Film cameras
Pentax MZ-M User manual
User manual for Pentax MZ-M. 53 pages in English. Read the original PDF, download or print a copy without registration.
53 pagesEnglish2.9 MB PDF

Loading your manual…Open PDF directly
Document details
- Brand
- Pentax
- Model / document
- Pentax MZ-M
- Document type
- User manual
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 53
- File size
- 2.9 MB
- Category
- Film cameras
- Document date
- Not specified in catalog
Search available document text
Find a term, then jump to its page in the original PDF. Image-only pages may not be searchable; check the PDF for exact wording and diagrams.
Page 3 · Read text
Read this instructionmanual carefullyto get a full lcon indicatorsused in this manual
explanationof operationsbefore use.
a-' Operationdirection -
Automaticoperation {rrrrf
t l Attention
Lamp blinking laz2Y{The names of the camera'sworkingparts are listed
on the front and back flaps in this operatingmanu- Correctal. Keepthe flaps unfoldedfor quick referencewhile c
readingthis manual. i lncorrect X
Lenses and accessories produced by other
manufacturersare not made to our precise
specificationsand thereforemay cause difficul-
ties with or actualdamageto your Pentaxcam-
era.We do not assumeany responsibilityor lia-
bility for difficultiesresulting from the use of
lenses and accessoriesmade by other manu-
facturers.
www.butkus.usView original page 3Page 4 · Read text
NAMESOFWORKINGPARTS I
{fl tvtalnswitch (p.12)
@ Snutterreleasebutton
O LCD panel(p.3)
@ Shutterdial
@ Shutterdial lock button
@ Hot shoe (p.39)
@ Exposurecompensatiiondial (p.15,33)
@ Exposurecompensatiionreleasebutton
(p.15,33)
@ Drive mode dial (p.23)
@ Straplug (p.7)
@ Electroniccable releasesocket (p.32)
@ Back cover releaselever(p.12)
@ tvtiO-rotlrewindbutton(p.17)
@ Mirror
@ Lens informationcontacts
@ Lensunlockbutton(p.11)
@ Lensmountindex(p.10)
@ Previewbutton (p.35)View original page 4Page 5 · Read text
FOR SAFE USE OFYOURCAMERA
Although we have carefully designed this camera for safe operation, please be sure to fotlow
precautions given on this page.
A WanrulNGThis mark indicatesprecautionsthat,if not followed,could resultin seri-
ous injury to the operator.
A CAUTIONThis mark indicatesprecautionsthat, if not followed,could result in
minor or mediuminjury to the operatoror damageto the equipment.
A WARNING A CAUTION
. Wrappingthe strap around your neck is danger- . Nevertry to disassemble,short or rechargethe
ous. Make sure that small childrendo not get battery.Also, do not dispose of the battery in
the strapcaughtaroundtheir neck. fire, as it may explode.
. Do not look directlyat the sun throughthe cam- . Removethe batteriesfrom the camera immedi-
era, as viewingthe sun for an extendedperiod ately if they become hot or begin to smoke. Be
may damage your eyes. careful not to burn yourselfduring removal.
. Be sure to store batteriesout of the reach of
children.Seek medicalassistanceimmediately
if accidentallyswallowed.
www.butkus.usView original page 5Page 6 · Read text
PRECAUTIONSFORYOURCAMERA
Your Pentax camera is a high-precision mechanism. . Regularsize color prints may cut off what appearson
Handle it with great care. the extreme edges of the film frame. Compose your
picturewith a marginof safetyat the edges.
Precautions when taking pictures
. Do not use the camera where it may come in contact Precautions for storage
with rain,water,or any other liquid,becausethe cam- . Avoid leaving the camera for extended periods in
era is not weather,water, or liquid resistant.Should places where the humidityand temperatureare very
the cameraget wet from rain, splashingwater,or any high,such as in a car.
other liquidwipe it off immediatelywith a dry soft cloth. . Do not store the camera in a closetwith moth balls or
. Do not drop the cameraor allow it to hit solid objects. in an area where chemicalsare handled.Store it in a
lf the camera suffers a shock or impact, take it to a place with good dry air circulationto prevent the
Pentaxservicecenterfor inspection. growthof fungus.
