Pentax SP1000 + SMC Takumar 55mm f1.8 + AGFA vista+ 400 film Test (expired 10 yrs.) 過期10年底片測試

2025/3/22

Today I'm sharing the Pentax SP1000, which is very common in the M42 camera world. The version most commonly seen in Taiwan bears the Asahi Optical (旭光學 Asahi) branding, but this particular camera was exported to the U.S. and carries the Honeywell branding instead. The standard lens I paired with this camera is a later version of the SMC Pentax Takumar 55mm f1.8. Its image quality is above average, though personally, I find the Auto Chinon 55mm f1.7 MC to be slightly superior in comparison. Below are a few test photos taken with this setup. The film used was AGFA Vista Plus 400, which had been refrigerated and expired for 9 years and 4 months.

今天分享的是在M42相機領域很常見的 Pentax SP1000， 在台灣常見的版本是有旭光學 Asahi 標誌的相機，而這台相機卻是外銷美國，打上美國品牌 Honeywell 標誌的版本。我搭配在這台相機上的標準鏡頭是後期的 SMC Pentax Takumar 55mm f1.8，成像品質算是中上，個人覺得與 Auto Chnon 55mm f1.7 MC 相比，後者還是比較優，以下是幾張測試照片，底片是冷藏保存過期9年4個月的 AGFA vista plus 400。

Zenit 12XP + Helio-44m-5 58mm f2 MC + AGFA vista+ 400 film Test (expired 10 yrs.) 過期10年底片測試

2025/3/22

The Zenit 12XP from the Soviet era found its way into my collection mainly because it came bundled with the Helios-44M-5 58mm f2 MC lens. I think most enthusiasts familiar with the history of M42 cameras probably know that the Helios-44 series is derived from the Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar lens. Under certain apertures and backgrounds, it can produce a unique swirling bokeh effect. Unfortunately, due to the limited number of shots I had with this roll of film, I wasn't able to achieve that effect this time.

蘇聯時期的 Zenit 12XP 會出現在我的收藏中，其實是跟著 Helio-44m-5 58mm f2 MC 這顆鏡頭一起來的。我想大部分知道M42相機歷史的同好，應該都知道 Helio-44 這一系列的鏡頭是源自 Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 鏡頭，在特定的光圈與背景下可以拍出背景旋轉的特殊效果。很可惜在這次有限的底片張數測試下，我沒有成功。

Back to the Zenit 12XP itself — compared to Japanese SLRs, its body is narrower but taller. The shutter advance feels quite snappy, and after using it, switching back to a Japanese camera makes the film advance feel surprisingly heavy. Judging from this roll, the Helios-44M-5 58mm f2 delivers very sharp image quality. Below are a few test shots. The film used was AGFA Vista Plus 400, which had been refrigerated and expired for 9 years and 4 months.

回到 Zenit 12XP 這台相機，相較於日本血統的單眼相機，它的機身較窄但高度較高，快門過片算是輕快，剛操作完轉回日本相機時，會覺得日本相機過片還真是費力。從這次拍攝的底片來看，Helio-44m-5 58mm f2 的成像相當銳利。以下是幾張測試照片，底片是冷藏保存過期9年4個月的 AGFA vista plus 400。

Leotax T + Konishirorku Hexar 50mm f3.5 + AGFA vista+ 400 film Test (expired 10 yrs.) 過期10年底片測試

2025/3/22

The first thing that caught my attention about the Leotax camera from Japan's Showa Optical Works was its name — it sounded like a combination of LEica and cOnTAX. The Leotax T in my collection is a Leica-style rangefinder camera using the M39/L39 mount, released in 1955. At that time, three models were introduced: the F, T, and K. The main differences lay in their shutter speeds: the F had a top speed of 1/1000s, the T topped out at 1/500s, and the K further omitted the slow speeds below 1/25s — effectively making them high-end, mid-range, and entry-level models, respectively.

我第一注意到日本昭和光學的 Leotax 相機，是它的名稱很像是LEica+cOnTAX的組合。手邊收藏的這台 Leotax T 是1955年上市的仿Leica M39/L39的測距對焦相機，同時期上市的有F、T、K三種型號。主要的差別在快門速度，F最高快門為1/1000秒，T最高快門為1/500秒，K則是再移除1/25秒以下的慢速快門，剛好就是高中低階三款。

The Leotax T came bundled with the Hexar 35mm f3.5 collapsible lens, made by Konishiroku (the predecessor of Konica). It likely uses a Tessar-type 4-element, 3-group optical design. The image quality is solid and sharp, with vivid colors. Even when used on a digital camera, the lens continues to deliver pleasing color and sharpness. Below are a few test shots. The film used was AGFA Vista Plus 400, which had been refrigerated and expired for 9 years and 4 months.

