Pentax MZ-5n / MZ-3 / ZX-5n
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| Pro | - Lightweight, but doesn't feel cheap,
- the controls are excellent, it's a joy to use. Important if you actually want to enjoy taking pictures. :) - Has a well damped mirror, - viewfinder is very good, usable with older manual lenses without a problem, - the whole viewfinder is visible even with glasses on, - has a spotmeter, - can be had cheaply these days (2006). I paid about $150 for a second-hand MZ3 + FA28-70/4.0AL in great condition. | ||
| Contra | - Make sure it has all the features you need (lacks mirror lock-up, usm)
- Low-light autofocus is not very good. | ||
| Thoughts | This is one of those cameras that are more than just sum of their parts. Not built to impress with specs, but rather with ergonomics. "Just hold a Pentax"
Great camera for travel, candid and family photography. | ||
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| Pro | - Manual dials are easy to manipulate and give you non-electronic confirmation of your settings.
- Depth-of-field preview lets you compose pictures in depth as well as height and width without guessing. - Exposure compensation and bracketing features are quick to get to and easy to operate. - Flash compatibility indicator lets you know when you can use the flash and when you can't. | ||
| Contra | - Proprietary cable release.
- No Mirror Lock-up (why not? It's simple electronics) - 30sec of exposure would be nice to select MANUALLY. - Can't rewind with leader OUT. - No low-light assist beam for flash (even though I rarely need it) | ||
| Thoughts | I've put 80-100 rolls of film through my ZX-5N. I bought it as the Third camera I've used. First was K-1000, second was P30T. WOW, what a step up. In fact, until I looked into the *ist and ZX-L/MZ-6 cameras, I didn't know what I was missing. I recently bought an LX to give me the mirror lock-up feature that I so desparately wanted. I then started to shop around for a simpler system. I want two cameras, one primary and one backup. The ZX-5N does ALMOST everything I need, but I want to be able to change between 800 and 200 speed film depending on what I'm shooting. I'd also like some 1600 sitting around for when I need it, but I hate shooting 26 pictures when I only need 5 or 10. Yes, I'm speaking more to what the ZX-5N CAN'T do rather than what it CAN do. With the ZX-L it looks like I'll be able to switch film at will, just marking on the case what exposure I was at and going one or two exposures beyond for good margin. So, in the same day I can shoot my kids bowling on a dim alley and playing at the park without wasting two complete rolls of film... AHHH, but that's in the future.
Currently, I find the ZX-5N to be very intuitive and easy to manipulate. I don't fumble with the camera that much. If I want to bracket, it's a quick flip of the lever, not hunting through menus like I do with my digital camera. The camera is very small and light. The batteries last for several rolls of film and I have the battery grip as a backup even, but I don't like the bigger grip. I like the on/off switch and it's easy to FEEL if it's on or off. It's a good match for my Sigma 28-105mm and 20-40mm F2.8 lenses. I've got a 70-200mm Pentax telephoto zoom, but I'm in the market for a better one. I use an Achiever AF630 that works just fine. For my 20-40mm, I have a Sto-Fen omni-bounce that also fits on my Nikon dedicated unit I use for my digital camera. | ||
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| Pro | Lightweight, intuitive control set. Great for hiking/family trips where weight is a consideration. Accurate metering, switchable wide (3 sensors) or narrow (center only) AF sensors. Shutter speeds down to 30s in AE mode. Good battery life. Wide range of relatively inexpensive, high quality lenses available. (even works with the SMC-Takumar screwmount lenses from the 1960's!) | ||
| Contra | Flash Exposure compensation requires manual mode. (not good for 'candids') AF performance suffers a bit in low light, but can be helped by using large calibre single focal length lenses. A bit too light for large lenses, but the battery grip helps to compensate. | ||
| Thoughts | My favorite of 4 current Pentax bodies. (ME Super, MZ-50, PZ1-P, ZX-5n) I generally shoot in AE or manual mode for outdoor landscapes, and the metering performance is excellent. Spot meter adds flexibility for checking 'zone' exposures. | ||
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| Pro | Intuitive controls. Far better build quality than the equivalent priced Nikons and Canons.I wonder how many of the entry or mid level Canons/Nikons have a spot meter.
