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 Spotmatic (1964) was Asahi Pentax's first SLR with TTL metering. Despite the name (which Asahi originally intended for a planned spot-metering body that didn't ship), the Spotmatic uses **center-weighted average TTL** via a CdS cell — you press a button to stop the lens down for metering. Mechanical horizontal-cloth shutter to 1/1000s, no automation, M42 universal screw mount that accepts every Takumar lens and every M42 lens from any manufacturer.
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
The screw-mount classic that brought TTL metering to the masses. Four million sold.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | M42 (Pentax universal screw mount) |
| Years | 1964–1976 (across SP, SP II, SP1000, SP500, SPF) |
| Shutter | 1s – 1/1000s, mechanical horizontal cloth |
| Flash sync | 1/60s |
| Meter | TTL stop-down CdS |
| Modes | Manual |
| Weight | 620 g |
| Battery | 1× PX625 mercury (meter only) |
Released 1964 (Japan) / 1965 (US). The Spotmatic was the volume-selling body that established Pentax as a global brand. Four million units across all variants. Variants:
The Spotmatic ended in 1976 when Pentax replaced the M42 system with the K bayonet on the new K-series (K1000, KX, KM).
The Spotmatic introduced TTL to the consumer SLR market. Before it, most SLRs used external selenium or CdS clip-on meters. Putting the meter inside the body, reading through the actual lens, was a watershed moment that every other manufacturer copied within five years.
The M42 mount means a Spotmatic owner has access to every M42 lens ever made — Takumar (Pentax), Zeiss-Jena Pancolar, Helios-44, Mir, Industar, Asahi Optical Super-Multi-Coated lineup. Many of these lenses are excellent and dirt-cheap. A Spotmatic + 50/1.4 SMC Takumar is one of the cheapest entry routes into film SLR shooting in 2026.
M42 universal screw mount. Asahi Takumar (early), Super Takumar (mid), Super-Multi-Coated Takumar / SMC Takumar (1971+) lenses are the native ecosystem. Soviet Helios-44, Industar; East-German Zeiss Pancolar, Tessar; West-German Zeiss equivalents — all mount and meter (stop-down). Some Takumars (e.g., Super-Takumar 50/1.4 7-element version) are mildly radioactive due to thoriated glass; harmless but worth knowing.
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 Spotmatic
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