A Pentax P3 SLR

Over the past year, I’ve rekindled my love for Pentax K-mount cameras and other brands that use the K-mount, introduced by Pentax in 1975.  I’ve been working on a book about the M42-mount Spotmatics and other brands, so I suppose it’s a natural evolution to delve into the K-mount universe.  My first K-mount camera was a Pentax MG, back in 1982 or ’83.  I used that camera until 2000.  In the past year, I’ve acquired a Pentax KX and some other K-mount non-Pentax film bodies.  Earlier this year, I found a pretty nice example of the Pentax K2.  The K2, KX, and KM were the first wave of K-mount bodies in 1975.  They are all quite different from one another, as it seems Pentax was testing to see what consumers were willing to buy.  The K1000 and subsequent "M" models started appearing on the market in 1976.  Forward to 1985, when camera automation had become widespread, and camera-body autofocus was just starting among SLRs with the Minolta Maxxum 7000.  That’s the year that Pentax introduced the P3 in the US-market (P30 elsewhere in the world).  

The P3 SLR certainly was not breaking new ground, but it was a return to a more traditional manual-style body, incorporating a manual shutter speed dial and auto setting on the top deck of the camera.  The camera uses manual focus. The body incorporated a lot of ABS plastic, but retained a sleek classic appearance.  I think the P3 is a very nice-looking SLR, but there are a few caveats about the camera’s operation.

•  It requires DX-coded film cassettes to set the ISO speed. Cassettes without a DX code will be assigned the default ISO of 100. There is no manual ISO control.
• There is no provision for a remote or cable release for the shutter (later models may have a cable release socket near the lens mount).
• Flash-sync is 1/100 sec.
• No exposure compensation dial.

A very clean design as shown here.

Despite the above, this is a camera that can be easily used almost as a point and shoot in Program mode.  The ISO range for the DX coding is 25-1600.  You can use any Pentax K-A lens in Program mode, which sets the aperture and shutter speed.  If you use the camera with a Pentax M or K lens, the camera’s Program mode defaults to Aperture Priority. You can also shoot in Manual mode.

The P3 has a depth-of-field preview lever on the right side of the lens, and a mirror-lockup button on the left. There is a red LED that flashes when you use the self-timer, which is about 12 seconds.  The on-off and self-timer switch are the the top deck on the left side of the camera.  The hot-shoe on the top of the prism housing allows the use of manual and some automated Pentax flash units.  

I really like the look of this camera.

I purchased my example on the big auction site for $28.00 (not including tax and shipping), and it came with a Rikenon 50mm f/2.2 lens.  The camera was sold as “untested” but it looked to be in excellent condition (and it is).  I popped in 2 LR-44 cells and the camera came to life.  You do need batteries to use this camera. It will not work without power.   I attached a SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/2 lens on the body and set out to shoot a roll of Fuji Acros 100. 

I happen to have a physical manual for the P3, but you can find one online at Butkus.org.

Impressions from using the camera

I like the way the camera feels in the hand.  There’s a small grip on the right side that aids in holding the camera.  The metal and plastic film advance sits unobtrusively, but it’s easy to advance the film.  Same for the film rewind - it’s almost flush with the top deck.  It took me some time to get used to the Program mode automatically setting the aperture and shutter speed. I understand that in that mode, the shutter speed goes from 8 seconds to 1/1000 sec.There is also a B setting and 1/100 flash setting. The viewfinder shows about 92% of the field of view.  The split-microprism at the center of the viewfinder is easy to use for focusing.  

As K-mount cameras go, the P3 is a good example of automation without unnecessary features that a lot of people might not use.  For me, the only thing that I really miss is being able to manually set the ISO.  I shoot a lot of hand-rolled film, but it’s not something that the vast number of users would do.  

The P3/30 was quite popular - Pentax sold it from 1985 to 1997, with over 3 million units sold. It was intended for people that wanted an easy-to-use SLR. As a result, there are many for sale online at pretty low prices.  It’s not an ancient camera, so most of them ought to work properly.  

The P3 is one of those cameras that probably don’t get as much love as some earlier K-mount models, such as the very compact ME.  But it does not have the ME’s faults, either.  You can shoot in Program mode or fully manual. The mirror-lockup is a useful feature when you want to make a longer exposure on a tripod and no cable release.   My first reaction to the camera was that it was awfully simple.  However, after shooting with it, I have a much higher regard for it.  Whether you have a P3 or a P30, they’ll work the same, and give you a very solid SLR body that accepts K-mount lenses.  

A few shots from the first roll. All shot near Barnardsville, NC. All on expired Fuji Acros 100.