Pentax MX camera

The Pentax MX (1977-1985) was introduced at the same time as the Pentax ME (1977-81), and although they look the same, they are completely different cameras. I had collected quite a few ME and MESuper cameras over the years before I finally managed to buy this camera.

For $6 it was in somewhat rough shape, missing both battery and

motor drive covers, having a broken prong on the film feed shaft, and having a dent in the lens’s rim.

I had heard from photographers who had bought the MX, and the reason why they had bought a manual camera confused me.

The MX seems a step back in technology. Rather than the more modern metal vertical shutter, the MX has a traditional fabric horizontal focal plane shutter with a sync speed of 60 sec rather than the more modern metal shutter’s 100 sec.

The MX has—

• manual exposure

• a center weighted meter with match-diode display

• mechanical shutter speeds of 1-1000 sec, B and 60 sec sync

• interchangeable focusing screens (six)

• self-timer

• depth-of-field preview

• hot-shoe

• winder or motor drive options

Compare that to the ME—

• aperture-priority AE with exposure compensation

• shutter speeds from 8 sec to 1000 sec, B and 100 sec sync (last two mechanical)

• interchangeable focusing screens

• self-timer

• hot-shoe

• optional winder

The later MESuper added manual shutter speeds.

The MX always sold for more money than the ME and MESuper, even used.

Having played with it I can say it is a honey of a camera. It does what it is told and requires a little more thinking to get great results because it is a tool, not a crutch. Instead of shooting on Auto—as with the ME and MESuper—you have to decide your shutter speed and aperture combination with the MX’s guidance.