Pentax SP500 User manual

HONEYWELL PENTAX
OPERATING MANUAL

Index
Introduction . j
Major working parts of the Honeywell Pentax SP 500 . 2
Specifications . 4
Short operating course. g
How to hold your camera . 3
Film loading. g
Film wind and rewind. 10
Bright field focusing . H
Microprism . H
Automatic diaphragm . 12
Shutter . 13
Depth-of-field guide . 13
Depth-of-field tables . 14
Range of light measurement . 15
Mercury battery. lg
Flash synchronization . 17
Important notes . 13
Infra-red photography . 20
How to make deliberate double exposure. 20
Difference of angle of Takumar lenses. 22
Asahi Pentax warranty policy . 23

Honeywell Pentax SP 500
This is the Pentax SP 500 - another proud member of the world-famous
Pentax family whose name has become synonymous with design innova¬
tions and precision craftsmanship in 35mm single-lens-reflex cameras.
When the first Pentax Spotmatic was introduced to the public at the 1960
PHOTOKINA, the world’s largest photographic fair, in Cologne, Germany,
it attracted the instant and close attention of photographers and photo¬
graphic engineers alike. Not available for purchase at that time, it was
a model of the advanced design and features that would be incorporated
into cameras of the future. Pentax cameras and other brands as well.
Several years of extensive research preceded its introduction, and four
more years of research and experimentation followed before the meticu¬
lous Pentax engineers and technicians felt the camera was truly ready.
At last, in late 1964, it reached the eager hands of serious amateur and
professional photographers around the world. Like that early Spotmatic,
your Honeywell Pentax SP 500 is a computer camera. Hidden within its
body, its unique, behind-the-lens exposure meter utilizes two highly sen¬
sitive Cadmium Sulphide sensors to accurately measure the light gathered
by the camera’s lens as it is reflected from the subject being photographed.
Therefore, by measuring the light as it passes through the lens and match¬
ing the exposure needle as seen through the viewfinder, you can be as¬
sured of properly exposed pictures under all but the most impossible light¬
ing conditions. Whether you’re using special, macro- or microphotographic
lenses, telephoto lenses, or simply filters on normal lenses, your Honeywell
Pentax SP 500 will give you correctly exposed photographs without the
use of external meters or the need for difficult, time-consuming exposure
calculations!
Your SP 500 may also be set manually the same as any other quality
35mm camera if special lighting or selective focus effects are desired.
Just leave the exposure meter switch in its OFF position and select the
f/stop and speed settings for the desired effect.
The traditional classic design and simple elegance associated with earlier
models of the famous Pentax have been retained in the SP 500 despite
the incorporation of many highly advanced features and many internal
improvements that have been developed over the years.
Like the other members of the Pentax family, the Honeywell Pentax
SP 500 has a 42mm threaded lens mount that accepts any of the superb
Takumar lenses from the ultra-wide-angle 17mm Takumar to the super¬
telephoto 1000mm Takumar, a wide range of optics that will satisfy the
demands of even the most critical professional.
Moreover, the list of fine accessories is always growing - to help you
keep growing photographically.
1

Major working parts of the
A — Shutter speed index
B — Shutter speed dial
C — Rapid wind lever
D — ASA film speed setting
E — Shutter release
F — Automatic reset exposure counter
G — ‘Cocked’ indicator
H — D-ring lug
I — Focusing ring
J — X flash terminal
2
O
*0

OS
(A
HONEYWELL PENTAX
K — FP flash terminal
L — Preview lever
M — Exposure meter switch
N — Film type reminder dial
O — Rewind knob
P — Rewind crank
Q — Film type index
R — Diaphragm ring
S — Diaphragm and distance index
T — Distance scale
U — Exposure counter index
V — Depth-of-field guide
oa.

Specifications
TYPE
35mm single-lens reflex with built-in light
meter.
FILM AND PICTURE SIZE
35mm film (20 or 36 exposures). 24mm x
36mm.
STANDARD LENS
Super-Takumar 55mm f/2 with fully auto¬
matic diaphragm. Filters and lenshood size:
49mm. Equipped with diaphragm preview
lever which affords visual check of depth of
field. Distance scale: 45cm (18*) to infinity.
SHUTTER
Focal plane shutter, with single non-rotating
dial. Speeds: B, 1 — 1/500 sec. Film speed
(ASA) setting dial and window on shutter
speed dial. Shutter curtains of special rub¬
berized silk.
WARNING SIGNAL
The index of shutter speeds turns to red
when the shutter and film speed settings
are off the meter’s measurability range.
Refer to page 15.
FINDER
Pentaprism finder with microprism Fresnel
lens for instant focusing; approximately life-
size magnification with 55mm lens.
FOCUSING
Turn the distance scale ring until the subject
image on the ground glass comes into focus.
REFLEX MIRROR
Instant return type with special shock ab¬
sorbers for minimum vibrations.
FILM ADVANCE
Ratchet-type rapid wind lever (for film ad¬
vance and shutter cocking). 10° pre-ad-
vancing and 160° advancing angle.

