first of all it's physical appearance.especially on a winder or drive.it look's powerful.
secondly it's got japans mastery electrical prowess.if treated well problems will be few.if you've got big hands like i have get your self an inexpensive winder.it' feels terrific. it has a slew of optional lenses and other products.

mirror slap is a little pronounced.even with new foam it's a little loud.it would definitely get somethings attention.the view finders light meter indicator is a little weak in low light situations

first of all i love the looks of this camera.great design. with a winder or a motordrive
on this thing it fits my hands perfectly.ergonomically it's great.i just purchased another one of these except it's black.it also came with a motor drive.it's in great shape hardly used at all for a hundred bucks(i'm in love)after having a slew of other cameras i dropped out of the scene for awhile but after seeing a friend of mines(pentax) i thought i'd give it a whirl.pentax is a banner product.

Customer Service

so far it's been restricted to ebay service.theres enough people out there that work on these things.cameras like these are thirty plus years old.keep names handy.

Similar Products Used:

canon a-1,f1n,nikon f,yashica fr2,ricoh tls,porst,zenit,19,sears tls,

Many lenses made for the K mount

When the internal battery starts going dead the camera ( ME's ) seem to loose their bearings

I have been primarily using the Pentax line for Photos other than portraits for the last 23 years. I 've rarely experienced any problems with function or control.

Customer Service

Great in the past, but not worth it anymore because the camera is not worth it anymore.

Similar Products Used:

Canon, Minolta, Nikon 35mm

Size, feel, mostly quick operation, good lenses; depth of field preview very nice.

Could use AE lock and expanded metering feaures; also indicator for exposure compensation would be nice as well as indicator for f stop in aperture priority mode.

Nicely made, now a bit dated of course. Feels very good in the hands, controls mostly well placed. Lacks AE lock, an annoyance. Exposure compensation dial must also be watched away from viewfinder since there's no indicator there. Viewfinder shutter speed display a little dim but serviceable, winding action excellent, general size is compact but comfortable, viewfinder plenty bright and contrasty. Normal 50/1.7 A lens is excellent, as are most of the K mount lenses I own, including Chinon and Ricoh lenses. Mirror damping could be a little better, but it's not way too loud. Excellent all around camera, though I do wish it had an AE lock and a spot or limited area metering selection, but it's a bit late for that now!

Customer Service

for a 25 year old camera bought at Goodwill? Well, the manual IS on the Pentax website still, that's pretty amazing since Canon doesn't have downloadable manuals for any of their older film cameras that I know of.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta XD11, Contax 139 Quartz, Pentax ME Super, Chinon CP5-S, Ricoh XR-S, Olympus OM-2n.