I recently bought a Spotmatic F on ebay for £45. It is in near mint condition - it really looks like there has never been a film loaded. It came complete with case, 50/1.8 SMC Tak, instruction book, lens and accessory brochures, guarantee and original receipt. Amazingly, it still has both flash sync terminal covers! I bought it for the sentimental reason that my own one bought in 1973 is cosmetically knackered, but still working perfectly. I got the matched lens hood and leather case for in VG condition for £1.50 too. I think I got a bargain and I might have been lucky; as with everything on ebay its a case of 'buyer beware'.

£130 in 1973? is that close to £1k today? It makes the current price of a *istDS look like a real bargain given the amount of features it has but the Spotmatic really does feel better (or am I just being sentimental?) I've decided that 'DS' stands for Digital Spotmatic, by the way.

Ken

Thanks very much for that, I can now hopefully sell them on to someone who can use them.

Ken

I've just bought, on ebay, an AF280T flash to use pimarily with my 645. It came with the grip and a bunch of very useful Pentax cables. One connection is puzzling me - at one end is the 4P (i think) plug that attaches to the grip (5 pins in a cross pattern) at the other is a screwed camera flash sync plug with the addition of two little contacts alongside. I have the short and curly lead and a 5m straight one. My guess is that they might be for a 67. Any advice gratefully received.

Ken

I have to agree with Kimbo, these very able cameras don't seem to be very desirable at the moment, they change hands for £25 to £35 on ebay which means they really aren't economical to repair.

Ken

Just when I thought i had just about retired the SFXns (except to use with my 28mm Shift) to concentrate on my 645 and my *istds (please someone tell me how to say that properly) and Spotmatic Fs (for fun and pleasure)...

I'll dig one out tomorrow from storage and have a serious look at the camera and the book.

I'm supposing this only happens when the flash is popped up, it shouldn't be happening when it is down.

Ken

The light beside the viewfinder is the flash charging/charged warning light. It is normal to hear a humming whining sound as the flash is charging. Could that be what he is hearing?

Ken

Here are a couple of web sites:

www.aohc.it/index.htm
www.m-fortytwo.info/firstpage.htm
http://ca.geocities.com/spirope/pentlens.html

There is only one accurate way, in my opinion, of getting exposure right and this is particulary true in the circumstance you describe; just as it would in the opposite situation of the proverbial black cat in a coal cellar.

Incident rather than reflective metering.

The other posts in this thread offer sensible and accurate advice if you insist on using the built in meter, but if you have gone to the expense of a 67, get a lproper hand held light meter! The minolta ones are very good.

Ken

This would certainly do it for me!

Ken