Pentax Powers...Activate!

I've written before about how my reentry into film began with Pentax, specifically a Pentax ME. So, I won't retell that story (but you can read about it here). Suffice it to say that I fell in love with the Pentax M series' small and comfortable form factor and their early K mount lenses.

After years of developing a bit of a Leica addiction, however, I finally had an excuse to get back into Pentax.

The school I work for partners with an organization called Blue Missions, whose goal is to bring clean water and irrigation to rural areas of the Dominican Republic. I'll be heading there in July with a group of students and obviously I will be making photographs the whole time. However, because of the humidity, rain, and environment, I didn't think taking any of my Leicas would be a good option. I love my Leicas, and love making photos with them. But I don't want to risk unnecessary moisture or water damage to either bodies or lenses.

Two vintage cameras with leather straps sit side by side on a brown wooden surface in soft focus lighting.

Naturally, I considered my only camera that isn't a Leica, my 1977 Pentax ME. I love that little camera, but don't use it much because it shoots exclusively in aperture priority. I want full manual control of exposure. So, I took this as an opportunity to finally get myself a camera I've wanted for a long time, but never had a reason to buy: the Pentax MX. Fully mechanical rubberized cloth shutter, requiring a battery solely to power the internal light meter, and in Pentax's small M sized body, this camera is virtually perfect for this situation.

My original Pentax 50mm had been purchased off of Craigslist back in 2020 at the height of COVID. I didn't have many options and took it despite it having a small amount of fungus. And although I tried to kill the fungus, it has spread. So I bought myself an SMC Pentax-M 50mm f2 to go with this MX. The results of my test rolls were, in a word, incredible.

A vintage camera with brown leather strap sits beside a crafted cocktail garnished with herbs and citrus on a wooden table.

Testing with Kentmere Pan 100

I was shooting some portraits in the afternoon, the kids were with their grandparents, and Steph had an early morning meeting. So I loaded up some Kentmere Pan 100 and hit a park not far from my home.

I don't shoot Kentmere often. In fact, I have a vendetta against Ilford, but because Kentmere Pan 100 is so inexpensive and is a 24 exposure roll, it makes for a great test roll. I was looking for two things in particular: 1. shutter speed accuracy, and 2. light leaks. So, I was intentionally shooting with varied aperture and speed settings to test these.

Thankfully, the shutter fired accurately at all speeds and the light seals were intact, because I made some nice exposures at this park. I dare say some of them were even very nice.

A small black and white dog walks on a paved pathway with pedestrians in the background on a sunny day.

This photo of the dog was one of the first I made at the park. It walked ahead of its human, happy to be out on a beautiful winter day (winter for Miami, which means shorts and t-shirts but maybe sneakers instead of flip-flops). I was immediately surprised by how big and bright the viewfinder was. It was insanely easy to focus. Even with a fast moving subject like this terrier, nailing focus was a breeze.

I also discovered right away that while the MX felt nearly identical in the hand as my old ME, operation was far superior. Obviously the rubberized cloth shutter felt different, but the shutter release button felt sturdier, the clap of the mirror felt like it recoiled less, and the crank of the film advance lever was butter smooth. Making photos with this camera was a joy! And the quality was damn near that of my Leicaflex SL, which I had taken to this same park only the day before.

A black and white photograph shows people relaxing on benches under a shady tree at a park with buildings in the background.

A black and white photograph of an empty playground with a twisting slide and climbing structure casting shadows.

A black and white photograph of vintage playground equipment with metal bars and climbing structures in a park setting.

I spent about half an hour making photographs in this park. I was burning through this roll. I didn't want to stop. The SMC Pentax-M 50mm f2 was so easy to focus; the focus throw was perfect for street style photos. I wanted to keep releasing the shutter and advancing that film. And with the sense of reckless abandon I was feeling, not felt since I last shot Pentax, I was enjoying the whole process way more than I expected.

I could feel that while this had started as a test roll, this had become much more than just that. This was a bonding experience with the MX. I was falling in love and reconnecting with my film roots. It all started with a Pentax for me and here I was back in the Pentax world! Did I have to relegate the MX to "beater camera" status? Could this be something I reached for regularly? Maybe my regular line-up now looked something like Leica, Leica, Pentax?

I had to head home as I was meeting up with Steph before heading out to the photo shoot, but I didn't want to stop shooting with this camera. And I'd burned through the roll...

A black and white vintage baseball scene shows players on a dusty field with trees in the background.

Can't Stop, Won't Stop

After meeting up with Steph in the early afternoon we decided to head to Coconut Grove for brunch before the portrait shoot. She would be second shooting with me and we had a reservation at an omakase joint later in the evening. Logically, I should have taken any other camera with me to just shoot around, but I had fallen in love with the MX in just a matter of minutes. So, I loaded up another roll, this time Kodak UltraMax, and we went out.