"COCKED" INDICATOR
A red disk appears in a small window along¬
side the shutter release button when the
shutter is cocked, and blacks out when it
is released.
FILM EXPOSURE COUNTER
Automatic re-set type.
LENS MOUNT
42mm threaded lens mount.
FLASH SYNCHRONIZATION
Equipped with FP and X flash terminals.
Electronic synchronization at 1/60 sec.
EXPOSURE METER
Built-in meter measures the brightness of
the ground glass, and couples directly to
shutter and film speed settings. Film speed
(ASA) setting ranges from 20 to 1600 (LV1-
18 for ASA-100 film with standard lens).
Meter is powered with a mercury battery.
FILM REWIND
Rapid rewind crank for speedy film take-up.
Film rewind release button on bottom of
camera body rotates while film is being re¬
wound.
LOADED FILM INDICATOR
Loaded film reminder dial underneath film
rewind knob is marked "PANCHRO” (black-
and-white), "COLOR” and "EMPTY”.
DIMENSION
Width 5.6* (143mm) x height 3.6* (92mm)
X thickness 3.4* (88mm).
WEIGHT
820grams (lib. 13oz.) with standard lens.
Body alone: 610 grams (1 lb. 6 oz.).

Short operating course
A mercury battery for the light meter is packed separately. Be sure to
insert it into the battery housing when operating the camera. For bat¬
tery insertion, refer to page 16.
SET FILM SPEED
Lift the outer ring of the shutter speed dial,
and rotate to set the ASA number of the
loaded film to the small red index which
appears alongside the figure 1. Then cock
the rapid wind lever.
SET SHUTTER SPEED
Turn the shutter speed dial and set the speed
you wish to use to the index. When out¬
doors, set the speed at 1/125 sec. or faster,
depending upon the lighting. When indoors,
set it at 1/30, or in its neighborhood. Change
the shutter speed later, when necessary.
(Refer to second paragragh, page 7.)
4 % i
-•
i£? <P y
^s.
COMPOSE AND FOCUS
While viewing through the viewfinder, turn
the distance scale ring with your thumb and
index finger until you get the sharpest image
of your subject at the microprism center of
the finder.
6

ROTATE DIAPHRAGM RING
The needle moves up and down with the turn
of the diaphragm ring. When the needle rests
at the centre, you will get correct exposure.
If the needle does not come to the center no
matter how far you turn the diaphragm ring,
change the shutter speed. When the needle is
off center and close to the (+) mark, you will
get over-exposure: change the shutter speed
to a faster setting. If the needle is closer to
the ( —) mark, you will get under-exposure:
change the shutter speed to a slower setting.
TURN ON LIGHT METER SWITCH
Push up the switch button with your thumb.
Through the viewfinder, you will observe the
movement of the meter's needle on the right
side of the ground glass. Be sure to turn off
the meter's switch when not actually taking
readings.
RELEASE SHUTTER
Hold your camera firmly and trip the shut¬
ter. When the shutter is released, the meter
switch will automatically turn off, and the
needle will drop to the ’'OFF” position below
center. The diaphragm will reopen to its
full aperture and the overall image will look
brighter. Cock the rapid wind lever for the
next picture. (When taking a series of pic¬
tures under the same lighting conditions, it
is not necessary to repeat instructions 4
and 5.)

How to hold your camera
In horizontal position A. Hold
the camera firmly with your
left hand, and draw your arm
close to your body.
In vortical position B. Hold
your camera tightly to your fore¬
head with your left hand, and
draw your right arm close to
your body.
In vertical position C. Hold
your camera tightly to your fore¬
head with your left hand, raise
your right arm and draw your
left arm to your body.
As a general rule, your camera should
be held more firmly by the left hand
which does not release the shutter.
If you hold your camera with the
right hand—the hand which releases
the shutter — it may cause camera
movement. Very often, pictures
which are not sharp are due to move¬
ment of the camera. When you focus
with the camera held horizontally
(Position A\ hold the lens barrel as
illustrated. Cradle the camera with
your left hand thumb and little fin¬
ger. Turn the distance scale ring with
your thumb and index finger. When
holding the camera vertically, some
people release the shutter with the
thumb (Position B), while others re¬
lease it with the index finger (Posi¬
tion C). Position C is more desirable
for fast focusing and shooting. With
the Honeywell Pentax, whether held
vertically or horizontally, you see
your subject image through the tak¬
ing lens, enabling you to compose,
focus and shoot with a minimum of
time and effort.
8

