| SLRs - the unRF For those of you who must talk about SLRs, if only to confirm they are not RF. |
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just bagged a Pentax Mx |
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10-20-2012
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#1
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Scale focus fan
lxmike is offline
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Co Durham NE England
Posts: 1,050
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just bagged a Pentax Mx
Although my user name is LX Mike, (I used to shoot a lot of film with a LX in the 1980s), my favourite manual focus SLR is the Pentax MX, well its been a while since I owned one and I hoped (when funds allowed ) to grab one. Well today I was walking arround a fea market when in a bag I came across a Pentax Mx, in superb cosmetic condition, and mechanically sound, apart from a dead meter, it came with a hrdly used mint- Pentax SMC M 50 1.7 lens. I got it for £35, and despite the meter problem I feel this is a bit of a bargain, the lenses go for £35 on ebay anyway. Cosmetically its a nice camera and the shutter speeds fire ok, so its usable but I plan to senfd it to a repair centre that specialses in Pentax for a CLA and hopefully breathe life into the meter. As soon as I picked up the MX it brought back loads of happy memories, especially one in particularly, picking up my first Mx in december 1981, happy days
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Presently loaded: Olympus 35 Trip, AX4, XA, XA2, AX2 (blue), Rollei 35T, and Rollei 35B.
Soon to arrive: Rollei 35 original (German), Rollei 35 S (Singapore)
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10-20-2012
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#2
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Registered User
Dirk is offline
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Las Vegas
Posts: 308
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Good for you! It's a straightforward and simple camera with a nice big viewfinder. I also enjoy its aperture-priority stablemate, the ME Super. Have fun!
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Leica M3, Bessa R2m, Minox 35GT, Konica C35, Yashica GSN, Minolta Hi-Matic E, Rolleiflex 3.5F, Leicaflex SL2, Nikon F, etc., etc...
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10-20-2012
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#3
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Scale focus fan
lxmike is offline
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Co Durham NE England
Posts: 1,050
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thanks dirk, I have used pentax slrs since about 1981, the mx is my favourite
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Presently loaded: Olympus 35 Trip, AX4, XA, XA2, AX2 (blue), Rollei 35T, and Rollei 35B.
Soon to arrive: Rollei 35 original (German), Rollei 35 S (Singapore)
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10-20-2012
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#4
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Scale focus fan
lxmike is offline
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Co Durham NE England
Posts: 1,050
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A quick picture of my £35 buy
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Presently loaded: Olympus 35 Trip, AX4, XA, XA2, AX2 (blue), Rollei 35T, and Rollei 35B.
Soon to arrive: Rollei 35 original (German), Rollei 35 S (Singapore)
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10-20-2012
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#5
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Shooter of Film...
nikon_sam is offline
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Alta Loma, CA
Age: 52
Posts: 3,766
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First...congrats on your great find...
I bought my first of two black body MX's around the same time you did in the early 80's...
I still own those two bodies along with the Vivitar Series 1 lenses I bought for them...
I do love the sound of that shutter...
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Sam
"tongue tied & twisted
just an earthbound misfit...I..."
pf
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10-20-2012
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#6
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Scale focus fan
lxmike is offline
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Co Durham NE England
Posts: 1,050
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Thanks sam, what I like about the MX is the size, fits my hands perfectly, black MX are superb by the way, very cool looking
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Presently loaded: Olympus 35 Trip, AX4, XA, XA2, AX2 (blue), Rollei 35T, and Rollei 35B.
Soon to arrive: Rollei 35 original (German), Rollei 35 S (Singapore)
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10-20-2012
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#7
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Registered User
tjh is offline
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 395
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I have two MX bodies. The first is a black body I got at a yard sale many years ago. I liked it so much that I searched and a few years ago found a mint chrome MX. The meter circuit on the black body was replaced by this place in the US - http://www.pentaxs.com/.
These are wonderful cameras with excellent prime lenses. I have Pentax-M lenses 20mm, 50mm (1.4 and 1.7), and 150mm. I also have a surprisingly good Vivitar 28mm and the second generation Voigtlander SL (second series) 40mm.
This topic just reminded me that I have a roll of film to finish in the chrome MX. I'd better get to that instead of chatting here all weekend 
Tom |
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10-20-2012
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#8
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Shooter of Film...
nikon_sam is offline
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Alta Loma, CA
Age: 52
Posts: 3,766
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Mike...although I like the size of the MX bodies I had to have the Winders for mine...they balance out the camera and also make them easier to handle...
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Sam
"tongue tied & twisted
just an earthbound misfit...I..."
pf
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10-20-2012
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#9
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Scale focus fan
lxmike is offline
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Co Durham NE England
Posts: 1,050
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nikon_sam
Mike...although I like the size of the MX bodies I had to have the Winders for mine...they balance out the camera and also make them easier to handle...
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I totally agree, MX wonders are essential
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Presently loaded: Olympus 35 Trip, AX4, XA, XA2, AX2 (blue), Rollei 35T, and Rollei 35B.
Soon to arrive: Rollei 35 original (German), Rollei 35 S (Singapore)
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10-20-2012
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#10
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.........................
zuikologist is offline
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: London
Posts: 1,503
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A small secret -the early Zhou cases for the Bessa R (marked Rangefinderforum on the bottom) fit the MX very well. Looks great and works well. The MX grip from Korea is also very good, usually found on ebay or from Ffordes in the UK from time to time.
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<a href='http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=867'>My Gallery</a>
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10-20-2012
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#11
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Registered User
benlees is offline
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Edmonton, AB
Age: 41
Posts: 946
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You did better than me! I paid $50 for a battered MX with 50/f2 that rattled! Was my first real camera. Wouldn't mind getting a black one...
