I need some help from some knowledgeable film camera (Pentax ME Super)

Hey everyone. I was helping my father clean out some of his storage room, and we found an old SLR camera he had. A pentax ME super with 3 lenses, a 50 1.7, a fisheye, and an 85-205 telephoto, which I believe has a constant 3.8 aperture. All the lenses are Pentax K-mount (is this mount still used?) The body itself is completely manual focus, and so are the lens apertures.

It looks like it is in fantastic shape, and he is going to go get a battery for it, and some film to test if it still works. I have never shot film, I got into photography when DSLR's where just becoming affordable (Got a Rebel as my first), and I have never had a full frame camera. Would it be worth it keeping, and playing around with if it works fine still?

If I decide not to keep it, would it be worth anything? Thanks for your help!

It looks like this:

I think I got £25 for mine a few years ago,paid I think around £100 in the mid 70's.I sometimes wish I still had it,in its day it was a good camera.Personally I would keep it , buy a battery and a roll of film and play with it.From memory it was aperture priority or manual

They are nice film cameras.

Before loading it with film you'll want to cycle the shutter to make sure it isn't sticking. You can do this with the back open so you can see exactly what it's doing. Also take a close look at the foam around the rear door. Make sure it isn't too dried out and that it's not missing in places. That foam is to prevent light from leaking in. You can buy replacement foam kits on ebay if needed.

Pentax still uses the K mount on their digital SLRs. They've added electrical connections for modern lenses but these lenses will still attach. They are also easily adapted to use on Canon SLRs.

The 50 f/1.7 is a nice lens, I really like mine. That's not a 1.7 in the picture, BTW. pentaxforums.com has user reviews of bodies and lenses if you are interested.

Yeah, it's a 1.2. I had a picture of the 1.7 and body but I edited it with a different picture because the dimensions were too big.

That's not a f/1.2, that's an f/2. Many people get confused by the colon.

Any battery in it? Re: I need some help from some knowledgeable film camera(Pentax...

IF this camera has a battery for it's light metering, one potential snag is the stock battery may have been a mercury-chemistry based battery. These batteries had some desirable characteristics regarding voltage stability over temperature ranges, etc.

Unfortunately, mercury-chemistry batteries were essentially banned worldwide several years ago and they are extremely difficult to find. There are some work-arounds including non-mercury batteries of the same size with electronics to give the appropriate voltage. If you do find a battery in the camera, do not discard it in the trash (due to the mercury) but save it as the size & battery's shell may be useful.

If interested, PM me as I may still have information on alternative batteries.

The Pentax ME Super, made 1979-1984, used two alkaline (LR44) or silver oxide (G13, MS76, or S76) battery, so you do not have to worry about the non-availability of mercuric oxide cells. It was Pentax's response to the popular Olympus OM compact SLR and aimed primarily to the amateur snapshooter.

It has aperture priority exposure automation or manual, flash sync to 1/125 due to a vertical travel shutter (like today's dSLR) and center-weighted metering.

You can download the full user manual from this site... http://www.butkus.org …super/pentax_me​_super.htm

Unless you really need the money, you should keep it. A quick look through eBay reveals that selling the whole kit is unlikely to net you more than $125 or so (though that fisheye could be worth something, depending on who made it). Pentax cameras from that era are pretty great (I occasionally use my mother's old K-2), and it's never a bad thing to have a film camera around in case you feel like getting into it. And, of course, you can always buy an adapter and stick those lenses on your 7D. I notice you don't have a 50mm prime, for example.

The fisheye I couldn't find anything on -- it just says "Varexon Eek" on it. 28mm 2.8 constant.

I do have a 30mm 1.4, haven't updated my signiture in a while.

Are you sure it's a fisheye? 28mm seems too wide for a fish (unless it's made for medium format).

28mm is just a moderate wide angle lens on this camera. You'd have to go under 20mm to have a fisheye.

Manual shutters will slow down over time, so use each shutter speed a few dozen times. If you really want to use it a lot, then a pro cleaning & adjustment is a good idea.

It used to be a practice with mechanical shutter cameras, to send the body in every few years for CLA (clean, lube, adjust)...to ensure that the timing mechanisms of the mechanical shutter were still working freely, and properly thoughout the full range of speeds. If you shot in freezing winter temperatures, it was common to have them 'winterize' the camera with lighter weight lubricants. Lubricants, based on petroleum products, can gum up over time, and impair -- not lubricate -- the shutter timing mechanisms. The ME Super is likely to be in need of a CLA, just to be functional!