Super A versus ME Super

I have been following Ebay a lot recently, and am struck by the fact that ME Supers tend to fetch prices as high or higher than the Super A. Why? The Super A is a superior camera in every way, with all the ME Super's convenience plus a lot more functionality.

I've owned both, plus the original ME (and loads of others), and there is no doubt (IMHO) that the Super A was by far the best manual-focus Pentax with both auto and manual exposure.

Don't people do their homework?

Don't forget that fashion and popular perception have a lot to do with things. My mint Pentax MX has a value much higher than either of the cameras you mention, as it has a largely deserved reputation for better reliablility than the auto exposure cameras of its day. My MX has outlasted a stream of ME, ME Super, ME-F and MV cameras and is still going strong.

The other factor is condition - for some reason, there are very few mint Super A's on offer but plenty of ME Supers so there seems to be more of a market in the latter cameras. I have no idea why this is, but if you are selling one and the price ends up high then I guess you don't worry too much about it!

The MX was certainly built very well, and is something of a cult camera. A better buy by far than the K1000, but the latter still sells well, for reasons that have more to do with familiarity than logic.

I think it has more to do with "fashion". To take the argument one step further look at the K series. The highest prices, certainly on Ebay, are for the K1000. At one time this was true for the high street as well. This may have something to do with the educational establishment which recommended the K1000 but this was because it was cheap. However the KM is almost identical but with extra features and the KX was far superior with a much better meter etc. (As aside, I far prefer the KX to the MX. I have both but prefer the handling of the KX and like the mirror lock up). It may also have something to do with the K1000 lasting longer in the high street but then the later one were cheaper chinese manufacture. At the end of the day, it's horses for courses.

Kim

Greetings!
I believe the Super A is the European version of the Super Program, thus if you are comparing apples to apples you should compare these two to one another. To the best of my knowledge, the Super A was available in black body whereas the U.S. Super Program was only available in chrome. My information dictates that these two cameras were functionally the exact same. If anyone has information to the contrary I would appreciate knowing it. Thank you.

Sorry, I forgot to add the following. While I believe the Super A/Super Program to be a superior camera to the ME Super in features, have you ever held a Pentax camera with a sweeter shutter release than the ME Super? It feels ... just so right when you press the shutter release. No mechanical clunk, like the Super A/Super Program, but rather a very sweet "Kachunk," which gives you the impression that a very special image has just been taken by a quality camera. Maybe it's just me.

Sorry, I forgot to add the following. While I believe the Super A/Super Program to be a superior camera to the ME Super in features, have you ever held a Pentax camera with a sweeter shutter release than the ME Super? It feels ... just so right when you press the shutter release. No mechanical clunk, like the Super A/Super Program, but rather a very sweet "Kachunk," which gives you the impression that a very special image has just been taken by a quality camera. Maybe it's just me.