Pentax ME Super
35 mm Single Lens Reflex camera made by Asahi Pentax from 1979 to 1988.
When released, it held many distinctions among cameras of the time. The 1/2000
second shutter was among the fastest available, and the camera was the smallest
and lightest 35mm SLR available (445 g or 15.7 oz) . The manual shutter mode
was considered revolutionary at the time— speed is controlled by two small
buttons placed just to the right of the pentaprism, and the selected speed
is displayed via a series of LEDs superimposed inside the viewfinder. These
two features allow the shutter speed to be set while continually looking through
the viewfinder. The photographic benefits are obvious— there's no chance
of missing a picture because the shutter needs to be adjusted.
Other Features and Specs
Exposure Modes
Manual exposure mode allows control over both aperture and shutter. If
the aperture/shutter combination does not satisfy the light meter's reading,
an LED will light indicating over or underexposure. Automatic mode is aperture
priority. The user selects an aperture on the lens and the shutter speed is
automatically adjusted in accordance with the TTL light meter. Shutter
priority mode is not available. 125x mode shoots at 1/125 sec. no matter what
aperture is selected. This mode is used if the camera runs out of batteries,
or if the user wants to advance one exposure with the lens cap on. "Bulb"
mode holds the shutter open as long as the shutter release is depressed.
This camera sold very well, making it common and cheap on the used market.
It's not packed with features, and it won't do all the work for you like today's
SLRs, but I recommend it for any beginning or intermediate photographer who
wants good quality and manual control.