Film cameras
Pentax MZ-50 User manual
User manual for Pentax MZ-50. 99 pages in English. Read the original PDF, download or print a copy without registration.
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Document details
- Brand
- Pentax
- Model / document
- Pentax MZ-50
- Document type
- User manual
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 99
- File size
- 7.0 MB
- Category
- Film cameras
- Document date
- Not specified in catalog
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Page 4 · Read text
FOR SAFE USEOF YOURCAMERA
Although we have carefully designed this camera lor safe operation, please be sure to follow Yprecautionsgiven on this page. ni
A WARNING This mark indicates precautions that, if not followed, could resutt in Pra
serious injury to the operator.
A CAUTION This mark indicates precautions that, if not foltowed, could result in
minor or medium injury to the operator or damage to the equipment.
A wARNING A cAUnoN
o The electronic circuits inside the camera contain o Do not use the flash near anyone'seyes, as it may
high voltage working parts. Never attempt to disas- hurt them. Be particularlycareful with the flash
semble the camera yourself. around infants.
. Never touch internal parts of the camera if they be- . Nevertry to disassemble,short or rechargethe bat-
come exposed from dropping the camera or for tery. Also, do not disposeof the battery in fire, as it
some other reason, as there is danger of an electric may explode.
shock. . Removethe batteriesfrom the cameraimmediately
. Wrapping the strap around your neck is dangerous. if they becomehot or beginto smoke.Be carefulnot
Make sure that small children do not get the strap burn yourselfduring removal.
caught around their neck.
o Do not look directly at the sun through the camera,
as viewing the sun for an extended period may dam-
age your eyes. 1
i. Be sure to store batteries out of the reach of chil- o l
dren. Seek medical assistance immediately if acci- ( dentally swallowed.
)View original page 4Page 5 · Read text
PRECAUTIONSFOR YOURCAMERA
Your Pentax camera is a high-precisionmecha- Precautions for storage
nism.Handle it with great care. . Avoid leaving the iamera'for an extended period in
places where the humidity and temperature are very
Precautionswhen taking pictures high, such as in a car.
o Do not use the camera where it may come in con- o Do not store the camera in a closet with mothballs
tact with rain, water, or any other liquid, because or in an area where chemicals are handled. Store it
the camera is not weather, water, or liquid resistant. in a place with good dry air circulation to prevent
Should the camera get wet from rain, splashing the growth of fungus.
water, or any other liquid wipe it off immediately
with a dry soft cloth. Precautions for proper care
o Do not drop the camera or allow it to hit solid ob- . Nevertouchthe shuttercurtainor mirrorwith your
jects. lf the camera suffers a shock or impact, take finger or any other object.
it to a Pentax service center for inspection. o Use a blower and lens brush to remove dust accu-
o Be careful not to subject the camera to strong vibra- mulated on the lens or viewfinder.
tions, shock or pressure. Use a cushion to protect . Never use solvents such as paint thinner, alcohol or
the camera when carrying it in a motorcycle, car, benzene to clean the camera.
boat, etc. o Electrical problems may often be caused by water,
. Condensation on the interior or exterior of the cam- dirt or dust at points of electrical contact. Also
era may be extremely harmfulto the camera mecha- check for battery leakage, traces of dirt or grease,
nism as it may cause rust. Furthermore, if the or corrosion due to salinity-or gas. lf you cannot cor-
camera is taken from warm temperature to a sub- rect the problems, have your camera inspected at a
freezing one or vice versa, the formation of icelets Pentax service center. Repairs of this nature are not
may cause damage. In such a case. put the camera covered under the terms of the warranty and
into a case or plastic bag so that any changes in charges may be assessed.
temperature difference is minimized. Do not remove
it from the bag until temperature has stabilized. www.butkus.us . prints Regular color may cut off what size appears
on the extreme edges of the film frame. Compose
your picture with a margin of safety at the edges.View original page 5Page 6 · Read text
PRECAUTIONSFORBATTERYUSAG
Other precautions o Use two 3V lithium batteries (CR2 type).
o The temperature range at which this camera o Misuse of the battery can cause hazards such as
f u n c t i o n s p r o p e r l y i s S O t t o - 1 0 t ( 1 2 2 ' F t o leakage, overheating, explosion, etc. The battery
1 4 " F ) . should be inserted with the "*" and "-" sides fac-
. A camera which has been submerged in water ing correctly.
usually cannot be repaired. lf such an accident . Battery performance may be temporarily hindered
should occur, it is advisable to contact a Pentax in low temperatures, but will recover in normal
Service Center immediately. temperatures.
o To maintain optimum performance, it is recom- o Keep a spare battery on hand for replacement
mended that the camera be inspected everyone convenience when shooting outdoors or while
or two years. lf the camera has not been used for traveling.
an extended period, or is being prepared for an im- o lf the built-in flash is used continuously. the bat-
portant photographic session, it is recommended tery may become warm, but it does not mean that
that you have the camera inspected or test shoot the battery is faulty; it is one of the battery's char-
with it. acteristics.
o Repairs deemed necessary due to usage of this o Replace the batteries at the same time. Do not
product in an industrial or commercial application mix battery brands, type or an old battery with a
may not be covered under the terms of the new one. lt may cause explosion or overheating.
