New Pentax 35 mm SLR

Pentax Japan has just announced a new model in the MZ line. The picture above was taken from there .

More and better pictures can be found on this site or on this local copy .

The MZ-3 is an evolution of the MZ-5 , with some extra features. At this time it seems that it is only for the Japanese market, but it might be launched later in Europe since the MZ-5 received an European award.

At this point it seems that a very similar camera will be know in the USA as ZX-5n (see this message) and probably internationally as MZ-5n, which makes the next paragraph almost moot. The only feature missing relatively to the MZ-3 is the shutter improvement (the ZX-5n has exactly the same as the ZX-5, meaning sync at 1/100 and maximum speed 1/2000).

If you want to buy the MZ-3 in the USA, B&H might make it available grey-market. Mail them expressing your interest.

If you know Japanese you can read the technical specs here .

If you don't, here is a summary posted to the Pentax mailing list, with some comments by me:

> Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 21:50:41 +0900
> From: Hiroaki Ugawa 

> Hello Dario (and folks), 

>   I visited PENTAX Japan site. According to that page, MZ-3's additional
> features are (as you wrote);

>     Shutter Speeds:
>         (1) auto:       1/4000 - 30 sec. stepless
>         (2) manual:     1/4000 -  1 sec. plus bulb

Contrary to the Z-line very slow speeds (2 sec - 30 sec) are not
available in manual mode.

>         (3) flash sync: < 1/125 sec.

I think this means 1/125 or less which makes sense since the top speed
(1/4000) is faster than most others Pentaxs (1/2000) so sync speed should
also be faster than the usual 1/100. But this is inferior to the Z-1p.

>     Exposure Control:
>         + Memory lock: using memory lock button
>               (I've heard MZ-5 has this feature as a factory option)

One of the big shortcomings of the MZ-5 is solved. Good point.

>         + Auto-bracketing:  using drive lever ("drive" = motor drive?)
>             - 3 frames of proper/under/over exposures within range 
>               of +4EV (1EV or 1/2EV increment selectable).
>             - Available in P/Av/Tv mode combined with exposure 
>               compensation, memory lock, flash possible.

>     Viewfinder:

>         + DOF Pre-view:
>             - Electronic preview
>             - Available in P/Av/Tv mode with holding down a 
  [errata]                   ^^^^^^^ 
   Available in _ALL_ modes. Also works in "A" position of lens.
>               "Pre-view" button           ( <-- Is this newly added ?)

Another one of the big shortcomings of the MZ-5 is solved. Good point.

>     Dimensions:   135.0mm(W) x 90mm(H) x 61.5mm(D)
>     Weight:       425g without lens and battery.
>     Price:        83,000 Japanese Yen (body)
>     Sales Start:  5 Jul, 1997
>     Production:   8,000 unit/month

It is not mentioned here, but looking at the picture I mentioned above,
the AF/MF selector still lacks a continuous focusing mode (servo in
Pentax-speak). Pentax, contrary to the other manufacturers, seems
convinced that only the top camera deserves that.

So the third big problem of the MZ-5 is still here.

> I'm not familiar with MZ-5  specs, however, comparing MZ-3's and -5's,
> I found  the  differences listed above.  My  favor is  the "Electronic
> Pre-view."  Is this the first camera that has this feature ?

Minoltas and Canons have had that for ages.

> In  its   history, PENTAX has  been putting    emphasis on compact and
> popular  grade cameras than  pro-spec's.  PENTAX's _main_ product were
> MX/ME, not  K2DMD and were ME-Super/Super-A,  not LX. So I'm afraid we
> can't expect MZ-1 (but I hope we can).

> Sorry for my poor English.

> Hiroaki

Date: Fri, 13 Jun 1997 10:59:16 +0900

  > A couple of added questions, if you do not mind. Do specs say anything about:
  > 1) Mirror lock up (or 2 sec. shutter delay)?
  > 2) Flash exposure compensation?

Anything other than I listed are same as  MZ-5  or not mentioned on 
that page. Adding to that, MZ-3 has additional:
	1) Memory Lock button 
	2) Electronic Pre-view button
	3) Drive Mode Select lever (also used as auto-bracketting select)
	4) Focusing Area Select lever
	5) modified Dial design to improve operability.


Hiro

From: OKATANI Takayuki 
Date: Fri, 13 Jun 1997 23:27:13 +0900 (JST)
Hello forks, 

BTW, I went to a camera shop in Tokyo today and found a poster
advertising the new MZ-3. It included several pictures of the controls
of the MZ-3. Surprisingly, the Drive Lever (for the introduced
auto-bracketing function) was placed at the left shoulder of the
camera (at the same position as the lever for selecting the metering
modes on the MZ-5). It seemed that the three metering modes were
selected by a lever under the shutter speed dial. A new lever was
added for selecting the Spot-/Wide-AF modes and it was placed at the
front of the camera (below the preview button).

-- 
 Takayuki OKATANI ( okatani@meip7.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp )