Yes, I've had two ME Supers and an MEF. They have all suffered from electronic problems. The most annoying was where the ASA dial electronics would go "dodgy" and the meter readings would go wild and I would wind up with a roll of under exposed film. (A wedding included - sigh!)

In the end I bought a service manual and worked out how to fix it myself. Definitely *not* something I would recommend

I've now gone the Z1 route... so far, so good.

Matt

Hiya Aya!

You can buy them from Pentax UK:
http://www.pentax.co.uk/cgi-bin....194

for £4.00

(In the "Photographic", "Customer Services", "Sales", "Manuals")

Sorry, I couldn't find a download location for you

Matt

Nyami,

The gallery on this site is for submissions made through the Pentax User mag. If you want a general purpose gallery, then PBase is a good choice (at $23 it's good value). There are others, but PBase does respects the copyrights of the original image holders. It's very easy to use too - check out my gallery if you want to see what it looks like.

Regards,
Matt

John,

You might want to look over here:
http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/index.html

That should give you everything you need to know.

All I can say is that the AF360FGZ has been absolutely brilliant for me. Solidly made (which was not always the case with Pentax flashes I fear), feature loaded, and powerful. It has a built in slave sensor (the "magic eye" kind), which allows it to work well with my Canon S30 digicam too; built it 20mm diffuser and catch light - which creates wonderfully soft lighted portraits; lots of modes; complete control in manual and auto; LCD with backlighting; etc etc. Plus, it works with every Pentax body there is, so you won't get caught out if you ever change bodies! Just be aware that some of the features only work on the newer bodies (MZS, and the newer bodies too). eg. Autozoom works on the AF bodies (like our MZ5, MZ10 and Z1), but you can manually adjust that.

Every time I use it I'm glad I made the switch from "compatible" flashes.

Hope that helps,
Matt

...but not the Z1

John & all,

Just checked the Pentax site, and the Z1 is there:
http://www.pentax.com/docstore/index.cfm?show=6
Pentax have scanned it themselves.

Nice to see progress
BTW, loving the Z1!

Matt

http://www.pbase.com/mattmatic

John,

That's the first thing I did - email Pentax. However, I received no reply.

Of course, I would much rather it be on the main Pentax site, and am happy for them to move my PDF. Believe me, it took an age to scan, clean and PDF... however, from the messages I have received already, it looks like it was worth it though.

Matt

If anyone needs a Z1 manual, I have scanned and PDF'd mine, available here:

Matt's Pentax page

Drop me an email if it helps (give me a hint/tip or your online gallery link)
Matt

...forgot to mention...

EOS3000 will have a plastic lens mount, as do all low end cameras.

The Pentax Z1 holds its value very well: http://www.ffordes.com have a second hand Z1 at £195, and a Z1P at £299 - that should tell you something about them

Oh, yes, and not forgetting the enthusiastic and helpful set of Pentax users, and the excellent Pentax User mag

Matt

Nithy,

That's a real shame about your Z1.

Regarding your question about the two cameras: it's like comparing a Jaguar E-type with a Nissan Micra. You are not comparing like-for-like.

The Z1 (although old) was a top of the range Pentax, built like a tank (but not mountain proof, but built to last otherwise!), with some serious features. For instance, it has spot-metering, hyper manual, customisation features, aperture and shutter speed wheels - all of which make it a really usable camera. Personally I love the Z1, and get a real "buzz" from using it.

The Canon EOS3000 is an entry level SLR, aimed at the person wanting a little more than a point-and-shoot. So, for its market, it's great.

However, bear these facts in mind: Canon put the focus mechanism in the lens, so the cheap lenses are slower to focus that the pro-lenses, and not very solidly built. Additionally, they can be very sensitive to dust (my father-in-law's EOS USM lenses have both been done in because of dust, and they're not worth repairing). On the other hand, Pentax put the motor in the camera, so it makes little difference what lens you use as far as focus speed is concerned. Additionally, what about any of your accessories and lenses? If they are Pentax, they will not fit the Canon - so you'll have to buy new gear.

I expect you need to re-evaluate your requirements. Do you need something that can be carried easily? If so, why not think about going digital (I have a year old Canon S30, but the Pentax Optio cameras look really great) Do you want a pro-like camera with features to maximise your creativity? Are you looking for snapshots, or commercial/professional quality images? Do you need super wide angle, long telephoto, or are you not bothered? Do you need to take very low light shots? Maybe you need to do a pros/cons list for yourself...

Oh yes, and remember - you only ever get what you pay for (certainly when it comes to lens and build quality). You just have to decide what's important to you.

Hope that helps,
Matt