Gear Talk: Pentax ME Super

[@cruzinthru8285]

Nice Video... Can't believe it has been here over 2 years, and I never found it before. This ME Super was an Upgrade for me, from my Asahi Pentax SV that I bought in 1962 when I was 9 years old. Saved all of my money from Two Newspaper Routes for over a year to buy it... which was a big upgrade from an Agfa point and shoot at that time. When I was 6, my dad bought me my first "Yankee" dark room kit, with no enlarger but let you develop B+W Film and "Contact Prints". ... I was Hooked. In 1982 I bought a Pentax ME Super Black Body, with the SMC Pentax 50mm f1.4 Lens... and I bout it for a Reason, many you mentioned here. This was the "Perfect" camera to shot Rock Concerts and Stage Photography... working in the Dark. Everything from Loading the Film into those White Spindles, to the Bump on the Lens that lined up with the Lens Release, to the Electronic Controls for the Manual Shutter Speeds, and the LED Screen in the View Finder, were specifically designed for THIS camera, above all others at the time, to be Perfect for shooting Rock Stars and or Actors "on stage". The Electronic Controlled Shutter Speeds, were designed so that you never had to take the camera away from your eye to set the shutter speed. Every Other Camera at the time you had to do this... and I know Luigi, that you like this Better, but there have been 100 Million or more, "Lost Shots" ... Fantastic Moments that will Never have been captured, because the Photographer, has to Stop, and remove his eye from the Viewfinder, reset the Shutter Speed, and Re-Compose the Shot... which by that time, the Shot was gone. Try doing THAT in the Dark, to compound things further... Imagine standing at the edge of the stage taking photos, and David Bowie sees you, and gets down on his knees with the microphone, and gets Right in your Face, while singing the line ... "You're a Rock n' Roll Suicide..." ...but you have to move the Camera, look down at the shutter dial, set it, and by the time that happens, he has given up on you, and is now 10 feet away, under different lighting, and you have to reset shutter speed again. ... after you Lost the Moment! Noooo... that's not what happened... I got 6 amazing shots, with him right in my face, because My Eye never left the Viewfinder, and always used the ME-Winder II, while shooting Concerts. ... The ME Super was MADE for Rock Photography! I got to know a lot of important people in the music industry at that time, as I had my own color darkroom, and gave away 11x14 color prints, mounted in 16x20 Frames, to Band Managers, Concert Promoters, Venue Owners etc. I gave away stacks of Printed Calendars of my photos to Radio Stations, Record Companies etc. Often delivered right at their Headquarters in Nashville. I got a Lot of Work for Promo and Album Covers. I made a Good Living through the 80's and 90's from my Concert Photography alone, and got to know many famous performers along the way. Was always able to get All Access Passes to the Best Concerts anywhere in the U.S. with a simple phone call. All Access, also means Back Stage, the Wings on either side of the stage etc. ... You become a "Fixture" at the best concerts, and end up also invited to after show parties etc. Those were "the good old days" for me, and it would not have been Possible without this Pentax ME Super. You might laugh to know that I do not part with my cameras, once I have "Bonded" with them, and take exceptional care of them. I still have my Black Body ME Super, and it is in Pristine Condition... Not the slightest scratch or "Brassing" on the body, which Still has the Protective Plastic Sticker the camera shipped with, on the base plate...Amazing after 20+ years of constant use. If that camera could talk, it could write a book... lol I still have every camera I have ever owned, including my First camera, the "Kodak Baby Brownie" I got when I was 4 years old... They all Still work too. ...but I have a Special Love for my Pentax ME Super. Haaa! ... Amazing! ... Your Video Ends, and your Next Video pops up on the screen... "Yashica Mat 124 G" ... My First "Medium Format Camera! Seems we like a lot of the Same Things... Yeah, I still have that one too... with add on lenses for wide and telephoto, it's pristine in it's Leather case. You would laugh if you came to my house, I had to build a second building, the size of my 2 car garage, just to house all of my Photo Gear, and every piece of Film I have ever shot in my life... I have written way too much already... so I will Thank You in Advance for that Yashica Video too!

[@LuigiBarbano]

Thank you for sharing your great story! I share your passion for the ME-Super. Do you have a website or similar to see your work? It seems you have a very interesting photographic career and life! Concert photography is not an easy job and is so fascinating. I did some of that in my early career and I really enjoyed it. Thanks again for the comment and sharing your experience.