We first went to Greenstreet, a Coconut Grove staple. I specifically loaded up UltraMax to have the flexibility to shoot in just about any condition. It was bright and sunny out, and we sat outside at Greenstreet, but 400 was the right speed. In the shadowy, covered area of the restaurant, I was able to open up to f2 and make this portrait of Steph.

A woman with long blonde hair wearing sunglasses looks up in a bar with bokeh lighting in the background.

Being able to test this lens out wide open was amazing. I had made photos outside in the sun, but all lenses perform well stopped down. Wide open? That's another story. But, the SMC Pentax-M 50mm f2 is gorgeous wide open.

Nailing focus with the big and bright viewfinder is easy. It really is a joy to use. And what is in focus, wow is it sharp! But, and this is something I can't say enough, it isn't overly sharp. While it is very sharp, it is not distractingly so. The focus falloff is gorgeous too! The transition from in-focus to out-of-focus is beautiful. And once you get to the bokeh, it is gooey, bubbly goodness.

I shot around Greenstreet for a while, but after we wrapped up it was time to head to the shoot location.

People dining together at a restaurant bar counter with drinks and food in warm ambient lighting.

We parked behind the iconic Coconut Grove Playhouse. And as we walked to the car, I noticed the light was hitting the stairs in the back alley perfectly. I asked Steph if she'd model for me for a few minutes and fired off as many shots as I could.

I don't normally use 50mm as a full body portrait lens, usually opting for 35mm or even 28mm for that sort of portrait. But I was testing out this 50 f2. So, I leaned into it and boy am I glad I did.

These street portraits are some of my favorites I've ever made.This lens is incredible. So small, so sharp, with gorgeous color and contrast. The handling is smooth and its focus throw is just long enough. It isn't as short as a Leica M mount 50, but it is not nearly as long as a Leica R mount 50. It shoots that gap perfectly. And the viewfinder makes nailing focus almost too easy!

I loved these images so much that I did virtually no editing to the scans I got back from Palm Film Lab. If I'm being honest, I may even prefer the way UltraMax looks when shot with Pentax glass vs Leica glass. I know, I know! But look at the results. They speak for themselves!

A lot of this is thanks to UltraMax's beautiful and realistic colors, but an equally big part of this is Pentax's optics. The lens coating allows for some of the most authentic color transmission that I've ever seen. This combination, in fact, is similar to what I get with Portra 400 and Leica.

Could it be that my budget, beater camera for bad weather conditions is actually a great option for every day use? It had been so long since I shot with Pentax that I forgot how much I loved it.

Cool urban fashion portrait on metal stairs featuring leather jacket, black top, jeans and white sneakers.

A casually dressed person in jeans, black jacket and sunglasses poses sitting on concrete steps outdoors.

Fashion portrait of someone sitting on concrete steps wearing sunglasses, a black top and jeans against stone wall backdrop.

The two cameras that have become #1 and #2 most used are the Leica M3 and Leicaflex SL respectively. Those are a joy to use and the results I get from them are astounding. For street photography in particular, the M3 is just perfect. That said, this MX is smaller and lighter than the M3, making it a dream to use for street photography. For portraits, where the Leicaflex outperforms the M3, the MX has an even larger magnification that is just as bright, making it easy to nail critical focus.

Combine this with the Pentax glass, and the results I'm getting with this 50mm f2, and I'd say this is a real contender for serious film camera for me, not just a beater system. Taking what I've learned from my time shooting Leica for the last few years, I now know what does and doesn't work for me and can build a Pentax system that works for me.

A person wearing sunglasses and a leather jacket stands in front of an industrial metal framework structure.

Final Focus

This may have started out as a purchase motivated to preserve my Leica cameras and lenses in bad weather conditions, but has turned into something else. I still plan to use the MX for those less than favorable conditions. This camera and its lenses will get beaten up for sure. But It certainly won't be relegated to just a beater camera.

Because should I ever have to replace the MX and whatever lens I have mounted on it, the cost would likely be less than one lens for any of my Leicas. I can shoot with this system and never worry about damaging it. I dare day that that approach may even motivate me to be more adventurous and make photos that I otherwise wouldn't be willing to make.

I don't think the Pentax MX will ever replace the M3 or the Leicaflex SL as the main camera in my collection, but after shooting a test roll of Kentmere, I decided to take a gamble and keep shooting with it instead of swapping to another camera. And I had the option to do that. In my opinion, that says a lot. I have always proceeded with caution when testing out new film cameras, firing off a test roll and checking the results before going at it again.

I'm so happy that these test rolls showed a camera operating flawlessly. Yes, because I want to keep shooting with it, but also because once again a test roll has some really great photographs in there. That set of Steph at Coconut Grove Playhouse are some of my favorite portraits of her we've ever made together.

I'm shopping around for other focal lengths now and see myself building a small, but versatile collection; something I can use in any scenario. What I do know is the last time I was this excited was when I got the M3 and I'm just as motivated to keep making photos now as I was then.