The SLR's of the 80's

[HughJarse]

Hi all

New here but the thread is great.

I have a big soft spot for the early 80s SLRs and have quite a few

Pentax LX, 2 x MX (1 Black 1 Silver) 2 x ME Super (1 Black 1 Sover, ME-F, MG. K1000

Nikon FM, FM2, FE, FE2 and EM

Olympus OM1

The re are a variety of lenses but for the Pentax they are mainly the M Series incl 20mm, 28mm (F2 and 2.8) 35mm, 40mm Pancake (fabulous lens in the MX - all fits in my pocket) 50mm (1.2 (rare) 1.4, 1.7, 2) 85mm (incredible prime on the DSLT series) 100mm (macro) 120mm, 135mm, 150mm, 200mm and the rare 300mm. On the zoom front 40-80mm, 75-150mm and 60-200. There are still some esoteric M lenses to make up the collection but I have to say that I still use all the lenses as and when I get the chance.

I have owned most since buying the MX new in around 1982.

The LX is a true professional camera and was recently offered a Nikon F2 series as a swap but no way would I let the LX go.

Many colleges and universities offering photography courses over here still require their students to use a Manual Film camera as part of their course kit and that alone is keeping the price of used K1000 pentax kit high. I love my K1000 but the MX is a far better camera and you have an endless variety of add ons for iy (Motor Drives, bulk film packs,, Power Winders, viewing screens from clear to gridded, data backs - if you can find them.

In England the value of some camera bosies are fairly stable but the prime lenses are quite expensive and drifting up. I am seeing more ads for Pentax bodies these days as their 50mm primes are ripped off them to be sold as manual primes for the DSLR.
I think that anyone seeking to build a collection needs fat wallets these days (if you want to buy a complete system) but there is satisfaction in having a collection that you can actually take out and use, which I try to do but have been so busy in the past few years that I have to admit that I have only been out 3 times. We are lucky that an experienced ex Asahi-Pentax technician bought up a mass of spares when Pentax closed their UK service centre and has parts for most of the M and K series cameras. His overhaul and service rates are fair and all my SLR Pentax bodies have had his magic worked on them. For the Mseries it is the light seals on the doors and mirror springs that can get a little jaded and, as already mentioned, the film advance levers can prove unrelaible but are easily fixed. Indeed quite a few parts from deconstructed cameras are finding their way onto EBay etc.

As mentioned I also have Nikons and I cannot fault the FM/FM2 (the EM was a toy in reality and a cheap way into the world of Nikon too - they had a couple of EM style cheaper lenses too).

The fact that I stayed with the 80s was down to the fact that this was the decade when I could just about afford to buy new. I may one dat start looking at the 70s witht he spotmatics and M42 lenses but for now its the elusive Nikkor lenses I will be seeking out for my FM and FE cameras.

Great thread for my first post on here. Nice to know there are like minded people keeping the old stuff alive and kicking.

Good luck in the great search

H

 

[BobSaget]

I've got a Pentax K1000 that I bought brand new in 1979 from JC Penny. It has a 50mm 1:2 original lens and a 135mm 1:2.8 lens. Comes with the original case and a Hanimex X322 flash. I just pulled it out of the closet when I read your post. We probably only shot about 20 rolls of film through it before it went into the closet when we bought a video camera in 1981. There it has sat since.... (wow- I see it has a roll of film in it... I wonder if I can still get it developed ). If you're interested, I would sell all to you for $50 plus the actual cost of shipping to you. Otherwise- back in the closet it goes for another 30 years.

Just like to mention, this is a really good deal (assuming good working condition). I've seen K1000's go for twice that amount with only the standard 50mm. Also, Hearts, make sure you check around B&h and Adorama's used dept for for old bodies and lenses. I recently purchased a sigma 28mm "mini wide" from one of the two for $30.

 

[BrianV]

I tend towards the SLR's of the 70s and 60s, and RF's of the 50s. The latter can be expensive.

I do have Nikon F3's from the 80s, 90s, and Oh-Oh's. They will outlast me. Hard to believe the oldest will be 30 years old in a few months. It is an F3AF, the "DX-1" works, but I keep the high-point finder on it. Also a Nikon FE2- "honeycomb titanium shutter". don't make them like that anymore.

 

[BrianV]

The Nikon F2 made it into the 1980s, before being replaced by the F3...

"TTNP", This Thread Needs Pictures.

 

[Justman1020]

My father came out the other day with this little thing:: after all this time he was like oh those cameras you like with the lens changing capability stuff? I have one that takes 35 mm film...


gee thanks dad::
not sure what kind of camera it is...but is there an adapter for a canon t4i for these lens's?

 

[gsgary]

Pentax ME Super was one of the most popular club cameras but i prefer using rangefinders

 

[dxqcanada]

I love the hassle blad twin reflex camera!

I didn't know they made a TLR, do you mean Rollieflex ?

Hasselblad never made a TLR, he probably meant SLR ... or Rollei TLR.

The Canon T series, with the exception of the T-90, were made for point and shooters.
I've had the T-70, and the T-90.

The Canon New F-1 was the best 80's camera (I should have kept that one) ... though there is also the Minolta Maxxum 9000.
Blacksheep really did like her Minolta Maxxum 700i.

 

[pixmedic]

love my Pentax auto 110 super. early 80's. great little SLR


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[dxqcanada]

Ah, I had one of those.
Great camera ... loved those tiny lenses.

I had three lenses, flash, and motor drive.

 

[dxqcanada]

Did anyone have/had the oddball cameras of the 80's .... Canon T-80 with the AF lenses ?

... or the Nikon QV-1000C ?

 

[BrianV]

I have the F3 Auto-Focus version, with the AF-16 autofocus adapter. Still works. My oldest DSLR is a DCS200 from 1992.

Also have the servo-motor to make the F2 into a shutter-preferred auto-exposure camera.

 

[timor]

The Canon T series, with the exception of the T-90, were made for point and shooters.

Not quite, T50 yes, T70 and T80 no. P&S doesn't have 8 exposure modes, stopwatch time exposure, capability to measure the light with open or close aperture precisely (for close ups) nor dual metering system. What T70 doesn't have is a few things like faster motor drive, faster shutter and the durability of so called "professional" cameras, otherwise is a good tool in the hands of capable photographer.

 

[tirediron]

love my Pentax auto 110 super. early 80's. great little SLR


View attachment 29398

I always wanted one of those... used to drool over it in the display cabinet of the camera store when I was in high school!

 

[dxqcanada]

The Canon T series, with the exception of the T-90, were made for point and shooters.

Not quite, T50 yes, T70 and T80 no. P&S doesn't have 8 exposure modes, stopwatch time exposure, capability to measure the light with open or close aperture precisely (for close ups) nor dual metering system. What T70 doesn't have is a few things like faster motor drive, faster shutter and the durability of so called "professional" cameras, otherwise is a good tool in the hands of capable photographer.

I had the T-70 ... from it's design I know that it was not made for those wanting to primarily shoot in manual or semi-auto modes.
Yes, it did have more control than a P&S, but I know that the camera's usage was liken to the AE-1 Program.

Until I changed over to the New F-1 did I really get control of my images.

One camera I always wanted was the Olympus OM-4T.
Loved those Zuiko lenses.

 

[timor]

Until I changed over to the New F-1 did I really get control of my images.

So, just for the sake of the argument, with Sinar you would be lost ?