. Be careful not to subjectthe camera to strong vibra-
tions,shock or pressure.Use a cushionto protectthe Precautions for proper care
camerawhen carryingit in a motorcycle,car, boat,etc. . Nevertouch the shuttercurtainor mirrorwith your fin-
. Condensationon the interioror exteriorof the camera ger or any other object.
may be extremelyharmfulto the camera mechanism . Use a blowerand lens brush to removedust accumu-
as it may cause rust. Furthermore,if the camera is lated on the lens or viewfinder.
taken from warm temperatureto a subfreezingone or . Never use solventssuch as paint thinner,alcohol or
vice versa, the formationof icelets may cause dam- benzeneto clean the camera.
age. In such a case, put the camera into a case or . Electricalproblemsmay often be caused by water, dirt
plasticbag so that any changesin temperaturediffer- or dust at points of electricalcontact.Also check for
ence is minimized.Do not removeit from the bag until battery leakage,traces of dirt or grease,or corrosion
temperaturehas stabilized. due to salinityor gas. lf you cannot correctthe prob-
lems, haveyour camerainspectedat a Pentaxservice
center.Repairsof this nature are not covered under
the terms of the warranty and charges may be
assessed.View original page 6Page 7 · Read text
#i -,fu PRECAUTIONSFORBAfiERYUSAGE
Other precautions . Use two 3V lithiumbatteries(CR2 type)
o The temperature range at which this camera func- . Misuse of the battery can cause hazards such as
tions properlyis -10"C to 50'C (14"F lo 122"F). leakage, overheating,explosion,etc. The battery
. A camerawhich has been submergedin water usu- should be insertedwith the "+" and "-" sides facing
ally cannot be repaired.lf such an accidentshould correctly.
occur. it is advisable to contact a Pentax Service o Batterv pedormance may be temporarily hindered
Centerimmediately. in low temperatures,but will recoverin normaltem-
. To maintain optimum performance,it is recom- peratures.
mended that the camera be inspectedevery one or . Ke€p a spare battery on hand for replacementcon-
two years. lf the camera has not been used for an veniencewhen shootingoutdoorsor whiletraveling.
extendedperiod,or is being preparedfor an impor- . Replacethe batteriesat the same time. Do not mix
tant photographicsession, it is recommendedthat battery brands,types or old batterieswith new, as
you have the camera inspectedor test shoot with it. this may cause overheatingor explosion.
. Repairs deemed necessarydue to usage of this
product in an industrialor commercialapplication
may not be covered under the terms of the Pentax
warranty.
. The PENTAXwarrantyprovidesonly for the repair
of defectsin materialsor workmanship.Damageof
any kind cannot be repairedat no charge underthe
terms of the warranty.lf the difficultyis caused as a
direct resultof the productbeing used in conditions
as outlined in the "Precautionsfor Your Camera"
section or any other operation contrary to the
instructionsoutlinedin this manual,chargeswill be
assessedand a repairquotationwill be provided.www.butkus.us
..r"-:".... -r.gYView original page 7Page 8 · Read text
LCDPANELINDICATION VIEWFINDERINDICATIONC
iliri
@ 8.8I:": PAvTvMfiH
P ProgrammedAE (p.19,26) Microprism(p.21)
Split-image(p.21)Av Aperture-PriorityAE (p.27) ve
Tv Shutter-PriorityAE (p.29) 88S ShutterSpeed (p.26, 28, 29, 31)
M MeteredManual Mode (p.30) F8.s ApertureValue(p.26,28,29,31)
88 FrameCounter(p.14) + Flash Status Information(p.39)
o- Film StatusInformation(p.14) ta ExposureCompensation(p.33)
!tso BatteryFilm SpeedExhaustionSettingWarningSignal(p.15)(p.9) 3:oir Bar Graph (p.31,33)
88s" Film Speed Information(p.15) 3:O
