I’ve chosen a subject for the book I want to produce: photos from my Pentax ME. What I haven’t figured out yet is how I want to approach the subject. Reader Heather Munro (check her blog here) has been helping me think about it and she’s given me some solid leads.
The Pentax ME is overlooked and underappreciated. Among manual-focus Pentax SLRs, the K1000 gets all the love. I have one and like it. I also have a pristine KM, which is a K1000 with DOF preview and a self timer, and it’s wonderful.
But the ME is so small and light. It feels better in my hands than the larger K1000 and KM. When it’s slung across my shoulder I hardly notice it’s there.
It also turns out that I really like aperture-priority shooting. That’s all the ME offers — its only manual mode is 1/100 sec., meant to be used for flash sync. I can’t think of a time when I’ve wished I had full manual control of the ME.
But let’s say I do someday. Then I’d pick up an ME Super on eBay. It offers full manual control. Pentax cranked out these cameras by the bazillions, and they go for very little. Working ME and ME Super bodies can be had for as little as 20 bucks. My current ME body cost just $16, including shipping. And if it’s damaged or stolen, I can replace it for very little money. I take it everywhere without worry.
The ME may be an entry-level camera, but I find it not to be as low-spec as other entry-level SLRs. Most important to me is top shutter speed. So many entry-level SLRs top out at 1/500 sec., and when I shoot them there’s always a point in the roll when I wish for 1/1000 sec. The ME goes to 1/1000 sec. Some of my SLRs go to 1/2000 sec., and sometimes I use it, but when I shoot my ME I never feel like I need it.
A major reason I shoot my ME so much is that I have so many great Pentax lenses for it. I have a 28mm f/2.8, a 50mm f/2, a 50mm f/1.4, a 55mm f/1.8, a 135mm f/3.5, an 80-200mm f/4.5 zoom, and probably a couple others I’ve forgotten about. I also have, of all things, a Sears 80-200mm f/4 zoom for it, and it’s a solid performer.
I also frequently shoot a Nikon F2 and have several lenses for it. I’d put my Pentax glass up against my Nikon glass any day of the week.
One hidden reason I use my Pentax ME so much is that I don’t have an f/1.4 prime for any of my other SLR systems. I’m the unofficial photographer at my church, and that 50/1.4 with some ISO 800 film lets me work confidently in our building’s dim basement fellowship hall.
Not that I won’t take the 50/1.4 out for other duties. It’s a great all-around lens.
I’m on my third ME body. The nut that holds down the winder disappeared from the first one. I bought the second for parts, but couldn’t get the winder nut off. It seemed to work, so I shot a couple rolls with it. I began to suspect its meter wasn’t accurate, so I bought the third body. I think I spent less than $75 on all of it.
My next step is to figure out which photos I want to include in the book and what story I want to tell using them. I’m a pretty busy fellow for the next couple months, so bear with me.
Get more of my photography in your inbox or reader! Click here to subscribe.
