A firm tradition
The first Japanese 35mm pentaprism SLR came on the market in 1957: the "Asahi Pentax". In the face of fierce competition from mirrorless cameras, Pentax continues to manufacture single lens reflexes with a glass prism finder, believing that an electronic finder cannot replace the experience of direct viewing on a ground-glass screen. With the K-3iii Monochrome (2023) they stick to this philosophy.
Here a view of the slow-speed dial of the original Asahi Pentax, taken by the Pentax K-3iii Monochrome.
The lens used is the magical SMC Pentax Soft f:2.2 85mm (ca.1985), together with its companion and contemporary, the Pentax Rear Converter-A 1.4x-L, giving a focal length of ca. 120mm. The lens was stopped down to its minimum aperture of f:5.6, resulting in an actual aperture of f:8 with the converter.
The K-3iii Mono was mounted on a tripod with a heavy ball-head plus a focussing-rail. A halogen lamp was reflected from the ceiling.
From top to bottom the subject as shown measures just under three inches.
HMM!
A firm tradition
The first Japanese 35mm pentaprism SLR came on the market in 1957: the "Asahi Pentax". In the face of fierce competition from mirrorless cameras, Pentax continues to manufacture single lens reflexes with a glass prism finder, believing that an electronic finder cannot replace the experience of direct viewing on a ground-glass screen. With the K-3iii Monochrome (2023) they stick to this philosophy.
Here a view of the slow-speed dial of the original Asahi Pentax, taken by the Pentax K-3iii Monochrome.
The lens used is the magical SMC Pentax Soft f:2.2 85mm (ca.1985), together with its companion and contemporary, the Pentax Rear Converter-A 1.4x-L, giving a focal length of ca. 120mm. The lens was stopped down to its minimum aperture of f:5.6, resulting in an actual aperture of f:8 with the converter.
The K-3iii Mono was mounted on a tripod with a heavy ball-head plus a focussing-rail. A halogen lamp was reflected from the ceiling.
From top to bottom the subject as shown measures just under three inches.
HMM!