* Memory lock (p.34)
LCD (Liquid-Crystal Display)
When the LCD is exposed to high temperatures
over approximately60"C it may blacken,but when
the temperaturenormalizes,it should return to nor-
mal.View original page 8Page 9 · Read text
TABLEOF CONTENTS
Names of workingparts Flaps 3. Attachingthe lens ........ ..................10
Safe use of your camera .... Insidecover 4. Turningon the power .....12
Precautionsfor yourcamera ................1 5. Filmloading ....12
Precautionsfor batteryusage ..............2 6. FilmSpeed(lSO)setting ...............15
LCD panelindication ............3 7. Rewindingand Unloading ..............16
*Viewfinderindication............. ...............3 Rewindingin mid-roll........... ...........17
Camerafunctionsavailablewith various lenses .. 6 8. Usingthe shutterreleasebutton .... 18
9. Settingthe apertureand shutterspeed dial .. 19
I GENERALOPERATIONS 10. Holdingthe Camera .....20
1. Attachingthe camera strap 11.Focusino.......... .............21
2. Loadingthe batteries.......... .............8
www.butkus.usView original page 9Page 10 · Read text
II ADVANCEDOPERATION Adjustingthe Date on the Data Back ............36 1. Selectinga DriveMode ..................23 Adjustingthe Time on the Data Back ............37 SingleFrameMode .......23 Replacingthe batteryin the Data Back ........38 ConsecutiveFrameMode .............24 7. Usinga PentaxDedicatedExternalFlash .....39 Self-TimerMode ............24 Overviewof flash functions 2. Sefectingthe ExposureMode ........26 8. Slow-speed-syncshooting .............41 Usingthe ProgrammedAE Mode .................26 9. Accessories(Optional) ...42 Usingthe Aperture-PriorityAE Mode ............27 10.Cameracase ................43 Usingthe Shutter-PriorityAE Mode ..............29 11.The infraredindex ........44 Usingthe MeteredManualMode ..................30 Usingthe Bulb ExposureMode .....32 III OTHERS 3. ExposureCompensation ................33 Troubleshooting ..,...............45 4. Usingthe MemoryLock .................34 Specifications........ .............46 5. Depthof Field Previewbutton ........35 Warrantypolicy ..................................48 6. Data Back (optional) ......36View original page 10
Page 11 · Read text
re CAMERAFUNCTIONSAVAILABLEWITHVARIOUSLENSES
Some of the specialfunctions(Powerzoom, lmage-sizetracking,Zoom clip, auto-zoomeffect)cannot be
used with this camera.
'" Leri5= "ffileiis"' F]ens"" ""A'rdiid"" M lens S lths Function
[Mounttype] IKnra] IKnr] lKol IK] IScrew]
ProgrammedAE o*1 o*1 o X X
Aperture-PriorityAE o o o o o
Shutter-PriorityAE o*1 o*1 o X X
MeteredManual o o o o o
Auto Flash o o o o o
Multi (2)-segmentmetering o o o x*2 x*2
Approx.f-stop indication o o X X X
Notes: *1. Exceptionof Pentax-FASoft 85mm f/2.8 and FA-soft28mm t12.8.
*2. Center-weightedmeteringis used insteadof the multi-(2)segment meteringmode.
www.butkus.usView original page 11Page 13 · Read text
2 LOADINGTHE BATTERIES
Ib 2
om
zm
T
o
!m SR==
I3
oz N
1 Open the battery chamber cover by using a . Misuse of the batterycan cause hazardssuch as
coin or similar object. leakage,overheating,explosions,etc. The battery
2 Load two batteries (CR2 type) according to should be insertedwith the "+" and "-" sides facing
the markings (+,) in the battery chamber. correctly.
3 Turn the battery chamber cover screw in the . The optional" AA-BatteryPack FG" is also avail-
direction of the arrow to lock it securely. able for this camera insteadof using the lithium
batteries.
. Replacethe batteriesat the same time. Do not mix
batterybrands,types or old batterieswith new, as
this may cause overheatingor explosion.
