Pentax ME Quartz Date1979

History

Pentax introduced the ME in 1976 and began offering quartz-date variants across the M-series line in the late 1970s as date imprinting became a common consumer feature. The ME Quartz appeared around 1979, close to the launch of the ME Super, and was aimed at users who wanted automatic exposure, compact size, and a record of when each shot was taken - a practical feature for family and travel photography rather than professional use.

The quartz-date back module was a factory-fitted option at the point of sale, not an aftermarket accessory, distinguishing the ME Quartz from earlier cameras where date backs were bolted on separately. Production of the ME line ran until roughly 1984 when the ME Super fully displaced the original ME in the catalog.

Why It Matters

For most shooting purposes the ME Quartz is functionally equivalent to the standard ME, and the date imprinting module is the sole differentiator. Collectors and researchers sometimes seek out quartz-date variants as period artifacts - the amber digit imprint on the negative is immediately recognizable as a late-1970s to 1980s family photo signature. In contemporary film photography, the date imprinting feature has a following among shooters who want an authentic period look or a literal timestamp on the negative without chemical lab notation.

The optical and exposure system is unchanged: the ME's standout feature - a 0.97x viewfinder in a body under 400 g - is fully present. Aperture-priority-only operation remains the limitation; no manual shutter speed control is available.

Lenses & Accessories

Pentax K-mount, all generations (K, KA, KAF, KAF2, KAF3). KA lenses function in aperture-priority with stop-down metering for older K-mount glass. The SMC Pentax-M series is the natural companion line: 50/1.7 M and 50/2 M are compact and size-matched. The date module draws from the same LR44 batteries as the shutter circuit; no separate power is required.

Compatible with Pentax M-series flash units (AF200T, AF280T).

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• Consumer and family photography market in Japan and Europe, late 1970s to mid 1980s.
• Date-imprinted prints from this era are now period-recognizable visual shorthand for late-film-era family documentation.
• Cited in Pentax M-series variant surveys as one of the more complete ME configuration options.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Pentax ME - ME family overview including variant notes
• Pentax Forums: Pentax ME - user-reported variant details and specifications