Your best bet at that kind of budget is something like an M 50/1.7 with a reversing ring (I don't know how much reversing rings cost these days). It reverses the lens (obvious really) which gives you much greater magnification, although you loose lens automation.

I can see it selling to a fair proportion of potential M9 buyers, after all buying an M9 is a statement of intent for most and making something more exclusive only adds to the legendary status. I'm sure a few pros will actually get the benefit from the small difference it makes compared to a bayer filterd sensor.

There comes a point though were 'modern retro' starts to wear thin and you either embrace the 'now' or load a roll of mono film into a film camera.

I still have the Pentax 8Mb card that came with the EI2000, later I bought a whopping 128Mb card.

For me, digital and software seem to be following photographic history and not driving it. The modes I have in my K-5 almost completely mimic film techniques (mono, cross-processing etc.). Initially I had thought HDR was new to digital/software but 'proper' mono shooters have been doing similar on film for ages.

Yes, the meter did move a bit (usually starts in the middle and drops down slightly) when switching it on. I based my exposures on where it settled (assuming it is slower to respond than modern meters) but always metered off a suitable mid-tone before composing the final shot. The shots were all using this approach, the negs look fine density wise.

The battery check is to set 'B' and switch the meter on. The needle starts off just under horizontal and should drop quickly to the bottom when switched on.

The problem with the switch up during exposure manifested itself as a dull thud on release rather than a clean shutter sound. The mirror hadn't been raised fully and the shutter hadn't fired. To resolve this, push the switch back down (which completes raising the mirror) and press the release again (the shutter should fire) once I'd worked this out these exposures were fine (although you can't see what you've shot). I'm hoping that moving the switch down before exposure will prevent this from happening.

A few weeks ago I bought an SP1000 and these are from the first roll (Kentmere 100).

As posted on a thread in the 'film camera' forum, there is a problem with the meter switch, which sometimes stops the mirror rising fully and the shutter firing. Moving the switch back down before the exposure may work-around this problem.

Having shot Ilford FP4+ & HP5+ almost exclusively in the past, I've switched to Kentmere 100 for test shots on the first rolls. I have several recently acquired cameras still queued up (another S1a, SPII, MX & MEF). More first rolls on Flickr.

The film was processed and scanned by the Ilford lab in Mobberley.



Tower by John Halliwell, on Flickr
SP1000, Super-Tak 28mm f/3.5:





Keep out by John Halliwell, on Flickr
SP1000, SMC-Tak 50mm f/1.4:





Rusty rolling stock by John Halliwell, on Flickr
SP1000, SMC-Tak 50mm f/1.4:





Dredger Bucket #1 by John Halliwell, on Flickr
SP1000, SMC-Tak 50mm f/1.4:





Not to be loose or hump shunted! by John Halliwell, on Flickr
SP1000, SMC-Tak 50mm f/1.4:





Locked by John Halliwell, on Flickr
SP1000, SMC-Tak 50mm f/1.4:

Pentax S1a plus extras by John Halliwell, on Flickr

Shot with a K1000, M 50mm f/1.4, Kentmere 100

It's really only the clock that requires power, other general settings are likely stored in some form of non-volatile memory. There's a lot of menu options and other parameters, but when you squash them all into binary bits they don't take much space. As has been mentioned, capacitors are probably more common today (and are used in various 'kinetic' type watches).

Thanks John.

With the meter switch up when shooting it seems fine. Without a lens on it also appears OK. I'm sure I'll get used to pushing it down, it only takes a second.

Great prop blur, nothing worse than a propellored plane flying with a stationary prop.