Pse note that it DOES have flash exposure compensation- although it is not stated anywhere in the manual. Set the camera to manual, meter the ambient light and set f stop and shutter speed. Then set the exposure compensation dial to your liking. The flash will expose to the compensated value. | ||
| Contra | Autofocus speed now feeling a little slow compared to the latest models. | ||
| Thoughts | Handling much improved with the optional battery pack which is a worthwhile investment.Still a great buy after all these years. | ||
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| Pro | This Camera is a beauty! small, handy, simple to use, classical layout. There are many good and cheap pentax lenses or tokina atx pro. Do not go for power-zoom lenses, they need to much batteries and are slow! | ||
| Contra | in some situation you can not see the setting clearly. autofocus quite slow. Had to repair the flash 2 times already (Costs was 50$) | ||
| Thoughts | If you want a small and powerfull camera with good metering, dof and classical layout, than it's the pentax. if you want to impress people you need another bigger brand like canon or nikon! | ||
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| Pro | Excellent metering, very rarely fooled, and simple to switch from metering to spot via lever under shutter speed dial (on MZ-3, anyway).
Handling intuitive, there are no clunky menus to scroll through, everything is changed via switch. Feels very comfortable in hand if you use smallish, light lenses (please see point in contra section) | ||
| Contra | Autofocus pretty poor, mine just will not handle anything moving, no matter how slowly (even with an f1.4 50mm lens).
Some of the specifications seem weak when compared to similar Canon or Nikon cameras (for example flash sync and motor drive speed, and especially autofocus). In mitigation, all of the 'major' features are included, except perhaps for multi exposure and mirror lock-up. Film rewind pretty slow and very noisy (have scared off some wild animals on more than one occasion!) Can feel a bit too small - I have a 300mm F4 lens, and I really need the battery grip just to give an adequate hold on the camera. This is only an issue with big lenses, it feels perfect with a 50mm or standard zoom. | ||
| Thoughts | Very good, reliable camera, compact and easy to use, but has a few problems with Autofocus and may seem a bit 'basic' when compared with others.
Most importantly, I seem to get very good, reliable images from this camera even if I have to resort to manual focus more often than not! | ||
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| Pro | Good build quality, backward compatibility with M and K lenses, intuitive controls, extremely reliable metering, bright viewfinder, convenient exposure bracketing, beautiful design. | ||
| Contra | None | ||
| Thoughts | I love this camera! It's the best in its class. Very reliable exposure system paired with a sharp lens like a 50/f1.4 and you can't go wrong! The FA 28-70/f4 AL is also a good match.
A beautiful camera that performs well. | ||
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| Pro | Can use all Pentax lenses ever made! Excellent and extremely useable lay out. Accurate exposure. Spot meter. Quite and low vibration shutter/mirror. DOF preview. Surprisingly sturdy. | ||
| Contra | Narrower angle spot meter. Film rewind w/ lead out. Mirror lock up.
Not specifically an issue with this camera, there are fewer lens choices for Pentax but never a problem because of the huge used market thanks to the backward compatibility of Pentax. | ||
| Thoughts | If you look beyond brand name, Pentax offers the best price/performance ratio. 5n packs auto features for beginners and casual users while providing absolutely critical features for serious photographers. I am seriously thinking about getting a second 5n body. | ||
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| Pro | I tried many SLR in this price segment and the Pentax mx-5n I like the most.
1. traditional usage possible. All settings are at the same place like manual SLR's! 2. Price. Quite everything you realy need is there for a good price. 3. DOF and 1/2 step for exposure series 4. Size (travelling) | ||
| Contra | After using this camera for more than 2 years I had to fix it 2 times.
1. always problem with the external flash (sigma). Problem still occures but I don't know if its the flash or not! 2. Built in Flash does not flip out. Following things I don't like : -If you like to buy 3rd part objectives, tamron or tokina does not support all lens for pentax (af-lens). -autofocus could be faster -scratches very fast -battery are expensive. | ||
| Thoughts | I'm wondering why many people always compares features. Features does not make the picture! First check what your needs are. If you travel and you are a amateur - advanced photographer that make about 40 Rolls a year and you like accurate metering, than this camera it's build for you.
