped out by not releasing the focusing screen to show how easy it is to swap compared to other cameras. (finger nail works fine). Completely missed that controls are all in the STANDARD places so anyone familiar with a manual camera can immediately pick it up and be comfortable. Your hands aren't that big that being small is all in your head. If you need bigger, attach the winder. The last miss was the take-up spool which is easier to use and more reliable than standard, so much so that you can tuck in the film, close the back, advance twice and start shooting yielding an extra 2-3 frames per roll. May have been more but this is what I remember from 40 years ago.
You should definitely take all of that and make a better video about this camera. Be sure to share a link when you do.
David, again...Thanks for all of your help and advice!! You've been super helpful!! I'm looking forward to more Pentax MX videos :-). Btw, I'm going to give the developer you mentioned a shot when I start shooting.
Kiana L. You'll be really pleased with the results your MX delivers. Let me know if you have other questions. Take great photos!
You scared the shit out of me. I thought it was really that small :))
Hi David...going through the video w/my camera in hand...Do you have any suggestions where I can find a set of camera strap lugs/screws?? I've checked on amazon and ebay, but I've had no luck. They are completely missing (I've included a link to a pic of my camera). Unless I'm using the wrong keywords/search terms, I might be out of luck. If that is the case, what would you suggest using as far as a strap for security? There are no notches on the side to attach a wrist strap. Thanks again for your help!
drive.google.com/file/d/0B_7g9XwgbyqYM2EyWDBRYkZHTUk/view?usp=sharing
Kiana L. Oh boy. That's a tough one. Installing the new lugs means taking the camera apart. So you have two options -- a professional service (www.pentaxs.com is the best option) at which point the tech would overhaul your camera and return it to as-close-to-brand-new operation as possible while also replacing the lugs if he has any spares. Alternately, you could pick up what's called tripod bushing strap. These are wrist straps that screw into the tripod bushing. I did a quick eBay search and this is the first one that popped up: www.ebay.com/itm/RETRO-60-S-70-S-camera-Wrist-Strap-fis-tripod-bush-/251607122397?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3a94f401dd
No relationship with the seller.
Amazon as well as custom camera strap sites like Souldier Straps and My Funky Camera, and Etsy, too, should have tripod options. That's probably the way to go. An overhaul is probably a $75-100 investment, so it's worth doing if you know you really like your MX and want to use it for another 20 or more years.
David Hancock I knew you'd have an answer for me. Thx for the info. I think I'll look into the tripod bushing strap. I think I did come across those during my search, but I didn't pay too much attention to them.
Kiana L. You're welcome. :D
+Kiana L. A bit late perhaps..but try to get an "ever ready" case for your camera one that have lugs or a strap attached. Just mount the camera in the case with a tripod screw so it doesn't fall out.
secularnevrosis Thanks for the info...Never heard of an "ever ready" case...Something I'll look into.
The Pentax MX is nothing more then a shrunk down Spotmatic in my opinion.
+Michael Russo That's not at all the case. The MX is much more robust, mechanically, and has a significantly improved metering system compared to the Spotmatic.
David Hancock Metering yes, robust? I doubt that. Mechanically they are similar internally. You can tap the shutter on a MX just like a Spotmatic to lock up the mirror. The MX layout and features are very similar to a Spotmatic. However, the MX does a clever trick with the depth of view preview on the timer lever. Kind of liked that even though I rarely used this feature.
Sounds like you started with a very poor and much abused example of this camera to begin with!
Q. WHY didn't you just spend a few bucks for a better example? They are "ON SALE" somewhere on the web, literally EVERY DAY!
Well, partly to show that even a beat up camera can still work well and partly because I was super friggin poor back then.
OH！ My Camera・・・・ｗｗ
lol
😃
hi david i was wondering between a canon ftb ql and this, which do you think is a better body?