Pentax ME question

Hello everybody,

my aunt just gave me a camera from her friend who quits making fotos. It's an Pentax ME, there are two labels, one on the body and one on the objective. They say quality check passed '86.

I've got two questions about this camera: What about iso settings? I can see a "400", but what if I use an iso 200 Film? Do I have to set the wheel to 1/2 in this case? (Cause 400/2 is 200)

The second question I have is regarding the wheel around the release. There is "Auto" (select an aperture, time is calculated I think), then L, 100x and B. Can someone explain the functions of the last three?

Thanks in advance and greetings from Germany.

If you lift the ISO dial you can then rotate it to set the appropriate value, 200 in the case of a 200ISO film.

The Auto setting means that the camera sets a shutter speed that is appropriate to the aperture value that you have set on the lens. A wide aperture (say f2, f2. will mean a higher shutter speed than a small aperture (say f8, 11, 16...) which will result in a longer shutter speed.

L is Lock and prevents the shutter release being depressed in a case or bag and the battery being run down.

100X is the speed to set when using electronic flash.

B is for very long exposures - the shutter will remain open as long as the button is depressed.

Hope that helps! You need a book on Photography now...

The ME is very easy to use and I am sure you will soon get the hang of it.

You can download a copy of the manual here http://www.pentax-manuals.com/

This site is run by a last standing forum member

Steve

Oops, never tried to lift the iso dial, so my first film will be darker than expected. *damn*

Luckily I just made one photo with the new film, now iso stands correctly on 200.

stevejcoe, thanks for the link, just downloaded the manual and had a lot "aha" effects.

One question about using a flash: When it is attached to the shoe, will it automatically flash on shutter release? Is the shutter time then always 1/100 or can it be shorter?

Sorry for all those questions but I really like to use the camera correctly.

With a Pentax dedicated flashgun, the flash will synch with the shutter release at 1/100th of a second in both auto and manual modes

Steve

when you take the film to be developed just ask them to develop it at the iso setting that the camera was set at.
i.e. I think you used a 200 film and the camera was set at 400. Ask them to develop at 400.

It should come out ok.

have done it myself in the past and it worked for me.

Jeff

If you think a lab will set up their machine to 'push' ONE film from 200 to 400 ASA you have another think coming ! If it's a 'High street' lab the staff would probably not know how to access the interior of the machine any way, and would not know what 'pushing' a film means ! I do most of my own C41 developing so it is easy if I want to give a bit more development from 3 minutes 15 seconds to 3 mins.45 seconds to push a film, I just leave it in the developing tank and watch the clock go round for a few more seconds!

The more professional labs will happily push or pull film development. Like everything else, there will be a cost.