I made a living with Pentax LXs and 6x7s a few decades ago. I had two LX bodies - one as a backup that was never needed. Sold one beautifully worn body, one never used body, and seven or eight working lenses (plus three 6x7 bodies and four or five lenses, a Toyo 4x5, etc.) about a year ago when I knew I’d no longer need pro stuff. I should have kept the scuffed up LX with the 85mm f1.4, 50mm f1.2 and 28mm f2. Regrets.
IMO, the LLX is the most perfect 35mm SLR ever made. It came along at a time when practically all the technology for such cameras had been developed and tested. I've bought Nikon since 1962, but if I was not totally invested in Nikon when the LX came out, I'd have switched to Pentax right there. The LX was seriously hampered in acceptance by at least two issues having nothing to do with the quality of the camera. First, its price was nosebleed. You could buy the best Nikon or Canon for the same price. People didn't associate the brand with that price point or the quality that implied. It was a pro camera which could not compete with promotion and marketing in the pro camera world. Second, it was offered from day one with a list of dedicated accessories which made it appear to enter the pro-level word, but Pentax struggled to get those accessories into the retail distribution in any meaningful way. Many were simply unobtainable. The collective impact was that relatively few LX units were sold, and Pentax stopped aggressively marketing the camera after a couple of years.
Pentax lenses were just okay and too many often used focal lengths were not available. You just can’t risk investing in a system if lenses and peripherals are hard to source. It is a lovely little camera though.
Using Vintage Film Cameras is the experience for me. I prefer the way FILM captures a scene. I like that I have thousands of Negatives and they are not a digital file only. I also like the mechanical cameras and their design and function. Digital Photography to ME is like riding an escalator. It’s just too easy.
The problem I have with the LX is reliability. My New F1 and F2 - I am confident they will outlive me. I have owned two LX bodies . The 1st had sticky shutter that took a while to diagnose. The 2nd died due to electronics failure. Bronco, if you have not tried the New F1, you're missing out. No lame LEDs like the F3, more reliable than the LX.
I pwned a Pentax ME Super as one of my first film cameras and loved it. Got scared about the electronics failing pretty early on into my ownership of the camera. Traded it out and pick up a Pentax MX. It is one of the most well built and rugged cameras I have ever used. My copy definitely has had a hard life, but it keeps on firing. Love that you have an LX, definitely a dream camera for sure. I feel that they are pretty uncommon compared to other pro line cameras.
As a long time MX user I'd love to have a working LX. But it just always seemed that the price and decaying light seals made it a tricky proposition to get one in hand. But yes. It is the perfect manual focus 35mm camera.
I've been looking to replace the SLR I started off with. It's a SIGMA SA-1 and it's been spectacular for the time I've had it. Has an accurate meter and great features. I'll never sell it, but lately it's been having frame spacing issues with occasional overlap and the local repair places around me have been quoting crazy numbers to CLA or even take a look at it (so much that I might as well buy a new SLR). I've decided I will just upgrade to either a Nikon F3, Pentax LX, or Pentax MX. The two Pentax cameras would work well because I already have heaps of K mount lenses, but the F3 always looms in my mind. Besides, I can just get an adapter. I use a rangefinder for normal daily use, but I exclusively use my SLR for low light photography, landscapes, astrophotography, and IR photography. Seeing as you managed to bring up all three of them in this video, do you have any thoughts on this?
Feeling camera deprived earlier this year I bought a Pentax MZ-S for about $400 from a highly reputable used camera store in the US. The user "interface" was very fiddly and obtuse. I had to read the sections regarding the exposure settings multiple times. The main control wheel was difficult to use. I was surprised how much I had to stop and think about these problems before I clicked the shutter. It took me a few days to realize that the manual exposure mode and aperture preferred mode did not work! I spent an extra week confirming this. I sent it back and got a refund without problem. Still feeling camera deprived I bought a Pentax MZ-3 direct from Japan for around $130. Its user "interface" is the epitome of logic! Set the traditional looking shutter dial to "A" and set the aperture ring on the lens on "A" and you are in "Program" mode. No need to press multiple buttons and cycle through an LCD screen. Just a quick glance at the camera and I can see what exposure mode the camera is in.
Since the early 80s when i bought my first pentax I've hungered for a lx. Mx was good but i love the lx. Biggest draw to the pentax (and olympus) cameras was size and weight. Comparing nikon fm3a, for example, and the lx: its still lighter and smaller , both have electronics that could die any time but about half the price today.... and say nothing about all the k-mount full frame lenses being backward compatible.
The LX and the MZ-S are two top tear Pentax camera's I could never justify spending the money on as my Spotmatic, K2, ME.... can't handle well enough. Would love to own it though!!