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10-20-2012
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#12
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Registered User
benlees is offline
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Edmonton, AB
Age: 41
Posts: 946
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I forgot to mention: the meter problem is often a mechanical fault that is easily fixed by removing bottom plate and bending/adjusting the "prongs" (not sure of the correct term). The instructions are somewhere in cyber-space; Google is better than my memory.
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10-21-2012
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#13
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Bail out the Brits too !
elmarman is offline
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: BRENTWOOD, England
Age: 76
Posts: 176
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I had three MX's but down to two now as ex-Wife went off with one ! I used them with electronic flash so much that the flash contacts burnt out in one body. I have ME Supers and no trouble with flash contacts on them. I also lost my 120mm f2.8 SMC Pentax-M lens -- she in somewhere in MALTA now !
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An 'Old Dog' but still learning 'New Tricks' !
Rangefinders: 1934 Leica II,1965 M2,1986 M6,1966 Werramatic, 1950-60's Zeiss Contina, Russian FED 4,1956 Agfa Isolette III, 1968 Mamiya Press Super 23.
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10-21-2012
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#14
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Registered User
paulfish4570 is offline
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: On the Locust Fork of the Warrior River, Alabama
Age: 61
Posts: 16,105
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my ME super is my favorite camera. i'd like to bag an MX sometime.
well done.
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Paul
i seek to photograph the things not seen.
" ... faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11-1
"One eye sees. The other eye feels." - Paul Klee
"... For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." - apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians, 4:18
"Film will only become art when it's materials are as inexpensive as pencil and paper." - Jean Cocteau
http://blackcreekjournal.blogspot.com/
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10-21-2012
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#15
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Registered User
raytoei@gmail.com is offline
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,846
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i believe the MX is one of the smallest 35mm film SLRs around. I should be receiving mine this week 
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Film is Photography.
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10-21-2012
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#16
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Thread Killer
ChrisPlatt is offline
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: New York
Age: 52
Posts: 1,737
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I received a Pentax MX with Winder MX back from Eric Hendrickson last week.
Terrific work as always!
Chris
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Bring back the latent image!
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10-21-2012
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#17
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Registered User
Ed Weatherly is offline
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: California
Posts: 119
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Anyone know of a good repair person in the US for Pentax SLR's? I have an ME Super that I bought in about 1982 and it has a stuck shutter. I'd like to get it working again.
Thanks
Ed
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Ed
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10-21-2012
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#18
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Thread Killer
ChrisPlatt is offline
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: New York
Age: 52
Posts: 1,737
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed Weatherly
Anyone know of a good repair person in the US for Pentax SLR's?
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If it's Pentax there's no one better than Eric Hendrickson located in Sharps Chapel TN.
Link: http://www.pentaxs.com
Chris
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Bring back the latent image!
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10-22-2012
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#19
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Scale focus fan
lxmike is offline
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Co Durham NE England
Posts: 1,050
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Does anyone have a good recomendation for getting an MX serviced in the UK
__________________
Presently loaded: Olympus 35 Trip, AX4, XA, XA2, AX2 (blue), Rollei 35T, and Rollei 35B.
Soon to arrive: Rollei 35 original (German), Rollei 35 S (Singapore)
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What about the winder? |
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10-22-2012
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#20
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Real men use B+W
Koolzakukumba is offline
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Carnoustie, Scotland
Age: 52
Posts: 375
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What about the winder?
I reckon a black MX is the nicest looking camera around - so classy and cool. However, although I like the handling of my MX with the winder attached, the winder does make the weirdest noise. It's unlike any other winders I've come across for any other cameras. Even with fresh batteries it sounds sluggish and doesn't have the zippy feel or sound of other winders. It still rattles through film at about 2fps but it just doesn't sound very healthy. I used to think this was just the way the MX winder was but now I'm not so sure. Maybe mine is on its last legs. Certainly other winders such as those on my Yashica FR1, Pentax ME Super or Contax 137MD all sound much zippier. Any thoughts?
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10-22-2012
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#21
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genius and moron
sepiareverb is offline
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: NEK
Posts: 7,121
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tjh
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Thanks for that link Tom, I've got a 67 that might need some TLC. |
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10-22-2012
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#22
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Registered User
raytoei@gmail.com is offline
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,846
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my mx arrived, clean and better than described, it came with a 50/f1.7 lens, which i read somewhere that it is quite a sharp lens. the screen is clear and the metering works. my leica iiif is probably longer than the mx. it is that small.
will bring it out tomorrow for a spin...
raytoei
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Film is Photography.
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10-22-2012
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#23
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neo-romanticist
kbg32 is offline
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: New York, New York
Posts: 4,168
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That's a great find. I always had a fondness for the MX.
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10-22-2012
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#24
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Registered User
rbsinto is offline
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Thornhill, Ontario, Canada Thornhill is a suburb of Toronto
Posts: 1,122
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A few years ago I was given a bag of photo gear that included a Pentax K1000, MX body with winder, six or eight lens (Tokina 28~105, 17, and some odd off-brand K-mounts as well as two Pentax 50's), flashes filters, and other odds and ends.
Much of it sold or given away, but I still have the MX body, which is an excellent camera.
I thought about keeping the stuff, but I already had the focal lengths covered and couldn't see running a third 35mm system.
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10-22-2012
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#25
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Registered User
Ed Weatherly is offline
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: California
Posts: 119
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisPlatt
If it's Pentax there's no one better than Eric Hendrickson located in Sharps Chapel TN.
Link: http://www.pentaxs.com
Chris |
Thanks Chris, I will check them out.
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Ed
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