Gabor, I have an H3, which is the same camera under the Honeywell Pentax badge, and it is a beautiful SLR. I also have a Spotmatic, and I had an H3v (same as the SV) for a while.
All the H and S series pre-Spotmatic Pentaxes, starting with the H2 and S2, were made from 1959-63, and the SV/H3v continued as a meterless Pentax option alongside the Spotmatic (until replaced by the meterless Spotmatic SL in 1968 or so). From what I can tell, there are quite a few screwmount users still using these pre-Spotmatic Pentaxes (PSPs), and although I'm far too young to remember them when they were new, it seems quite a few Pentax users started their photography with an S3 or similar model, so they seem to hold a spot in the hearts of many on this list. The PSPs are visually appealing for their clean lines, and offer an even more "classic" look than the Spotmatics. If yours is in really nice condition, $30 was a great price! Did it come with the clip-on external meter that couples to the shutter speed dial? Although there's no hot shoe, you can get a clip-on cold shoe or a bracket and use the "X" flash synch PC plug for electronic flash, or go completely retro and use bulb flash! (The "FP" terminal is only for long-peak flashbulbs, which seem impossible to find today, so for most flashbulbs, use the "X" terminal and go with a shutter speed of 1/30 or slower). The fastest synch speed for electronic flash with the the S3 is the "X" spot on the dial, between 1/30 and 1/60. It's actually about 1/50 or 1/45 sec. These cameras were _very_ quiet for their time, compared to the competition, and a good deal lighter and better designed, too. While the Spotmatic in 1964 introduced a more robust lensmount, wider film rails and a more durable shutter (not to mention the TTL meter), the PSPs seem relatively durable if not abused. The Auto-Takumar your S3 came with is probably the one with the completely automatic diaphragm (in fact a Super-Takumar), with the A/M switch that allows it to open back up to full aperture immediately after the exposure. The lens, AFAIK, is identical to the 55mm f1.8 Super-Takumar that replaced it as the standard lens of the H3v and SV cameras (and as a standard lens option for the Spotmatic). The 55/1.8, an exceptionally sharp and wonderful standard lens, remained in the Pentax lineup (with supermulticoating, but same formula) all the way up to the first K series cameras, available as a standard lens on the K2, KX, KM and early K1000s. The mount is standard M42, and is compatible with nearly all M42 lenses. Don't mount any of the screwmount Pentax 50mm 1.4 lenses, though -- the large protruding rear element of these lenses could damage the mirror box of your camera, and the lens could be damaged by it. All Spotmatics, and later versions of the SV/H3v with redesigned mirror box (with the orange "R" on the rewind dial, instead of green) can use the 1.4 lenses without a problem. Enjoy your S3 -- the clean, unobstructed viewfinder (without even a meter needle to distract) offers a spartan, and yet purer, kind of vision to some photographers. You can use it with a handheld meter, or get the Pentax clip-on, or make it a completely meterless camera, dedicated for use with the "Sunny 16" rule in mind, or you can use it for infrared photography, where exposure would be estimated for the most part, anyway. Get a lens hood for that 55/1.8 to reduce problems with flare, and enjoy! Joe RE: >Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 13:50:20 +0100 >From: "Sas Gabor" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: S3 questions > >Hi screwmount fans, > > >Just bought a beautiful Pentax S3 + Auto Takumar 1.8/55 set >for about $30. It was so nice, that I couldn't resist... > >Now, I'm full of questions: >Is there anyone still using them? >Is the camera as rugged as it seems? >How old, how rare it is? >How good is the lens? >Is it standard M42, compatible with CZJ lenses? > >Currently I use PK cameras and lenses only, and the new S3 >is just for fun. Big fun, for sure! > > >Gabor Joe Wilensky Staff Writer Media and Technology Services - Cornell University 1150 Comstock Hall Ithaca, NY 14853-0901 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] tel: 607-255-1575 fax: 607-255-9873 Please visit our Web site at http://www.mediasrv.cornell.edu - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
