A little love for the Pentax ZX-5

Before I left for Photostock last week, I picked up a used Pentax ZX-5 at Huron Camera for a bargain price. I decided to bring it along at the last minute and shoot with it (which obviously violates the common-sense of never bring an untested or new camera on a trip). The ZX-5, unlike some of the later models of AF K-mount cameras, has a real dial on the top for Aperture priority and shutter speed selection, not some twiddly LCD screen. I didn't have an AF lens for it, but it worked fine with manual lenses and center-weighted metering. It's lightweight, has a dial for exposure compensation, and is a nice alternative, in my opinion, to the metal-bodies of the Pentax ME, ME Super, etc. With the 40mm pancake lens on the front, it becomes a wonderful street camera with a quiet shutter and auto film advance. 



I carried the ZX-5 along during my trip and throughout Photostock (more about that in another post) and shot color film with it. The ZX-5 also has a "Panoramic" setting that masks the 35mm frame to a pseudo panorama. While not really panoramic in size, it nevertheless creates an opportunity for creative framing. 



Overall, the ZX-5 is a good addition to my stable of cameras. It offers the simplicity that one expects in a film camera, but yet offers some nice advancements over the earlier Pentax models - auto film advance, pop-up flash, matrix, center-weighted, and spot metering, auto ISO or user selectable settings, panorama mask, +/- expsoure compensation in 1/2 stop increments, AF if you use an AF lens, and the ability to use all manual K-mount lenses. 


Hessel, MI

Hessel, MI