Re: Whatever happened to Pentax?

"Dudley Hanks" <hanks.dudley@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:IQGAj.69831$FO1.22055@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> "George Kerby" <ghost_topper@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
> news:C3F88C39.47FCD%ghost_topper@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>
>>
>>
>> On 3/8/08 2:46 PM, in article nWCAj.74916$w57.63673@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 "Dudley 
>> Hanks"
>> <hanks.dudley@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>>
>>> Back in the '60s, '70s and even into the '80s Pentax was right up
there 
>>> with
>>> Canon and Nikon.  But, today, it seems like the company doesn't even
get
>>> honourable mention in the brand wars.  What happened?
>>>
>> The first SLR with spot metering as I recall in the late 60's.
>>
>
> Well, sort of.  If my memory isn't too fuzzy, I think that they "said" 
> they were going to make the first SLR with spot metering -- the
Spotmatic. 
> Pentax made a pre-production model according to its claims, but when it 
> hit production the spot sensoring turned out to be a couple of sensors 
> that really only read an average of the light in the viewfinder.  I'm
not 
> sure if they later modified the spotmatic to actually use spot metering,

> or whether one of the other giants got it into production first.
>
> Trying to Remember,
> Dudley
>
>

Pentax introduced the prototype Spotmatic at Photokina in 1960, describing

it as having a TTL spot meter.  The camera wasn't actually released till 4

years later, and it featured an averaging meter, but Pentax kept the 
"Spotmatic" name.  The camera was neither "Spot metering" nor "automatic."

That notwithstanding, I still have my original Spotmatic IIa from 1973,
and 
it looks in mint condition and performs flawlessly.  I've ac***ulated 22
SMC 
Takumar lenses over the past 35 years, along with another 11 camera
bodies, 
bellows and other accessories.  I use them all, and have no plans to "go 
digital."  I scan my films and am quite happy with that arrangement.

The lenses are superb, and it would cost a fortune to replicate the system

in digital if, in fact, such prime lenses were even available.

Not bad for equipment that has been in service for a third of a century!