Pentax warranty.
o The PENTAX warranty provides only for the re-
pair of defects in materials or workmanship.
Damage of any kind cannot be repaired at no
charge under the terms of the warranty. lf the dif-
ficulty is caused as a direct result of the product
being used in conditions as outlined in the
"Precautions for Your Camera" section or any
other operation contrary to the instructions out-
lined in this manual, charges will be assessed and
a repair quotation will be provided.View original page 6Page 10 · Read text
(16)EFFECTOFAPERTUREANDSHUTTERSPEED
A correct exposure is established by a combination of
shutter speed and aperture setting according to the
subject brightness. There are many correct combina-
tions of shutter speed and aperture for a particular sub-
ject brightness. Different shutter speed and aperture
settings produce different effects.
Effect of Shutter Speed
The shutter speed determines the film exposure time, or--- the length of time that light is allowed to strike the film.
g lf the subject is moving the image will be blurred when
a slow shutter speed is used. lt is possible to enhance
the effect of motion, (The movement of a wave or wa-
High shutter speed terfall) by intentionally using a slower speed. Choosing zomo a high shqtter speed will allow the image of a moving
subject to be frozen. A higher shutter speed also helps
prevent camera shake. o!m,
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Slow shutter speedView original page 10Page 14 · Read text
EASYTO USE (For beginners) 1. Loading the batteries 2. Attaching the lens 3. Turning on the power Open the battery chamber cover by using Align the red indexes on the Slide the main switch to ON. (See a coin. Load two batteries (CR2 type) ac- lens and camera. Turn the lens page 20.) cording to the markings (+, -) on the to the right until it seats with a battery chamber cover. (See page 14.) click. (See page 18.) 4. Positioning the aperture ring 5. Setting the mode dial 00000 While holding down the aperture- Be sure to set the lens aperture Set the mode dial to tCIEDl. (See A-lock button, turn the lens aper- ring to the I A ] position. page 28.). The Green'Operation ture ring to the t A l posrtron. Mode will be set. r / C ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ a t ? \View original page 14
Page 15 · Read text
6. Loading film 7. Selecting the Autofocus Mode
Open the back cover, insert a roll of film, align the end Set the focus mode switch to I AF ]. (See page 33.)
of the film leader with the red mark, and close the back
cover. The film should advance to the first frame auto-
matically. (See page 24.)
8. Composing the scene with the zoom ring 9. Focus on the subiect and shoot
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While looking through the viewfinder, turn thewww.butkus.uszoom Focus [ [ ] I on the subject. Depress the shutter re-
ring to the right or left until you obtain the desired com- lease button fully to take a photo. (See page 34.)
position. (See page 30.)View original page 15Page 17 · Read text
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Notes:
* 1. As an F and FA Soft lens do not have the A position on the aperture ring, a correct exposure may not
tained.
x2. A correct exposure may not be obtained'
* 3. Lenses with a maximum aperture of t,/2.8 or larger. (See AF Adapter operating manual.)t* x 4. Manual focusing using the focus indicator (Fl) (O) in the viewfinder.
x 5. Lenses with a maximum aperture of tr/5.6 or larger.
x 6. The bar graph in the viewfinder does not light up.
I . The A, F, and FA lenses are the bayonet mount lenses.
. The A, F, and FA lenses have "A" (auto) position on existing K-mount lenses.
* . The screw mount lens CANNOT be used to this camera because correct exposures will not be obtained.
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FTT HOWTO USETHIS OPERATINGMANUAL
This manual is organized into the following sections, allowing you to optimize the use of the camera:
.J: I. BASIC OPERATION M. ADVANCED OPERATIONS
(PREPARATION)Pase 1 3 - 26 Pase 46 - 89
II. BASIC OPERATION
(SHOOTING)Page27 - 45
o lf you want to begin taking pictures with this new camera as soon as possible, read section I and ll, 'BASIC
OPERATIoN (PREPARATIoN)" and "BAS|c OPERAT|oN (sHooflNG).'
