mechanical SLR cameras (35mm)
This is a comparison of all mechanical 35mm SLRs in production until at least the mid 90s. While the Pentax LX isn't a fully mechanical camera, it offers a broad range of mechanical shutter speeds, so I included it anyway. For some data my sources - various mags, books, brochures and WWW pages - were inconsistent. Some time after I made this chart, in 2001, Nikon came out with the FM3A - which I actually bought and still own. The FM3A is basically an FM2 with improvements like TTL-flash and aperture priority.
| Manufacturer | Contax/Zeiss | Leica | Nikon | Olympus | Pentax | Pentax |
| Model | S2, S2b | R 6.2 | FM2n, FM2n/T | OM3Ti | K1000 | LX |
| Production Time | since 1992 | 1982 (FM2), 1989 (new shutter), since 1992 (FM2n) |
1983 to ? (OM3), since 1995 |
since 1976 | 1980 to 1996 (?) | |
| Lens Mount | Contax/Yashica | Leica R | Nikon F (Ai) | Olympus OM | Pentax K | Pentax K |
| Ambient Metering | spot (5mm), [center weighted] | spot (7mm), center weighted | center weighted (60/40) | spot (2.5%), multi-spot, center weighted | center weighted (CdS) | center weighted |
| Meter Sensitivity [EV} | 1 to 20 (spot), -1 to 20 (average) |
1 to 18 | 3 to 18 | -6 to 20 | ||
| Exposure Control | manual | manual | manual | manual | manual | manual, aperture priority |
| Exposure Compensation | +/- 2 (1/3) | no | +/- 2 (1/3), +2, -2 2/3 |
no | +/- 2 (1/3) | |
| Multiple Exposures | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | |
| TTL Flash Metering | yes | no | yes | no | yes | |
| Flash Connector | hotshoe, X | hotshoe (SCA 300, 500) | hotshoe, X | hotshoe | hotshoe, X | hotshoe, X, FP |
| Shutter Type | vertical | vertical | vertical | horizontal | horizontal | horizontal |
| Shutter Speed | 1/4000 to 1, B | 1/2000 to 1, X (1/100), B | 1/4000 to 1, B | 1/2000 to 1, B | 1/1000 to 1, B | manual: 1/2000 to 4, B auto: 1/2000 to 125 mech: 1/2000 to 1/75, B |
| Fash Sync Speed | 1/250 | 1/100 | 1/250 | 1/60 (1/2000 with F280) | 1/60 | 1/75 |
| Film Sensitivity (ISO) | 12 to 6400 | 12 to 3200 | 12 to 6400 | 6 to 3200 | 20 to 3200 | 6 to 3200 |
| Viewfinder Area | 92% | 93% | 97% | |||
| Viewfinder Display | no aperture | time, aperture, metering mode, -/o/+ metering, flash ready | time, aperture, -/o/+ metering, flash ready | time, metering bar (1/3), exp. corr., flash ready | needle | |
| Number of Viewfinder Screens | 4 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 14 |
| Viewfinder Magnification | 0.8 | |||||
| Viewfinder Features | ocular shutter, +/- 2dpt correction, switchable illumination | - | +1 to -2dpt correction, switchable illumination | depends on viewfinder: dpt correction |
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| Depth of Field Preview | yes | yes | yes | yes, on lens | no | yes |
| Self Timer | 9s | 10s | no | 4 to 12s | ||
| Mirror | 70% reflection | |||||
| Mirror Lock Up | yes (no reset) | no (pseudo) | no | yes | ||
| Film Advance Lever | 135 deg | 130 deg | 135 deg | 130 deg | 160 deg | 120 deg |
| Motor/Winder | no | Motor Winder R (2fps), Motor Drive R (4fps) |
Motor MD12 (3.2fps) | Winder (2.5fps), Motor Drive 2 (5fps) |
Motor Drive LX (5fps), Winder LX (2fps) | |
| Other Accessories | data back DB 2 | data back MF-16 | data back | 6 viewfinders, data back | ||
| Batteries | 2 x 1.5V Alkali-Mangan (LR44) or 1,55V Silveroxide (SR44) | 2 x Silveroxide or Lithium | 2 x 1.5V Silveroxide or 1 x 3V Lithium | 2 x 1.5V Silveroxide (SR 44) or LR44 | 1 x 1.5V Silveroxide | 2 x 1.5V Silveroxide |
| Body | partially Titanium | Aluminum, Brass | normal and Titanium versions | partially Titanium | ||
| Weight | 565g | 625g | 540g | 510g | 610g | 565g (?) |
| Size (H x L x D) [mm] | 88.1 x 138.5 x 62.2 | 90 x 142.5 x 60 | 84 x 136 x 50 | 92.5 x 143 x 49.5 | ||
| List Price in Germany | ca. 2200,- DM | ca. 4200,- DM | ca. 1200,- DM | ca. 3000,- DM | ca. 400,- DM (?) | ca. 3000,- DM |
| More Information | Photon | Leica R6 | Walter Pietsch | Olympus Corp. | Pentax Corp. Pentax FAQ |
Pentax FAQ |