thanks for watching. 🙌 Do you know the Pentax ME or one of its alternative variants? What do you think of aperture priority only would that be a problem for you?
For the average point-n-shoot new age film buff who doesn't want to get into professional photography....the basic ME is a great choice. It's small, built like a battleship, takes superb photos, and will probably last another 50 years.
Absolutely! The basic ME is like the superhero sidekick of film cameras-unassuming but incredibly reliable. It's a fantastic choice for those who want stunning photos without diving deep into the professional photography rabbit hole. Plus, its durability makes it a true long-term companion!
Even if I have no ambitions to build up my analog camera stock by now, I really enjoy watching your videos. It's always that calming vibe of your clips that I like a lot.
wow the ME looks teeny in your hands haha. Dude I knew sooner or later your channel would get a crazy bump. loool the reenactment scenes. As an OM1 shooter, I would love to try the ME.
Haha yes I am almost 2m tall because many cameras seem relatively small in my hand especially the smallest SLR. 😄 Yes UA-cam has at once decided to distribute my recipe video. for whatever reason....As ME shooter I always wanted to have the OM-1. 😄 I almost bought one once too. But if you want to try a small pentax then rather the MX.
Hi! I have the same camera inherited from my grandfather. Strange thing is, when I attach a lens like the 50mm 1.7 SMC I can not change the aperture anymore. it´s always wide open at f1.7 - I tried another lens the pentax k-mount 35-70mm 3.5-4.5 and it´s the same. is the camera broken? what can I do?
The ME is a pretty bullet proof camera. They seem to keep on working! It's a aperture priority. Great for certain kinds of shooting. I love them. If you don't like it, get a all manual camera. They are cheap enough. Then you will have both. Oh yeah, ME Supers are good cameras but they have more plastic parts and do tend to break or just die.
The quality is typically outstanding. I bought the camera blind at a flea market, so I didn't know what to expect. You're right, though, if you don't like aperture priority, you really shouldn't buy the camera.
Still can't get over how small the body is! I have the Pentax MX (which is actually the camera I started shooting film on) and even though I don't use it as often anymore, I still love it. Great video, as always! :)
Just binged a dozen of your videos, great stuff sir. A friend of mine just gifted me an old Canon AE-1p collecting dust so I'll be frequenting your channel often for shooting tips. Subbed and looking forward to seeing your channel grow.
oh and maybe you get it often but your audio and voice over work is 👌🏼👏🏼 your voice and this music is perfect for listening in the background while I work.
great review of one of the greates cameras of all time. The ME was the first camera i bought as a 12 year old in the 70s. I decided for it because Nikon was out of reach and it was much smaller and lighter and therefore the best I could get for my travel fotography. The kit/Standard lenses of Pentax have always been much better than standard lenses of the competition so is the 1.7 50mm which I also used - fantastic lens. I later noticed the Pentax was the far better choice over Nikon because its much more reliable and robust. You will not believe what my ME had to endure. 3m falls on rock, landing in salty water, Sahara sandstorms, 99% humidity in jungle and -38°C during a 3 week hike in Lüneburger Heide. The funny thing is, the Pentax LX that i bought 3 years ago because i always wanted one for even more robustness is weaker ;-) the ME/MX's are just animals BTW is there any 35mm out there with a bigger viewfinder? EDIT: yes the limit to aperture priority was an issue first until I learned that i would always think of my aperture first because of depth of field and sharpness/bokeh. Then just moving the aperture to get to the shutter speed time i wanted was absolutely ok as i am not a pro sports fotographer. in the end its worked just fine for me and in case i tweaked the iso like you mentioned
wow sounds like your ME has been through a lot of adventures and especially climates. Would not have thought that it is such a tank in terms of reliability. If it had been a ME super I think I would have kept it. I've heard that the Om series from Olympus has the largest viewfidner with but exactly I do not know now. Thanks for your comment.
Beautiful review man! Your b-rolls are so nice. Lately, I’ve been watching many reviews as I was thinking of getting a film camera so this was very helpful. Indeed the camera has a fav built quality but that light meter problem is very annoying.
appreciate it!i have made so much broll for the camera and only really used a little of it. If you want to buy a camera then better one with shutter priority they are much less annoying for film. especially for streetphotography. 😀
Bought this as my first real camera, film and digital. I shot about 6 rollsl but I quite want to get a me super because of your point about the aperture priority. The ME really has a tendency to want to go for the low shutter speeds in anything but great lighting conditions. When you do line up all the settings though, the ME does take stunning photos.
