Pentax LX Review (Long term, 1 Year)
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 26 июл 2024
- How hard is it to pick between all the lovely vintage cameras online? They all look great and have their charms. I hope I can help you make a choice, by telling you what I think about one of them, the venerable Pentax LX.
If you’re curious, this is what I use to film:
- My favourite camera amzn.to/39fFWmM
- My go-to light amzn.to/3sicoh0
- My go-to softbox amzn.to/3qgUmKB
- My go-to mic amzn.to/3i3oki8
I get small commission every time someone makes a purchase through these links. Youre support is welcome, if you’re looking to buy things anyway!
Music by Chillhop: / chillhopdotcom
GYVUS - This Time: / gyvus-this-time
The best film camera ever introduced, not only by Pentax, but all camera manufacturers combined. In 1980, I did a detailed research, zeroed in on: Pentax LX, Nikon F-3 and Canon A-1. At that time Canon didn't have TTL metering. I selected LX, and I still have it.
Amazing that these cameras last so long. I wish we could bring more of the old school design aesthetic back. Fuji is doing it, I wish others would!
Canon's F-1 is more of a match to the LX than the A-1
I have both, the Canon A1 and the Pentax LX. I didn't use the A1 for a while and now have it with me on a trip. Choose the A1 because I wanted to bring 135mm and 300mm lenses and the A1 is my only CLA'd FD camera.
I can say now, I prefer the LX. Just the feel and how it handles, but also the fact you can see the selected aperture always. With the A1 you have to press the shutter release half or change the aperture in order to activate the led.
Minolta Maxxum 9
Don’t forget the Minolta X1
Pentax did a great job in terms of usability already with the ME Super. For example, same red indication of a cocked shutter is already there. Speaking of a viewfinder readouts, I think it's one of the best. But maybe the most versatile is Canon A-1 here. Those red lights need no sunlight and you can see them in a complete darkness.
Great video!
The LX is truly high developed. This camera and the line up of K-mount lenses are a kind of a Pentax legacy. It's sad that they struggle nowadays so hard. But technically with success. The K-1 II and the D-FA lenses deliver definitely high quality.
couldn’t agree more. at one stage weren’t they the only DSLR with IBIS?
Great vid. Totally agree. THE best 35mm. I recently purchase 2 of them. Since I was a kid I loved the understated design and the fact it was the underdog to the F1n and F3. I have subsequently bought pretty much every accessory listed in the brochures, which I'll probably never get around to using, but it doesn't matter! I have a slice of 35mm history.
Happy to see more people shooting Pentax, I agree with everything said about the lenses, And agree about the LX albeit with some hesitations. The LX is amazing, I lusted after them for years before buying one, Since I have had 3 in total, All of them ended up needing repairs shortly after, falling plague to the sticky mirror problem that sadly is very common on the LX, There aren't many people left who will work on the LX, Especially because of the fact that these cameras are dust and water resistant, Those seals make them a pain to open up and fix, The oem replacement seals are long gone now. I would play a little bit of devils advocate and say almost everything you like about the LX can be had in the Pentax MX for cheaper, And from my experience is a more reliable camera, Only things you lose are Mirror lock up, interchangeable viewfinders, the more advanced metering system and some of the ISO settings.
Hi. Me too, I had two of them and both had the sticky mirror. Also, one of them stopped working in A mode.
Still a beautiful and easy camera to use. Sadly though, not reliable enough for me and not as reliable as the Nikon F3 and FM2n I replaced them with.
@@olio_benzina The light seals & mirror foam pads are not difficult to repair.
@@arricammarques1955indeed they are, but it's not the cause of the sticky mirror syndrome, it's the rubber bumper that stop the mirror on the way down that caused it, also it's not the light seals that make it wr, it's the rubber seal between the body parts
Thanks for the video! After watching I went and purchased one and wow. The best 35mm SLR I’ve handled so far. So many little things that were well thought out. In particular how you can see your aperture and shutter speed within the viewfinder. I can go on and on. Thanks again Benoit!
So pleased you like it! It took me bu surprise how now it was, particularly compared to the other pro SLRs I’ve owned that are far more popular.
Hell yeah, some LX content!
I first heard about this camera about six months ago. I had to have it! I have not been disappointed. The quality of the build and the attention to detail is what I have noticed most. I have not used the camera as much as I have wanted to due to being on lockdown. But it is by far the best film camera I have owned.
Couldn’t agree more
Pentax build quality is legendary. Outlasts digital by DECADES!
On using the two LHS strap lugs to hang the camera in 'portrait' orientation - I too thought that was a silly idea ... until I tried it. Revelation!!! The camera somehow swings around less when it's hanging and lifting it up to shoot is a single movement of your right hand, Especially if you have a grip fitted. Oh.. and hanging it that way looks kind of cool, too.
