Why the Pentax ME Super Is the Perfect First Film Camera (Even in 2025)

Dear Reader, if you’ve read my last post, you will understand my current state of photographic helplessness after my X100F was taken out of service. Before we proceed, I want to take a moment to reassure my dear mother that I’m doing fine, being a big brave boy during this challenging time, and not losing my mind. I’m still getting my photographic fix, and I thank you, Dear Reader, for your understanding.

Now, let’s dive into today’s topic. The Pentax ME Super, a camera gifted to me by a fellow musician and dear friend, Robert McMillan, holds a special place in my heart. Using it brings back fond memories, and I’m forever grateful for the thoughtful present.

Introduced in 1979, the Pentax ME Super is a 35mm SLR camera that offers reliability and ease of use, making it perfect for those seeking excellent image quality. However, it requires proper focus and composition to make the most of its capabilities. When I use it, I approach photography in a similar manner to how I would with my beloved X100F, albeit with a slight adjustment due to the 50mm lens, which changes from the 35mm lens on the Fuji.

Technical Specs:

Shutter speed range: 4 seconds to 1/2000 second, plus Bulb – allowing wide apertures and excellent depth of field.
ISO speed range: 12 to 1600
Exposure control: Aperture priority
Viewfinder: 0.9x magnification, 95% coverage
Other features: include a self-timer, a cable release socket, and exposure compensation.

Handling and Ergonomics:

The ME Super is a well-made and compact camera, making it easy to carry around; it is almost the same size and weight as the X100F. The controls are user-friendly and well-positioned. The large, bright viewfinder helps, especially for those of us with less-than-perfect vision.

While it may not surpass the joy I find in using the X100F, the ME Super is steadily gaining ground, and its satisfying shutter noise is a small comfort during this time of longing. Loading and unloading film is a breeze, and the shutter release is smooth and responsive. Additionally, the camera’s reliability is reassuring, offering solace in the absence of the X100F.

Image Quality:

The Pentax ME Super consistently delivers excellent image quality. Composing shots is a breeze with the sharp and bright viewfinder, and the aperture priority exposure control ensures proper exposure. For someone like me who cherishes depth of field, the 1/2000 of a second shutter speed is a delightful feature.

Moreover, the ME Super is compatible with a wide range of Pentax K-mount lenses, providing versatile options for image-making. With my collection of 24mm wide-angle, 50mm F1.7, and 24-80mm zoom lenses, I’m well-equipped for various shooting scenarios, and there is even a 15mm wide angle lens, but I nearly peed myself when I saw the price!

The Verdict:

In conclusion, the Pentax ME Super is an exceptional 35mm SLR camera. Its well-made design, ease of use, and ability to produce outstanding image quality make it an appealing choice. If you’re searching for a reliable and versatile camera that brings years of photographic enjoyment, the Pentax ME Super won’t disappoint.

Pros:

Excellent build quality
Sharp and bright viewfinder
Simple and straightforward operation
Wide range of compatible lenses
Capable of producing excellent image quality
Built-in exposure compensation
Self-timer
Cable release socket

Cons:

Flash sync limitations at faster shutter speeds (i.e., more than 1/125)
Not an X100F

Overall:

The Pentax ME Super is an excellent 35mm SLR camera, offering great build quality, ease of use, and superb image quality. It’s a dependable choice for any photography enthusiast seeking a delightful film shooting experience.

Additional Information:

The ME Super remains popular among collectors for its exceptional build and image quality. If you’re interested in acquiring one, you can explore used cameras online or at camera shops. Additionally, you’ll find manuals and other valuable information about the camera on the internet.

I hope this review proves helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comment section.

But, most importantly, let me stop talking and allow you to enjoy some photos taken with the Pentax ME Super, capturing moments in Clisson and Nantes.