[@cruzinthru8285]

@@LuigiBarbano - I just left a comment on your Yashica Mat 124 G video, that may interest you. At the moment, I do not have a website, or anywhere that I show my work. Back before Flickr got it's New Mgmt., I had a Yahoo email, and posted a Lot of my photos from Scanned Film, as I shot like 80% on Kodachrome, and FujiChrome for Medium Format. Found that people were Downloading them, sending them out to be Printed, in Big Sizes, as they were Quality Scans, and then Selling My Photos on eBay and other places... and there was nothing I could do about it. So I took it all down. I may decide at some time in the future, to put up some Small Images, that would not be good enough to print even 8x10... I don't know... I have been writing a Book on and off over the past 10 years, about those days, and interesting times and conversations with I guess what became Icons of Rock, but were just getting known at the time. It's funny when they approach you, and remind me, of the night they saw me at some crazy after party, or at some show they did, and you'd never think they had ever noticed, but they do... just like anyone else. When I am no longer on this planet, which may come sooner that I would like, I am leaving everything to my Younger sister, with a list of Publishers who may be interested... maybe not, but who knows. I think we would be good friends if we met, as we like much of the same things, and seem to have a Passion very similar. Thanks for your Videos, you are good at it, and I admire anyone who isn't trying to be some "KZbin Star" with a T-shirt that says... "I shoot RAW" kind of thing. lol Check out my other comment... you can delete it if you like. ..

[@LuigiBarbano]

@@cruzinthru8285 Checked it. Very interesting. Sure a book is a fantastic idea. For the pictures you can do something that can bring you some $$. Put them on Internet but register them to the library of congress and use Pixsy as service to control copyright violations. I had made some good money from stolen pictures that way. If the images are registered it can be some thousands $$ for every violation. With a non registered at that time image I made around $3000 from multiple uses. It was a landscape of a touristic city used without permission by many companies. Pixsy got 50%... but were free unexpected money for me so all is good and the service is free to subscribe. Yep, I have my own t-shirts more ironic than I shot RAW :) BTW, you didn't see the video for two years... many people say the same, I think KZbin doesn't like me that much. Or probably they just prefer to keep me low so they can show advertises before my video but I cannot monetize and they don't have to share the profit! I don't know, but sure I see almost no viewers coming from the "suggested video" feature in the analytics.

[@zachallerton1724]

Nice review with personal experiences. Thank you!

[@LuigiBarbano]

Thanks

[@Murgoh]

This was my first "real" camera, bought it in the early 90:s and I still have it and use it and it works perfectly. The film transport indicator window is nice to have when rewinding film, I stop rewinding when the stripes stop mowing so the leader does not get pulled into the canister. Much easier for developing as I don't need to open the canister and fumble with the curly loose film and scissors in the dark, just cut off the tapered end and start the film on the spiral with the lights on and then turn off the lights and wind the film on the spiral straight from the canister.

[@LuigiBarbano]

That is a good use of the stripy thing :) I quit to leave the end out after I reused a roll on assignment... ouch :)

[@Wasamatau]

Me too! 1st "real" camera not a Kodak Pocket Instamatic! ;) Sold it years ago. Just bought another.

[@dooleyfan]

Great overview! My first SLR was a K1000. I gave it to my son recently as he wanted to get started on film photography. I just picked up an ME Super for myself today and this was very helpful. Thank you!

[@LuigiBarbano]

Thank you.

[@guillermolastra6555]

Great camera I have my black buy on 1980 and also have the PENTAX ME on chrome , buy on Ebay almost free and is a perfect camera for travel loved

[@LuigiBarbano]

yep, great camera indeed!

[@rowan3674]

really good review !

[@LuigiBarbano]

Thanks

[@rowan3674]

@@LuigiBarbano which way do the batteries go in I’m being lazy aha

[@LuigiBarbano]

@@rowan3674 there is a sign on the battery cover, inside... don't remember what it says :) but look at it and you will see what polarity goes toward the cover.

[@markhou]

Great camera! I have the original ME

[@LuigiBarbano]

absolutely great cameras!

[@melvinch]

You need more B-rolls in your videos....

[@LuigiBarbano]

I even had to google b-rolls to understand what you were talking about... so I'm pretty sure you are right :D