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 MZ-M (1999) - sold as the ZX-M in North America - is a manual-focus-only variant of the MZ/ZX body platform, stripped of the autofocus drive and multi-segment metering found in its siblings. It retains the manual and aperture-priority exposure modes, a center-weighted TTL meter, and the same compact polycarbonate shell shared across the MZ line. The MZ-M was aimed at photography students, manual-focus purists, and buyers seeking the lightest possible K-mount SLR at the lowest price point within the MZ generation. By removing the AF motor the body achieves a claimed weight of approximately 230 g without battery - genuinely light for a pentaprism SLR of the period.
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 deliberately stripped MZ-series body offering manual and aperture-priority exposure in Pentax's lightest-ever K-mount SLR shell.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Pentax KAF |
| Years | ~1999–2006 |
| Shutter | 1s – 1/2,000s + Bulb, electronic vertical metallic |
| Flash sync | 1/100s |
| Meter | TTL center-weighted SPC, ~EV 2–19 |
| Exposure modes | Manual, aperture-priority |
| Viewfinder | ~85% coverage, ~0.75× |
| Weight | ~230 g (body only) |
| Battery | 2× CR2 |
Pentax introduced the MZ-M alongside the main MZ/ZX autofocus lineup in 1999, positioning it as the manual-focus option within the MZ body generation. The strategy echoed Nikon's approach with the FM10 - offer a contemporary-shell manual body for students and markets where low price or manual-only simplicity was valued - but Pentax executed it on the same physical platform as its autofocus siblings rather than commissioning an entirely separate design.
The removal of the AF motor simplified the internal mechanism and reduced weight but left the KAF mount contacts in place, meaning the body communicates with KAF-type lenses for program-mode metering purposes in aperture-priority. The camera does not autofocus but it does read lens aperture data from KAF and later glass.
The MZ-M sold into the mid-2000s, outlasting many of its autofocus siblings as Pentax transitioned to the *ist digital SLR line. It was never replaced by a direct successor; Pentax's next manual-focus-oriented body would be the MZ-S, which was a professional rather than budget instrument.
The MZ-M occupies a niche: a genuinely modern-era (late-1990s production date, contemporary shutter mechanism, fresh light seals from factory) manual-focus SLR available at budget prices. Competitors in the late-1990s manual-focus segment were mostly older bodies - Nikon FM2, Olympus OM-3Ti, Leica R6 - at substantially higher prices, or ageing stock from the 1980s. The MZ-M offered a new production manual body in a compact shell, compatible with fifty years of K-mount glass, at a student price point.
For contemporary film use, the MZ-M remains practical: the electronic shutter is accurate, the center-weighted meter is straightforward to use, and the K-mount lens ecosystem is vast and inexpensive. The CR2 battery dependency adds ongoing cost, but the body itself can often be found for under $60. The absence of program mode and autofocus is a feature rather than a limitation for buyers specifically seeking manual control.
The KAF mount accepts K, KA, KAF, KAF2, and KAF3 lenses mechanically; autofocus does not operate on any lens. Aperture-priority and manual modes work with all K-mount glass; KAF and later lenses provide electrical communication for metering purposes. Older K and KA lenses work with stop-down metering in aperture-priority.
The SMC Pentax-M series primes (28/2.8, 50/1.4, 50/1.7, 85/2, 135/3.5) are well-suited companions: compact, optically mature, and available inexpensively. The MZ-M's light body pairs naturally with the M-series' compact dimensions. An ISO hot shoe accepts compatible flash units; no dedicated winder or motor drive exists for the body.
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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