Post Scriptum

If the Pentax ME Super has caught your attention, I’d recommend checking out my other posts on classic film cameras like the Olympus Pen EE S (Aug 9, 2023) or my reflections on the lasting appeal of film photography in In Defense of Film (Aug 23, 2023). For a more in-depth look at the Pentax in action, mark your calendars for Capturing the Essence of Nantes: A Street Photography Journey with the Pentax ME Super and Kentmere 100 Film (coming Nov 17, 2023). And for those curious about the Fujifilm X100F, you can preview how it compares in Seeing the World Through 35mm: Street Photography with the Fujifilm X100F (Jun 21, 2023). A more detailed comparison between these two cameras is also coming this November!

The Contradictory Contradiction

Posted on Oct 8, 2021Nov 6, 2024 Posted in Black and White Photography, Film PhotographyTagged analog, analogue, architechture, Archtitecture, autumn, Bicycle, bicycles, bike, black and white, Black and White Photography, contradiction, contradictory, development, farming, fencepost, fields, film development, Film Photography, France, French, french countryside, fujifilm xt2, good old days, grandfather, grandmother, hp5, Ian James Myers, Ian Myers, ijm photography, ijmphotography, ilford, ilford hp5, John Mc Byrne, kodak Portra, mesuper, Nantes, nostalgia, pentax, Pentax ME SUper, photogeapher, photographe, photographer, photography, rollei, rollei rpx 100, Saint Hilaire de Loulay, Street Photography, Street phtoography, streetphotography, tree, Trees, Vendee3 Comments

I have a friend here who said that I am always contradicting myself and that it isn’t logical and how can I say two things at the same time, and I replied that the two things, although contradictory in appearance, are both as true. That person is a production of French education with philosophy as the subject that all French teenagers go through to learn how to think the way the Education Nationale tells them to think, under the guise of learning all about freethinking and critical thinking. I, however, am a lot less French despite what some people might like to think, and I will think any blooming way I desire, with or without contradictions.

I’m not talking about my mental state, for once, but photography. I love both digital photography and analogic photography. I am bewildered by modern technology and could be classed as a geek, and yet the experience of using old technology that is obsolete for some gets me all excited as a small child waiting for Father Christmas, but being told by their mother to go to bed, otherwise, he won’t come. It didn’t stop me from waking up at the crack of dawn, and I think my parents might have regretted the decision to buy me a guitar for Christmas and hearing me playing at some ungodly hour of the morning. As a 49, fat middle-aged gentleman, I can understand them, but my 6 or 7-year-old self didn’t and couldn’t imagine the disturbance that I had caused them.

Oh, how times change! While I’m on the nostalgia train going to the “good” old days, I have vivid memories of a drawer at my grandparents’ house, where my mother was brought up, and in whose room I would be staying. Inside this drawer, many “old” things just fascinated me. It could be my grandfather’s old plumbing ruler or golf tees. It could be anything but it was an entrance into another world for me. My grandmother’s kitchen, because at that time, my Grandfather wouldn’t be in the kitchen, was a place where everything was from the 1930s and it all just fitted together. There was the Anderson shelter, which had been turned into a proper pantry, was a relic from the Second World War where they would have sheltered from German bombs falling on the town and trying to stop my Great Uncle’s shipyards from operating correctly. My Great Aunt would drive around in an ambulance taking care of casualties. Amazing people from an amazing time.

What does this have to do with photography? Not a huge amount, but is that a problem? Oh yes, it tells you about my fascination for the old and very new. I have “a number” of cameras, the eldest being from the 1940s and the newest from 2021, with nearly every decade being represented in-between the two dates.

So I was going somewhere with all this. Ah yes, lately I seem to be getting back into film again. In the last but one article, you may have seen the photos from the Mamiya, which is a relatively modern camera being from the early ’80s. Well, this time, I’m still using a camera from the 1980s, the Pentax ME Super. For once, I wasn’t using Ilford HP5, which is my “go-to” film. No, I decided to be different and get out of my comfort zone, and use a new film. I say new film, I mean Rollei has been around for donkey’s years, but this was a “new to me” film. May I introduce you to Rollei RPX 100. I never use 100ASA film, but was turned by Fomapan 100, which you can see in the photos from the Hangar à Bananes. A fine-grain film, especially when you compare it to the grain from HP5 even when shot at box speed, let alone 800ASA or even 1600ASA.