@@TheBigNegative-PhotoChannel Agreed. Yeah tons of fun. I have a Super on the way, just bought the camera house since I already have a couple of lenses for it. The ME with aperture priority is a good starting point if you're new since you're eased into the settings and when you feel you really want to adjust the shutter time, you know it's time to get a full manual.
The Olympus om1 started the trend in making smaller SLRs and ME and MX were Pentax’s answer to that trend. I worked in a camera shop in London at that time and the ME MX cameras with their new k mount lenses felt like premium products. Pentax use to advertise “just pick up hand hold a Pentax…” and to me these new smaller cameras just felt “right” in the hand.
Oh cool, thanks a lot for the insight. I must also say that the feel of the ME body is better than that of the Olympus OM-2, so I can totally understand why it was seen as a premium product. 👌 Somehow, you can't go back to big SLRs once you've gotten used to the small form factor.
I love the video the only small thing that I have to say is that this camera is not fully electronic because you can use it without batteries the only downside is that you can not use all functions in that case!
ehy Lorenzo, of course you are absolutely right. Better than, for example, an A1 that does not work without battery but only one shutter speed is near useless. 😅
The Pentax MX is the one to get. The all manual sibling of the ME and ME Super. The MX is totally mechanical except fir the light meter so operates completely without batteries if you wish and happy to use sunny 16 or an external meter. If the electronics of an ME or ME Super fail the camera is pretty much unusable. They are reliable but let’s face it, most are around 40 yrs old. When I was a teenager all I wanted was an ME Super (which my mate hadj but all my parents could afford was a Praktica MTL3. It’s all manual too and still going fine but my mates ME Super dies 20yrs ago. Now I have an MX and it’s rock solid. The Praktica sits on my bookshelf as a reminder of how I learned photography
I would have been more pleased if I had gotten the MX. Since the ME is so electronic I sold it. :D Then have fun with the MX it will surely provide you with decades of good performance. 👌
I have 4 Canon AE1+Ps which I adore obviously. I also have Pentax K1000, MX, ME Super and ME SE - these Pentax cameras are all excellent. The MX is my favourite. The ME is capable of producing images just as good and all the shooter needs to do is get their head in the right space. A much under rated piece of gear.
I also don't understand why people don't talk more about these cameras. I have an Olympus OM-2 and it is not even close to being as good as the Pentax ME was.
I've been using a Pentax ME for a couple years now. Had to replace the light seals and its good as new. I got it for $25 at an estate sale. Prices for film cameras are insane now even at estate sales. Mine came with the 50mm f1.7. Sometimes the lack of manual shutter speed is annoying but at least it takes modern batteries.
I have the me super and i use it in manual mode. Small silent the 50mm and 28mm are small lenses but with the pancake 40mm is even more pocket-sized. And the lenses are amazing
oh yes the ME suepr is really great. I was also thrilled with the standard 50mm I had, so I'm sure the other lenses are on a similarly high level. D With the 40mm is of course super compact!
My Canon Av-1 is exactly the same man! Also aperture priority. I’m also constantly changing my compensation 😂 learning to ‘trick’ the light meter was tricky. But at least it’s made us both more familiar with bracketing exposures 🤷♂️ Great review 👏
oh yes then you know exactly what i mean 😀 yes forced bracketing. i really had to take a few shots twice because the meter changed its mind at the last second. 😅
It's not only for beginners. I've got 2 of them, on equipped with a winder and I've been shooting for about 40 years. But tbh I mainly use my other Pentaxes (K1000, KM, KX, K2, LX and MX). However, it's really fun to use and it has never driven me crazy in any way... ;-)
Haha, you're right, these cameras are timeless classics. I love that they're dependable and easy to have fun with, no matter how long you've been in the game!
