Pentax ME1976

History

Pentax released the ME and MX as a complementary pair in 1976, splitting its compact M-series into an automatic body (ME) and a fully manual body (MX). The ME succeeded in the consumer market and was updated to the ME Super in 1979, which added a two-button manual-exposure override. The original ME remained on sale until roughly 1984. It was produced through the transition from the K-mount to the KA-mount, and KA-lenses introduced with the Super-A in 1983 function in aperture-priority on the ME as they would with any earlier K-body.

Why It Matters

The ME's viewfinder is widely considered punching above its class: the ~0.97× magnification at ~95% coverage rivals cameras twice its price, and it is frequently cited as easier to manual-focus than the heavier, nominally "professional" bodies of the same era. Combined with a genuinely small and light body, the ME became a popular choice for street and travel photographers who wanted a proper SLR without a camera bag full of bulk. The aperture-priority-only limitation is real — there is no manual shutter control without the successor ME Super — but for many shooting conditions it is irrelevant.

Lenses & Accessories

K-mount: all K, KA, KAF, KAF2, and KAF3 lenses work in aperture-priority. Auto stop-down metering applies for K and M series lenses. The SMC Pentax-M 50/1.7 and M 50/2 are natural companions — compact, sharp, and size-matched to the body. The ME accepts the dedicated Pentax AF280T flash for programmed auto-flash. No motor winder was offered for the ME itself; the ME Super introduced the ME Winder II.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• Popular student and amateur body in Japan and Europe through the late 1970s and early 1980s.
• Frequently paired with the SMC Pentax-M 50/1.4 or 50/1.7 as an all-in-one travel kit.
• Cited on Pentax Forums and film-revival communities as an undervalued entry point to the K-mount system.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Pentax ME
• Pentax Forums: Pentax ME