I had an LX and an MX for about twenty years, I wish I still had them! Feeling camera deprived earlier this year I bought a Pentax MZ-S for about $400 from a highly reputable used camera store in the US. The user "interface" was very fiddly and obtuse. I had to read the sections regarding the exposure settings multiple times. The main control wheel was difficult to use. I was surprised how much I had to stop and think about these problems before I clicked the shutter. It took me a few days to realize that the manual exposure mode and aperture preferred mode did not work! I spent an extra week confirming this. I sent it back and got a refund without problem. Still feeling camera deprived I bought a Pentax MZ-3 direct from Japan for around $130. Its user "interface" is the epitome of logic! Set the traditional looking shutter dial to "A" and set the aperture ring on the lens on "A" and you are in "Program" mode. No need to press multiple buttons and cycle through an LCD screen. Just a quick glance at the camera and I can see what exposure mode the camera is in. This model is the one Pentax should use as a template for their promised NEW 35mm SLR IMHO.
If you like to tinker, best to buy a broken one. I got one for 80 usd with a stuck mirror. Just sprayed alcohol and boom. Another one for 100 Eur but this one I needed to open up. Nothing big, just sprayed alcohol. It's easier to repair than the ME super as the mirror mechanism can be accessed by removing the front plate.
Since I touched the F3 95% of my interest to buy other 35mm cameras has died down... that other 5% is mainly left due to LX (and a few others which I probably will not be able to afford in this life). I actually wanted the LX in the first place because I already had Pentax lenses but there were none on the local market (still aren't).
Nikon fm3a yes the LX was a great camera but at a price it was better than the f3 but it was nearly twice the price I say for most purposes the fm3a is hard to beat
The FM3a’s are suffering from some catastrophic galvanometer failures which are incredibly hard to come by for replacement and the LX is a lot less money and smaller than both the F3 and FM3a, which are both good cameras in their own right but because of the electronic issue and high price of the FM3a I have a hard time recommending them
@@RompingBronco when I bought mine it was no way as expensive as the f3 or LX indeed fm3a prices have risen because of scarcity mine still works fine touch wood and pairs well with my fm2n in as new condition by all means enjoy your Pentax a fine camera
The only thing I didn't expect to see in this vid was some tight ass pants RIP your maneuverability, hope you find your way out of this trend. That said, love the LX review, been looking at getting one of these
What's with the terrible photography - a man in black standing far away in a field against a dark background spouting meaningless profundities about some invisible object.
Thanks for inspiring me to break out my LX. I bought it new in Knoxville in 1981. Man, that mirror is sticky!
Props to the story telling format and intro stype. Your finding your expression with this YT things. A+
The LX is the one Pentax model I have not had the pleasure of holding in my hands and trying out. Thanks for this!
I made a living with Pentax LXs and 6x7s a few decades ago. I had two LX bodies - one as a backup that was never needed. Sold one beautifully worn body, one never used body, and seven or eight working lenses (plus three 6x7 bodies and four or five lenses, a Toyo 4x5, etc.) about a year ago when I knew I’d no longer need pro stuff. I should have kept the scuffed up LX with the 85mm f1.4, 50mm f1.2 and 28mm f2. Regrets.
Love the intro and the styling. I have recently bought an LX and I love it!
Big Pentax fan and LX owner here. I never thought I could find a sweeter camera … until I got a Contax S2 😮
IMO, the LLX is the most perfect 35mm SLR ever made. It came along at a time when practically all the technology for such cameras had been developed and tested. I've bought Nikon since 1962, but if I was not totally invested in Nikon when the LX came out, I'd have switched to Pentax right there. The LX was seriously hampered in acceptance by at least two issues having nothing to do with the quality of the camera. First, its price was nosebleed. You could buy the best Nikon or Canon for the same price. People didn't associate the brand with that price point or the quality that implied. It was a pro camera which could not compete with promotion and marketing in the pro camera world. Second, it was offered from day one with a list of dedicated accessories which made it appear to enter the pro-level word, but Pentax struggled to get those accessories into the retail distribution in any meaningful way. Many were simply unobtainable. The collective impact was that relatively few LX units were sold, and Pentax stopped aggressively marketing the camera after a couple of years.
Pentax lenses were just okay and too many often used focal lengths were not available. You just can’t risk investing in a system if lenses and peripherals are hard to source. It is a lovely little camera though.
It's so weird to be browsing youtube casually and then go "oh, it's council crest" lmao
Using Vintage Film Cameras is the experience for me. I prefer the way FILM captures a scene. I like that I have thousands of Negatives and they are not a digital file only. I also like the mechanical cameras and their design and function.
Digital Photography to ME is like riding an escalator. It’s just too easy.
The problem I have with the LX is reliability. My New F1 and F2 - I am confident they will outlive me. I have owned two LX bodies . The 1st had sticky shutter that took a while to diagnose. The 2nd died due to electronics failure.
Bronco, if you have not tried the New F1, you're missing out. No lame LEDs like the F3, more reliable than the LX.
I pwned a Pentax ME Super as one of my first film cameras and loved it. Got scared about the electronics failing pretty early on into my ownership of the camera. Traded it out and pick up a Pentax MX. It is one of the most well built and rugged cameras I have ever used. My copy definitely has had a hard life, but it keeps on firing.
Love that you have an LX, definitely a dream camera for sure. I feel that they are pretty uncommon compared to other pro line cameras.
I've been waiting for this one for sooo long!
