I am new to the art of photography, and so I opted to buy a used body and lenses. It is all in very good condition, but as far as being known as a good camera... I am not quite sure. Does anyone have any experience with the Pentax ME Super? Was this a smart choice?

-- Erin Derkatz (universa@telusplanet.net), May 03, 2000

Answers

I've never owned one but it was on my short list when I bought a SLR in about 1980... I ended up opting for the Nikon FE which I still have and use. I believe Pentax ME Super has a good reputation and allows you access to a great range of good optics that can be had for quite reasonable sums. Manual Focus Pentax lenses have good reputations and you can use anything with the 'K mount' bayonet mount but I'd be careful buying 'no-name' lenses as there's a lot of junk in that mount too. There are good ones too, Vivitar Series 1 zooms for example. There is a later, enhanced 'K mount' which may be compatible, the name of which excapes me!

Now get out there and take some pics - maybe even creative (the name of this forum!) ones! :) Your aim should now be to use what you have to burn lots of film and work out how to take the photo's you want to take. Have fun!

-- Nigel Smith (nlandgl@eisa.net.au), May 03, 2000.

I think I bought my first one in the early 1980's and replaced it with a used one in the early 1990's. I still use it and a Super Program (a similar model) occasionaly even though I don't do much 35mm work. The Pentax SMC lens for these cameras are, in my opinion, excellent. Unless you paid a lot I don't think you made a bad choice at all.

-- Joe Miller (jmmiller@poka.com), May 04, 2000.

I've had my ME Super since my Spotmatic was stolen back in the mid-80's. It's a good camera. I always use manual control (have to see the shutter sped through the viewfinder), so I can't speak to the automatic setting. Make sure you have it serviced.

-- Jeff Polaski (polaski@acm.org), May 08, 2000.

The camera is a fine. I learned photography with my parents MG which is a cheaper version of the ME super, and it's still a great camera to use.

The user interface is good which makes it a good camera for working quickly. The finder is clear and bright, and the centerweighted meter works fine.

Another good thing about it is that current pentax lenses will fitt your camera, and lenses much older than your camera will fit new pentax cameras. There is a lot of lenses available in all quality and price ranges, and you won't find it difficult to find good lenses at reasonable prices.

If it's the right camera for your purpose isn't easy to answer when you don't tell what kind of photography you plan to pursue.

-- Kristian Elof Sxrensen (elof@image.dk), May 20, 2000.