Wish Pentax would just start reproducing film camera again, I'm sure there would be heaps of people entering film photography willing to buy a brand new entry level film camera. You mentioned that the focus ring is the smoothest you've ever used, even more than voigtlander lenses?
yes, even if it looks like it, the film community is quite small. Even if they wanted to, no manufacturer from Leica is technically capable of building an analog camera anymore. unfortunately. 😔 Yes the focus ring is actually better than the voigtländer lenses. the 35mm is too light and the 50mm too sluggish. are nuances but the pentax lens is really in the golden mean.
I am looking at the ME Super with 35mm f 2.8 small and light is very attractive option. It has some manual capabilities but now I see that MX you have and wonder about it.
ME Super and MX both have the option of being completely manual but the ME has the advantage of aperture priority but the disadvantage of being completely electronic. MX would be repairable in the event of a defect the ME super not. So it comes up to the price. I hope that helps you a little in your decision. :D
In another video I saw you can set it to M and use the up/down buttons next to the mode dial to change shutter speed. Shutter speed can be read in the viewfinder. Edit: my bad, that’s the ME Super.
Hey I really liked your review. I got my Pentax ME while living in Japan for about 10,000 yen. I wish there was a manual mode too, because I don't develop my rolls until I have a bunch ready to develop and by that time I have totally forgotten what settings I used or the light conditions. I assume it's the light meter sabatoging my shots! For travel/street daytime photography I'm thinking of just putting it at f16 and leaving it alone. What do you think??
Thanks for enjoying the review! The Pentax ME in Japan, what a score! 🙌 Shooting at f16 for street photography can work well in bright daylight, but keep an eye on your shutter speed, especially if lighting conditions change. And yeah, those light meters can sometimes play tricks on us, but that's all part of the analog charm! 😄
@TheBigNegative I was gifted a super 8 camera and halfway thru my film project it was bumped off a table and the auto light meter broke 😭 the film still came out okay but it was quite dark in the daytime, luckily the business I used to develop the film adjusted the light during processing. Thanks for the tip! I'll try to keep the shutter speed high in daytime. I think I'm going to shelve this camera after my trip and find another camera that isn't as automatic haha
Found one for 50€ in fully working conditions with a F/1:1.4 50mm lens As for aperture priority that's what I use 80% of time anyway, rarely needed shutter priority and full manual is for the brave so I guess I'd be fine with it, maybe sometimes locking it to 1/100s shutter and working around it with the aperture Tbh I'm mostly thinking about it because of the lens
Wow, that's a great find! A fully working camera with a F/1.4 50mm lens for 50€ is a steal. Aperture priority is my go-to mode too, and that lens will give you some amazing shots. Have fun shooting with it!
@@TheBigNegative-PhotoChannel I kinda forgot about it after I found the FD f/1.8 50mm I was looking for my A-1, I guess I'll be hoping this one doesn't sell until my photography budget "charges" again haha Oh and yeah I've got the FD lens plus the T50 body with the original Canon bag for 40€, it's nice that film photography in Bosnia is still kinda dead because you do find gems from time to time
@@TheBigNegative-PhotoChannel it was broken non functional so I returned it, I have a K2 coming with a nice 50mm f/1.4 lens , hope its not a dud. Thank you again.
For skateboarders and other fast moving objects, I would choose at least a 1/1000 shutter speed. This is easier with other cameras, but not with this one. I would advise you to use a film with a high iso like lomo 800 or portra 800, so that the depth of field is higher when you use a higher aperture value. Then you only have to use an aperture value for the ME that causes the camera to use 1/1000. I hope this helps you.
Hi, maybe I missed it in one of your other videos, but ...how / where do you develope and scan your films? The tones come out awesome. Thank you. Heiner
thank you, yes I have not yet mentioned. 😀 I always have my films developed in a large laboratory and then scan them at home myself with a fuji camera. I will soon make a tutorial series when my defective fuji camera comes back from the repair. 😀
i got this camera but there are some mossing parts, like that black ring thing around the shutter button and a battery cover coin, does anyone knows where can i get these parts?
you can look on ebay if someone sells single parts. otherwise buy a whole ME that is broken and you can take the parts from it and then sell the rest again. last variant you print the things in the 3d printer allerdigns you have to look where you get the 3d models of it.
It's simpler than it seems! Open the camera's back, gently insert the film canister into the film chamber, and thread the film leader through the take-up spool. Advance the film until it's snug, close the back, and you're all set to roll (literally)!
