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Hi there,
Just some opinions please,
trying to find my sister a good manual slr for Christmas.
I myself own a Pentax K1000, which I like a lot, but does anyone know what the ME is like? what is the score with the lenses? are they a different fit, and if they are is there a converter for the K mount lenses?
OR - does anyone have any suggestions for good alternative make / model?
Cheers,
Matt
I have an ME and and MX. Both have a standard K mount, so they'll take exactly the same lenses as your K1000. They're both nice, well built, small, manual focus SLRs.
You cannot set the exposure on the ME manually - it only operates in aperture priority mode, with a dial for exposure compensation of up to +/- 2 stops. The ME super (which I haven't used) is similar, but you can set the exposure using a slightly awkward looking pair of buttons.
The MX is a similar body, but the exposure can only be set manually using a dial on the top plate. It also has depth of field preview, which the ME models do not.
Firstly apologies to Jim, but don't get an OM10, they have a notorious sticky shutter problem which these days puts the camera "beyond economoical repair." The MX is a very basic manual camera which is perfect for learning on. if you want total reliability get yourself a Nikon FE or FM, these are no longer expensive cameras because of the digital revolution, but they are some of the best.
Hope this helps.
I used an ME Super from when they were first introduced (about 1982?) until very recently. It is an excellent camera and I found NO difficulty with using the manual shutter priority buttons. However, if you want a particular shutter speed, the easiest way is to use aperture priority and adjust the aperture until the shutter speed read out in the viewfinder is where you want it. One big advantage of the ME Super is that the shutter speeds are infinitely variable, hence if the camera wants 1/567th sec, that is what it gives.
The meter is accurate and the lenses superb. The camera uses a standard Pentax K mount for the lenses. and is light and compact. The only reason I traded mine in was that after about 20 years of use (and a little unintentional abuse) the meter was no longer to be relied on.
I am a keen camera club member and thoroughly recommend the ME Super for beginner, improver and advanced.
Andy
Unless I'm mistaken, the K Mount you mentioned is different from the bayonet that the ME Super uses (or are they the same thing?). I have an ME Super and a P30 (also pentax). The ME Super has one nice feature which is a superfast shutter speed (2000), I think older cameras more commonly only go up to 1000. I've taken tons of good pics with this and the P30 (www.davidxgreen.com) and although the lenses are a bit more difficult to find second hand, when you do find them they are often very cheap. The cameras themselves are very inexpensive. Hope my 2 cents is of assistance.
K mount is a Pentax bayonet mount with no electronic contacts, designed for K series cameras. Then when the M series of cameras appeared they used the same K mount, but introduced a few smaller lenses. Next was the P series that introduced the KA mount with additional electronic contacts.
Ahem Pete, as a sad Pentax pedant I should point out that the M-series was followed by the A-series (The Super-A is a damn fine camera and much underrated), and then the P-series... there are a few oddities in the mount, the autofocussing ME-F and its lenses springs to mind. The original K lenses are said to be the besy optically though.
Ceri 
Whilst I have listened to ljesmith's comments about the sticky shutter, I have just agreed to buy an Olympus OM10 on ebay - 40. This sounded like a reasonable price for this camera in good condition. It comes with an original 50mm lens and 2X teleconverter - so this will get my sister started - If I'm feeling really generous I will chuck in a couple of rolls of film too!
Matt
Camera arrived on Friday, condition perfectly acceptable. One question, for anyone who knows the OM10
It seems it is quite "electronic" - well more so than my K1000 - and has an on/off switch no less! Now I think I have wrapped it up in pretty christmas paper and may have left it switched on - will this run the batteries down by christmas day? or shall I go and buy another pair now?
cheers
Matt
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