The film was developed in ILFOSIL 3, and I thought it was great. I tried in town and country and was thrilled. The thing that pleased me the most was that it kept flat, which means a lot to somebody who has ever tried to scan film. The last time I bought a film I played wild cards, and it was also a lot cheaper than HP5 which is a very convincing argument. I still dream of Kodak Portra 160, but it is getting more and more scarce, and therefore more expensive. A beginning of the month kind of film. Oh look at that, my pay has just gone in…

So yesterday evening I was scanning a film my son had shot on a 1960s Kodak camera, and thinking about how he has changed since 2016 when I picked up my Fuji XT2, a slightly more modern mirrorless digital camera. I hadn’t used a modern camera in quite a while and it almost felt foreign to me, and yet familiar at the same time. My fingers seemed to find the controls without looking very far, and it felt very natural. Maybe my love of digital and analogue isn’t that contradictory after all?

Now it’s time to show you the results of the Rollei RPX 100. I liked it and am happy I bought more than one roll. The camera, as I think I said earlier, was the Pentax ME Super.

La Rentrée 2021

Posted on Sep 5, 2021Sep 5, 2021 Posted in Architecture, Art, Black and White Photography, Film Photography, Nantes Photography, Street PhotographyTagged 50mm, analog, analogue, Anneaux de Buren, architechture, Art, art gallery, art installation, back to work, Bicycle, bicycles, bike, Bikes, black and white, Black and White Photography, covid 19, covid19, development, film development, Film Photography, Fomapan, France, French, furniture, Galerie HAB, grue titan, HAB Gallerie, hangar à bananes, hp5, Ian James Myers, Ian Myers, ijm photography, ijmphotography, ile de nantes, ilford, ilford hp5, la Rentrée, Loire, mamiya, mamiya c220, medium format, medium format photography, Nantes, passe sanitaire, pentax, Pentax ME SUper, pentax mesuper, pentaxmesuper, photo reportage, photo walk, photogeapher, photographe, photogrpahy, Street Photography, streetphotography, summer, technology, wife, wind band, windband3 Comments

My Dear Reader, welcome to yet another article where I will try to find something interesting or witty to tell you. I have neglected you over August, but as most French people do, I closed shop and was on holiday. Since Covid and the world going base over apex, my company has decided that we only need three weeks’ holiday in August compared to the more traditional four weeks. I am about to sing the praises of my wife, so for those of you who hate the luvvy-duvvy side of things, turn away now. I take it you have all turned away.

For the first ten days of my holidays, I was camping in my living room. My wife and I literally carried our bed downstairs and set up camp. That was the less agreeable part of those first ten days. However, my wife had decided to decorate our bedroom and change all the furniture and replace it with nice new furniture from the infamous Swedish flat-pack place that we all know. I have a love-hate relationship with flat packs. Firstly, they’re heavy and hardly fit into the car without all the seats down and your wife in the back of the car telling you how to drive, you bloody moron! Secondly, they take up an awful amount of space in the garage whilst your wife gets to grips with decorating the room. Painting the ceiling, putting up wallpaper you agreed to ages ago because it’s easier and you love avoiding conflict. You don’t sleep well because everything feels strange in the living room and it’s hot too. Thirdly, they have to be taken upstairs to be put together and there’s always something missing, and you know it’s going to be your fault, you useless fool!

Anyway, with the help of friends, my son, and a mad screaming bitch, sorry, wife, we now have a haven of peace. We not only have a haven of peace, but fitted wardrobes that took three days to put together, but look great, and I have a cabinet for all my photography gear and, most importantly, a desk.

She is a champion, and let me assure you all, she has become human again! It has been a life-changer.