Bro, there is a manual mode for sure, set the dial to 'M' and use the little black buttons. The upper and lower led's indicate over/under exposure. When the leds are yellow, it indicates that you need to be super steady. I really like the ME super, but your right about the lack of exp-lock.
oh hey, " 'M' and use the little black buttons" this is unfortunately only possible with the ME super but the standard ME can't do this. At the end of the video I show two pentax alternatives among which also the ME super.
I see, I realize I only have experience with the super version. Having only AE and no exp-lock would be a deal-breaker for me. I'm spoiled by my Nikon FM3a.@@TheBigNegative-PhotoChannel
oh cool you should try it out. I don't have a tutorial on how to use an SLR viewfidner but you can search youtube for "split prism viewfinder tutorial".
Pentax MG was my first SLR camera (bought new), which I got as a kid. Aside of bigger / better LED diodes for auto exposure it was the same camera as the ME. And yeah, no exposure lock button. Frustrating to no end...
thanks for watching. Yes I have already read that Pentax the ME was made again as MG....I mean the AE lock they could have incorporated somehow. Would have saved you some frustration. 😅
the pentax is really light! the canon ae1 weighs 4.5 ounces more and the canon A1 7 ounces more. It feels like you are carrying a brick around with the A1. 😄
thanks for watching. 🙌 Do you know the Pentax ME or one of its alternative variants? What do you think of aperture priority only would that be a problem for you?
For the average point-n-shoot new age film buff who doesn't want to get into professional photography....the basic ME is a great choice. It's small, built like a battleship, takes superb photos, and will probably last another 50 years.
Absolutely! The basic ME is like the superhero sidekick of film cameras-unassuming but incredibly reliable. It's a fantastic choice for those who want stunning photos without diving deep into the professional photography rabbit hole. Plus, its durability makes it a true long-term companion!
Even if I have no ambitions to build up my analog camera stock by now, I really enjoy watching your videos. It's always that calming vibe of your clips that I like a lot.
thank you as always for watching and the support! I try to keep my videos as interesting as possible even if the actual topic is not so exciting. 😀
I LOVE your GERMAN Accent when you say 'Shutter Speeds' Vielen Dank !
hehe yes thank you peter. yes i can't quite hide my accent....actually not at all. 😆
wow the ME looks teeny in your hands haha. Dude I knew sooner or later your channel would get a crazy bump. loool the reenactment scenes. As an OM1 shooter, I would love to try the ME.
Haha yes I am almost 2m tall because many cameras seem relatively small in my hand especially the smallest SLR. 😄 Yes UA-cam has at once decided to distribute my recipe video. for whatever reason....As ME shooter I always wanted to have the OM-1. 😄 I almost bought one once too. But if you want to try a small pentax then rather the MX.
Hi! I have the same camera inherited from my grandfather. Strange thing is, when I attach a lens like the 50mm 1.7 SMC I can not change the aperture anymore. it´s always wide open at f1.7 - I tried another lens the pentax k-mount 35-70mm 3.5-4.5 and it´s the same. is the camera broken? what can I do?
The ME is a pretty bullet proof camera. They seem to keep on working! It's a aperture priority. Great for certain kinds of shooting. I love them. If you don't like it, get a all manual camera. They are cheap enough. Then you will have both. Oh yeah, ME Supers are good cameras but they have more plastic parts and do tend to break or just die.
The quality is typically outstanding. I bought the camera blind at a flea market, so I didn't know what to expect. You're right, though, if you don't like aperture priority, you really shouldn't buy the camera.
Still can't get over how small the body is! I have the Pentax MX (which is actually the camera I started shooting film on) and even though I don't use it as often anymore, I still love it. Great video, as always! :)
thank you as always for your support! Ha yes the MX is the frustfreie version of the ME 😀 Has the MX so strange quirks that are so annoying?