Film loading
Avoid direct sunlight when loading your
film.
1. Open the back by pulling out the
rewind knob until back cover snaps
open.
2 . Place the film cassette into the cas¬
sette chamber, and push back the re¬
wind knob. Draw out the film leader
and insert it into slot of the take-up
spool.
3 . Advance the film by alternately turn¬
ing the rapid wind lever and releas¬
ing the shutter until both sprockets
have properly engaged the film per¬
forations. Close the back by pressing
it firmly.
4 . If the film is properly loaded, the re¬
wind knob will turn counter-clock¬
wise when you advance the film by
turning the rapid wind lever.
Film type reminder dial
Use the film type dial to show what
type of film is in your camera. Sim¬
ply turn the dial so that the type of
film in the camera is opposite the k
mark. To check whether the cam¬
era is loaded, turn the film rewind
knob clockwise. If it turns freely,
the camera is not loaded.
Setting ASA film speed
The ASA film
speed rating of all
35mm films is
given in the data
sheet packed with
each roll of film.
The higher the
ASA number, the
more sensitive the
film. Lift the out¬
er ring of the shutter speed dial and
rotate it until the ASA number of
your film is opposite the red index
mark.
Be sure to set your film speed on
the shutter speed dial because the
dial is connected to the exposure
meter system.
9

Film wind and rewind
1- The first portions of the film can¬
not be used for picture taking as
they have already been exposed
to light. Generally, two blank ex¬
posures should be made before
taking your first picture. Cock
the rapid wind lever until it stops.
Watch to see that the film rewind
knob automatically turns coun¬
ter-clockwise, indicating that the
film is moving from cassette to
take-up spool. Trip the shutter.
Cock the rapid wind lever for
the first picture; the exposure
counter automatically turns to
T, indicating that the first pic¬
ture is ready to be taken.
2 . After the final picture on the
roll (20 or 36 exposures) has been
taken, the rapid wind lever will
not turn all the way as you stroke
it. This indicates that the final
picture has been taken on your
film, and that the film must be
rewound. DON’T open the back
of the camera, or all exposed
frames will be ruined.
3 . Unfold the film rewind crank.
4. Depress the film rewind release
button. Turn the rewind crank
to rewind the film into the film
cassette. The film rewind crank
permits rewinding at a smooth,
even rate. (Under some atmos¬
pheric conditions, erratic or too
rapid rewinding will cause static
electricity marks on the film.)
You will feel the tension on the
rewind crank lessen as the lead¬
er end of the film slips off the
take-up spool.
Stop rewinding when you feel
this happen. AVOID DIRECT
SUNLIGHT WHEN UNLOAD¬
ING YOUR FILM. (The rewind
release button will return to
normal position as you load your
next film and turn the rapid
wind lever.)
5 . P ull out the film rewind knob
(the back will open automati¬
cally), and remove the film cas¬
sette.

Bright field focusing
1. You can start viewing and focusing
before and after cocking the rapid
wind lever. When the preview lever
is in "AUTO” (automatic) position,
and the meter is at "OFF”, the dia¬
phragm is fully open except for the
moment of exposure.
2 . Turn the distance scale ring until
your subject image is clearly in focus.
It is not always necessary for you to
view and focus with the diaphragm
fully open. In bright sunlight, you can
easily focus with diaphragm closed to
f/5.6 or f/8 and still observe the depth
of field. It is easier, however, to fo¬
cus with the diaphragm fully open as
your subject image is much brighter.
When the letters "MAN” appears
beside the lever, the lens is in man¬
ual position; when "AUTO” appears,
it is in automatic position.
Microprism
Honeywell Pentax cameras have a
Fresnel lens with a microprism cen¬
ter underneath the ground glass. As
you look through the finder, you will
see that the Fresnel lens consists of
many concentric rings which provide
the brightest possible image on the
ground glass.
The microprism is the center por¬
tion of this diaphragm. When your
subject is in focus, the image in the
microprism will be sharp and per¬
fectly clear. If your subject is not
in focus, the microprism will break
the image up into many small dots,
much like an engraver’s screen. You
can focus your subject on any por¬
tion of the ground glass.

