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An 'Old Friend' back again !
I got back an 'Old Friend' the other day -- my ORIGINAL Asahi Pentax S3 bought for £87 in 1961 in a Camera Shop in Barking, Essex !! I had sold it to a bloke over 30 years ago and he said " It was not Working any more" -- when he brought it round it looked Very Sad -- the lens was COVERED in DUST ! I cleaned up the body with Cotton Buds ( 'Q-Tips' for you Yanks -- but we still LOVE you ! ) I brushed off the lens dust and cleaned with lens fluid and tissues and it was NOT SCRATCHED !! Then I took off the base-plate and with very small amount of Sewing Machine Oil lubricated all the Cogs and Levers -- then gently wound on and LO !! and BEHOLD !! It creaked into life again !! I took a few frames on Fuji Acros processed in my Home-Made Microphen at different shutter speeds and mostly at full aperture and shutter seems accurate -- lens is a bit 'soft' at f1.8 compared with my Super-Takumars and the 50mm f1.4 SMC Takumar of my Spotmatic F but not bad for 55 years old camera !
Nice camera and a good story. In 1962 I had an old Pentacon SLR which is all I could afford and my friend who was a bit older and richer than I, bought a new Pentax S1a and I always hankered after one. After buying and selling many different good film cameras I ended up with a Minolta SLR outfit, then went over to Nikon.
About 3 years ago I started a small collection of 'classic' 35mm cameras and one of the first that I bought was a Pentax S1a. Nice feel and weight to it. I also have a very nice MX with a 50mm f1.4 SMC Pentax M lens, a clean, working ME Super and a mint Program -A.
A few weeks ago, in a charity shop I found a Pentax Spotmatic with a f1.4 lens for £20 but it was in a terrible state - lens full of fungus and a dirty body with a mouldy shutter curtain. Left it there.
About 3 years ago I started a small collection of 'classic' 35mm cameras and one of the first that I bought was a Pentax S1a. Nice feel and weight to it. I also have a very nice MX with a 50mm f1.4 SMC Pentax M lens, a clean, working ME Super and a mint Program -A.
A few weeks ago, in a charity shop I found a Pentax Spotmatic with a f1.4 lens for £20 but it was in a terrible state - lens full of fungus and a dirty body with a mouldy shutter curtain. Left it there.
I started serious photography with a Pentax Spotmatic and used them for many years. They were lovely to use and the Super-Takumar lenses were very sharp.
Remember the slogan, "just hold a Pentax"? That was precisely why I chose it rather than the Nikon F.
Remember the slogan, "just hold a Pentax"? That was precisely why I chose it rather than the Nikon F.
You could knock nails in with this...I'll not part with it...!
And another ME Super...so dinky...another I'll be keeping...!
Probably not as "famous" as the other two, but I like the almost flush top controls, another keeper I'm afraid...
Looks like lotsa folk have a "Pentax" connection in their past...!
I just did a VIDEO on my S3 showing how I renovated it and some actual Old PRINTS taken with it -- you can see it here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5GYIlVvg_s
For a short while in the 60's the Pros were using more Pentax's than Nikon's or Canons
