C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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The Mamiya/Sekor 500 DTL (1968) is the lower-tier companion to the 1000 DTL, sharing the same M42 mount and distinctive **dual TTL metering** system — switchable between centre-weighted average and spot modes via a dedicated button. The key cost reduction was the shutter, capped at 1/500s rather than 1/1000s, making it more affordable for budget-conscious photographers while retaining the metering sophistication that distinguished the DTL line from the Pentax Spotmatic.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
Develop 35mm film
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Before you buy used
The 500 DTL shares most of the same failure modes as the 1000 DTL and other M42 SLRs from this era:
Price range is typically lower than the 1000 DTL, reflecting the slower shutter. Bodies in good condition fetch $50-150 depending on cosmetics and meter accuracy.
About this camera
The entry-level sibling of the 1000 DTL — same dual TTL metering, half the top shutter speed.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | M42 |
| Introduced | ~1968 |
| Shutter | 1s - 1/500s + B, mechanical horizontal cloth |
| Flash sync | 1/60s |
| Meter | TTL stop-down CdS, switchable spot/average |
| Modes | Manual |
| Battery | 1x PX625 mercury (meter only) |
| Mechanical fallback | Yes (meter off) |
Mamiya introduced the DTL series in 1968 alongside each other — the 1000 DTL at the top of the M42 range and the 500 DTL positioned below it. The "DTL" designation stood for Dual Through-the-Lens, referring to the selectable metering modes. The series was competitive with Pentax's Spotmatic line in the late 1960s M42 market, though Mamiya occupied a smaller market share in export markets.
The DTL line was eventually succeeded by the MSX/DSX series, which introduced open-aperture metering via a pin-coupled system, and later by the ZM Quartz line before Mamiya wound down 35mm SLR production.
The 500 DTL occupies an interesting niche: it offers dual-mode TTL metering — a genuinely useful feature for deliberate, manual-exposure shooting — at what was a lower price point than the 1000 DTL. For 2026 buyers working on a budget, it represents the cheapest entry into Mamiya's M42 DTL metering system. The 1/500s ceiling is a minor handicap in bright light with fast film, but is rarely a practical problem for most subjects. The full M42 ecosystem compatibility is the major draw.
Uses the M42 screw mount, compatible with the full range of Mamiya/Sekor M42 lenses as well as Pentax Super-Takumar, Carl Zeiss Jena, Meyer-Optik Gorlitz, and any other M42 glass. Stop-down metering means fully automatic lenses are not required — any M42 lens with a manual aperture ring works.
Common focal lengths from the era:
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
View profile →Mamiya 500 DTL
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