Re: Question about manual Petaxes.

[Alan Chan]

There are 2 issues here - viewfinder brightness & screen brightness. The MX screen is good in its own era, and still bright if you use fast primes (like I do). However, f4 or slower lenses will start to make manual focus difficult without split image. On the other hand, the viewfinder magnification of ME Super and MX are the highest. If you want the brightest and easiest manual focus viewfinder, install the F?-6? screens which were released along with LX2000, in MX and you have the highest magnification and brightest viewfinder of any Pentax 135 cameras. However, be prepared a CLA for any used MX you newly purchased.

regards,
Alan Chan

I am contemplating (considering?!) buying a used manual focus manual
everything Pentax body. My main goal in doing so is to get fully
mechanical camera (so that I can use it where I probably wouldn't use
my MZ-6) with bright viewfinder (unlike my MZ-6). I hope that after
CLA or its equivalent this camera would actually outlive the MZ-6.
Currently I am under impression that MX is what would answer my needs.
However I wonder whether MX's default focusing screen is as
bright/good as that of ME Super. I saw ME Super and liked its screen.

Yesterday I saw KX and was amazed by rather dim screen. Pardon my age
and hence lack of knowledge, but what is the reason for putting the
rather dark circle around the microprism center of the screen?

Ultimately, my question is - which fully manual (on meter is operated
by batteries) Pentax camera has brightest focusing screen?
Alternatively, if MX's default focusing screen is not that good, which
replacement focusing screen should I look for?

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