If anyone gets a chance to, the 43mm and 77mm from Pentax are beautifully looking and resolving lenses to partner with the LX body.
As a long time MX user I'd love to have a working LX. But it just always seemed that the price and decaying light seals made it a tricky proposition to get one in hand. But yes. It is the perfect manual focus 35mm camera.
I've been looking to replace the SLR I started off with. It's a SIGMA SA-1 and it's been spectacular for the time I've had it. Has an accurate meter and great features. I'll never sell it, but lately it's been having frame spacing issues with occasional overlap and the local repair places around me have been quoting crazy numbers to CLA or even take a look at it (so much that I might as well buy a new SLR).
I've decided I will just upgrade to either a Nikon F3, Pentax LX, or Pentax MX. The two Pentax cameras would work well because I already have heaps of K mount lenses, but the F3 always looms in my mind. Besides, I can just get an adapter. I use a rangefinder for normal daily use, but I exclusively use my SLR for low light photography, landscapes, astrophotography, and IR photography.
Seeing as you managed to bring up all three of them in this video, do you have any thoughts on this?
Feeling camera deprived earlier this year I bought a Pentax MZ-S for about $400 from a highly reputable used camera store in the US. The user "interface" was very fiddly and obtuse. I had to read the sections regarding the exposure settings multiple times. The main control wheel was difficult to use. I was surprised how much I had to stop and think about these problems before I clicked the shutter.
It took me a few days to realize that the manual exposure mode and aperture preferred mode did not work! I spent an extra week confirming this. I sent it back and got a refund without problem.
Still feeling camera deprived I bought a Pentax MZ-3 direct from Japan for around $130. Its user "interface" is the epitome of logic! Set the traditional looking shutter dial to "A" and set the aperture ring on the lens on "A" and you are in "Program" mode. No need to press multiple buttons and cycle through an LCD screen. Just a quick glance at the camera and I can see what exposure mode the camera is in.
Since the early 80s when i bought my first pentax I've hungered for a lx. Mx was good but i love the lx. Biggest draw to the pentax (and olympus) cameras was size and weight. Comparing nikon fm3a, for example, and the lx: its still lighter and smaller , both have electronics that could die any time but about half the price today.... and say nothing about all the k-mount full frame lenses being backward compatible.
The LX and the MZ-S are two top tear Pentax camera's I could never justify spending the money on as my Spotmatic, K2, ME.... can't handle well enough. Would love to own it though!!
I had an LX and an MX for about twenty years, I wish I still had them!
Feeling camera deprived earlier this year I bought a Pentax MZ-S for about $400 from a highly reputable used camera store in the US. The user "interface" was very fiddly and obtuse. I had to read the sections regarding the exposure settings multiple times. The main control wheel was difficult to use. I was surprised how much I had to stop and think about these problems before I clicked the shutter.
It took me a few days to realize that the manual exposure mode and aperture preferred mode did not work! I spent an extra week confirming this. I sent it back and got a refund without problem.
Still feeling camera deprived I bought a Pentax MZ-3 direct from Japan for around $130. Its user "interface" is the epitome of logic! Set the traditional looking shutter dial to "A" and set the aperture ring on the lens on "A" and you are in "Program" mode. No need to press multiple buttons and cycle through an LCD screen. Just a quick glance at the camera and I can see what exposure mode the camera is in.
This model is the one Pentax should use as a template for their promised NEW 35mm SLR IMHO.
If you like to tinker, best to buy a broken one. I got one for 80 usd with a stuck mirror. Just sprayed alcohol and boom. Another one for 100 Eur but this one I needed to open up. Nothing big, just sprayed alcohol. It's easier to repair than the ME super as the mirror mechanism can be accessed by removing the front plate.
Since I touched the F3 95% of my interest to buy other 35mm cameras has died down... that other 5% is mainly left due to LX (and a few others which I probably will not be able to afford in this life). I actually wanted the LX in the first place because I already had Pentax lenses but there were none on the local market (still aren't).
I know you know what you're doing, so why did you advance the film twice at the start before closing the film back?
Force of habit really, I’m never too confident in my ability to load the film properly
Nikon fm3a yes the LX was a great camera but at a price it was better than the f3 but it was nearly twice the price I say for most purposes the fm3a is hard to beat
The FM3a’s are suffering from some catastrophic galvanometer failures which are incredibly hard to come by for replacement and the LX is a lot less money and smaller than both the F3 and FM3a, which are both good cameras in their own right but because of the electronic issue and high price of the FM3a I have a hard time recommending them
@@RompingBronco when I bought mine it was no way as expensive as the f3 or LX indeed fm3a prices have risen because of scarcity mine still works fine touch wood and pairs well with my fm2n in as new condition by all means enjoy your Pentax a fine camera
The only thing I didn't expect to see in this vid was some tight ass pants
RIP your maneuverability, hope you find your way out of this trend.
That said, love the LX review, been looking at getting one of these
omg I bought it for 130€, fixed it myself, got stolen 5 months later, I am sooo sad
This video is ironic, or isn't it?
What's with the terrible photography - a man in black standing far away in a field against a dark background spouting meaningless profundities about some invisible object.