Leotax T 搭售的鏡頭是Konishirorku小西六(Konica柯尼卡前身)的 Hexar 35mm f3.5 可縮藏入機身鏡頭，應該Tessar的四片三群結構，成像很紮實，顏色有很鮮豔，及使用在數位相機上，色彩和銳利度仍是非常討喜。以下是幾張測試照片，底片是冷藏保存過期9年4個月的 AGFA vista plus 400。

Chinon CM-3 + Auto Chinon 55mm f1.7 + AGFA vista+ 400 film Test (expired 10 yrs.) 過期10年底片測試

2025/3/22

Since I started getting into photography, I had always thought CHINON only made point-and-shoot cameras. It wasn't until I discovered the CHINON CM-3 SLR that my impression changed — it turns out CHINON was actually a very capable camera manufacturer. The way I came across the CHINON CM-3 was quite special. M42 mount cameras trace back to the 1945 CONTAX S, and brands like Pentax, Fujica, and Yashica continued producing M42 cameras using cloth shutter curtains. Unfortunately, this material tends to degrade over time, and many Pentax M42 cameras suffer from this issue today. Because of that, I started looking for M42 cameras with metal shutter curtains. The Voigtländer Bessaflex TM, produced by Cosina after 2000, would have been the top choice — but sadly, I had just sold my long-held one at a high price. Eventually, while browsing through various M42 camera listings, I came across the CHINON CM-3, one of the rare M42 cameras to use a vertically traveling metal shutter. Its appearance is strikingly similar to the Nikon FM/FE series from the same era. I couldn’t help but wonder — how did I never know CHINON also made such solid SLRs? Truly, I was unaware and underinformed.

從我開始玩攝影以來，我一直以為CHINON只有生產傻瓜相機，直到發現這一台CM-3單眼相機才讓我改觀，其實它也是一家實力雄厚的相機公司。而發現這台CHINON CM-3也是很別，由於M42接環的相機源自於1945年的CONTAX S，後續各廠牌如Pentax、Fujica、Yashica等M42相機一直以來都採用布質的簾幕快門，這樣的材質年代久了之後容易老化，許多Pentax M42相機就有這樣的問題。基於上述原因，我開始找尋具金屬簾幕快門的M42相機， Cosina在2000年後生產的 Voigtländer Bessaflex TM 應該是首選，無奈我才剛高價賣掉一部多年的收藏。最後從許多M42相機的拍賣文中發現了CHINON CM-3是一台少數採用金屬縱向簾幕的M42相機，而且外觀與同期的Nikon FM/FE系列相機神似，唉，我以前怎麼不知道CHINON也有這麼扎實的單眼相機呢，真是孤陋寡聞啊。

The CHINON CM-3 came with the Auto Chinon 55mm f1.7 MC lens, which is widely believed online to have been made by the famous Tomioka Optical factory. In actual use, the image quality is excellent. Below are a few test shots. The film used was AGFA Vista Plus 400, which had been refrigerated and expired for 9 years and 4 months.

CHINON CM-3搭配的鏡頭是 Auto Chinon 55mm f1.7 MC，網路上普遍的說法是來自有名的富岡光學代工廠，實際拍攝起來成像品質極佳，以下是幾張測試照片，底片是冷藏保存過期9年4個月的 AGFA vista plus 400。

Fujica V2 +Fujinon 45mm f1.8 + AGFA vista+ 400 film Test (expired 10 yrs.) 過期10年底片測試

2025/3/22

This is a Fujica rangefinder camera from the 1960s, and the body is quite heavy. The model is V2. I've never been able to figure out why it's called V2 — typically, there should be a previous model named V or V1. For cameras of this type from that era, features like a 1/1000s top shutter speed and shutter-priority auto mode can both be found on this camera. One of its more unusual design aspects is that the focusing ring isn't integrated into the lens — instead, there's a separate dial on the camera body to adjust focus. This kind of design had appeared before in CONTAX RF cameras, though it's admittedly less intuitive to use. The lens is a Fujinon 45mm f1.8, which is a pretty standard spec for rangefinder cameras of that time. Below are a few test shots. The film used was AGFA Vista Plus 400, which had been refrigerated and expired for 9 years and 4 months.

這台是1960年代的 Fujica 測距對焦相機，機身相當重，型號是V2。我一直沒找到型號為V2的原因，一般而言，應該會有前一代稱為V或V1的相機。同時期的這類相機，1/1000秒快門、快門先決自動模式在這台相機上都找得到，較為特殊的設計是對焦環並不是整合在鏡頭上，而是在機身有個獨立的轉盤可調整對焦距離，這樣的設計，在CONTAX RF相機上有出現過，使用上較不直覺就是了。鏡頭的規格是Fujinon 45mm f1.8，就同期測距對焦相機而言，算是很一般的規格，以下是幾張測試照片，底片是冷藏保存過期9年4個月的 AGFA vista plus 400。