Just wanted to drop by and say that I picked one up after seeing this video and doing some other research. Very happy with my purchase. Have an MX and digial K1 as well so fits in perfectly.
After using the LX for some time now, even with prices having likely gone up since this video was made, I think you're actually getting more than you pay for. From what I've seen, the camera is the smallest professional-grade 35mm film camera. I love the way that the double exposure system is integrated into the film winder, and the meter on this camera is always bang-on.
A point of note regarding the review, there is a variant of the waist-level finder that has a magnifier. There are also a couple of different 'system' finders that one can select for really specialized applications (action, copy work, etc.)
Lovely, I also have one, wish there was exposure lock and multi exposure lever , it has a sticky mirror problem, some time.
Wonderful camera and photos - curious to know which developer you use to get those wonderful fine tones ?
Hey man! Really cool review.
I have a Nikon fm2 that I use with the pancake 50mm, and a pentax k1000 with the smc 50mm, and it just feel that the pentax lens is so much more smoother looking. Have you found this to be true in your experience too? I was thinking of upgrading to a Contax SB2 or a Leicaflex SL2 but it seems like they both have major drawbacks, when the Pentax LX seems to get the basics just right.
So I haven't used those camera, but I did use an FM3a, which is MUCH more expensive and had the distinct advantage of having an exposure lock button. I've found the Pentax to be lovely to use, and the lenses very affordable. I think you might end up spending more on Contax and Leica sets as those are either rarer or have more brand clout. I would suggest pricing out a full kit with the lenses you want and seeing what it adds up to. I don't think you'll be disappointed with the LX!
New pieces like rubber mirror bumper stops to cure bad focus or the solenoid to cure sticky mirror syndrome have been unobtanium for 15 years. Pentax officially hasn't serviced them for the same amount of time. You'll be lucky to find one with recent service by someone who knows what they're doing. I used Pentax gear for 30+ years and an LX as my primary daily camera professionally for a decade of hard use. Great camera when new, worlds better than other tiny SLRs. No spot-metering and limited to max 1/75th flash synch were its downfall in age of transparency films. P645N or NII is a vastly better value used than LX today
Pentax smc-A lenses are my favorite. The prices on Ebay aren't friendly though.
Great review on a great camera. So many people looking for the Nikon FM3a and paying a fortune for it. I don't get it. What is the feature that is worth an extra thousand bucks? Is it just because its hawked by RUclips creators? As a tip, I would be wary of buying a LX from Japan. When these camera have spent a lifetime on a high humidity island, there are problems with rust and fungus.
1 year use is hardly long term!!
I bought one of these in 1986 for semi-pro work. This was in preference to the Nikon F3 hp, Canon T90 and Olympus OM2 and I never regretted it.
For ergonomics I’d recommend getting one of the bolt on hand grips ( or even make one yourself.)
Viewfinder- swap for the sport finder
Does both eye-level & waist- level with the image correct way round.
Serviced properly it’s going to last well. It’s built like a tank and in a pinch can be used as a weapon.
Just ask the guy who tried to steal mine in 1988
Would love to try one out once but it's hard to justify buying it myself since I've got the Canon A-1 which is kinda close in features to the LX (I guess the New F1 and F3 being the closest competition), bought the A-1 knowing about the competition but here in Bosnia FD lenses are much easier and cheaper to get so that's why scales tipped to the Canon side
Thanks for the review. Do you have any experience with the Nikon F3? And if so how it might compare to this guy? I'm about to be in the market for an slr coming from a Minolta cle rangefinder and a ricoh gr1 point and shoot. I guess I'd like to be well rounded? Lol! Anyways any feedback form you or anyone is greatly appreciated thanks!
Sadly I’ve not used an F3, but it’s likely to be great given it was Nikon’s pro camera from the 80s. Many of the 35mm SLR cameras, especially towards the high end, are similarly well made and featured, so I doubt you’d be disappointed with either. As I say in the video, I was gifted the LX, so mercifully I was spared the choice! Though for what it’s worth, I like the looks of the LX more than the F3. Thanks for watching!
@@bybenoit5593 ya I got a chance to handle an lx the other day and it felt kind of special. I was happily surprised. And I do love the size too. Practically the same size a d my Minolta CLE. And the CLE is considered small compared to an average leica or any camera that isn't a point and shoot. So that's great. And I also have the feeling that the f3 is much heavier and a decent deal bigger than the LX. I may be wrong for obvious reasons. But from what I've seen and read I'm guessing I might be correct. Either way I'm high intrigued but this LX and can imagine I'll end up picking one up in the foreseeable future I'm guessing. Side note, I actually have some pentax lenses but they're all m42 mount. Kind of sucks I guess. Oh well
@@akyerit an inexpensive adapter will let you use screwmount Pentax lenses on an LX
David Bailey swears by the reliability of Pentax over the Nikon F3.