The MZ5N is a nice and small camera. if price, size and the traditional handling is importend, this is your camera. comparing to nikon F808 canon EOS10/33, minolta 600Si in the same price range you get a lot more for less. Just think of buying good lenses as well. The Body is just the smaller part of taking the picture! And before you buy, go rent this camera for a week and look if the ergonomics fits to you | ||
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| Pro | - very small & lightweight (for a SLR) yet nearly full featured and a nicely smooth retro-pigeonholed design women love it for this combination. However, I find it nearly too classic for my taste after a few years of use with the overly protruding dial knobs (however, practical on the other hand).
- intuitive ergonomics, everything is clear the first moment you look at it and you donīt have to worry if you lose the manual - DOF preview, bracketing, manual film speed override possible, exposure lock, spot metering - low battery consumption -> batteries last long -> cheap to maintain | ||
| Contra | - not really technological edge and some not THAT exclusive features are missing (like multiple exposures, some more advanced autofocus functions, not the best thing for flash photography) and due to price/features ratio not the best buy anymore, especially since the arrival of N 80 or EOS 30 or MZ-6.
- be not fooled by the classic design apart from the film chamber and lens mount (which are steel = ok) itīs all plastic, even the aluminium-like finish is actually only a thin layer of paint. And beyond that the silver parts are quite prone to scratching, better buy a camera bag right away. - no sealing against dust or similar annoyances (once I found nearly microscopic-sized ticks (?) occupying the viewfinder screen) | ||
| Thoughts | (MZ-3)
Very nice little camera with a very good ratio between features and weight/dimensions (but not price/features) very compact. No high tech, nothing exclusive, but practically everything one needs, technically very dependable and a very low battery guzzler paired with some ultra-compact Pentax primes or the 28-70/4 or the new 24-90 zoom ideal for carrying around on trips and nature walks, but only if you donīt care about ruggedness, which is not the best in the universe (still better than most in the price range which isnīt a praise at all). Maybe a but overpriced for nearly EUR 500, around 300 would be more adequate today. | ||
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| Pro | DOF preview, nice controls, small, light, 3 meter options, 2 focus options | ||
| Contra | slow shutter, rewinds all the way, no double exposure, | ||
| Thoughts | Beuty | ||
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| Pro | Brilliant handling, Good auto-exposure and light meter. | ||
| Contra | Autofocus is a little slow compared with Canon. The Pentax lens range is limited. Slow top shutter speed. Slow motordrive. | ||
| Thoughts | Its main selling point is that it handles like a 1970's SLR. It has a shutter speed dial on top by the prism and an aperture ring at the back of the lens. To select Program mode you have to set A for auto on both aperture and shutter speed dial. If you like the way cameras used to handle, this is the modern camera for you. The modest specification is adequate for most of us. The MZ-S should have been a better-built and better-specified version of this but Pentax missed their chance, yet again! | ||
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| Pro | Excellent ergonomy ; Light weight ; Mode Panorama (I love it for ... slides!) ; Excellent light mete(spot or 6 zones) ; build quality | ||
| Contra | Synchro X 1/100s ; Vmax 1/2000s ; Memory button uneasy to use ; No continuous AF ; No half-speeds ; viewfinder screen not interchangeable | ||
| Thoughts | Despite lack of newest "goodies", I love it. Ergonomy "a la Leica" : you can take pictures very quickly, including when in the obscurity ; with other "advanced" cameras, you must read the manual and push on buttons with 3 hands to take a photo ! | ||
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| Pro | Light weight, easy to use, very efficient. | ||
| Contra | Manual rewind should leave the leader out. Metering mode could be recalled in the viewfinder. No high speed flash sync with AF 360 FGZ... | ||
| Thoughts | This camera is near perfect. | ||
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| Pro | simple to use, after any full-manual experience it is a good choice. It has no stupid programs and presets. | ||
| Contra | no ideas yet | ||
| Thoughts | i like it | ||
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| Pro | small and light weight | ||
| Contra | lack of 1/250 x-sync | ||
| Thoughts | I'd like to point out that flash compensation (for either the built-in or dedicated external TTL flashes)is available for MZ5n in metered manual mode. Although the owner's instruction book does not mention this feature, a promotional information sheet vaguely mentioned " exposure compensation -- even when flash is in use" or something like that. Once I've gotten my new MZ5n in early 1998, I did a test using a flash meter and confrmed that flash compensation is effective at a range of appr. +1/-2 f-stop. This feature was also confirmed by several members of the Pentax discussion list from time to time. The list also beleived, that the MZS camera too, would posesses this feature in metered manual mode. Due to the hyper-manual feature of MZS, flash compensation would be much easier to use than on MZ5n, or maybe even Z1p. | ||