Automatic diaphragm
me h t“ * s h tuS to-OPF r » S tH ; A ,V T0 ” (aUt0matic) P-itloo. and the exposure
meter is turned to OFF , the fully automatic diaphragm is at its largest aoer-
3 ! h , n 3 eS ’ , 6XCept for the instant of exposure, no matter what aperture
auMm^ th M d ,a , Phra 5 m nng ' L W hen y° u release the shutter, the diaphragm
f?t y S OPS d ° Wn t0 the Predetermined aperture and the shutter cur-
r pnrtn« a ^ trdve ing mstantl y- Wh en the exposure is completed, the diaphragm
rnr f to maximum aperture completely automatically and you are ready^o
compose, focus and shoot your next pictures. If you wish to visually check
"MAN”? th ° f f n , d bCf0re making the exposure > move the preview lever to
MAN (manual) position. This stops the diaphragm to the aperture selected
and shows you exactly how much depth-of-field will appear fa your picture
The preview lever may be moved back to "AUTO” (automatic) position before
light Yt YavT ° r ’ ,f y ° U are making P ictures in bright sun-
depth of field 5 6 ^ manUa P 081 * 100 ’ whlch permits a constant check of
*ZtZ‘ h L e Xp0SU 7 ’“O' SwiUh is turned t0 the Position, the lens dia¬
phragm changes from the automatic to manual position even though the bre-
vkw lever is in the ■■ AUTO" (automatic) position. When the shutter is
twTf'thf, lensd,< “> l h ra S ™ A ^‘automatically return toils automaticposi-
tton if the lever is set on AUTO . y
12

Shutter
Turn the shutter speed dial clock- speed may be set either before or
wise or counter-clockwise to the after cocking the rapid wind lever,
shutter speed desired. The shutter As you cock the shutter by turning
the rapid wind lever, the "cocked”
indicator turns to red showing that
the shutter is cocked.
The indicator window blacks out
as you trip the shutter button. For
use of the X setting on the shutter
speed dial, refer to page 14.
With the shutter speed dial set on
B (bulb), the shutter will stay open
as long as you depress the shutter
button. As you release your finger
from the shutter button, the shutter
closes. When a long exposure is
desired while using the B setting,
attach a shutter release cable with a
locking device to the shutter button.
This will permit a "Time” exposure.
Cautions
1 At slow speeds — slower than 1/30 2 To protect the shutter mechan-
—support your camera rigidly or ism, trip the shutter release be-
use a tripod to prevent movement fore putting the camera out of
of your camera. use for any extended period.
If you want to know how great the
depth of field is at a certain aper¬
ture, look at the depth-of-field guide.
In the above photograph, the distance
scale is set at 15 feet... the lens is
focused on a subject 15 feet away.
The calibrations on each side of the
distance index correspond to the
diaphragm setting and indicate the
range of in-focus distance for differ¬
ent lens apertures. For example, if
the lens opening of f/8 is to be used,
Depth-of-field guide
the range on the distance scale ring
covered within the figure 8 on the
depth-of-field guide indicates the
area in focus at the lens opening.
You will note from the depth-of-field
guide in the photograph that the
range from approximately 10 to 25
feet is in focus. Note that as the lens
apertures change, the effective depth
of field also changes. For the depth
of fields at different apertures and
distances, refer to page 14.
[ D epth of field is the range between the [
nearest and farthest distances which
are in focus at different lens apertures. J
13

Depth-of-field table: Super-Takumar 55mm lens
\ Distance
\ Scale
f Settings.
f/2
f/2.8
f/4
i/5.6
f/8
f/11
f/16
7.70 32.98
14.27 oo
7.01
23.10
17.48
oo
6 27
16.52
24.97 OO
5.41
11.58
70.27
OO
4.62 8.44
OO
OO
3.71
5.82
OO
OO
\ Distance
\ Scale
t Setting'S.
f/2
f/2.8
f/4
i/5.6
r 5 . 9 ' j rn.8'
r 6.1 *
2'n.2'
3' 0.8'
5' 10' 15' 30'
9' 4.9' 13' 8.3*
10' 8' 16' 7.1'
13' 2.8'
lO'l 1.5' I 17' 4'
0.7' 12' 7.1'
5.3' 18' 6.7'
8' 6.1' ii'io.r
12' 1.7' 20' 6.2'
f/8
1' 5.5' 1 n'
2'
9.8'
E
5.6' 8'
10'10.3'
1' 6.5' 2 r
3'
2.5' 5' 8.2' 13' 4.4'
24' 4.6'
f/11
1' 5.4'
1
10.8' 2'
m
4'
3.6'
PUgfBf
9' 10.1'
1' 6.7'
2
1.3'
3'
5' 11.8'
31'10.8'
f/16
1' 5.2' r
10.3' 2'
7.8' 4' 0.6'
6' 8.2'
8' 6.2'
r 7 "
2
2'
3' 5.5' 6'
6.8'
20' 3'
66' 9.2'
25' 1.3' 151' 4.8'
37' 3.2' oo
23' 7' 108' 2.3'
41' 3.4' oo
21' 7.2' 75' 9.5'
49' 2.8' oo
54' 2.3"
oo
16'10.7* 37'11.9"
138' 2.8' oo
14' 6.2' 27' 8.2”
oo oo
11' 9.4' 19' 1'
oo oo

