Shel Belinkoff wrote:
I think the LX is a bloated pig of a camera compared to the MX <g>, and the
only reason I use mine is when there's a need or desire to use one of the
accessory finders or if the more evolved metering system is desirable. It's loud, it's heavy, it doesn't fit as readily into the Domke satchel,
and reduces what I can carry in the way of equipment. It's a very nice
camera in many ways, but AFAIC the MX is a more elegant piece of equipment
designed for and excelling at straight ahead photography. The MX is the
Pentax version of the Leica ...
Shel
[...]
Hah! Interesting comment, Shel! "The MX is the Pentax version of the Leica ..."
A short story re my VERY brief experience with the LX:
I had followed the innumerable comments about how the LX was just below sainthood for a 35mm film camera, so I eventually savd up enough money and bought one.
The very best one I managed to find was virtually like new, and it came with a brand new "Dial Data LX" back.
That camera was bought new and only used to take photos of stamps for a serious collector.
Wow! What a find! Mounted on a lighting setup rig, it stayed there until I bought it... Literally unmarked.
I pestered Cotty to assure me this particular buy was a good one (= 'safe' from an eBay seller standpoint) and finally agreed to lay out my hard earned cash.
The camera was all I imagined and more! A lovely piece of equipment, but, in my unprofessional opinion, TOO BIG!
Understand, I had come from years of using '40's and '50's Retina folders, and the lovely '50's Contax R.F. and finally Olympus OM-series ownership. I had three OMs and a stack of lenses and equipment. My average to small hands worked well with those little cameras.
I wondered what anyone saw in the huge Nikons and Canons. Way too big, bulky and cumbersome. For me...
I switched platforms to Pentax when I "discovered" the MG a a show! Loved that camera. Still do. Changed platforms as a result of finding how great a little mechanical camera it was. I now have two very clean examples of those.
When I 'discovered' the MX, I bought one, and absolutely loved it! So I bought another, just in case something happened to the first. For backup...
I was really on a roll!
Then I popped for the LX, thinking it was the ultimate Pentax, and was disappointed... Too heavy and obtrusive for me.
I bought a new standard back from Pentax, and changed out the bulky Dial Data back for the new owner (I had arranged to sell it) and it transformed the camera. Had it not already been sold, I might well have kept it. The difference in size was dramatic... but, there you are. I had moved too quickly and it was spoken for. Bye bye LX.
Anyhow, I think Cotty was disappointed with me, when he heard I thought the LX was too big and bulky, and had sold it. (No, I think he thought I was certifiable! A candidate for Bedlam!)
But, that's how it felt to me at the time.
Until your comment, I didn't know anyone else in the _world_ felt that way about it ~ just me!
keith