This was a flagship camera for Pentax in its day. It was by no means the best in class compared to Nikon or Canon. It might be a good representation for a budget but definitely not the best value. The Nikon FM3a was a homage to the popular FM and FE. You would have to compare this camera to Nikon’s F3 or Canon’s F-1.
I agree with everything. I like them so much I have two. God help you if you need a repair though.
Guess it depends where you are. In the UK, there are a few places that can repair them so I feel pretty safe :)
Do you lose the automatic features if you adapt a M42 lens?
@@randypipper92 Yes. Stop down metering only. It’s really not hard though.
@@jonlouis2582 I might get one then, I don't want to leave my Takumars.
@@randypipper92 You will find a video of Bellamy Hunt (Japan Camera Hunter) using one with the earliest Takumar I have ever seen. My only issue is the adapter doesn’t work with all M-42 lenses, I can’t use my Jupiter 9.
They are lovely cameras, but good value? Even when this video was made they were no cheaper than the Nikon F3, Canon F1 new or Olympus OM4T. Factor in a few hundred more to get the sticky mirror resolved, and it ends up less than good value. Are they worth the extra money over something like the Pentax ME Super? Unless you really need the weather sealing its probably line ball. Then again if you have the cash and want the best 35mm Pentax money can buy, then go for it :)
Hey - I appreciate your insight regarding this camera. Honesty, though, I'm not sold on why it would be worth spending money on it if just using for manual use. I'd rather use my Pentax K1000 at a fraction of the price with all the same great glass options. Don't have to worry about any faulty electronics either. Looking forward to checking out more of your content - keep it up!
Thanks! All I can say in favour of the LX in that case is that I seem to get pleasure from using high end things, irrational as I know it is! I can merely believe that it will last longer due to being built for pros. Though thankfully I got it as a gift, so no need to choose ;)
Light meter or spot meter an option.
@@arricammarques1955 As I understand, it's a centre-weighted meter built into the camera. It is very precise and sensitive.
I have a K1000 too and I have considered getting the LX as some of the features look handy but in the end it's more of a want than a need. It's likely the K1000 will outlast the LX too as it's a more simple design. I'd rather spend the money on more film or maybe a medium format camera instead.
Best AV available.
How can I Buy it without having examined it? Does ebay guarantee their used cameras?
Sadly not, you just have to take a chance based on the seller and their reputation! eBay will help if the thing is broken on receipt but nothing more. But I’ve had good luck so far!
@@bybenoit5593 Thank you for your response, but taking chances with a CAMERA is a bit too much for me. Thanks again
Only buy from sellers with lots of good (100% or nearly) rep. Ask them specific questions wherever their description is at all unclear, so if the camera (or anything else) isn't what they say, you've got a clear case for refund. Don't bid until the last minute. Good luck.
@@petermulderry9555 Thanks, but problems with the shutter (the main potential problem) cannot be detected from a distance. How do you compare the LX with K1000?
@@gabrielacobian9137 The LX is the most advanced manual focus k-mount 35mm SLR Pentax ever produced. The K1000 is the simplest. The list of differences couldn't be larger.
A Leica M262 and now the Pentax LX! You have very good taste, my friend. I never owned the LX, but it was a camera I coveted back in the day. My first SLR was the K1000, then the Pentax MX, a wonderful camera. But the Nikons eventually won out. So many great film cameras, but film is a dead end today, hence your 262 review.
Thanks for the nice comments! I feel you on the Nikons. I really regret selling my FM3A...
35mm film is not a dead end.
The LX reliability surpasses the Nikon F3!
I will buy a LX ,I love it. but not eBay, eBay is horrible, it shut or block account for no reason. I hate eBay.
You culd hav at least wiped the camera before making the video
*could *have 👍 coulda woulda shoulda
Unfortunately the older these cameras get the more the rubber pads that the mirror rest on deteriorated and become gooey and misalign the mirror, making the camera a paperweight.
Or… get them serviced.
@@bybenoit5593 $$$
@@dragonaut4208 If $$$ is a concern, shooting film cameras is losing bet from the beginning. Proper service will bring most LX back to life for another 10-30 years.
@@therealchickentender from what I understand not many people can or will service these, and parts for some jobs aren't available anymore?
@@flowermaze___ Yes. Somewhat... it's complicated. Any Pentax authorized or formerly authorized techs (who do it properly per Pentax) don't really service them any longer for those reasons. But I've found a number that will in a more general sense. There's a ton of info on this at Pentax-Forums.
Pentax plans to bring back film cameras and the LX should be first on the list.
D-LX + SMC Pentax focal lengths. : )