Range of light measurement
The exposure meter of the Spotmatic measures the brightness of the ground
glass. Therefore, the meter should be turned on after you have focused
your subject on the ground glass. The following table shows the range of
the meter’s light measurement, and should not be interpreted as the cam¬
era’s total range of f/stop-shutter speed combinations. As you will note
from the table below, with an ASA100 film, you may use any shutter speed
from 1 sec. to 1/500 sec. in combination with any aperture that will bring
the meter needle to the midpoint in the viewfinder. The total range of
the aperture settings is, of course, determined by the minimum and max¬
imum apertures of the lens being used. For example, with the 55mm f/2
lens and ASA100 film, an aperture from f/2 (the maximum aperture of
this lens) to f/16 (the minimum aperture) may be used with any shutter
speed from 1 sec. to 1/500 sec. that will bring the meter needle to midpoint.
B
1
1
2
i
4
1
8
1
15
1
30
i
60
i
125
1
250
i
500
20
• 25
32
• 40
• 50
64
• 80
100
• 125
• 160
■
LJ
h.
200
• 250
• 320
400
• 500
• 640
800
Vie,
• 1000
l
1
. ' • -A
* 1250 mM*
J
■ •£: •
-. ‘. -
If
1600
Trrm
r
The area A indicates the reading range of the meter. The area B indicates that although the shutter speed index is
black and the meter needle moves, the meter is NOT operating properly.
When the meter needle is centered with the shutter speed dial set at B using ASA 20~50 films, this
indicates that the exact shutter speed required is 2 seconds. Please expose your picture for 2 seconds.
15

Mercury battery
How to insert it
Open the battery housing cover on the
bottom cover plate with a coin. Insert
the battery with ( + ) side toward the
top of the camera. For replacement,
use Mallory PX-400 or RM-400-R or
equivalent.
How to check it
1. Set the shutter speed dial to B
(bulb) position.
2 . Turn the ASA dial to ASA 100.
3 . Push the meter switch to "on”
position.
Look at the meter’s needle through
the viewfinder. If the needle rapidly
drops, the meter battery has sufficient
capacity; if it does not, replace the
mercury battery.
CAUTION: The mercury battery is
like a phonograph record. It can be
damaged by skin acids. Handle by the
edges with a dry cloth only. Be sure
the battery is cleaned with the cloth
before insertion into the camera. The
battery is not rechargeable.
DANGER! A serious accident has been reported of a small child who has put a mercury
battery into his mouth and has been hospitalized for serious gripes and stomach inflamma-
tion. Please always keep a mercury battery from the reach of small children.

Flash synchronization
The Honeywell Pentax has two sets of termi¬
nals—FP and X. The table below shows which
flash contact, which shutter speed and which
flash bulb may be combined for maximum lamp
efficiency. Unless these combinations are rigidly
followed, there will be a failure in flash syn¬
chronization. Note the "X” setting is exactly at
the 60 marked on the speed dial. This indicates
the highest shutter speed at which Honeywell
Strobonars or other electronic flash units may
be used.
17

Important notes
Always keep the meter switched off when
not actually taking readings. Leaving the
meter switched on will rapidly exhaust the
battery. It is also necessary to keep the
meter switched off when mounting a Super-
Takumar or SMC Takumar lens on the
Spotmatic camera body. If it is switched on,
the tip of the automatic diaphragm release
pin of the lens will hit the pin release plate
inside the camera body and it may get
damaged.
When the index of the shutter speeds
turns to red, it indicates that the
shutter and film speed settings are
off the meter’s measurability range.
Change the shutter speed setting
to a faster or slower setting.
Refer to page 15.
When the meter is switched on, the lens *
(any Super-Takumar or SMC Takumar
lens) is in its manual position even when
the diaphragm preview lever is in "AUTO’
(automatic) position. When the meter is
switched off manually, or automatically
after shutter release, the lens returns
to its automatic position when it is set
in "AUTO” position.
18