Black Asahi Pentax Spomatic circa 1968/9, 50mm f1.4 Classic (Page 2): Pentax was one of the first camera companies to produce multicoated lenses and now everyone does. Even the crappy...

SMPhotography Loc: Pawleys Island, SC

dick ranez wrote:

Having owned a half dozen Spotmatics over the years, your photos of the black beauty bring back many fond memories. What really makes me sad is how the Pentax brand has degraded over the past twenty or so years so that it's hardly a player in today's market. Still many Pentax loyalists and fanatics out there and they deserve better than Ricoh is giving them.

Pentax was one of the first camera companies to produce multicoated lenses and now everyone does. Even the crappy little lens on your cell phone is now multicoated. The LX was a beautiful and very capable camera. Pentax really did not have the system to challenge Nikon and Canon but they still put up a good fight.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

imagemeister wrote:

Spring cleaning continues - for the Pentax collect... (show quote)

Some great memories sprung to light when I saw this combo. I have the same body and lens, and it is in total working order. I think you'd have to drop it 10 stories or run over it with a truck to kill it.

I did try to sell mine a few years back. No takers at $150 Cdn so decided to keep it for my grandkids.

Good luck!

bwa

nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

You can get a Wein Cell PX400 zinc-air battery that is correct voltage, or try to find an Energizer 387S silver cell, which is a drop-in replacement including the plastic spacer ring, or an Energizer 394/380 which fits in the ring your mercury battery has on it.

Knowing if the meter works goes a long way in trying to sell the camera.

nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

imagemeister wrote:

It is much better than "good" - even wit... (show quote)

I have an original Honeywell Spotmatic (not a newer SP shown by the OP) on which the meter works fine. But I have handled newer Spotmatics with dead meters.
Don't assume anything.

My Spotmatic is not a "dumpy chrome version". It's a beautiful, clean camera. I even found online a number of service manuals and fixes for common ailments like sluggish shutters.

To say the OP's camera SHOULD NOT BE USED is just plain silly.

wej

I currently own the exact camera case and lens. Purchased in HK and it still functional. Today one can't purchase a battery as the original contained mercury. But if you remove the battery and clean the contacts you may find like i did it will work.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

dick ranez wrote:

Having owned a half dozen Spotmatics over the years, your photos of the black beauty bring back many fond memories. What really makes me sad is how the Pentax brand has degraded over the past twenty or so years so that it's hardly a player in today's market. Still many Pentax loyalists and fanatics out there and they deserve better than Ricoh is giving them.

wej

I have over 4,000 slides from my ASAHI Pentax. My very first 35 mm camera.

newtoyou Loc: Eastport

nadelewitz wrote:

You can get a Wein Cell PX400 zinc-air battery that is correct voltage, or try to find an Energizer 387S silver cell, which is a drop-in replacement including the plastic spacer ring, or an Energizer 394/380 which fits in the ring your mercury battery has on it.

Knowing if the meter works goes a long way in trying to sell the camera.

For anyone looking to adapt a battery to fit this and some other Pentax cameras, 'O' rings from a hardware store plumbing section may possibly work as a spacer. Hearsay, never tried it.
Bill

wej

This is true. I went looking for replacement battery before i was able to get mine functioning. There is new batteries that can be adapted to this camera. Haven't had to try any so can't offer any suggestions.
Love my Pentax!

nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

wej wrote:

I currently own the exact camera case and lens. Purchased in HK and it still functional. Today one can't purchase a battery as the original contained mercury. But if you remove the battery and clean the contacts you may find like i did it will work.

You CAN purchase batteries to replace the mercury cell in early Spotmatics

WeinCell makes a PX400 zinc-air cell that has the same voltage - 1.3- that the PX400 mercury did.

I found online an Energizer 387S which is a drop-in replacement for the PX400. It is a combo of a 394/380 1.5 volt silver cell and the plastic spacer that fits the PX400 compartment.
You can also buy the 394/380 and put it in the PX400's spacer.

The exposure difference between a 1.3 volt and a 1.5 volt is barely significant, especially with negative films.

KNOWING that the meter works in a Spotmatic makes the camera more valuable and sellable. It's silly to go on not knowing for lack of a few-dollar battery.

GeorgeH Loc: Jonesboro, GA

My Pentax Spotmatic F's meter, like the meter in my Praktica LTL and many other SLRs of a similar age, originally called for a mercury cell, yielding about 135 volts. The advantage of mercury cells was that their voltage remained virtually unchanged until their sudden failure. But my Spotmatic F, my Praktica LTL and many others relied on the photographer moving via the f stop ring or the shutter speed wheel the meter needle to coincide with a fixed circle in the viewfinder or some such to set the exposure. This indicates a bridge circuit, which is "relatively" immune to voltage variations. That is to say, a 1.5v silver oxide cell, if it will physically fit, will work properly in the place of a mercury cell. Be of good cheer! If the cell fits, you're good to go with your old SLR!

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

I have two early Spotmatic bodies and use both regularly. Both meters work fine and have not, at least to my knowledge, been rebuilt. The chrome body with the Honeywell branding, was a princely $25 and the black beauty (also with Honeywell branding) was $100. Both body only and in Ex condition. Asahi badge generally brings more $$. I do not question your value assessment, but it would be a shame to see this magnificent camera become a shelf queen.

Andy

GeorgeH Loc: Jonesboro, GA

AndyH wrote:

I have two early Spotmatic bodies and use both regularly. Both meters work fine and have not, at least to my knowledge, been rebuilt. The chrome body with the Honeywell branding, was a princely $25 and the black beauty (also with Honeywell branding) was $100. Both body only and in Ex condition. Asahi badge generally brings more $$. I do not question your value assessment, but it would be a shame to see this magnificent camera become a shelf queen.

Andy

Please note that my post spoke to ONLY to the usability of Pentax Spotmatic cameras. I feel that my old cameras should be users, not shelf queens.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

GeorgeH wrote:

Please note that my post spoke to ONLY to the usability of Pentax Spotmatic cameras. I feel that my old cameras should be users, not shelf queens.

I was referring to the OP.

In my experience, most Spotmatic meters from this era work just fine. A Wein cell or 1.5 modern battery work just fine, as you noted.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

newtoyou wrote:

For anyone looking to adapt a battery to fit this and some other Pentax cameras, 'O' rings from a hardware store plumbing section may possibly work as a spacer. Hearsay, never tried it.
Bill

Good idea ...