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 Pentax A3 (1985) is a consumer-grade 35mm SLR in the KA-mount line, positioned between the entry-level P3 and the more capable Super Program. It offers program and aperture-priority modes but omits shutter-priority and manual exposure, placing it firmly in the simplified-consumer bracket. A Date variant (A3 Date) added quartz date/time imprinting to the film. The body is predominantly polycarbonate and smaller than the Super Program, targeting photographers who wanted KA-lens compatibility and auto-wind convenience without committing to a fully featured PASM body.
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.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
A mid-tier 1985 KA-mount SLR offering program and aperture-priority AE in a compact polycarbonate body.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Pentax KA |
| Years | 1985 – ~ |
| Shutter | ~30s – 1/2000s, electronic vertical metal |
| Flash sync | ~1/100s |
| Meter | TTL center-weighted SPD |
| Modes | Program, Aperture-priority |
| Battery | 2x CR2032 (no mechanical fallback) |
| Weight | ~ |
By 1985, Pentax had established two tiers in its K-mount manual-focus lineup: the enthusiast/professional segment (MX, LX) and the consumer segment (ME, ME Super, Program Plus). The A3 entered as a mid-tier consumer body, intended to give volume-market shoppers access to the KA-mount system - with its "A" aperture-position lenses enabling program mode - without the price of the Super Program. The timing coincided with the industry-wide shift toward polycarbonate bodies and program-emphasis marketing; Pentax, like Canon and Nikon, was restructuring its consumer lineup to meet first-time SLR buyers rather than experienced photographers trading up.
The A3 Date variant was common in Japan, where date-imprinting was a popular differentiator in the mid-price SLR segment. The A3 was part of the last wave of dedicated manual-focus consumer SLRs from Pentax before the SF series (1987) shifted the company's focus to autofocus bodies.
The A3 is not a landmark camera, but it illustrates Pentax's strategy in the mid-1980s consumer market: KA-mount compatibility, program automation, and modest size at a price competitive with Canon's T50 and Nikon's FG-20. For today's buyers, it is an inexpensive path into the Pentax K-mount system, accepting KA and all earlier K-mount lenses in aperture-priority mode and all KA lenses in program mode.
The absence of manual exposure is the primary limitation. Unlike the ME Super or Super Program, there is no way to override automatic exposure by setting a specific shutter speed manually. Photographers who want full manual control should look at the Super Program or MX instead. For program-and-A-mode shooting with SMC Pentax-A glass, the A3 is functional and cheap.
Pentax KA mount. KA lenses (with "A" aperture position) enable program mode; K and M lenses work in aperture-priority only. SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7, A 28mm f/2.8, and A 35mm f/2.8 are well-matched to the body's consumer positioning. KAF and KAF2 lenses mount but autofocus does not engage (body is manual focus). A Date variant adds quartz date imprinting; otherwise identical to standard A3. Dedicated TTL flash support available via compatible AF-series Pentax flashes.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
View profile →C41
Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
View profile →Pentax A3
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