Pentax LX and Photography in the 1980’s

Recently a friend gave me a Pentax MX (see earlier post), and I also had the opportunity to obtain a Pentax LX – which I’ve wanted to try out for a long time. The MX was Pentax’s answer to the very compact Olympus OM series of cameras in the 1970’s, and around 1980 they introduced the LX as their professional 35mm camera.

So, I’ve been shooting, fairly exclusively with the LX for several weeks now. I like that it’s very solidly built and has a professional feel to it – it’s heavier and feels more solid than models like the MX (although the MX is a very solid camera). The LX has several advanced features, very similar to the Nikon F3 and the Canon New F-1 – both of which were available around the same time.

I put together a list of pros and cons of the LX – things I like and don’t like about it. You may think different and actually like some of the things I don’t and vica versa – like most of my posts, this is just my opinion.

Pros	Cons
Good build/solid feeling, with a nice, bright viewfinder	Focusing is a bit hard (at least with the screen I have) as it’s too finely ground, and difficult to see the center split image and microprism sections.
The prism has an adjustable diopter – so if you wear glasses, but don’t like shooting with your glasses on, you can adjust the viewfinder magnification to match your eyesight.	I don’t like the way the viewfinder diopter adjustment is placed and how it works. To adjust, you have to remove the prism and turn a knob on the bottom of the prism.
Nice selection of lenses, many of which can be found for reasonable prices.	The rings for a strap are unique/proprietary. I have not been able to detach the rings. I like rings on Nikon and Canon models that are more standard and easier to work with.
Available grip to make holding the camera a bit easier/more comfortable.	The available grip doesn’t really feel that comfortable – maybe a bit small and might be more comfortable with a power winder/motor drive attached.
Mechanical shutter for speeds 1/75 (x-flash sync speed) and higher – and electronic only for slower speeds (similar to the New F-1).	I don’t like the prism release lever – but I don’t like the release button on the Nikon either. It works, but the Pentax LX prism release seems a little flimsy to me.
OTF (off the film) metering – which they claim is more accurate since it measures light reflected off the film plane and off the film itself during exposure.	I don’t like the lens release button on the right side of the camera – it just seems too cramped on the right side. It’s also not easy for me to press it while releasing the lens – but maybe that’s just a matter of getting used to it being there.
Aperture priority and fully manual metering available, with a very nice LED metering system in the viewfinder.
Feels good in my hand – not too hard, or too heavy to carry.
Easily visible shutter cocked indicator – nice indicator.
Nice, easy to use shutter lock.
I like the multi-function self-timer lever – it is a self-timer, mirror lock up and depth of field preview, and it works well.

Now, I should say, I do like this camera, however the viewfinder is hard for me to use, and I haven’t been able to get the diopter adjustment correct for my eyes. So, it’s really not easy for me to use. My MX has an eyepiece correction added on the eyepiece (which was pretty standard prior to 1980) and the viewfinder of the MX is clearer, sharper and much more enjoyable for me to use. It’s just annoying to me when it’s not as sharp as I think it should be. I want to use the camera because I like many of the features and the feel of it, but when I look into the viewfinder it’s just not sharp to me.

Now, how is it to shoot with? I think it’s pretty easy, and pretty standard. The shutter speed dial is in a standard location, the shutter feels good when you take a photo. ISO adjustment works well, and the exposure compensation dial (although the labeling is a bit different – they label 4x down to 1/4x instead of +4 down to -4) is very convenient and easy to use.

Things are generally pretty standard, although Pentax (I believe) tried to differentiate themselves from other brands by making things a little different – like the labeling of the exposure comp dial. They wanted to make things look like their own, not the same as everyone else.

Now, remember, this camera was in direct competition with the Nikon F3 (and really the F2 as well since a lot of pros were still using F2s in 1980) and the Canon New F-1. They marketed the LX as being as tough and capable as those cameras, but I’m not sure it was quite that. Cameras were getting a bit smaller – so the Nikon F3 was a bit smaller than the F2. The New F-1 was a bit smaller than the previous F-1. So, everyone was moving in this direction with size and electronics, however, The LX just doesn’t feel as good to me as its Nikon or Canon contemporaries. Maybe it’s almost too small.

All that being said, the electronics of this camera are good. OTF metering works very well, and as long as the electronics work, the shutter should be very accurate, but as I use the electronic cameras of this era, I understand that when they fail, the camera will likely be only a doorstop, paper weight, or brick. And my Nikon F or F2 will likely still be working – even though the shutter does get a bit slow or inaccurate over time, fully mechanical shutters can be adjusted/recalibrated. But the electronics are very nice while they work. I have 2 Canon New F-1 bodies, and one did break or somehow go bad – likely an electronic issue which would not be practical to try to fix – so that body is completely useless. I have not had that issue with my LX – but I’ve only had it for a few months…

Here’s some photos shot on Kodak Vision 50D film.

Here’s some photos shot on Kodak Portra 160. Several of my grandson – since I like the way Portra renders skin tones.

So, all in all, I have to say the LX is a very nice camera. A bit frustrating for me since I haven’t been able to get my viewfinder adjustment “just right” for my eyes. Overall, I like the LX, and will probably use it from time to time.

I’d be interested in what you think – what your impressions are if you’ve had a chance to shoot with a Pentax LX.