Just binged a dozen of your videos, great stuff sir. A friend of mine just gifted me an old Canon AE-1p collecting dust so I'll be frequenting your channel often for shooting tips. Subbed and looking forward to seeing your channel grow.
oh and maybe you get it often but your audio and voice over work is 👌🏼👏🏼 your voice and this music is perfect for listening in the background while I work.
thank you anthony, I'm glad you like my videos. 😀 Oh an Ae-1p is a great gift. you have a good friend!
thank you again! i used to be an audio engineer so i also value that everything sounds good. 😃
great review of one of the greates cameras of all time. The ME was the first camera i bought as a 12 year old in the 70s. I decided for it because Nikon was out of reach and it was much smaller and lighter and therefore the best I could get for my travel fotography. The kit/Standard lenses of Pentax have always been much better than standard lenses of the competition so is the 1.7 50mm which I also used - fantastic lens. I later noticed the Pentax was the far better choice over Nikon because its much more reliable and robust. You will not believe what my ME had to endure. 3m falls on rock, landing in salty water, Sahara sandstorms, 99% humidity in jungle and -38°C during a 3 week hike in Lüneburger Heide. The funny thing is, the Pentax LX that i bought 3 years ago because i always wanted one for even more robustness is weaker ;-) the ME/MX's are just animals
BTW is there any 35mm out there with a bigger viewfinder?
EDIT: yes the limit to aperture priority was an issue first until I learned that i would always think of my aperture first because of depth of field and sharpness/bokeh. Then just moving the aperture to get to the shutter speed time i wanted was absolutely ok as i am not a pro sports fotographer.
in the end its worked just fine for me and in case i tweaked the iso like you mentioned
wow sounds like your ME has been through a lot of adventures and especially climates. Would not have thought that it is such a tank in terms of reliability. If it had been a ME super I think I would have kept it.
I've heard that the Om series from Olympus has the largest viewfidner with but exactly I do not know now.
Thanks for your comment.
Beautiful review man! Your b-rolls are so nice.
Lately, I’ve been watching many reviews as I was thinking of getting a film camera so this was very helpful. Indeed the camera has a fav built quality but that light meter problem is very annoying.
appreciate it!i have made so much broll for the camera and only really used a little of it. If you want to buy a camera then better one with shutter priority they are much less annoying for film. especially for streetphotography. 😀
Wow you're making me want to try ColorPlus now. I have a Pentax LX with the same lens and they're really good cameras.
oh the LX is a really fine camera. yeah colorplus is pretty good and a bit overlooked. 😀
Bought this as my first real camera, film and digital. I shot about 6 rollsl but I quite want to get a me super because of your point about the aperture priority. The ME really has a tendency to want to go for the low shutter speeds in anything but great lighting conditions. When you do line up all the settings though, the ME does take stunning photos.
The ME is a really good camera to start with, just a little bit bitchy. You must have had a lot of fun with the camera. 😀
@@TheBigNegative-PhotoChannel Agreed. Yeah tons of fun. I have a Super on the way, just bought the camera house since I already have a couple of lenses for it. The ME with aperture priority is a good starting point if you're new since you're eased into the settings and when you feel you really want to adjust the shutter time, you know it's time to get a full manual.
The Olympus om1 started the trend in making smaller SLRs and ME and MX were Pentax’s answer to that trend. I worked in a camera shop in London at that time and the ME MX cameras with their new k mount lenses felt like premium products. Pentax use to advertise “just pick up hand hold a Pentax…” and to me these new smaller cameras just felt “right” in the hand.
Oh cool, thanks a lot for the insight. I must also say that the feel of the ME body is better than that of the Olympus OM-2, so I can totally understand why it was seen as a premium product. 👌 Somehow, you can't go back to big SLRs once you've gotten used to the small form factor.
I love the video the only small thing that I have to say is that this camera is not fully electronic because you can use it without batteries the only downside is that you can not use all functions in that case!
ehy Lorenzo, of course you are absolutely right. Better than, for example, an A1 that does not work without battery but only one shutter speed is near useless. 😅
The Pentax MX is the one to get. The all manual sibling of the ME and ME Super. The MX is totally mechanical except fir the light meter so operates completely without batteries if you wish and happy to use sunny 16 or an external meter. If the electronics of an ME or ME Super fail the camera is pretty much unusable. They are reliable but let’s face it, most are around 40 yrs old.
