Hello, all.
I've got a new/recent case of GAS. I've just been tremendously inspired by some photographs i've found, shot on M42 Takumar glass. I'd like to acquire one of these lenses, but i have no Pentax platform for it.
I've previously had Pentax 67s on a couple of occasions, but have no experience with the 35mm side of things, aside from a friend's K1000 in a high school yearbook class. Hoping not to offend anyone, i'll say that i did not like the K1000 at the time, feeling it felt 'primitive.' But, this was the 80s, and i was more interested in high tech stuff (for that era).
But now that i'm in my 40s, and not enjoying the digital era, i find a great deal of appeal in the 'old stuff.' In my 30s, i spent a ton of money on Leicas (SLRs and Ms) and new and vintage glass, and i have very little to show for it. More recently, i found that i really love results from a cheap Nikon 50/1.8 series E, on a Nikon FE2 or FG.... Which leads me to my current situation and a bunch of questions.
I've been trying to figure out how the whole 'metering thing' works with M42/screwmount lenses. What i really want is a compact-ish, solid (+pretty) body, that works quickly and efficiently. I'm not sure how the whole 'meter switch' thing works. I really want to shoot in aperture priority almost all the time. It would be great if the camera had an AE lock, as i never use compensation dials. I'd love to be able to meter, hold the setting and recompose on occasion, but that's a luxury, i'm assuming.
Other info: I am primarily interested in photographing people. Not necessarily 'street' style, though. So, i need something where i can shoot at wide apertures, nail focus with shallow DOF, and not fiddle with having to meter + stop down a lens after i've already focused on an impatient subject. Maybe this makes sense? Maybe not, as i have the feeling i really don't understand how these cameras work.
So, with something like a Spotmatic or ES II, what's the operating procedure? Did i state it correctly above? Focus, without knowing what the settings are going to be; then activate a switch on the left side of the mount; see the meter reading, adjust the aperture until it's 'good' then unswitch and then shoot? I'm not understanding how that can all be done quickly. Is there a better way to work if you meter first, then dial in the settings manually? If so, is the lens going to be open for focusing automatically, and then automatically stop down as i click the shutter release?
What if i really only want to shoot at apertures of 1.4 - 2.8? Is there a way to just have the lens close normally as i adjust between those apertures, because the viewfinder would already still be bright enough to focus? And, that way, i'd not have to deal with the switch? Or, i'm guessing the switch is needed for all metering operations? Or, does it depend on the camera model? I'm assuming the Super Takumar (50mm)'s pin on the mount side is for actuating the aperture when it's needed, and maybe different camera models utilize that pin differently?
Sorry for the rambling. Can anyone suggest a camera for me? Aside from something like a Chinon, i haven't read about any Pentax bodies that will work the way i'm used to. Finally, what if i used something like an MX, with an adapter to the M42 lens? If i did that, would the lens always just open to whatever aperture i have set, and the camera's meter would work in Aperture Priority? I'd just have to deal with the natural darkening of the viewfinder as i used smaller and smaller apertures? Again, if i shot at 1.4 - 2.8, would i have problems focusing that way?
I've got a new/recent case of GAS. I've just been tremendously inspired by some photographs i've found, shot on M42 Takumar glass. I'd like to acquire one of these lenses, but i have no Pentax platform for it.
I've previously had Pentax 67s on a couple of occasions, but have no experience with the 35mm side of things, aside from a friend's K1000 in a high school yearbook class. Hoping not to offend anyone, i'll say that i did not like the K1000 at the time, feeling it felt 'primitive.' But, this was the 80s, and i was more interested in high tech stuff (for that era).
But now that i'm in my 40s, and not enjoying the digital era, i find a great deal of appeal in the 'old stuff.' In my 30s, i spent a ton of money on Leicas (SLRs and Ms) and new and vintage glass, and i have very little to show for it. More recently, i found that i really love results from a cheap Nikon 50/1.8 series E, on a Nikon FE2 or FG.... Which leads me to my current situation and a bunch of questions.
I've been trying to figure out how the whole 'metering thing' works with M42/screwmount lenses. What i really want is a compact-ish, solid (+pretty) body, that works quickly and efficiently. I'm not sure how the whole 'meter switch' thing works. I really want to shoot in aperture priority almost all the time. It would be great if the camera had an AE lock, as i never use compensation dials. I'd love to be able to meter, hold the setting and recompose on occasion, but that's a luxury, i'm assuming.
Other info: I am primarily interested in photographing people. Not necessarily 'street' style, though. So, i need something where i can shoot at wide apertures, nail focus with shallow DOF, and not fiddle with having to meter + stop down a lens after i've already focused on an impatient subject. Maybe this makes sense? Maybe not, as i have the feeling i really don't understand how these cameras work.
So, with something like a Spotmatic or ES II, what's the operating procedure? Did i state it correctly above? Focus, without knowing what the settings are going to be; then activate a switch on the left side of the mount; see the meter reading, adjust the aperture until it's 'good' then unswitch and then shoot? I'm not understanding how that can all be done quickly. Is there a better way to work if you meter first, then dial in the settings manually? If so, is the lens going to be open for focusing automatically, and then automatically stop down as i click the shutter release?
What if i really only want to shoot at apertures of 1.4 - 2.8? Is there a way to just have the lens close normally as i adjust between those apertures, because the viewfinder would already still be bright enough to focus? And, that way, i'd not have to deal with the switch? Or, i'm guessing the switch is needed for all metering operations? Or, does it depend on the camera model? I'm assuming the Super Takumar (50mm)'s pin on the mount side is for actuating the aperture when it's needed, and maybe different camera models utilize that pin differently?
Sorry for the rambling. Can anyone suggest a camera for me? Aside from something like a Chinon, i haven't read about any Pentax bodies that will work the way i'm used to. Finally, what if i used something like an MX, with an adapter to the M42 lens? If i did that, would the lens always just open to whatever aperture i have set, and the camera's meter would work in Aperture Priority? I'd just have to deal with the natural darkening of the viewfinder as i used smaller and smaller apertures? Again, if i shot at 1.4 - 2.8, would i have problems focusing that way?
Phew. Thanks in advance for your advice.