. Keep spare batteries on hand for replacement
www.butkus.ustraveling.conveniencewhen shooting outdoors or whileView original page 13Page 14 · Read text
Battery |,ife (using 24-exposure film rolls at
20'cl68'F)
om
Generalexistinglight photography about 120 rolls zm
Bulb exposuretime about B hours I l
o
Battery Life (using 24-exposure film rolls at !m
-10"c/14"F)
Generalexistinglight photography about 30 rolls !Ioz
Bulbexposuretime about 2 hours
* Low Battery Warning CR2 batterieswere used under Pentaxtestingcon-
ditions. Actual battery life and performance may
When the batteriesare nearly exhausted,the bat- vary drasticallydepending on external conditions
tery symbol [ ! ] appearson the LCD panel to warn such as temperatureand freshnessof the battery.
you. Even if the battery symbol appears,exposure
will be correct as long as the shutter releases,but
the batteriesshould be replacedas soon as possi-
ble.
'When the low bafterywarning [ 0 ] starts blinking,
the shuttercannot be released.* Replaceboth batteriesat the same time.View original page 14Page 15 · Read text
,*,.*,ffiltil 3 ATTACHINGTHE LENS
{b 1 2
om
zm u
o
!m
!3
oz
1 Remove the body mount cap O and rear lens 2 Align the red dots on the camera and lens
cap O as shown in the illustration. mount, attach the lens to the camera body,
and turn it fully to the right until it clicks into
. The body mount cap is designed to protect the place.
camera againstscratchesand dust at the factory.
. For storage,the optionalaccessory"Body Mount
Cap K" is available.
www.butkus.usView original page 15Page 17 · Read text
3+ TURNoNTHEcAMERA 5 LOADINGFILM
I
L
om
zm
!
|.o
!mu3
oz VIOFFn
Set the main switch to the ON position. 1 To open the back cover, slide the back cover
release lever in the direction of the arrow.
Note: 2 Place the film cartridge in the film chamber as
The LCD panel shown above is an example.The shown in the illustration.
actualdisplaythat you see may be differentif a lens
is attachedor if you have made other camera set- . Always load and unload film in the shade or by
tings. using your body to shade the camera.
. Pull the film leader out only far enough to reach
the take-upspool.
www.butkus.usView original page 17Page 23 · Read text
8 USINGTHESHUTTERRELEASEBUTTON
The shutter release button has two positions.
Depressingit down halfway(first position)turns on
om the exposure meter and the shutter speed and
zm aperture setting are displayed.Depressingit fully
t (secondposition)releasesthe shutter.When taking
a picture,depressthe shutter releasebuttongently AAANot pressed Pressedhalfway Pressedfully|.o to preventcamera shake. down down!m
. To prevent camera shake, depress the shutterT3 (firstposition)(secondposition)
oz releasebuttongently.
. The LCD indicationstays on for about 10 seconds
after the buttonis releasedfrom the halfwayposi-
tion. Depressingthe shutter release button down
halfwaykeeps the LCD indicatoron.
www.butkus.usView original page 23Page 25 · Read text
* 10 HOLDINGTHE CAMERA
Cameraheld horizontally Cameraheld verticaltyL ,.
lr o
mzm u
o
!mu3 oz
For best results, be sure to hold the camera cor- . Although there are individualdifferencesamong
rectly as shown in the illustrations. photographers,in generalthe shutter speed for a
hand held camera is the inverse of the focal
Hold the camerafirmly,with your left hand support- length. For example, 1/50 of second when the
ing the camera and lens as shown in the illustra- focallengthis 50mm, and 11100of secondwhen it
tions. is 100mm. A tripod should be used for shutter
speedsslowerthan this.
