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Getting the Best from an Old Pentax MZ 50

  • 11-05-2009 10:24am
    #1
    Anouilh
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,826 ✭✭✭


    Although I have been enjoying using my Pentax MZ 50 film camera for years, I still do not understand every aspect of its exposure and how to get the best from it.

    I found this link today which explains why using Manual with this camera causes some poor results:

    http://www.epinions.com/review/pr-Pentax_ZX-50_QD_35mm_SLR_Camera/content_117214842500

    I can understand the theory of how the camera shifts F stop settings, over-riding what I have set already.
    Is there any way of correcting this and tricking the camera back into reading the settings I choose manually?

    In time I will upgrade to a more sophisticated Pentax body, but in the meantime anything I learn about improving technique with the Pentax MZ 50 should stand to me in time.

    After all, a poor workman blames his tools...


Comments

  • #2
    CabanSail
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 9,047 CMod ✭✭✭✭CabanSail


    Anouilh wrote: »
    Although I have been enjoying using my Pentax MZ 50 film camera for years, I still do not understand every aspect of its exposure and how to get the best from it.

    I found this link today which explains why using Manual with this camera causes some poor results:

    http://www.epinions.com/review/pr-Pentax_ZX-50_QD_35mm_SLR_Camera/content_117214842500


    I don't think that you understand what that article is saying, or I don't understand what you are saying.
    Manual focus K and M-series lenses, however, can't be fully usable. The camera simply keeps whatever is the maximun aperture that the lens has fully open. This means that, if you have such a lens with maximum aperture of f2.0 and you move the aperture ring of it to f16, it won't stop down to f16 at the time of exposure. It will remain at f2.0 although the aperture feedback from lens to camera may indicate that the lens is set at f16. The result will be wrong exposure on smaller aperture settings. If you have such lenses and don't mind using them with the aperture ring set wide open allways (f2.0, per the example above) in Aperture-Priority and manual exposure modes, you will be fine.

    What this means is that if you have older manual Pentax Lenses, then your body will not vary the Aperture, even though it will meter it as if it can. This will occur in all modes, not just Manual. To use these lenses you can only shoot with the lens fully open.

    If the lens you are using works fine in Auto Modes & you get poor results when you switch to Full Manual, then it's the settings you have selected that are the problem. To shoot completely manual you do need to understand exposure & set the camera according to what you are trying to capture. This is a lot harder with Film as you do not have the immediate feedback that you get with digital.


  • #3
    Anouilh
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,826 ✭✭✭Anouilh


    You are right.

    Perhaps some Pentaxians here could advise a suitable upgrade from the MZ 50, taking into account that I have two crippled Kaf lenses and don't want to change from that system.

    There seem to be a lot of old Pentax bodies for sale on the Internet and I would be prepared to take a chance.

    Also, I found this today:

    http://nedbunnell.blogspot.com/2009/02/see-thru-pentaz-pz1.html

    Pentax seems to have employed some very imagative designers and presumably this is set to continue under Samsung management.


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