Pentax ZX-5N 35mm SLR Camera (Body Only)

Pentax ZX-5N 35mm SLR Camera (Body Only)
AS A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER OF ABOUT 40 YEARS, I HAVE COME TO USE
LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF CAMERA MODELS, AND COULD SAY LOTS OF FAVORABLE THINGS ABOUT MANY MANY OF THEM. HAVING SEEN SO MUCH TECHNOLOGICAL
CHANGE AND IMPROVEMENT IN THE CAMERA INDUSTRY OVER SUCH A LONG TIME,
I THINK HOW REMARKABLE IT IS THAT THE PICTURE-TAKING - OR RATHER, THE
PICTURE-MAKING PROCESS HAS BECOME SO SIMPLE, COMPARED WITH THE EARLIER DAYS OF PHOTOGRAPHY - NOT TO MENTION, SO AFFORDABLE.

FROM PLATES, GLASS, TIN, AND FILM, TO THE DIGITAL IMAGING THAT IS NOW,
PHOTOGRAPHY HAS CHANGED THE WAY WE LIVE. THERE ISN'T A PRINTING PROCESS TODAY THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE THE PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESS. MY CAMERA COLECTION
REPRESENTS THE METHODS BY WHICH MAN HAS TAKEN PICTURES SINCE ABOUT 1850, CONSISTING OF NEALY 1600 MODELS. IN OUR STUDIO, DIGITAL IMAGING IS DONE
AS WELL AS FILM; HOWEVER, I PRIZE FILM AS BEING LONGER-LASTING AND VERY
MUCH PREFER IT WHEN SPEED IS NOT OF THE ESSENCE.

THE ZX-5n IS, AT FIRST GLANCE, AN AUTO-FOCUS, AUTOMATIC-EXPOSURE BODY,
WHICH EVEN HAS AUTOMATIC FILM SPEED SETTING, AUTOMATIC EXPOSURE-BRACKET-
ING, AUTO-FILM ADVANCE, AND AUTO-FILM REWINDING. ONE MIGHT THINK THAT
THE CAMERA IS ONLY MEANT TO TAKE CONTROL OF CREATING THE ENTIRE PHOTO.

FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO CREATE ON THEIR OWN, COMPLETE EXPOSURE CONTROL
IS PLAINLY VISIBLE, JUST ABOUT ALL OVER ITS WELL-DESIGNED BODY. THE SHUTTER SPEED CONTROL APPEARS AS AN "ANALOG' KNOB SHOWING SPEEDS FROM 2 SECONDS TO 1/2000TH OF ONE SECOND PLUS "B" AND OF COURSE THE OLD RELIABLE "A" FOR AUTOMATIC. APERATURE SELECTION IS RIGHT THERE ON ALL OF THE LENSES MADE FOR PENTAX, AS WELL AS THE "A" FOR AUTOMATIC APERATURE USERS, OF COURSE. THE MANUAL FOCUS SHARES THE SAME SWITCH AS THE AUTO-FOCUS. THE METERING ALLOWS FOR THREE CHOICES: SPOT, AVERAGE, AND MULTI-SEGMENTED MATRIX (AN UNCANNILY ACCURATE MEASUREMENT OF LIGHT THAT HAS WORKED WELL FOR ME FOR OVER 90% MY LIGHTING SITUATIONS.) THE ADVANCE HAS SINGLE AND CONTINUOUS DRIVE, SELF-TIMER, AND TWO CHOICES FOR AUTOBRACKET-
ING THREE EXPOSURES WITH ONE PRESS OF THE SHUTTER RELEASE.

IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH, THERE IS A BUILT-IN FLASH THAT DOES A DECENT JOB FOR THOSE ROUTINE PICTURES, AND A UNIVERSAL (STANDARD) FLASH SHOE FOR
SHOE-MOUNT STROBE UNITS. I HAVE ALSO USED THE LARGER, MORE POWERFUL HANDLE-MOUNT OFF CAMERA STROBE UNITS WITH THE ZX-5n IN PROFESSIONAL
SITUATIONS WITH PERFECT RESULTS.

ONE COMMENT HERE REGARDING THE AUTO-FOCUS DESIGN USED BY PENTAX, IT IS
UNDOUBTEDLY THE FASTEST AND MOST ACCURATE TARGETING I HAVE USED. ALSO,
IT SEEMS TO DO BETTER IN SOMEWHAT LOWER LIGHT LEVELS THAN MOST OTHER
AUTO-FOCUS CAMERAS. IN MY EXPERIENCE AS A CAMERA STORE OWNER, I HAVE HAD IN MY HANDS JUST ABOUT EVERY AUTO-FOCUS CAMERA MODEL THAT HAS COME DOWN THE PIKE SINCE THE EARLY 80'S, AND CAN REALLY STATE THAT A FEW NIKON
MODELS -- NOT MOST OR ALL, SOME CANON MODELS, NO MINOLTA BODIES, NOR ANY
OTHER BRANDS HAVE COMPARED TO THE SPEED AND ACCURACY OF FOCUS ACQUISITION
OF MY TWO PENTAX ZX-5n (AND MY PENTAX MZ-S MODEL.) I NOTICED THAT PENTAX
BODIES WERE THE BEST SINCE AUTO-FOCUS FIRST APPEARED ON THE MARKET.

ALMOST FORGOT TO MENTION A COUPLE OF POINTS. THE SIZE OF THE FOCUS AREA IN THE FINDER CAN BE CHAGED WITH EASE, USING THE SWITCH I ON THE FRONT OF
THE BODY (NOT BY HAVING TO GO ON A BLIND SEARCH THROUGH SOME COMPLICATED
MENU OR OTHER.) NEXT THERE IS A DIAL IN PLAIN SIGHT ON THE TOP FOR FRONT-
LIGHT OR BACKLIGHT EXPOSING (EXPOSURE FACTOR CONTROL.) OH, ANOTHER THING,
THERE IS A DEPTH OF FIELD PREVIEW CONTROL RIGHT EXACTLY WHERE IT SHOULD
BE, IN FRONT, ON THE RIGHT.

