Find me a different body for my Pentax ME super lenses

December 15, 2003 1:16 PM

i have a pentax ME super and about a dozen lenses for it. however, it has the defective gasket. since most of the ME supers around have the defective gasket, i'd rather replace it with a fully manual SLR that does not run the risk of a defective part.

i know that sears sold a SLR that fit the same lenses, but i'm having trouble tracking down the name, body style, &c. anyone know? or have suggestions of another camera which will take my lenses? or know a good used camera dealer in or around chicago, illinois?
posted by crush-onastick to media & arts (10 answers total)

the Pentax LX should be the best manual choice for your lenses

get one used, it's a great camera
posted by matteo at 1:19 PM on December 15, 2003

I have a modern ZX-M. It's a Pentax K-mount, it has a light meter and can do shutter priority, but no auto-focus, no flash, and it's like $100.

If you want something a bit older, I'd highly recommend the K-1000. It rocks in so many ways.
posted by bshort at 1:32 PM on December 15, 2003

What's your budget?
I'll second the LX suggestion - excellent quality of manufacture and tough. The K-1000 is another good choice, but be careful, they were cheaper when new and a favorite with photography students, so it's hard to find one that hasn't been thrashed.

If your budget is tight, there were lots of servicable cameras made by brands other than Pentax that took the K-mount lenses. Ricoh and Yashica come to mind.

If your budget is healthy, switch systems and get a new Nikon FM3A and enjoy the abundance of cheap but excellent Nikkor lenses currently all over the second-hand market, as rich amateurs and professionals dump their old manual 35mm gear in favor of the latest auto-digital electronic plastic bricks.
posted by normy at 3:49 PM on December 15, 2003

By the way, I'm not exactly sure what you mean by 'gasket'. Are you refering to the light-tight foam seal that the back door closes against to prevent light leaking in the back? If so, you can buy do-it-yourself kits of self-adhesive foam strips and instructions for a few dollars. It's not a difficult job to replace the old seals. Try ebay.
posted by normy at 5:05 PM on December 15, 2003

"If your budget is healthy, switch systems and get a new Nikon FM3A"

good suggestion.
if you still want to switch but think that FM3A's are too expensive, a used FM2 is the way to go -- a tank of a camera if there ever was one
and Nikon lenses are of the highest quality (except Leica and Zeiss) and come pretty cheap -- get a 50/1.8 AF, a nice manual focus 24/2.8 and a small light 85/2 and you're home free
the best Nikon lens I ever used is an old 35/1.4, by the way
the manual focus 20/2.8 is amazing also
posted by matteo at 5:47 PM on December 15, 2003

In Chicago, I recommend Central Camera on Wabash near Adams. They're excellent and won't try to rip you off. And they've got literally everything photographic imaginable -- I've even picked up some 620 film there for my Duoflex II, cut down from 120 by hand by one of their suppliers. It's hard not to leave with a little something extra.
posted by me3dia at 9:12 PM on December 15, 2003

Central Camera is a wonderful camera store in the Loop.
posted by Vidiot at 9:43 PM on December 15, 2003

doh! That teaches me to let something sit on "preview" while I read IraqFilter threads in other windows. ;-)
posted by Vidiot at 9:44 PM on December 15, 2003

My first SLR was a Pentax ME Super. I loved that camera, but it was stolen at university. I also used a K-1000 in school a few times, and really loved the feel of it. I expect the LX is also great to hold and shoot with.
posted by planetkyoto at 11:26 PM on December 15, 2003

thanks, all. i haven't settled on a budget yet, so actually, general suggestions are good. obviously, i'm looking for full manual 35mm SLR. (the blown gasket thing is apparently part of the shutter, which snaps, and the shutter never closes. i've had it repaired a couple of times, but it's a defective part and was a problem with the ME super--i suppose someone could show me how to reset it every time it locks, but it's just not worth it). i really like the ME super, undoubtedly because i've been using it for 15 years. i had a leica for a while (which has been taken), which was fabulous, but i didn't much care for the light meter or the focus ring on the one nikon i've used.
posted by crush-onastick at 10:00 AM on December 17, 2003