Honeywell- Pentax SP500 chrome with SMC Takumar 55mm F2 lens in used condition.

The Pentax Spotmatic was introduced by Asahi in 1964 and was the first camera to sell well with through-the-lens light metering. The camera was entirely mechanical apart from the light meter, which was powered by a 1,35volt PX400 mercury cell. A small switch on the left side of the lens housing was pushed up to stop down the lens and activate the meter. The exposure controls would then be adjusted to center a needle on the right edge of the viewfinder. The body took lenses with a 42mm Practica / Pentax screw mount , giving a huge range of alternatives. The system became the workhorse of many professionals of that period.

Two budget models: the SP500 and SP1000 were also available and some features from the original Spotmatic were removed. The fastest shutter speeds were designated by the model number, the SP500 having a top speed of 1/500 s and the SP1000 having a top speed of 1/1000 s. As a matter of interest the SP500 had a click stop where the 1/1000 speed actually was but it was unmarked. These two models had no self-timer. There was also the Pentax SL, which was identical to the Spotmatic except that it did not have the built-in light meter.

Honeywell was the American importer for Pentax in the period 1960s

Type: SLR body

Manufacturer: Asahi Optical Co.

Year of launch: 1964

Films: 35mm, speeds up to 1600 ASA

Viewfinder: pentaprism eye-level viewfinder

Lens Mount: Pentax/ Praktica screw mount (M42)

Shutter: Focal plane shutter, speeds 1 – 1/500 second, flash sync 1/60 second

Metering: CdS TTL metering (stopped-down manual match-needle metering system) EV 1.7 ~ 18 (ISO 100) ASA range 20-1600

Focusing : Manual focusing.

Flash : FP or X. Synchronization 1/60 sec