When I was a teenager all I wanted was an ME Super (which my mate hadj but all my parents could afford was a Praktica MTL3. It’s all manual too and still going fine but my mates ME Super dies 20yrs ago. Now I have an MX and it’s rock solid. The Praktica sits on my bookshelf as a reminder of how I learned photography
I would have been more pleased if I had gotten the MX. Since the ME is so electronic I sold it. :D
Then have fun with the MX it will surely provide you with decades of good performance. 👌
I have 4 Canon AE1+Ps which I adore obviously. I also have Pentax K1000, MX, ME Super and ME SE - these Pentax cameras are all excellent. The MX is my favourite. The ME is capable of producing images just as good and all the shooter needs to do is get their head in the right space. A much under rated piece of gear.
I also don't understand why people don't talk more about these cameras. I have an Olympus OM-2 and it is not even close to being as good as the Pentax ME was.
I have an ME-F and it has M mode where you can change the shutter speed in the view finder using the up and down push buttons
Pentax later found out that an M mode is indeed a good idea and thus cameras like the ME-F were introduced.
grainy days for germany as you see yourself. lovely
Haha, thank you. To reach Jason's class, I still need alcoholism. Lol
I've been using a Pentax ME for a couple years now. Had to replace the light seals and its good as new. I got it for $25 at an estate sale. Prices for film cameras are insane now even at estate sales. Mine came with the 50mm f1.7. Sometimes the lack of manual shutter speed is annoying but at least it takes modern batteries.
That's right. Prices have skyrocketed so much that $25 is now a real bargain. I sold mine, which I think was a mistake.
I have the me super and i use it in manual mode. Small silent the 50mm and 28mm are small lenses but with the pancake 40mm is even more pocket-sized. And the lenses are amazing
oh yes the ME suepr is really great. I was also thrilled with the standard 50mm I had, so I'm sure the other lenses are on a similarly high level. D With the 40mm is of course super compact!
I just bought this today the ME......so thank you for pointing out the issues will keep in mind.
hey raj have fun with the camera. ✌
My Canon Av-1 is exactly the same man! Also aperture priority. I’m also constantly changing my compensation 😂 learning to ‘trick’ the light meter was tricky. But at least it’s made us both more familiar with bracketing exposures 🤷♂️ Great review 👏
oh yes then you know exactly what i mean 😀 yes forced bracketing. i really had to take a few shots twice because the meter changed its mind at the last second. 😅
richtig fresh die bilder erinnert mich echt an so 70s :D
Wow, the camera look tiny when u hold it. The camera can cover my whole face when im taking picture. Btw great video!
hehe thanks, fujifilm cameras always look like toys in my hands 😄
Great camera review! I am interested in several questions: which exposure meter was used and on which film the photos were taken in the review?
hey, i only used the internal meter of the pentax. I used Kodak ColorPlus 200 as the film for all the pictures ✌.
STUNNING PIX, GrenMa! AS ALWAYS!
thank you as always 😀
It's not only for beginners. I've got 2 of them, on equipped with a winder and I've been shooting for about 40 years. But tbh I mainly use my other Pentaxes (K1000, KM, KX, K2, LX and MX). However, it's really fun to use and it has never driven me crazy in any way... ;-)
Haha, you're right, these cameras are timeless classics. I love that they're dependable and easy to have fun with, no matter how long you've been in the game!
I just ordered my self an me super and am excited to possibly win an auction for an mx
Have fun with your new camera. ✌️The ME will give you a lot of joy.
Wish Pentax would just start reproducing film camera again, I'm sure there would be heaps of people entering film photography willing to buy a brand new entry level film camera. You mentioned that the focus ring is the smoothest you've ever used, even more than voigtlander lenses?
yes, even if it looks like it, the film community is quite small. Even if they wanted to, no manufacturer from Leica is technically capable of building an analog camera anymore. unfortunately. 😔 Yes the focus ring is actually better than the voigtländer lenses. the 35mm is too light and the 50mm too sluggish. are nuances but the pentax lens is really in the golden mean.
I am looking at the ME Super with 35mm f 2.8 small and light is very attractive option. It has some manual capabilities but now I see that MX you have and wonder about it.
ME Super and MX both have the option of being completely manual but the ME has the advantage of aperture priority but the disadvantage of being completely electronic.
MX would be repairable in the event of a defect the ME super not. So it comes up to the price. I hope that helps you a little in your decision. :D
This one has no manual shutter speed? Thankfully I see your video before buying !
