Camera Review: Pentax Spotmatic SP
The Pentax Spotmatic SP was the first film camera I ever purchased. It is also the camera that made me fall in love with photography. I was scrolling KSL Classifieds one day and saw a listing for an all black Pentax Spotmatic SP with a 135mm lens for $99. I had no idea what any of that meant, nor did I have any knowledge about film photography, but I became obsessed with the way the camera looked. It looked slick, well built, and historic. I messaged the owner and drove to his house a couple days later to check it out.
The original listing for the first film camera I ever bought, the Pentax Spotmatic SP
Turns out the seller is a lifelong camera collector, specifically for Pentax cameras. He invited me in and showed me his collection. He also showed me how to operate the camera (shutter speed dial, aperture ring, manual focus). I will forever be grateful for that warm welcome into the world of film photography. He’s sold a couple of my friends their first film camera and has extended that same level of kindness. There's something special about watching someone light up while passing a hobby down to the next generation.
I drove home that day with a camera I knew practically nothing about. Since then, I've put enough rolls through it to know what we're working with. The Pentax Spotmatic SP is a fully mechanical, manual film SLR that was released in 1964. My intuition when I first saw the camera was right; it's built like a tank. The exterior is entirely built out of aluminum and it feels solid in your hands. The manual controls are well built and feel satisfying to use. There is an optional battery powered light meter that uses a needle to indicate proper exposure. I've shot with brighter viewfinders, but seeing as this was my first film camera, that wasn't a concern for me when I first started using it.
They say the best camera is the one that you use, and the feel of this camera definitely makes me want to use it. The clicks of the shutter speed dial, the buttery smooth focus ring, all make for a special shooting experience. Fully manual controls also forced me to learn the fundamentals. This was slightly intimidating when I first started, but I can say that I'm a much better photographer now because I learned manual.
The lens that I first bought with the camera hasn’t gotten much love. I used it for a local airshow, and later on my digital camera for when people in my life graduate. But besides that, 135mm is very tight and doesn’t have many use cases for everyday photography. Fortunately, this camera has an incredible line of lenses to choose from. The SMC Takumar lenses are some of the sharpest I’ve ever shot with. I own the 135mm F3.5, the 55mm F1.4 and the 35mm F3.5.
The 55mm is a great everyday lens. It’s tight enough that you can use it for portraits, street, and documentary, but not so tight that you can’t use it for landscapes and lifestyle. The center is super sharp across all apertures, with some corner softening around F5.6. The bokeh is beautiful. Takumar lenses have a unique hexagonal aperture, which is reflected in the bokeh it creates.
The 35mm is a budget friendly wider option. I purchased it to use for some landscapes on a family trip to Stanley. It’s a great lens for the price. Less lowlight and portrait capability, but the wider FOV works well for landscapes and lifestyle.
In the larger conversation of starter film SLRs, I think the Pentax Spotmatic SP is an underrated option. It feels like it's the underappreciated older sibling of the Pentax K1000. It has many, if not all, of the same features as some of the larger names like the Canon AE1 or the Nikon F. While I prefer the character of Nikon lenses, the SMC Takumar lenses can go toe-to-toe with some of the best, and their sharpness is, in my opinion, unmatched. My Nikon F2 has largely replaced this system — what can I say, I'm a sucker for waist level viewfinders — but if you're in the market for your first film SLR, I'd seriously recommend considering the Pentax Spotmatic SP. Maybe it'll make you fall in love with photography, the same way it did for me
