Pentax ME Super...questions for users..

Hi,

I just have an ME Super for the first time..and may keep it, I just have some Q's for users, since I have no manual for it.

Can the exposure compensation dial be set in between the full stop click stops it has, so you get half stop compensation?

..and are there any common faults or issues to look out for?

thanks Steve.M.

Manual available here.

Password is "Pentax" - case sensitive (capital P), and without quotes.

I think the camera is regarded as fairly sturdy, but depending on how long it's been sat unused it may require a service. Do a visual check on the condition of the light seals around the film door and the mirror box / focussing screen - these corrode over time leaving a sticky black residue which can get over the internals and cause you problems (quite apart from those associated with the camera no longer being light-tight!). It is possible to clean up and new seals are cheap, but with ME Supers going for so little money you may feel it's not worth the hassle.

[quote="bretbysteve"]Hi,

I just have an ME Super for the first time..and may keep it, I just have some Q's for users, since I have no manual for it.

Can the exposure compensation dial be set in between the full stop click stops it has, so you get half stop compensation?

..and are there any common faults or issues to look out for?

thanks Steve.M.[/quote

You can work around the exposure compensation by adjusting the ASA but negative film has enough latitude to cope with a full stop

I've seen the film counter on an otherwise mint ME Super jam up if wound on past the ~38th exposure. I don't know if this is a common fault, but I've seen it happen on a couple of cameras. It doesn't stop the camera from working but it is a pain.

Tweeking the ASA is the only way to get partial stops of compensation, but the ME-Super only has full stops on its shutter anyway so unless you are working fully manual there is little point.

It's a lovely camera and in my opinion has the nicest sounding shutter of any SLR ever made. Sometimes I get mine out and fire the shutter just to hear the sound.

Just to clarify, you can set the exposure compensation between click stops. Tricky, but it does work.

The shutter on the ME Super is stepless on Aperture Priority. This was a huge breakthrough for electronic shutters from the ES onwards. They can deliver 1/386 sec or whatever else. In the case of the ME Super this is from 4 seconds to 1/2000 second, although some individual cameras will exceed the 4 seconds and may deliver much longer exposures.

On manual, it is full stops only for the shutter and half stops for the lens, which is to be expected.

I stand corrected John, very interesting

One fault I have found is that if you have not used it for a while, when you come to use it the shutter may give 1/2000th second resulting in gross under-exposure- this can be cured by turning the exposure compensation dial back and forth a few times to clean the electrical contacts underneath.