Hey there! Nope, this camera doesn't have a manual shutter speed. Glad you found my video helpful before making a purchase decision. ✌️
In another video I saw you can set it to M and use the up/down buttons next to the mode dial to change shutter speed. Shutter speed can be read in the viewfinder.
Edit: my bad, that’s the ME Super.
Hey I really liked your review. I got my Pentax ME while living in Japan for about 10,000 yen. I wish there was a manual mode too, because I don't develop my rolls until I have a bunch ready to develop and by that time I have totally forgotten what settings I used or the light conditions. I assume it's the light meter sabatoging my shots!
For travel/street daytime photography I'm thinking of just putting it at f16 and leaving it alone. What do you think??
Thanks for enjoying the review! The Pentax ME in Japan, what a score! 🙌 Shooting at f16 for street photography can work well in bright daylight, but keep an eye on your shutter speed, especially if lighting conditions change. And yeah, those light meters can sometimes play tricks on us, but that's all part of the analog charm! 😄
@TheBigNegative I was gifted a super 8 camera and halfway thru my film project it was bumped off a table and the auto light meter broke 😭 the film still came out okay but it was quite dark in the daytime, luckily the business I used to develop the film adjusted the light during processing.
Thanks for the tip! I'll try to keep the shutter speed high in daytime. I think I'm going to shelve this camera after my trip and find another camera that isn't as automatic haha
A very interesting review with understandable arguments.
Maybe you'll find an alternative at the next flea market. :)
thank you, i always hope for the next great bargain at the flea market. 😀
Pentax k1000 or Pentax me super?
It depends on whether you need automatic modes or prefer a completely mechanical camera that can be repaired at any time.
Found one for 50€ in fully working conditions with a F/1:1.4 50mm lens
As for aperture priority that's what I use 80% of time anyway, rarely needed shutter priority and full manual is for the brave so I guess I'd be fine with it, maybe sometimes locking it to 1/100s shutter and working around it with the aperture
Tbh I'm mostly thinking about it because of the lens
Wow, that's a great find! A fully working camera with a F/1.4 50mm lens for 50€ is a steal. Aperture priority is my go-to mode too, and that lens will give you some amazing shots. Have fun shooting with it!
@@TheBigNegative-PhotoChannel I kinda forgot about it after I found the FD f/1.8 50mm I was looking for my A-1, I guess I'll be hoping this one doesn't sell until my photography budget "charges" again haha
Oh and yeah I've got the FD lens plus the T50 body with the original Canon bag for 40€, it's nice that film photography in Bosnia is still kinda dead because you do find gems from time to time
Pentax Me Super coming to my house soon😊
Then enjoy it. 👌 The Super is definitely the better camera.
@@TheBigNegative-PhotoChannel it was broken non functional so I returned it, I have a K2 coming with a nice 50mm f/1.4 lens , hope its not a dud.
Thank you again.
Use a VND it may solve some of your aperture priority problems
very good idea, z uschade that I have already sold the camera. 😅
Nice to meet you! I'm Japanese.
What kind of film do you use for this live-action?
The picture is too nice…😭
Oh hello to japan :D In the video I used ColorPlus 200. Glad you like the picture. 👌
Hello) good video, thank u! Do you know which flash feet for Pentax me ?
I'm sorry, but unfortunately, I don't have any experience with flashes for Pentax, or generally, I don't have any small or old flashes.
What settings would you suggest for shooting moving subjects like skateboarders handheld? I’ll have to trick the shutter for a sharp shot right?
For skateboarders and other fast moving objects, I would choose at least a 1/1000 shutter speed. This is easier with other cameras, but not with this one. I would advise you to use a film with a high iso like lomo 800 or portra 800, so that the depth of field is higher when you use a higher aperture value. Then you only have to use an aperture value for the ME that causes the camera to use 1/1000. I hope this helps you.
trés bien, a great review. these flea markets sound interesting. Are there many cameras there?
thanks, yes really many but mostly only very old and broken models. you have to search to find such cameras. 😀
Hi, maybe I missed it in one of your other videos, but ...how / where do you develope and scan your films? The tones come out awesome. Thank you. Heiner
thank you, yes I have not yet mentioned. 😀 I always have my films developed in a large laboratory and then scan them at home myself with a fuji camera. I will soon make a tutorial series when my defective fuji camera comes back from the repair. 😀
@@TheBigNegative-PhotoChannel looking forward. Do you use Negative Lab Pro?