. When using an ultra-telephotolens, a tripodthat is
heavier than the total weight of the camera and
lens is recommendedto avoid camera shake.
www.butkus.usView original page 25Page 30 · Read text
-""-
I
I
*2 Focus on the subject and then depress the Underexposuremay occur if light enters the shutter release button fully. viewfinder during self-timer operation. lf you Ua
intend to move away from the viewfinder, attach
To Cancel the suppliedfindercap as shownin the illustration. *To cancel the self-timeroperationafter it has been When using .accessoriessuch as the finder cap,
activated,move the drive mode dial to any position remove the Eyecup FH.The Eyecup FH comes
otherthan IrD ]. from the factory fitted to the camera'sviewfinder
accessory grooves.View original page 30Page 31 · Read text
ffi:t 2 SELECTINGTHE EXPOSUREMODE
1
lperurAx35-6Ol
80 50 35
p-
rillflilililffitil[|[|t||||tffi[[il c,fzom o
o t]0${t0 Iizzl611as.e{1flfi !m
/ t-\ )rv-l-hl=d a !3
oz Programmed Auto-Exposure (AE) Mode 1. Turn the lens aperture ring to the I A ] posi- @ tion as shown in the illustration.
Purpose: 2. Turn the shutter dial to I A ] while holding
For easy picture taking, use this mode. In the down the shutter dial lock button.
ProgrammedAE mode, the camera automatically
selectsthe best combinationof apertureand shut- . I P ] appearson the LCD panelto indicatethat the
ter speed setting allowing you to take pictures by ProgrammedAE Mode is set.
simply depressingthe shutter releasebutton. . When the shutter release button is depressed
halfwaydown, the shutterspeed and the aperture
value will be displayedin the viewfinder.
www.butkus.usView original page 31Page 32 · Read text
ffiil|ltffi||lffilt!l||ffiil[il
Azzrc s.64 s 0 l:;r zog
f!D
Aperture - Priority AE Mode 2. Set the shutter dial to I A ]. I Au ] appearson the LCD panel. II
Purpose:
Allowsthe user to directlycontrolthe lens aperture.
This mode is ideal for shooting landscapes with
increased depth of field, or a portrait against a
blurred background.When the desired aperture is
selected,an appropriateshutter speed is automati-
cally set by the camera for a proper exposure.
1. Set the lens aperture rlng to the desired f-
stop other than t A ].View original page 32Page 33 · Read text
D
D
os
zom0
o
!m
!_t
oz 3. When the shutter release button ls depressed exposurewill come out 1 stop overexposed,set the lens
@ halfway, the shutter speed will be displayed in the aperturering to I A ] or adjustthe exposuredeliberately
viewfinder. to 1 stop under.
Note: * Exposure Warning
. When an F or FA lens is used, an approximateaperture lf the subject is too bright or too dark, the selected shutter
indicationwill appear in the viewfinderwhen the shutter speed will blink in the viewfinderand on the LCD panel as
releasebuttonis depressedhalfway.When lensesother a warning as shown. When the subject is too bright,
than an F or FA series are used, no approximateaper- choosea smalleraperture,if available;whenit is too dark,
ture indicationwill appear in the viewfinder. choose a larger aperture, if available.When the shutter
. When a lens with no lens informationcontact is used. the speed indicationstops blinking,you can take the picture.
center-weightedmetering mode is automaticallyset. lf both shutterand apertureblink, it means that the expo-
. lf the SMC Pentax50mm f/1.2 lens is used with the lens sure is out of meteringrange, unable to obtain a correct
aperturering set at a positionother than the I Awww.butkus.us] posi- exposure even if the aperture is adjusted.Select a darker
tion, the center-weightedmetering mode will be set subjectif it is too bright,or use a flash if it is too dark.
instead of the multi-segmentmetering mode. As theView original page 33Page 35 · Read text
50 35
-- ffi[[|ffi!||ilffifffi||ffiilililil
o
Azzrcilljr s.64 0 zom c,
o
!mu3
Metered Manual Mode 1. Set the lens aperture ring to the desired f- ozo stop setting.
Purpose: 2. Set the shutter dial to the desired shutter
Allows the user direct control over all exposure set- speed. I M ] appears on the LCD panel.
tings. The Metered Manual Mode is a convenient
exposuremode for taking pictures using the same . When the shutter release button is depressed
shutterspeed and aperturesetting combination,or halfway,the shutter speed, approximateaperture
taking creatively under or over exposed pho- and bar graph will be displayedin the viewfinder.
tographs.
www.butkus.us
hView original page 35From the M. Butkus archive. Original publisher and archive notices are retained.
Check the model and edition against your equipment.
PDF verified 2026-10-10.