My First SLR

Not the original one I had, but an identical one just purchased from eBay for a few pounds. In perfect condition, complete with new Wein cell. The original cost me £98.50 from Dixons, paid for with my first Barclaycard. It set me on the road...

Lovely, just lovely

John

Very nostalgic. My first SLR was a Practika Super TL - I could not afford a Pentax but of course the screw mount was compatible. I eventually found my way to Pentax with my first DSLR, a ist DL2, which I was pleased to find that I could use my old Meyer Optik prime lenses with an adapter.

I love my K-7 but I must admit that there was perhaps greater satisfaction in producing a successful image with a manual focus film camera and then developing and printing the B&W photo myself.

Archie

John - that was my first SLR too. The one you've just bought looks lovely. Mine was from my father after he bought a Nikon FE, and I kept it until I'd saved up enough pocket money plus wages from paper rounds to buy an MX from Techno in Manchester. I think it was pretty much the same price new that you had to pay for your Spotmatic!

I was actually sorely tempted by a Spotmatic ES spotted secondhand in London yesterday. Black, and looked in great shape. I was partly interested because it came with 50/1.4 lens but then I noticed the stuff growing everywhere inside it.... sad. If anybody else wants to take a look, it's £29 in LCE Strand branch (look hard - it's on a bottom shelf somewhere).

My first SLR was a KX that I part exchanged (regrettably) before I realised the benefit of hanging on to bodies.

My first SLR was a Sotmatic F. I still have it, would never sell it and use it regularly. My wife made me pack up smoking before I could buy it and I am so glad that I did. I have since amassed just about all models of the Spotmatic range right up to the ESII. Not only are they lovely cameras to use they are beautiful to look at.

Would that have been the 'cut-down' version lacking the programme (P) mode Geoff?

Sorry, I just couldn't resist

Jon

My first SLR was a Sputmatic which was a Russian copy of the Spotmatic

Algi

Actually, the Sotmatic was the drinker's camera. It came bundled with a small flask, cunningly designed to look like a motor-drive.

Its more expensive successor, the Shotmatic, would squirt a slug of Remy Martin into your mouth every time you pressed the shutter.

For people who didn't like Cognac, the Scotmatic was crammed with drams.

For posh types, the Snotmatic dispensed with the standard black leatherette body wrap, and instead sported the Burberry tartan.

Aimed at a different market, the Squatmatic was designed to firm the buttocks. Quite how it did this remains a mystery, at least to me. My buttocks were firm enough in those days, so I passed on that model.

Long before the K1000 became the student photographer's camera of choice, the Swotmatic came with a microfilmed cribsheet to facilitate the passing of written exams.

And finally, for the Polish market there was the Zlotmatic. Those who are up in Polish etymology will not be surprised to hear that the camera was tastefully gold-plated, and covered in lizard-skin.

That's all you need to know about the *otmatic range.

G

You almost forgot the coin-operated Slotmatic that was rented out at various pleasure beaches in the 60's...

No almost about it. We'd better get Boz to update his site.

G

Obviously the sight of a Splendid Spotmatic has driven you all to new heights of Creativity.

Indeed, indeed. My first Pentax, in 1973, was an SPII, which I recall cost almost exactly £100.00, with 55mm 1:1.8.

Like you, I recently bought a replacement for nostalgic reasons, but the meter in mine doesn't work. Ah, well.

G

By the way, that lens looks nothing like the Takumars I remember. It's not a Chinese imitation is it?

G

The lens is a late SMC Takumar that lasted a little beyond the advent of the K mount. It was only supplied with the SP1000.