SOMETHING SHOULD BE SAID ABOUT ERGONOMIC DESIGN. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL
MODELS THAT SEEM TO HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY WELL THOUGHT OUT WITH REGARD TO
PROPER PLACEMENT OF OF CONTROLS. THE PENTAX ZX-5N IS ONE SUCH CAMERA. IT
BECOMES APPARENT TO JUST ABOUT ANYONE WHO HANDLES ONE.

I'M NOT DONE YET. THE EYEPIECE FEATURES A DIOPTRIC CORRECTION ADJUSTMENT
FOR USERS WHO WEAR GLASSES, ENABLING ONE TO REMOVE THE GLASSES AND TO
CLARIFY THE IMAGE IN THE FINDER WITH A SLIGHT PUSH OF A SLIDING CONTROL.
ONE CAN ALSO SEE 100% OF THE FINDER'S IMAGE BY HAVING THE EYE UP CLOSE
AND PERSONAL WITH THE EYEPIECE.

THE ISO OVERIDE ALLOWS THE PHOTOGRAPHER TO "RATE" THE FILM SPEED HIGHER
OR LOWER THAT IT IS ACTUALLY DESIGNATED FOR "PUSHING" AND "PULLING" FILM.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY HELPFUL WHEN SHOOTING BLACK & WHITE OR TRANSPARENCY
(SLIDE) FILMS.

THOSE WHO LIKE TO MAKE AN OCCASIONAL - OR FREQUENT - PANORAMIC FORMAT
PHOTOGRAPH WON'T BE LET DOWN. ALSO IN ITS PROPER LOCATION (RIGHT THUMB)
IS THE PANORAMA OR NORMAL TWO-POSITION SWITCH.

MY TWO CR-2 LITHIUM BATTERIES LAST ME AT LEAST A YEAR OR 30 TO 40 ROLLS
OF FILM. I TOOK IT TO SWITZERLAND ON ASSIGNMENT WITH FRESH BATTERIES,
USED IT TO SHOOT 32 ROLLS WITHOUT USING MY SPARE SET. THE ZX-5N WAS VERY
FAST-HANDLING, EVEN USING MY TRIPOD 90% OF THE TIME. SOMETIMES I DEPLOYED
THE QUARTZ DATE FEATURE WHEN APPROPRIATE (NOT FOR SCENIC PICTURES.) MOST
IMPORTANTLY, THEY WERE RUGGED. AS MANY TIMES AS I STOPPED SHORT IN MY
RENTAL CAR, CAUSING THE PENTAX TO SLIDE ONTO THE FLOOR OF THE VEHICLE,
NOT ONCE DID I NOTICE ANY PROBLEMS, AND I NEVER HAD TO REMOVE MY SECOND
BODY FROM ITS CASE.

FOR ANYONE WHO'D LIKE TO FIND A 35mm FILM CAMERA WITH WHICH TO TAKE UP PHOTOGRAPHY, IT IS THIS WRITER'S CONSIDERED OPINION THAT THE ZX-5N CAN
ENABLE THE BEGINNER OR THE ADVANCED PHOTOGRAPHER TO DO EXTREMELY WELL.

I really love this camera! Why do I then just rate it as a 4? Although I think this camera deserved to be SLR of the year when it came, it lacks some of the flexibility that would be nessessary for a 5 rating. The manual shutter speeds are to few and too far apart. The shortest shutter speed is 1/2000 and the longest 2 seconds, which somewhat limits your ability for different light situations. Otherwise, the handling of the camera makes it easy and logical to work with. No need to spend ours reading the manual to be able to take advantage of the different exposure modes.

My first camera was a Pentax ME which I wore out. Because I had such good luck with the ME, I purchased this camera as a replacement. I found it very easy to use and the built in flash with the red-eye flash to be very helpful. My only complaint is that if you use the built in flash the batteries in the camera do not last as long. Also the built in flash does not light large areas very well. I like the fact that the camera will not take a picture if there is not enough light.

I grew up in a photography family and my Dad gave me a Pentax MX when I was pretty young. It was great for high school yearbook photos and photography class, then later on in college for more photo classes. I ended up with a Minolta Maxxum for a little while (4si, I believe) and ended up finding every little limitation it had and being very annoyed with it in the long run. Then it occurred to me that that wonderful "brick" MX that I had had for so long was still great, so why not try a modern Pentax. After great debate as to which model to purchase, I settled on the ZX-5 (the predecessor to the ZX-5n...the same without one or two little options). The reason I chose it was because the layout of the controls was so intuitive, as the MX was...I could switch easily from one to the other with no difficulty whatsoever. I am a semi-professional photographer and have done everything from private model photo shoots to wedding photography and have loved every minute with my ZX-5 and have come out with some great results! I highly recommend this to any photographer who is in classes due to the fact that it has a full manual mode, to the amateur who just wants better quality photos than the little point and shoots produce, or even the professional due to the many settings on the camera and accessories that are readily available for this model. If you are looking for something similar in Nikon, Canon, or Minolta, then check this one out and I bet you 9 times out of 10 that the Pentax has a better price...same for the accessories!

I've had this camera for over two years and I really like it. Very easy to use but with lots of advanced features. Also, it's fairly light-weight so it's easy to carry. My only complaint - and it's a big one - is that higher-end lenses (zooms with 2.8 aperature) for this camera are very expensive and not quite as good as a comparable Nikon.