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 Super A (1983) — sold as the Pentax Super Program in North America and the Pentax Program A in some Asian markets — is a 35mm SLR that introduced the full PASM (Program / Aperture-priority / Shutter-priority / Manual) exposure range to the K-mount Pentax line. It uses the updated KA-mount, which added a contact strip to communicate aperture data electronically between lens and body, enabling shutter-priority and program modes while retaining full compatibility with all earlier K-mount and M-mount lenses (with adapters). The meter employs a multi-segment SPD silicon cell for more even exposure across varied lighting situations.
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 first K-mount Pentax to offer all four exposure modes — Program, Av, Tv, and Manual — in a compact aluminium body with a genuine multi-pattern meter.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Pentax KA (full K-mount compatibility) |
| Years | 1983–1989 |
| Shutter | 30s – 1/2000s + B, vertical-travel metal blades |
| Flash sync | 1/125s |
| Meter | TTL multi-pattern SPD, EV 1–19 |
| Modes | Program, Aperture-priority, Shutter-priority, Manual |
| Viewfinder | 92% coverage, 0.87× |
| Weight | 545 g |
Pentax arrived at the PASM milestone slightly behind Canon (the A-1, 1978) and Minolta (the X-700, 1981), but the Super A's implementation was clean and the K-mount compatibility across a huge existing lens base gave it immediate relevance. The KA mount added five electrical contacts to the rear bayonet ring; lenses designed for KA (designated with an "A" aperture position on the aperture ring) allow the body to control aperture electronically for shutter-priority and program modes. Earlier K-mount lenses work in aperture-priority and manual modes with full metering.
The Super A was marketed to enthusiasts and advanced amateurs who wanted creative control without moving to a fully professional body. In Japan the "Super A" name was used from launch; Western markets received the "Super Program" designation. The body's clean lines — no motor drive bulk, no excessive plastic — gave it a reputation for understated elegance that older Pentax cameras also carried.
The Pentax Super A matters as the pivot point in K-mount history when Pentax moved from purely mechanical (K1000, K2) and aperture-priority (ME, MX) bodies to the full four-mode system that defined the modern SLR. Every K-mount Pentax since — the Z series, MZ series, and digital K series — owes its exposure architecture to the KA mount introduced here. The multi-pattern SPD meter also represents a genuine advance over the center-weighted metering in earlier Pentax bodies, improving hit rates with backlit subjects and uneven lighting.
For users today, the Super A is a low-cost entry to the entire Pentax K-mount lens family, including the excellent SMC Pentax-A primes (28/2.8, 50/1.4, 85/1.8, 135/2.8), with a full PASM body in a compact aluminium shell. Its electronic dependence (no mechanical fallback) is a limitation but rarely a practical problem.
Pentax KA mount. All K, M, A, FA, and DA (with limitations) lenses mount. Best partners are SMC Pentax-A series: A 28mm f/2.8, A 50mm f/1.7, A 50mm f/1.4, A 50mm f/2 macro, A 85mm f/1.8, A 135mm f/2.8, A 200mm f/4. Older SMC Pentax-M and K lenses work in Av and M modes with full TTL metering. Accessories: AF280T and AF360FGZ flashes for TTL operation, motor winder available.
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 Super A
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