Tag: Pentax Spotmatic SP II

Broken Asahi Pentax Spotmatic SPII

Created by photographer Frank Jansen, the Tuesday Photo Challenge is a weekly theme-based challenge for photographers of all kinds to share both new and old photography.

When I was a kid growing up in St. Vincent & the Grenadines1, my dad would take us on road trips out to the countryside. Note, this was on an island that is 345 kilometre2 (133 miles2). A road trip isn't more than a 30-minute drive. But as a kid, it felt like we travelled for hours over great distances.

Sometimes, these trips were to the top of a part of the volcanic ridge that bisects the island. Other times it was to a previous unexplored beach along the coastline. For me, it always felt like an adventure.

My father often brought his camera, an Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II film camera. Asahi Optical Co. introduced the Spotmatic circa 1964. It was the first camera to sell well with Through-the-Lens light metering in many ways; my dad is the first photographer I knew personally. My dad was an aloof father when I was a kid, so I can't say he taught me much about photography but knowing he took photos of us during our mini-adventures is a pleasant memory.

The camera in this photo is the same Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II and the Asahi SMC Takumar 50mm f/1.4 lens that Dad used on those "road trips". My mom found it a few years ago while doing some spring cleaning. I was excited to have it. But it's broken. I replaced the battery but stripped the screws on the battery compartment. The shutter works, but the latch that keeps the back door closed doesn't work. Mould grew over the pentaprism, making it difficult to focus the camera. The camera is broken.

I love the controls on this camera. Want to change the ISO? Turn a dial. Want to set the aperture? Turn the dial on the lens. From my search on Google, I think the Fuji X series cameras are the only modern digital cameras that operate this way. If I had the budget for a second camera, I would get either the X-T2 or X100F. I have been watching Fuji for a few years. I like their approach to camera design. I rented a Fuji X-T1 and Fuji X-E1 a few years ago and loved them both. I don't have the budget for a complete system switch.

Created by photographer Frank Jansen, the Tuesday Photo Challenge is a weekly theme-based challenge for photographers of all kinds to share both new and old photography.

  1. Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island in a chain of islands comprising the nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. St. Vincent is located between Saint Lucia and Grenada in the Caribbean Sea. ↩

Old things have significance

I updated my Facebook profile photo this week. Inspired, I took a self-portrait with Dad's old camera, an Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II with attached Asahi SMC Takumar 50mm f/1.4 lens, as a prop. The camera-generated a few questions on Facebook, so I'm following up with a post about the camera.

A man's dreams are an index to his greatness. Zadok Rabinowitz

When I was a boy, Dad bought the Asahi Pentax Spotmatic II. I don't remember too much about the camera, but I do know that this camera or a Polaroid camera was the family camera. Dad took many photos on family vacations, or when he would drive us on an adventure around the island, in whichever one we were living. We moved around the British West Indies quite a bit.

I'm not sure how I obtained the camera -- perhaps my mom sent it to me, or maybe it was my dad -- but I do know why I keep it; nostalgia.

I know what it's like being a new parent and wanting to capture every moment of your child's early life. I know I did. I imagine Dad running around behind myself or my younger brothers (or maybe Mom) taking photos of us playing on the beach in Bequia or riding our bikes for the first time. I'm sure my mom has those photos hidden away somewhere.

Dad's Asahi Pentax Spotmatic II with Asahi Pentax SMC Takumar 50mm f/1.4 lens. —

Nikon D40 + 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ (24 mm, f/5.6, ISO200), © Khürt L. Williams

I think it's interesting that Dad's used a Pentax. I took a film photography course in college circa 1988, and I bought my first film camera; a Pentax P3. I remember being in love with black and white photography1 and the process of developing the film. I spent hours in the darkroom inhaling smelly chemicals. I think Bhavna has some negatives from those days stored in the basement. Time to do some spelunking.

  1. Was it Kodak Tri-X? ↩