During the pre-let’s get this done otherwise I’ll go mad, clear out, we found some films that needed to be developed. You do not know what might lurk on those reels of film, but you tell yourself that you must have taken them, so it shouldn’t be too bad. I took in 9 rolls of film in. I was told by the amiable lady that if any of them hadn’t been exposed that there would be no charge for the development. Seems fair.

I returned to get the films and the contact sheets. That still sweet lady told me I would be in for a surprise! She was right. I looked through the sheets of paper and saw images of my son, who was still a toddler, and having baths, and being dried by his mother and his godmother. It took me right back to the end of the last century! My beard was in colour in those days!

Encouraged by all this photographic success, I went out and took even more photos. For those of you who follow me on Twitter, or Instagram you will have seen the stories and saw the cameras for the day: the Mamiya C220, and the Pentax ME Super, which were both gifts from a former teacher, and now a friend of mine! Merci Mr McM!

I do like taking photos and using cameras. There’s something I don’t think you knew!! It was good to be back out. I am now double jabbed. Thank you to that lovely lady at the chemists who reassured me and said that I wasn’t the only guy in the world that has a phobia of injections. Not only am I double jabbed, but I also have my Covid Passport, so I can go to the pub again without having part of my brain scraped out by a nurse with a long plastic thingy! I have rejoined the general population.

If you’re wondering what the French title of this article is doing there, let me explain. Quickly though, I’m already at 750 words here. The Rentrée is the re-entry into normal daily life after the summer holidays where people just weren’t there. The children go back to school. Those of use in employment, go back to that employment. Our extracurricular activities start again. Last night was my first wind band rehearsal in over a year (thank you, COVID), and it feels as if some relative normality has come back into my life.

Back to the photos. I shot the square photos on the Mamiya C220, using Ilford HP5+ film shot at box speed, developed in Ilfosol 3, and I took the other photos on the Pentax ME Super, using Fomapan 100 film developed in the same chemistry. Fine grain with the Fomapan and not something I’m used to, but a change is good, right? Oh, and I took them at the Hangar à Bananes, and HAB Gallerie in Nantes.

Kodak Portra 160 in action

Posted on Oct 25, 2020Jun 12, 2024 Posted in Camera reviews, Film Photography, France, Nantes Photography, Photography Tutorials, Street PhotographyTagged cathedral, film, Film Photography, Ian Myers, ijm photography, ijmphotography, kodak, kodak Portra, Nantes, Pentax ME SUper, Street phtoography1 Comment

I have already shown these photos on Facebook and Instagram, but I wanted to share them here too. I had the pleasure to take a film camera out to Nantes with some Portra in it. Kodak Portra is one of those iconic films that everybody waxes lyrical about and I can understand what the hype is about. I certainly love it and the results the I mananged to get from it. I would love be able to work out how to make my digital photos have the same feeling, but when I take film shots I don’t have to worry about it.

The following photos were taken on Portra 160 film using my Pentax ME Super, which as the name suggests is pretty cool, during the month of May just after lockdown and in Nantes where I can be found often with a camera around my neck.

Portra 160 is described as having a natural color palette with low saturation and low contrast. It has breathtaking color, sharpness, and very fine grain. I really love these colours. Normally the name Portra might suggest Portrait and you’d be right in thinking that. For portraits it’s magical. But it also seems to work in street photography.

I do love the Cathedral in Nantes and haven’t been back inside since the fire. I miss it and the music from the organ which was magnificent and depressingly no longer there.

https://shootitwithfilm.com/how-to-shoot-kodak-portra-160/ This could interest you too

https://www.alexburkephoto.com/blog/2019/5/16/metering-and-shooting-kodak-portra-film And here is another link that you might want to have a look at. Loads of info and worth a read. I wish I had have know about this first. I don’t think I was too far off though.

https://fstoppers.com/film/unofficial-film-film-look-long-term-review-kodak-portra-400-502260 This article is on Fstoppers and discusses Portra 400 but it’s a good read too.