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 ME (1976) is a compact aperture-priority-only automatic SLR built around the K-mount. Launched alongside the fully manual Pentax MX, the ME was aimed at photographers who wanted reliable automatic exposure in the smallest possible body. It weighs approximately 390 g, measures only 49 mm deep, and was one of the smallest 35mm SLRs of its era. The viewfinder is notably bright and generous — 0.97× magnification at 95% coverage — making manual focusing easy despite the absence of any programmed or manual exposure mode.
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
Featherweight 1976 aperture-priority SLR that proved small and capable were not mutually exclusive.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Pentax K (KA-compatible) |
| Years | 1976–1984 |
| Shutter | 8s – 1/1,000s + Bulb, electronic vertical |
| Flash sync | 1/100s |
| Meter | TTL center-weighted SPC, EV 3–18 |
| Exposure modes | Aperture-priority AE only |
| Viewfinder | ~95% coverage, ~0.97× |
| Weight | ~390 g (body only) |
| Battery | 2× LR44 / SR44 |
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.
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.
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.
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.
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