One of the most popular Pentax SLR film cameras, the Pentax ME Super is a lightweight, compact option with manual and automatic settings.
In this article, we go through all of the features of this camera, why we love it, and include sample images straight from this camera.
What is the Pentax ME Super?
The Pentax ME Super is a highly popular 35mm SLR film camera. It was produced between 1979 and 1984. It is one of the most compact SLR film cameras available.
The Pentax ME Super has lots of features that make it a great option for beginners and experienced photographers alike.
The Pentax range of cameras also have lots of accessories available at cheap prices, from lenses to power winders, and more.
What features does the Pentax ME Super have?
The Pentax ME Super has pretty much every feature you could hope for with a SLR film camera. It does this whilst also being so compact that you sometimes forget you are even carrying it.
Here is a full list of what the camera has:
- Automatic shutter speed setting
- Manual shutter speed settings
- Bulb shutter mode
- Flash sync shutter mode
- Self-timer
- LED viewfinder
- Flash hotshoe
- Manual ISO settings
- Exposure compensation dial
- Shot counter
Using the Pentax ME Super
Using the Pentax ME Super is truly easy. Whether you are in manual or automatic mode, the shutter speed selector is easy to navigate whilst keeping your eye to the viewfinder.
The viewfinder display shows your shutter speed, and whether the shot is under-exposed, over-exposed, or perfectly exposed.
The top of the Pentax ME Super and close-up of the shutter speed selector
Instead of having a shutter speed dial that you have to turn, the Pentax ME Super has two small buttons to change the shutter speed whilst keeping your eye to the viewfinder.
Simply press the top button to make the shutter speed faster, and the bottom button to make it slower. You can see the shutter speed selected in the viewfinder, and it also shows whether you have the exposure correct.
Using the Pentax ME Super on Automatic Mode
Using the Pentax ME Super on automatic mode means that the camera sets the shutter speed for you depending on the aperture you have set on the lens.
Once you have selected your preferred aperture, the LED viewfinder will show which shutter speed the camera has selected to perfectly expose your image.
Whilst using the Pentax ME Super on automatic mode, taking photos is really quick and easy. The camera becomes almost point-and-shoot-like as you can just quickly focus and capture your subject without adjusting lots of settings.
Photo Gallery from the Pentax ME Super
We took the Pentax ME Super on a short trip, and decided to load it with a roll of Kentmere Pan 400. This is the film stock that comes with all of our cameras on the shop.
Our film was developed by The Film Safe.
The lens we used for these images was the Pentax 50mm f/1.7 lens, which comes as standard with the Pentax ME Super. Sometimes, this camera is sold with the Pentax 50mm f/2, but the f/1.7 version is considered a better option by most Pentax users.
Is the Pentax ME Super suitable for beginners?
Absolutely!
We highly recommend the Pentax ME Super for people who are new to film for a number of reasons.
The camera has manual and automatic settings, so you can start with automatic and move onto manual when you become more confident.
The Pentax ME Super is compact, so you can take it with you everywhere and create images often.
You won't need to upgrade to a better camera unless you become very serious about film photography, and you can buy lots of additional lenses for this camera.
Our Final Thoughts on the Pentax ME Super
I enjoyed using this camera so much more than I thought I would. It was a big change from my usual camera, which is the Canon F-1.
I found the automatic setting a lot of fun as it made taking images quick and easy. As well as this, the manual settings were easy to navigate and the LED viewfinder was easy to read in all lights.
Still stuck on which film camera to buy?
Try our film camera quiz. All you have to do is answer a few questions, and then you will get a list of personalised camera recommendations.
Or send us a message on Instagram, send us an email, chat to us on our live website chat, or read some more of our blog posts!
If you like what we do, but can't buy a camera from us, please consider buying us a cup of coffee! It helps us to keep these resources free, consistent, and accessible.
Article written by: Max
Max is the owner of Cameras By Max. They work full-time repairing and refurbishing all the 35mm film cameras you see on the website. Their favourite camera (at the moment) is the Olympus XA, and their favourite city in the world is Edinburgh.