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 P30T (1989) is a multi-mode manual-focus SLR in Pentax's P-series consumer line, offering manual, aperture-priority, and program exposure modes in a polycarbonate-bodied package. It sits at the affordable end of the late-1980s Pentax lineup, below the autofocus SF-series and the more capable Super-A, but above the purely automatic compact SLRs of the same era. The P30T accepts the full KA-mount lens lineup and communicates with KA-type lenses for program-mode automation. Powered by two standard AA batteries, it avoids the proprietary lithium cells required by some contemporaries.
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
Late-1980s budget K-mount multi-mode SLR that delivered manual control at consumer price points.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Pentax KA |
| Years | ~1989–1997 |
| Shutter | 1s – 1/2,000s + Bulb, electronic vertical metallic |
| Flash sync | 1/100s |
| Meter | TTL center-weighted SPC, ~EV 1–20 |
| Exposure modes | Manual, aperture-priority, program |
| Viewfinder | ~90% coverage, ~0.78× |
| Weight | ~520 g (body only) |
| Battery | 2× AA |
Pentax launched the P-series in the mid-1980s as an explicit budget consumer tier below the professional MX/LX line and the mid-tier Super-A/Super-Program. The P30 and P30T emerged in the late 1980s as the P-series matured; the "T" suffix on the P30T typically indicates a slightly revised specification or cosmetic update over the base P30, though exact differentiation varies by market. The P-series competed against Canon's T-series and Nikon's FM10-era budget bodies, all targeting photography students and cost-sensitive buyers who wanted more control than a point-and-shoot allowed. The P30T was produced into the early-to-mid 1990s, eventually superseded by Pentax's autofocus Z-series bodies.
The P30T represents the tail end of the affordable manual-focus consumer SLR era. By 1989, autofocus was well established (Pentax's own SF-1 launched in 1987), and a body like the P30T occupied the segment of buyers who either could not afford autofocus hardware or actively preferred manual focus. Its program mode with KA-lens communication allowed full automation for casual shooting, while manual mode served photographers learning exposure fundamentals. The combination, at a low price, made it a common student body in the early 1990s.
Its main legacy for today's film shooters is practical: it is inexpensive, plentiful, accepts fifty years of K-mount glass, and functions adequately in all three exposure modes. It is not a camera that excites collectors but it is an honest working tool.
The KA mount communicates electronically with KA-type lenses for program-mode aperture control. All K, KA, KAF, KAF2, and KAF3 lenses mount physically; older K lenses without the KA electrical contacts work in manual and aperture-priority with stop-down metering where required. The SMC Pentax-A 50/1.7 and 50/2 are typical kit companions. The P30T is compatible with Pentax AF-dedicated flashes that support program-AE TTL; the built-in hot shoe accepts standard ISO-compliant accessories.
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.
View profile →Pentax P30T
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