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| Pro | - | ||
| Contra | - | ||
| Thoughts | My MZ-3 has done extremely well during an extended stay in the humid tropics of SE-Peru. In one case, a film got so swollen due to the humidity that I was unable to get it back into the cartridge, not even manually. But the MZ-3 (with the Battery Pack FG) performed flawlessly. Nevertheless, I have a few gripes as well: the viewfinder of the LX is brighter, and I gain one or even two pictures per film with the manual winding of the LX. A manual rewind for emergencies would be helpful. If the built-in flash could be made to extend a bit more, it would be more helpful when used with large lenses (i.e. less casting of a shadow). So, let's hope for some improvements on the MZ-S. | ||
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| Thoughts | I started out in 1987 with a Pentax P30, then I moved on to the MZ-5 in -96, and now I'm a proud owner of a MZ-5N. Build quality is excellent, body of polycarbonete (as most cameras today) but with many metal reinforcements (metal lens mount, metal film trail, metal bottom plattern and metal tripod mount). Handling and ergonomics are first rate. Easy to use and clearly labeled dials and switches. No strange menues or buttons with triple meanings. Great features for the price (electronic DOF-preview, autobracketing, 3-metering patterns with exposure memory lock, dioptre correction viewfinder, spot/multizone AF etc.). Exposure system is very accurate, it's seldom off (I would prefer -0.5EV in into-the-light situations, but this is easily dialed in with the exposure compensation dial). I had my previous MZ-5 for 4 years and the silver finish never got scratched. This is a light and compact model, very good when travelling. FG battery pack/handgrip improves handling with big and heavy lenses. Autofocus is fast and accurate most of the time, it even works in dim light. Pentax has a wide selection of lenses, and all Sigma lenses and most of the lenses from Tamron, Tokina, Cosina/Vivitar/Soligor/Phoenix are also available in Pentax AF fitting. Pentax selection of flashes could be wider, so buy Sigma EF430ST or a Metz instead (they're better value for money). I recommend this for any beginner or advanced amateur/semi-pro. This is an excellent camera at an excellent price. | ||
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| Thoughts | Very good camera. Best price/features ratio. Finally I can take really sharp pictures without any problems. Great perfomance in fully automatic mode! There are a lot of moderate priced Pentax lences available (both AF and old MF), I can use very cheap russian lenses also (very good eye-fish at $120!). | ||
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| Thoughts | had owned 20 cameras in a ten year period. All I can say is that I am a proud owner of a MZ-5n. My current equipment,consists of a 1954 Voigtlander Vito B, a 1965 Konica Auto S2 rangefinder, month in a half old Konica Hexar Silver and a brand new Pentax. The MZ-5n, in my opinion is the best camera for the value. I compared Canon Elan II and the upcoming Nikon F-80 (N-80 U.S. model). Both cameras are great. But the downside,is that the Elan II and the IIE,have been on the market for 8 long years. That the new Nikon was too expensive for my budget. | ||
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| Thoughts | I like the Pentax MZ-5N! I use the camera for my trips to asia and I don't want to carry a lot. The Autofocus is a little too slow and I had problems with using an external flash. But Pentax fixed it for free. (Garantee work) The only things that I realy don't like about the MZ-5N is, that Pentax hasn't a lot of lenses. Sigma and Tamron just starts to make lenses for the Pentax System. If you used an slr camera without program before and you want to switch to an autofocus camera, than the Pentax is the one! It has just the nescessairy feature and this makes the camera very easy to use. | ||
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| Thoughts | Pentax ZX-5n / Part 2 (I hit inadvertently the "Enter" key...). I take mostly slides, and I discovered that the "panorama" function is wonderful for slides !!! A bad detail : the ZX-5n "swallows" your films (no amorce left), which is not practical if you develop them yourself. | ||
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| Pro |
- Excellent, classical ergonomy - Very light - Very smooth : less vibrations than my Leica R-7 ! And IT IS important to get sharp photos. | ||
| Contra |
impossible to change the focusing screen (I prefer a matte one, with horizontal and vertical lines) the synchro-X speed is too low (1/100s), etc. The silver finish is easily scratched. | ||
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