This is vintage ... i like it
Appreciate that! Thank you for watching and supporting!
i got this camera but there are some mossing parts, like that black ring thing around the shutter button and a battery cover coin, does anyone knows where can i get these parts?
you can look on ebay if someone sells single parts. otherwise buy a whole ME that is broken and you can take the parts from it and then sell the rest again. last variant you print the things in the 3d printer allerdigns you have to look where you get the 3d models of it.
My me super has a manual mode, I like it more than my MX, but I lent it to my sister in law and don't know if ill get it back again hahaha
Yes, I would also have liked the ME Super. I think yours you will not see again so quickly. 😆
How do you put film on the camera
It's simpler than it seems! Open the camera's back, gently insert the film canister into the film chamber, and thread the film leader through the take-up spool. Advance the film until it's snug, close the back, and you're all set to roll (literally)!
What is the better camera between the ME, ME Super and ME F?
So I would say the ME super is the best of these simply because it allows manual exposure. ME F would also work though as it is based on the Super.
@@TheBigNegative-PhotoChannel so between an ME F and an ME Super you would go with the super? or are they relatively the same
beautiful photos mate
Thanks Kwezi ✌
Is it possible to use the camera without batteries?
yes, but only at 1/125. in fact, i've often used it that way to bypass the light meter. :D
Bro, there is a manual mode for sure, set the dial to 'M' and use the little black buttons. The upper and lower led's indicate over/under exposure. When the leds are yellow, it indicates that you need to be super steady. I really like the ME super, but your right about the lack of exp-lock.
oh hey, " 'M' and use the little black buttons" this is unfortunately only possible with the ME super but the standard ME can't do this. At the end of the video I show two pentax alternatives among which also the ME super.
I see, I realize I only have experience with the super version. Having only AE and no exp-lock would be a deal-breaker for me. I'm spoiled by my Nikon FM3a.@@TheBigNegative-PhotoChannel
i have the kam but dont know how to use the viewfinder
oh cool you should try it out. I don't have a tutorial on how to use an SLR viewfidner but you can search youtube for "split prism viewfinder tutorial".
Nice video and shots 🤩👏🏻
Love to hear that, thanks for the support! 🙌
Found one for 150$ should I buy?
looks a little much. allerdigns komtm it depends on what condition the camera has and whether it comes from a dealer with warranty. not easy to say.
Pentax MG was my first SLR camera (bought new), which I got as a kid. Aside of bigger / better LED diodes for auto exposure it was the same camera as the ME. And yeah, no exposure lock button. Frustrating to no end...
thanks for watching. Yes I have already read that Pentax the ME was made again as MG....I mean the AE lock they could have incorporated somehow. Would have saved you some frustration. 😅
is it a heavy camera?
definitely not. For an SLR camera, it's really light.
It is a very nice video!
Thank you very much!
Memory lane. About 40 years ago I had its mechanical sibling, the MX. It replace my first camera, the K1000 😊
yes I would have loved to have the MX instead of the ME. 😀 You certainly had a lot of fun with it.
I kinda like that model but it’s kinda heavy imo like canons seem lighter 😩
the pentax is really light! the canon ae1 weighs 4.5 ounces more and the canon A1 7 ounces more. It feels like you are carrying a brick around with the A1. 😄
Heavy? You're having a laugh!
COOL ！かっこいいｗ
Ｍシリーズ 華奢で壊れやすいけど ＭＥは安定してていいよね （＾＾ｖ
はい、その通りです。MEで写真を撮るのは、ある面ではイマイチでも、とても好きでした。
Looks like Fuhrer 😂🤣 5:30
was not directly my intention, German just sounds really hard. :D
@@TheBigNegative-PhotoChannel but it's funny ahaha love it. Love your all videos man :D
Even if no raccoons were seen the dog is so cute. 🦝 My father once had such a camera I think. But it was never thrown against a wall.
yes my dog is really cute. i'm surprised that it hasn't happened yet. 😆