Light and compact. 1/2000 top speed. Flash sync at 1/125. EXCELLENT speed select pushbuttons. Handy exposure info LEDs in viewfinder.

Lack of DOF preview. AE compensation in 1 EV steps. Can´t see aperture in finder like in MX, for instance.

A superb mid-range camera. I had one from 1990 to 1995, and ¨upgraded¨ to a P5. Some improvements, and several drawbacks. So I decided to get another ME Super, which I feel very comfortable with.

Customer Service

No need for it.

Similar Products Used:

Voigtländer rangefinder, Pentax MX, Pentax P5

Awesome simplicity Smallest and lightest SLR - even today. 1/2000 shutter - better than most Nikons Extremely sharp 50mm 1.7-A or 1.4-A lenses True no-battery operation at 1/125 (flash) Cheap to buy used - millions sold

Shutter accuracy (1/2000 actually 1/1500) Some think that its TOO small to hold Hard to find good lenses today

This was my first SLR, bought in 1982 for a wedding of a special friend, with 1.7 Lens. That Lens was later rated as the sharpest 1.7 lens on ANY camera for its day. I loved the simplicity and kept mine until it was stolen in 1995. Over my 13 years of use, the Lens jammed and wouldn''t go to infinity (it would go 35 feet - close enough), and a nickel-sized trim tab atop the winder fell off. No serious malfunction happened, and I shot about 50 rolls of film with this camera and carried it everywhere. My next camera was a Nikon N-70, the workhorse of the Nikon family, but a nightmare of complexity. I''m downgrading and getting back to my ME Super. In its day, this was a BREAKTHOUGH aperature priority SLR - smallest and lightest and there was an is no simpler or COOLER camera that you can own. If you select the Pentas SMC Lenses, you have a camera that can give Nikon/Canon a serious fight for picture quality. Avoid the cheap Takumar or after-market lenses.

Customer Service

Never needed it. Very dependable.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon N-70 Canon A-1 (handled) Sureshot cameras

the way to change the shutterspeed is great.

none

A great camera that feels right in your hands. You can quickly adjust the shutterspeed, and just snap away. A great camera for everybody.

Similar Products Used:

pentax K-1000, ricoh kr5-super, pentax z-20

Small size, wide range of accessories at affordable prices. LED display of shutter speeds in viewfinder and button speed change is highly convenient.

None.

Bought this camera in 1981 and have loved every shot. Small and light, but can add winder or accessories for any capability needed. The sales point for me was the unique ability to change shutter speeds by pushbuttons and watch the speed change in the viewfinder. With its aperture priority, this makes total camera control easy. You can also auto-expose up to 2 stops + or - with settings on the camera. Extremely convenient and dependable, lenses readily available everywhere and on Ebay. This camera is a classic and well worth owning. Why spend hundreds for a Nikon when you can have a Pentax that will do it all?

Customer Service

Had one repair at independent shop - all shops can work on this camera. It was working again in minutes after a circlip in the internal mechanism came loose.

Similar Products Used:

Various Pentax and Nikon 35mms.

small, well-made, easy to use, bright and large viewfinder, right amount of automation

no aperture readout on v-finder, no depth of focus review

comfortable to move around with like an old friend or an used jean...when just want to grab a camera and go, this one comes to mind.

Customer Service

never used

Similar Products Used:

LEICA M2,4
Nikon 8088, FM2

compact, smoothness

lack of DOF preview, screen is not interchangeable.

My first SLR, I enjoyed it very much except for the lack of DOF previewer. Mine didn't last many years, the sutter button dropped and then mirror jammed...a pity, I don't think I abused the camera.

Pentax's film take up spool is simple and never fail.

Customer Service

OK.

Similar Products Used:

LX, F3, MX

Little camera. Very good for shooting candids and people. Body is strong and durable. Meter is accurate and camera is not as loud as the K1000.

It will not function without batteries in all speeds. Only x sync and B.

It is a very good little camera that uses all K mount lenses. Very reliable and unobtrusive.

Customer Service

None

Similar Products Used:

Pentax K1000, and Pentax KX

-Very well put together. Feels like you are holding a camera.
-Easy to use and figure out
-Good beginner's camera
-Easy to Load
-Accessories easy to find used. This includes replacement bodies!

-Parts are impossible to find. Cheaper to buy a new body than to track down parts.

These are all over the place, and you can get them cheap. I have been seduced by the darkside, and am looking for an AF camera, but i will not part ways with the Pentax, no way. This is a great camera to learn the basics of photography. Once you do that, you can pretty much use this camera until you just have to buy a new camera to have a new one. It's a workhorse.

Customer Service

Pentax was very friendly when they told me that my parts were no longer available. They even gave me half a dozen places to try.

Similar Products Used:

Cosina CT-1, Canon AE-1, Minolta X-700

Aperature Priority Auto is great with its stepless meter; mechanical shutter speeds of 1/125X, B, and about 1/2000 on Auto w/o batteries; shutter is quiet; camera has a PC terminal for studio flash.

No direct aperature readout; no halfstop exposure compensation;

Compact camera with aperature priority Auto and Manual modes. The chrome version is beautiful. It is a good camera for the beginner, intermediate and professional photgrapher. It accepts the winder MEII and Digital Data M--which is good up to the year 2019 C.E.

Customer Service

CS is friendly and answered questions regarding my LX.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax LX, Super Program, Ricoh XR-X 3PF, AF200T flash, AF160SA flash

Very easy to use, durable body - mine works like new after ~18 years, has all the essential functions, ligthweight.

None so far...

It's a great camera. I'm just starting to make my "first steps" in photography and am having a great time using this camera. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it!

Customer Service

Didn't need any

Similar Products Used:

None