Why I Chose Pentax for Film Photography

One of the most important decisions you can make when getting into photography is what camera brand you decide to invest in. Your decision will ultimately lead you to particular lenses, camera bodies and, more importantly, what blogs and Facebook groups you decide to subscribe to so that you and your fellow brand-loyal friends can talk smack about other brands. In the digital world, you are somewhat limited to Sony, Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Panasonic and Leica. The world of film photography opens up a few additional doors to legacy brands like Minolta, Olympus, and Pentax (yes, I know Olympus and Pentax make digital cameras, but how many people do you know that are all in on those brands in 2024?).

Cheap Beginnings

My digital brand of choice is Nikon. I started with a D5300 and now own a D750, Z30 and Z6II (and one day, a Nikon Z6III). My decision to jump into that system was rather spur of the moment and without any real long term thought. When I started film photography, I wanted to take my time to decide what system to shoot. There was no real rush and I wanted to make sure that I found a system that I could enjoy, but was not quiet mainstream enough to be considered a band wagon fan. So, I did my research, read a lot of posts, watched plenty of YouTube videos and prayed the God of film photography. One day while skimming through Marketplace, I came across a Pentax ME Super with a 40mm 2.8. It was $30. That was all the convincing I needed to decide to go all in on Pentax.

This Pentax ME Super was not only my first Pentax, but also my first 35mm camera. It was the first of many film cameras I would begin to collect. Pictured with the 40mm 2.8 pancake lens.

Before my impulsive decision to pick up the Pentax, Nikon did seem like the logical choice. I already had F mount lenses and understood what it meant to be a Nikonite. In the current digital world, Nikon is dwarfed by brands like Sony and Canon. At the time, Sony and Canon had leading autofocus systems and impressive video specs that caused a lot of digital photographers to jump ship from brands like Nikon. But, in the film era, Nikon reigned supreme for decades. It was the choice of amateur and professional photographers for a long time. Despite Nikon's monopoly on photography of yesteryear, Pentax was still a formidable brand and produce a lot of high quality cameras and lenses.

Cost

Film was quickly replaced by digital sensors in the late 90s and early 2000s. Subsequently, the cost of film cameras and lenses dropped significantly. Brands began investing in digital and discontinued production of film related equipment. In recent years, film photography has seen a Renaissance as young photographers and content creators began seeing the value in the "film look" and the analog shooting experience. As a result, film cameras and lenses have seen a spike in value. One thing I enjoy about the Pentax system is the cost to enter the system. It has been relatively shielded from the surge in demand for film cameras. I believe this is due to other brands seeing higher demand and more niche cameras having a more hardcore following. For example, the Contax T2 saw a huge price spike following the 'Kylie Jenner" effect. Other cameras, like the Yashica T4, saw an drastic price increase because of the legendary Zeiss lenses it came equipped with. As mentioned previously, Nikon produced a ton of high quality glass and cameras that are still sought after today. The Leica M6, once had for a mere $1500, is now selling for $2200+ on the used market.

I picked up this Pentax K1000 with 50mm 1.7 at an estate sale for $15. A pretty solid deal, considering they typically will sell on the used market for $100-$200.

Pentax cameras and lenses can thankfully still be had for cheap. Look around Marketplace or eBay long enough, and you will encounter many great deals. Throughout Pentax's 40+ years producing film equipment, a great quantity of cameras and lenses were produced. This means the market is flooded with used gear ready to be shot again. Most of their gear was built for Single Lens Reflex (SLR) style cameras. While there is nothing wrong with this type of camera, many new users of film have opted for more point and shoot style cameras, for their ease of use and portability.

Lens Selection

Piggybacking off my previous comment about Pentax's long run producing film gear, there are a ton of interesting lens options to choose from. Of course, there are the standard 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm and 200mm options. But within each of these focal lengths are various aperture options and generational differences. For example, the 35mm lens was made over several generations of production (K, M, A and FA). Within each, are different variations of the 35mm. Aperture values range from f1.4 to f3.5, depending on the generation it was produced. This means that photographers looking to choose a particular focal length, have many options to choose from. Outside of the usual focal lengths, are more niche options. The K series of lenses has many wide angle and super telephoto options to choose from. There are fisheye, tilt shift, macro, zooms and even a quirky 85mm "soft" lens, for whatever shooting application you desire.

I found this combo kit on Facebook Marketplace for around $90. To be honest, I didn't even want the camera. I was after the 28mm 3.5 lens, but ended up grabbing the whole kit.

Modern digital lenses are expensive and engineered for optical perfection. Older lenses, are designed with less elements and have optical "quirks" to them. Their lack of optical perfection makes them generally less desirable for certain types of photography where sharpness and clarity are required. Most of Pentax's lens offerings were designed with the latest technology of the times, which is not up to par with todays standards. But, for film photography, they are perfect. The character of the images produced with low element count lenses is not easily reproduced with modern lenses or in Lightroom. Words like 3D Pop and Micro Contrast comes to mind when describing these older lenses. It is an optical experience that everyone should try out at some point in their photography journey.

Camera Selection

My first film camera was a Pentax ME Super and honestly, I could have stopped buying cameras after that. The ME Super is small and light weight, has both manual and automatic modes and surprisingly reliable for a 40+ year old film camera with electronics. But, Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS) always seems to get the better of me and I ended up purchasing a few more bodies, like the K1000, MX, K2, Spotmatic and the legendary LX. There is something for everyone when it comes to Pentax cameras. Want a cheap, fully manual camera to learn on? K1000. Need a smaller version of the K1000? MX. Want the best of the best, the most professional camera Pentax produced with swappable view finders? LX. Want a more casual shooting experience with some automatic modes? ME Super. Pentax has plenty of great options for beginners and seasoned shooters alike. The best part, they won't break the bank. The LX, the most premium of premium SLRs from Pentax will only run you $250-$400.

I scored this Pentax MX with lenses on eBay. I think I paid around $100 for the kit. The MX and both the 35mm 3.5 and 105mm 2.8 are in pristine condition. I am not even sure they were used. The MX's light meter is broken, unfortunately. .

Pentax for Film Photography: The Cool Factor

A lot of you may not agree with me on this one, but Pentax has that coolness to it. I cannot easily describe it, but there is something about the legacy and good looks that the system provides that really draws me into it. The aesthetics of the system, from the look and feel of the lenses, to the futuristic lettering of the PENTAX logo on the cameras, there is something seriously cool about being a Pentaxian.