What is the best Pentax 35mm film SLR?

I use my local branch of Snappy Snaps and I have found the results to be superior to any of the (several) mail order outfits I've tried. If there's a branch near you then that's where I'd recommend trying.

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Bodies: K10D | Spotmatic SP K Lenses: DA12-24 | DA35 Macro Limited | FA43 Limited | FA77 Limited | D-FA100 Macro M42 Lenses: Takumar 58/2 | Super-Takumar 50/1.4 (early)

There's a Snappy Snaps in Chester. To be honest, i'm quite suprised this is a contendor; I'd have thought a more specialised mail order company would be better, Not that i'm complaining - this is good!

Do Snappy Snaps do a CD option also?

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Bob

Flickr Photostream: link

Digital: K20D + 1.15x Eyecup + D-BG2 grip; K-x (Navy Blue), Film: MZ-60 + Battery Grip FG, MV, Lenses: The Bigma (Sigma 50-500mm), 18-55 WR, FA 35-80mm, Centon 50mm 1.7, Tamron 70-300, macro tubes, AF-360FGZ.

They do CD's, but I can't vouch for the quality at every branch (having said that they have won awards).

I've used some fairly expensive mail order places and Snappy Snaps have proved better than all of them. Shame they won't touch 120 film or I'd use them exclusively tbh.

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Bodies: K10D | Spotmatic SP K Lenses: DA12-24 | DA35 Macro Limited | FA43 Limited | FA77 Limited | D-FA100 Macro M42 Lenses: Takumar 58/2 | Super-Takumar 50/1.4 (early)

Interestingly, when Images of England had to find a new processor, they ended up at....Snappy Snaps.

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Best regards,

John Riley

Of course what you should be doing is popping down to Calumet, buying some Ilford FP4, a developing tank and some chemicals. There is nothing quite like it!

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MZ-7 ● 50mm 1.4 My Photobucket

Well that's settled then - fantastic. I pop into Chester quite often (it's only 7 miles away), so I'll call in to the Snappy Snaps branch they have there. Thanks chaps!

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Bob

Flickr Photostream: link

Digital: K20D + 1.15x Eyecup + D-BG2 grip; K-x (Navy Blue), Film: MZ-60 + Battery Grip FG, MV, Lenses: The Bigma (Sigma 50-500mm), 18-55 WR, FA 35-80mm, Centon 50mm 1.7, Tamron 70-300, macro tubes, AF-360FGZ.

Well....it's early days at the moment - but I really would'nt rule that out. I'll be moving house later this year and have much more room - you never know!

I was actually having a similar conversation with a colleague yesterday, who told me that there's nothing quite like the smell when you develop your own film - he loves it. (Though I hope this does'nt mean he's into solvent abuse!)

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Bob

Flickr Photostream: link

Digital: K20D + 1.15x Eyecup + D-BG2 grip; K-x (Navy Blue), Film: MZ-60 + Battery Grip FG, MV, Lenses: The Bigma (Sigma 50-500mm), 18-55 WR, FA 35-80mm, Centon 50mm 1.7, Tamron 70-300, macro tubes, AF-360FGZ.

If you develop film then scan it you don't need a darkroom, just a changing bag and a sink. You use the changing bag to open the cannister and load the reel. Once the reel is in the tank it's lightproof so everything else can be done in daylight.

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MZ-7 ● 50mm 1.4 My Photobucket

I need to seriously give this some thought!

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Bob

Flickr Photostream: link

Digital: K20D + 1.15x Eyecup + D-BG2 grip; K-x (Navy Blue), Film: MZ-60 + Battery Grip FG, MV, Lenses: The Bigma (Sigma 50-500mm), 18-55 WR, FA 35-80mm, Centon 50mm 1.7, Tamron 70-300, macro tubes, AF-360FGZ.

My first batch of film has been developed; take a look:








The top and bottom was with the 18-55MKII; the middle was with the 50-135

I was a little annoyed that I bracketed most of my shots in three's with 1EV, yet each set of three images looked identical. Obviously a waste of time; but I wanted to have some of them underexposed.

Do the developing machines automatically adjust the exposure of the finished photo, and if so can you request this to be tuned off?

I went to Asda in the end, which I know is'nt the most highly rated place, but it is the most convenient for work. The prints do look quite good, and the hi-res scans look ok too. I just need more control of the final image; I dont want someone or something deciding what is best.

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Bob

Flickr Photostream: link

Digital: K20D + 1.15x Eyecup + D-BG2 grip; K-x (Navy Blue), Film: MZ-60 + Battery Grip FG, MV, Lenses: The Bigma (Sigma 50-500mm), 18-55 WR, FA 35-80mm, Centon 50mm 1.7, Tamron 70-300, macro tubes, AF-360FGZ.

You've highlighted one of the problems with prints - the machines compensate to give an average exposure, so it's no surprise that your bracketed exposures are very similar. What you need is hand printing, and that is very expensive.

For this reason, if you want to do special effects, be it altering exposure, colour balance or whatever, then the only real film option is to shoot colour slides. What you do is what you get, which teaches a lot about composition and exposure.

Otherwise, setting up your own darkroom will give you the total control, but the learning curve will be very steep.

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Best regards,

John Riley

Thanks John - I certainly wont rule out doing it myself.

A colleague of mine suggested shooting colour slides too for the very same reason.

Something for me to think about that's for sure.

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Bob

Flickr Photostream: link

Digital: K20D + 1.15x Eyecup + D-BG2 grip; K-x (Navy Blue), Film: MZ-60 + Battery Grip FG, MV, Lenses: The Bigma (Sigma 50-500mm), 18-55 WR, FA 35-80mm, Centon 50mm 1.7, Tamron 70-300, macro tubes, AF-360FGZ.

I supposed I've been spoiled with a DSLR, and have got used to having a great degree of control; which I miss with 35mm.

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Bob

Flickr Photostream: link

Digital: K20D + 1.15x Eyecup + D-BG2 grip; K-x (Navy Blue), Film: MZ-60 + Battery Grip FG, MV, Lenses: The Bigma (Sigma 50-500mm), 18-55 WR, FA 35-80mm, Centon 50mm 1.7, Tamron 70-300, macro tubes, AF-360FGZ.

Right, I have two more shots for you, both taken with the DA*50-135.

The results with the MZ-60 and DA*50-135 are quite impressive!

I also had this roll sent off from my local Boots, rather than use the 1 hour service as I did earlier in the week at Asda. The quality is waaay better. I know what I'll be doing from now on!

These images are literally what I grabbed from the CD that came with the pics, i've not cropped or altered them in any way.

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Bob

Flickr Photostream: link

Digital: K20D + 1.15x Eyecup + D-BG2 grip; K-x (Navy Blue), Film: MZ-60 + Battery Grip FG, MV, Lenses: The Bigma (Sigma 50-500mm), 18-55 WR, FA 35-80mm, Centon 50mm 1.7, Tamron 70-300, macro tubes, AF-360FGZ.

Looking at these 2 pics now on my home PC the colours seem more saturated than they did before. I really like it.

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Bob

Flickr Photostream: link

Digital: K20D + 1.15x Eyecup + D-BG2 grip; K-x (Navy Blue), Film: MZ-60 + Battery Grip FG, MV, Lenses: The Bigma (Sigma 50-500mm), 18-55 WR, FA 35-80mm, Centon 50mm 1.7, Tamron 70-300, macro tubes, AF-360FGZ.