reliable. affordable. Full exposure information in finder. Rather comfortable 5 LED exposuremeter display. Stop down lever. There was a fast motordrive

No 3200 ISO, shutter speed dial requires 2 fingers, dull screen. Slow sync speed. stop down lever is hard to operate. Very few motordrives around. No TTL-flash. Winder battery change is a watchmakers task.

The MX should be a very long lasting full manual body with convenient features. It seems to be the beginning of the trend to ultra compact SLRs, although it's a bit bigger than the ME. You can read time and aperture seting in the finder which might be useful especially when you use flash and the 5 LEDs are usable to read the meter , although I myself like the hand of the KX a bit more. The screen is dull compared to later modells and the ISO setting works only up to the sweet spot of ultra fast films, which might safe you from the disapointing experience of TMZ at 3200ISO. If you have huge lenses you 'll need the winder, so compactness is over. The screens are interchangable by user but using the brightest LX screens crys for a handheld meter. It's a good camera to rely on and especially the chrome version wouldn't scare people like a fully rigged F5. Either a great backup or the best Pentax available.

Customer Service

Oficialy discontinued but possible.

Similar Products Used:

KX, K1000s, LX, Super Program

It's the perfect workhorse; strong and reliable. I can always trust it to work in any weather and it can cope with being stuffed in a backpack in a hurry or changing lenses quickly without giving me any grief over the years (I've had it for 10 years!). A variety of lenses that are the same quality and factory as the more expensive "sibling" Olympus. It's overall a joy to get to know and so easy to carry anywhere...

As I nowadays use a Mamiya 645 or sometimes Hasselblad, I can sometimes get really disapointed with the DOF and have difficulty focusing in difficult lighting conditions. The lightmeter can be indicating incorrectly (just like any other SLR in the same price group) in difficult light conditions.

I bought my Pentax MX on recommendation from my Photographic Arts teacher at University. It's lovely little camera with some many choices as far as lenses are concerned and its TTL is overall brilliant for the price. I've used it for all kinds of photography except sports. I even know someone that defended himself at a robbery by banging the MX in the robbers' head - and it still worked! So - perfect for the price and if you are a beginner, than you always need to be able you use a manual camera instead of the impersonal AF!

Customer Service

I have never had a problem with it in 10 years and it was used when I bought it - fantastic!!!

Similar Products Used:

Pentax ME Olympus OM-1 Canon Minolta Yashica

Small, portable, vast variety of lenses, autowinder available, really easy to use. The newer electronic cameras confuse me sometimes! And I love that I can flip the advance switch out a little bit and keep the light meter on. It makes for fast changes.

Fastest shutter speed is 1/1000, ISO only goes to 1600, center weighted meter, back film door latch isn't really made well, but I haven't had any problems with it.

My first full manual camera that I got from my dad to use in my B&W photo class. I love older camera's vs. the newer ones. My dad researched this camera a ton before he decided to buy it. I've used it from anything to outdoor landscape shots to high action sports at night! It did really well for a full manual camera at night, under poor lighting conditions, with 1600 film, and a somewhat slower lens for FOOTBALL! I also have the winder which I really like. The grip it has makes the camera easier to hold for me.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

N/A

Small,rugged,versatile. Takes a million lenses.

I don't like the LED lights in the meter.

This was a great flea market find. My black MX needed 100.00 to get it up and running. It's kinda chipped and scrathed, but the meter is bang-on and has taken great photos for me. A number of folks have mentioned the camera's lack of mirror lock-up, but lock-up actually CAN be achieved on this camera using a flicking motion on the shutter switch. I've done it hundreds of times and it just takes a little practise. Drop me an e-,mail for details!

Similar Products Used:

Practically every Pentax SLR made,many Canons,primarily 1970's models.

Small, tough, sexy, DOF preview, great viewfinder in everry way. Smooth as silk.

No mirror lock-up. At times aperture priority would be nice - I always regret the appalling ME Super that wasn't an auto MX.

This is a camera I lusted after when I was young. It's a terrific little machine that feels superb and does everything just right. I keep it in a grab bag with 28, 50 and 135 mm lenses - takes up almost no space and is capable of superb quality. And it's fun!

Customer Service

Not needed

Similar Products Used:

Beyond number - but the OM1n is closest in spirit

Strong, compact, reliable, easy to use, takes beatiful images when used with pentax lenses.

they are old!

I love this camera, its so compact, strong, is supported by Pentax's excellent lenses. Intuitive and simple functions make it a joy to use. Has no unnecessary functions other than those required to take great images.

Customer Service

none

Similar Products Used:

pentax me, pentax p30t, mamiya zm, canon EOS, pentax K1000

Solid as a stone, light and handy, simple to use, smooth mechanisms.

None.

I've bought the MX as a first camera from my brother who had had it for ten years from when he was studying photography. It's family possesion for over 25 years, and it has never failed. That's the main story: no matter what they tell you, they don't make camera's like that anymore. For professional reasons I'm now using EOS'es (both digital as filmcamera's), but every once in a while i lay a roll in the Pentax, and I tell myself: heel, that's the way to make photo's...

Customer Service

None

Similar Products Used:

Pentax ME Super, Olympus OM-1, 2, 4, Canon EOS 620, EOS 300, EOS 30, EOS 5, EOS 10, EOS D60, EOS D30, EOS 300D, Contax, Nikon, ETC, ETC.

Reliability - built for proffessional work. Simplicity. Extremely small and compact - among the smallest slr's ever made. Interchangeable focusing screens.

Max shutter speed - 1/1000. No mirror lockup. No ttl flash. Max flash synch - 1/60. Max film speed setting - 1600 iso. LED meter display instead of needle. Lack of apperture-priority auto makes shooting on the fly difficult.

I inherited my MX from my father and have used it to learn how to make photographs. As everyone has said the camera is fantastically reliable although I fear for the meter now that the camera is +- 25 years old. Simple and effective. Don't let anyone tell you that a camera like this isn't capable of making breathtaking images.

Customer Service

Once had to stick the cover down with superglue - if that counts.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon FE2, Pentax K1000, Pentax ME, Nikon F80, Nikon F90X

Small size. Manual. Excellent viewfinder. Precise. Durable.

None.

I am very satisfied with MX cause it's small but effective. It's never betrayed me. I am art photographer and I need manual. (see my pics on www.usefilm.com) It fell me in the river and nothing has happened, after drying it its like new ! I am looking for another one to buy. Contact me if you wanna sell it. Using 35-70 mm and its wonderfull !

Customer Service

None

Similar Products Used:

Praktica EE3

Solid build, but light. Excellent meter and superb design. All the good aspects of the K1000, but with more facilities and less weight/smaller size.

Dim viewfinder LEDs in bright conditions and a limited shutter-speed range, but otherwise none.

I bought an MX to replace an ME Super (stolen) and found the MX far superior in build and meter performance. I bought it second-hand for 120 UK pounds (your site doesn't understand this concept) five years ago and it has never let me down. I use the camera for wedding photography and for my real job - which entails a lot of fieldwork - and wish some company still made cameras this good!

Customer Service

Never been needed for five different Pentax cameras in 23 years.

Similar Products Used:

K2, K1000 (x2)