Pentax ME Reviews

Rating
Reviewed by: Dan Johnson
(Expert)

Review Date
August 19, 2008

Overall Rating
5 of 5

Value Rating
4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Review 1 of 12

Price Paid: $35.00 from Shutterbug

Summary:

For what it is - an amateur oriented auto-exposure only camera - the ME is as good as it gets. It's small and light yet it is relatively rugged. The center-weighted meter is very accurate. It's about as quiet and vibration free as is possible with an SLR, at least when not used with a winder or motor drive. The viewfinder is bright and contrasty. Pentax optics are excellent and lenses and accessories are very common and reasonably priced as the Pentax K-mount was almost universal. What more could you want.

It's not professional grade but never pretended to be. You want a pro-level Pentax manual focus? Buy an MX or LX or an old KX or K2MD. You want an outstanding camera for casual photography yet one that will give consistently excellent results? An ME is pretty hard to beat. Yes there are others just as good but I believe there are none better in its class.

I have several camera but I seem to always grab the ME when I'm going on a family outing and want something far more capable than a point-and-shoot and less troublesome than a digital.

Strengths:

ME bodies are inexpensive and fairly plentiful.
Pentax optics are excellent.
K-mount accessories and other brand lenses are plentiful and cheap.
Very accurate meter.
Light weight yet quiet and remarkably vibration-free. (I've done macro-work with my ME and it never needed a mirror-lock.)
Has a hot shoe AND an X-sync port.
Can use a winder or a motor drive.
No manual mode. (I have cameras that are manual for when I want to get serious.)

Weaknesses:

Age.
Metal pentaprism housing dents fairly easily.
No manual mode.
No diopter adjustment. (a rarity back then on this level)

Similar Products Used:

Olympus OM1, OM20
Minolta X-700
Nikon FA
Canon AE1, and F

Customer Service:

Manuals are still available from Pentax. There are countless user forums. Pentax won't fix a camera this old but they can usually still be repaired by independents and, like I said before, bodies are cheap and easy to find.

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Rating
Reviewed by: rustedborg
(Expert)

Review Date
June 13, 2002

Overall Rating
4 of 5

Value Rating
5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Review 2 of 12

Price Paid: $120.00 from eBay (with lenses+me

Summary:

Many people have reviewed this camera, but many of the reviews have factual errors that make this camera look worse than it is. This is my FAVORITE Pentax backup body. And is a small, reliable tank that always delivers spot-on exposures! I've owned modern $600+ SLRs that don't deliver the way this old girl does.

Strengths:

Auto-Exposure mode (You set the F-stop, the camera sets the shutter speed.) SOLID body in a small package. (I'd take this baby into a war zone.) Pentax lens compatibility. 1/100 sync and Bulb settings Compatible with ME-II Winder Features exposure compensation dial built into the ISO dial.

Weaknesses:

No manual shutter speed settings. (If you need manual control, get the Pentax ME Super.) It's a 20+ year old camera, so Pentax won't repair it ... you have to take it to a skilled local boy.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon EM, Pentax PZ-1

Customer Service:

Pentax won't repair a camera this old, but they will tell you where to find a qualified local repair shop. Pentax also still offers user manuals for this camera.

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Rating
Reviewed by: Lexlo
(Casual)

Review Date
April 16, 2002

Overall Rating
3 of 5

Value Rating
4 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Review 3 of 12

Price Paid: $130.00

Summary:

Bought this as a backup / 2nd body. I already have a K1000 and wanted another cheap body that could use the same lenses. Has a good flash sync speed (1/100) and decent metering but lacks several nice options. (see weaknesses)

Strengths:

Construction & finish. Ergonomics. Flash sync Speed (1/100). Bright view Finder.

Weaknesses:

No Exposure Lock. No Self Timer. Lack of info in viewfinder (no aperture / shutter speed) No compensation (bracketing) control aside from film speed adjust. No DOF preview (yeah yeah, I know, most Pentax don''t have it)

Similar Products Used:

K1000, ME Super, SP1000? Minolta XG-1

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Rating
Reviewed by: Michael Zimmer
(Casual)

Review Date
March 7, 2002

Overall Rating
4 of 5

Value Rating
5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5,
1 votes

Review 4 of 12

Price Paid: $85.00 from second hand

Summary:

it''s making a very nice photos, ESPECIALLY with oryginal 50 mm /1.7 lens. The photos are always clear and sharp.

Strengths:

Accurate metering Small size Light weight

Weaknesses:

automatic mode only,

Similar Products Used:

zenith ttl

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Rating
Reviewed by: Lyle Miller
(Expert)

Review Date
September 13, 2001

Overall Rating
5 of 5

Value Rating
5 of 5

Review 5 of 12

Price Paid: $158.00 from Oklahoma City

Summary:

Bought the ME before a bicycle trip overseas. A pro shooter buddy knew I liked my K1000, encouraged me to get the ME and a couple of extra lenses, and I got the winder too. Rode in England (cool and warm on same day), Scotland (wet, rainy, cold and warm on either side of hills, windy Grampian Plain, foggy Ben Nevis, Army bagpipe contests in pubs, Skye), Belgium & France (wet, hot, cool, and then a month of banging around with me at discos, restaurants, and everything tourists do. Dropped twice, once in mud...was it the wine or the girl?) I still have the Kodachromes from that trip, great saturation, sharp, thanks to a great film and a d*** fine camera.m

Strengths:

About as good as the Nikon Fs from that period, from what I can tell and what I''ve heard.

Weaknesses:

Motor winder and camera sometimes don''t talk to each other.B

Similar Products Used:

Pentax K-1000, Mamiya 645 and 645S, Cambo 4x5, Canon G1,

Customer Service:

Pentax factory been good. Had camera worked on once for a sticking mirror. Lubed.

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