I've had this camera with me since i joined yearbook in my sophomore year of high school. it has served me well. before that it was my dad's, and knowing him he's prolly had it since it was new.
The Pentax Spotmatic is a 35mm single-lens reflex cameras manufactured by the Asahi Optical Corporation, later known as Pentax, between 1964 and 1976. The original 1964 Spotmatic was the first successful camera to offer a through-the-lens (TTL) exposure metering system, initially using average metering and later center-weighting."
All Pentax Spotmatic cameras use a M42 lens screw mount. The lenses are focused at maximum aperture to give a bright viewfinder image for focusing, then a switch at the side stops the lens down and switches on the metering to enable the exposure to be set prior to pressing the shutter release to make the exposure. The Spotmatic F, ES, and ESII models are capable of open-aperture metering when used with lens models which support this feature.
Honeywell was the U.S. importer of the Spotmatic and these cameras were labelled Honeywell Pentax, instead of Asahi Pentax.
All Pentax Spotmatics use Takumar lenses of various types. These are high-quality, progressively improved lenses made by Asahi Optical Company.