These sections introduce only the basic functions of this camera. More detailed information can be found in section
lll and section lV.View original page 18Page 20 · Read text
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1. Open the battery chamber cover by using a 2.Load two 3V lithium batteries (CR2) Ioz
coin, etc. as shown in the illustration. equivalent as shown in the illustration.View original page 20Page 24 · Read text
(3) ATTACHINGTHE LENS
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1. Remove the body mount cap O and rear lens 2. Align the red dots on the camera and lens Ioz
cap @ as shown in the illustration. mount, attach the lens to the camera body,
and turn it fully to the right until you hear a
o The body mount cap is designed to protect the cam- click.
era against scratches and dust at the factory. For stor-
age, the optional accessory "Body Mount Cap K" is o Ensurethat the camera'smain switch is in the [OFF]
available. position before attaching a lens to prevent unex-
pected operationof the lens.View original page 24Page 28 · Read text
Q) FILM LOADING
We suggest that you first operate the camera
- with no film loaded to become familiar with its
@ operations.
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o!m AutomaticThis camerafilmis designedspeed settingto use DX-coded films
v with ISO ratings from 25 to 5000.
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automaticallyset for the camera.lf you use a non-DX
Tum codedfilm, you can set the film speed manually.See
! page73.
u o Beforeloadingfilm for the first time after purchase,
open the back cover and removethe protective card.
oz DO NOT TOUCHTHE SHUTTERCURTAINS. 1. To open the back cover, slide the back cover
release lever in the direction of the arrow.
2.Place the film cartridge in the film chamber
as shown in the illustration.
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o Always load and unloadfilm in the shadeor by using
your body to shadethe camera.
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3. Open the back cover and remove the film. x Rewinding a film in mid-roll Ioz lf you wish to unload the film before exposingall the
o A roll of 24-exposure film takes about 13 seconds to frames,.usethis function.
rewind.
o Before opening the back cover, check that I O ] is Set the main switch to the ON position, and
b l i n k i n g . then depress the mid-roll rewind button by
o The shutter may be released a frame or more after the using the protruding part of the strap clamp.
specified number of frames have been used as indi-
cated by the number of frames on the film cartridge. . Do ltot depressthe button with an object having a
However, those extra frames may be lost in process- sharptip.
ing. When you take important pictures, rewind the o Before opening the back cover, check that [ @ ] is
film when the film reaches the number of frames indi- blinking.
cated on the film cartridge.View original page 32Page 38 · Read text
Q) HOLDINGTHE CAMERA
Camera held horizontally Camera held vertically
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T For best results, be sure to hold the camera cor- o To reduce camera shake, support your body or the
r e c t l y a s s h o w n i n t h e i l l u s t r a t i o n s . camera on a solid object - a table, tree, or a wall for in- oo-l stance.
zo . Hold the camera firmly with your left hand supporting . When using an ultra-telephoto lens, a tripod that is
the camera and lens as shown in the illustrations. heavier than the total weight of the camera and lens is
. While taking a picture, hold your breath and gently de- recommended to avoid camera shake.
oress the shutter release button. Sudden force on the o Although there are individual differences among pho-
shutter release button will cause camera shake. mak- tographers, in general the shutter speed for a hand
ing the picture blurred. held camera is the inverse of the focal length. For ex-
ample, 1,/5O of second when the focal length is
50mm, and 1 ./1OO of second when it is 100mm.
Using a tripod is recommended when the shutter
speed is slower than this.View original page 38Page 41 · Read text
. When the shutter release button is depressed halfway 3. To release the shutter, gently depress the
down, the shutter speed and aperture setting are dis- shutter release button fully.
played in the viewfinder and the on LCD panel. r . i
o When I I ] Utints in the viewfinder and on the LCD o The shutter cannot be released if the subject is out of
panel, the use of the built-in flash is recommended. focus. -r
For more details on the built-in flash, see page 37. o Depress the shutter release button halfway down. -i
. The audible PCV signal can be turned OFF. See details While I O] is on, the camera-to-subject distance is E
on page 69. fixed (focus lock). To refocus on another subject, lift I
Io During autofocus operation, the focusing ring should your finger off the shutter release button. CO )1 l not be obstructed with your fingers, hands, or any !m other object. Predictive Autofocus Mode v
When the camera senses subject movement during the {
The focus indicator IO] Ulints when the cam- autofocus operation, the camera will automatically ozera is not able to obtain proper focus for one of switch the focus mode to the predictive autofocus
the following reasons. mode to measure the speed of a moving Subject, and
C The subject is too close.Adjust the camera-to- predict where it will be at the moment of shutter release
subject distance. to maintain sharp focus on the subject-@ The subject is difficult to autofocus.See"HARD-TO- u,-oo=zo
AUTOFOCUS"subject on page 52. . lf the subject is moving too fast, the shutter may not
release.
