The Pentax MX Camera & my journey in photography

The Pentax MX

In those days of transiting from 120 to 35mm was becoming the norm as film quality was getting better & also the concept of photography as a memory tool was gaining ground in India. So by default my first camera became the Pentax MX as in those days Pentax was literally ruling the roost in the amateur & low end pro market in India, maybe due to its price or easy branding, I don’t know.

Also in the early 80s color film started flooding the market, with Kodak, Fuji & then Sakura (Konica) vying for the space in the customer’s mind & albums.

So coming back to the camera, it was such a sweet compact camera that I was in love with it instantly & shot some great images with it. I used to get goosebumps by looking at the ads of the same in Modern Photography & Popular Photography magazines. In fact I also requested a brochure from Pentax Company in Japan. They sent me their whole line up of cameras, lenses & accessories. It was like a Diwali Gift for me.

I added 24mm Vivitar wide angle lens as it was the only one available in Hyderabad, but was good enough to give me great saturation. I was on cloud nine with it. I did one architectural assignment with it & the customer was very happy with results.

Later I bought one Pentax ME Super to compliment the MX & used to shoot with 2 cameras in weddings, one for the traditional images & the other for candids (400ASA) with just available light.

Both the cameras served me well until one fine day I decided to switch to advertising & Industrial Photography & had to buy Nikon Systems along with Bronica 120 system camera.

I still remember with gratitude the Great Pentax MX, which launched my career & yes one fine day I shall buy one again to keep it in my showcase as a mark of respect to the makers of this beautiful Camera.