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(r, Focus Lock Function 2.To prevent this, center the autofocus frame Purpose on the main subject and keep depressing the The camera focuses with the autofocus frame in the
shutter release button halfway down. The in- roo{= center of the viewfinder. When the main subject is off. o
the autofocus frame, the main subject will not be fo- focus indicator remains on, indicating that
cused properly. Use the focus lock technique to bring the focus is temporarily locked.
,the main subject into focus. 3. While holding the shutter release button half-
way down, re-aim the camera or recompose
How to use the picture, then depress the shutter release
1. When the composition does not allow the button all the way to release the shutter.
autofocus frame to be placed over the most
important subject in the picture, the camera o Lifting your finger off the shutter release button
t will focus on the background as shown in the clearsthe in-focusindicator[O] in the viewfinderand
illustration. cancelsthe focus lock function.
. To refocus on another subject, lift your finger off the
shutter releasebutton.View original page 42Page 48 · Read text
. The Automatic flash function will be set only with the
Picture Mode set. lf any other mode is set, the Red-
eye reduction or Forced emission mode will be set.
. When the built-in flash is retracted, depressing the
multi-function button switches the audible pCV signal-- ON and OFF.
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Depress the multi-function button with the Ioo built-in flash popped up
At each press of the multi-function button, the flash
mode on the LCD panel switches as shown in the chart. Jze
Forced Red-eyereduction Automatic f lash Red-eyereduction
emission (p.a3) (Smart ftash) +
(p.38) (p.45) Automatic ftash
(Smart flash)View original page 48Page 50 · Read text
o Depress the multi-function button only when the built- About Red-eye Phenomenon
in flash popped-up. lf multi-function button is de- Shooting portr-aits with flash in a dark environment
pressed with the built-in flash retracted, the PCV often causes a subject's eyes to turn out reddish in the
Signal Mode will be changed. print. This phenomenon, commonly known as "Red-
o When the AFSOOFTZ is attached and the slave flash Eye", is caused by the reflection of the electronic flash
l-- function is in use, the Red-eye reduction flash func- in the retina of your subjects eye. lt can be reduced by
E tion cannot be used as the slave flash is discharged taking the photo in a brighter light condition or by
2, when the preflash of the built-in flash is discharged. shooting with a wider angle lens at a closer distance, or
o o When only a dedicated flash is in use and is dis- by employing the red-eye reduction flash feature. When o ! charged, the red-eye reduction display from the LCD using a Pentax dedicated flash unit off the camera, it
m ! panel is disregarded. may also help to position the flash as far away from the
Joz camera as possible.
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IView original page 50Page 56 · Read text
When the autofocus mode or the in-focus indi-
cator is not usable for focusing
When the autofocus function or the viewfinder's in-
focus indicator [O] cannot be used for focus confirma-
tion for the following reasons, focus on the subject in
the manual focus mode with the aid of the matte field in
the viewfinder as you would with a non-AF SLR camera.
--D a) The in-focus indicator [O] blinks because the sub-
ject is difficult to autofocus.
g b) The maximum aperture of the lens in use is smaller
than t,/5.6.
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HARD-TO-AUTOFOCUS SUBJECTS Subjects which may fool the autofocus system include:
The autofocus system is highly precise, but not perfect. a) Extremely low-contrast subjects such as a white wall
Depending on the brightness, contrast, shape, and size in the autofocus frame [[ ]].
of your subject. the autofocus system may not operate. b) Subjects which don't reflect much light in the
In such a case, set the focus mode switch to I MF ] and autofocus frame [[ ]].
use the manual focus mode to focus the lens on the c) Subjects which are moving too fast.
subject with the aid of the matte field in the viewfinder d) Multiple subjects in the foreground and background
(see page 51). of the autofocus frame [[ ]1.
-- e) Subjects positioned against reflected light or strong
backlight or with extremely bright backgrounds.
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I You can also select your desired Picture Mode manu- 2.To select the desired picture mode, move the o
!m ally. The picture mode has a total of 5 modes as follows. select switch until [l-'l] superimposes on the
T See details for each mode on page 55 - 59. picture mode displayed on the LCD panel.
How to set . When the lens aperture ring is set to a position other =ozo Set the lens aperture ring to I A ]. than the A position, a correct exposure may not be ob-
1. Set the mode dial to t@D l. tained.
To the right
To leftView original page 60Related documents and language editions
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Check the model and edition against your equipment.
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