Film cameras
Pentax ZX-50 User manual
User manual for Pentax ZX-50. 100 pages in English. Read the original PDF, download or print a copy without registration.
100 pagesEnglish5.7 MB PDF
Loading your manual…Open PDF directly
Document details
- Brand
- Pentax
- Model / document
- Pentax ZX-50
- Document type
- User manual
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 100
- File size
- 5.7 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 2 · Read text
Congratulationson your purchase of this camera and lcon indicators used in this manual
welcome to the exciting world of Pentax autofocus pho-
tographyl This compact and light weight camera is an Operation direction -autofocus SLR camera that offers higher levels of so-
phistication and performance. Incorporating a broad
Automatic operation arrIrange of advanced technologies and highly accurate
automation. this camera will perform superbly for the
most exacting photographer. Attention
Read this instruction manual carefully to get a full ex- Lamp blinking
planation of operations before use.
4- -----) Correct o
I ncorrect X i:==A
The names of the camera's working parts are listed on Lenses and accessories produced by other manu-
the f ront and back f laps in this operating manual. Keep facturers are not made to our orecise soecifica-
the f laps unfolded for quick referencewhile readingthis tions and therefore mav cause diff iculties with, or
manuat. actual damage to, your Pentax camera. We do
not assume any responsibilityor liabilityfor diffi-
culties resulting from the use of lenses and ac-
cessorres made by other manufacturers.View original page 2Page 4 · Read text
FOR SAIF.E.,lUl$:E:',::.'o:'F.:..l...Y.o:UlR,,',:,l..C
Although we have carefully designed this camera for safe operation, please be sure to follow
precautions given on this page.
A WARNING This mark indicatesprecautionsthat, if not followed, could result in
serious injury to the operator.
A CAUTION This mark indicatesprecautionsthat, if not followed, could result in
minor or medium injury to the operator or damageto the equipment.
A wnnrutruc A cnurtoru
. The electronic circuits inside the camera contain . Do not use the flash near anyone's eyes, as it may
high voltage working parts. Never attempt to disas- hurt them. Be particularly careful with the flash
semble the camera vourself. around infants.
. Never touch Internal parts of the camera if they be- . Never try to disassemble, short or recharge the ba1-
come exposed from dropping the camera or for tery. Also, do not dispose of the battery in fire, as it
some other reason, as there rs danger of an electric may explooe.
shock. . Remove the batteries from the camera immediatelv
. Wrapping the strap around your neck is dangerous if they become hot or begin to smoke. Be careful not
Make sure that small children do not get the strap burn yourself during removal.
caught around their neck.
. Do not look directly at the sun through the camera,
as viewing the sun for an extended period may dam-
age your eyes.
. Be sure to store battenes out of the reach of chil-
dren. Seek medical assistance immediatelv if acci-
dentallv swallowed.View original page 4Page 5 · Read text
::lI li PRECAUTIONSFORYOURCAMERA C
Your Pentax camera is a high-precisionmecha- Precautionsfor storage
nism. Handle it with great care. . Avoid leaving the camera 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 mav come in con- . 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 ir
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 drv soft cloth. Precautionsfor proper care
o Do not drop the camera or allow it to hit solid oo- o Never touch the shutter curtain or mirror with vour
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-
. Be careful not to subject the camera to strong vibra- mulated on the Iens or viewfinder.
tions, shock or pressure. Use a cushion to protecr o 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. . Electrical problems may often be caused by water,
o Condensation on the interior or exterior of the cam- dirt or dust at points of electrical contact. Also
era may be extremely harmful to 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 cnarges may De assessed.
temperature difference is minimized. Do not remove
it from the bag until temperature has stabilized.
. Regular size color prints may cut off what appears
on the extreme edges of the film frame. Compose
your picture with a margin of safety at the edges.
www.orphancameras.comView original page 5Page 6 · Read text
PRECAUTIONSFORBATTERYUSAn'
Other precautions . Use two 3V lithium batteries (CR2 type).
. The temperature range at which this camera . Misuse of the batterv can cause hazards such as
The battery etc. functions properly is 50'C to -10.C (22'F to leakage, overheating, explosion, "-" " 1 4 ' F ) . should be inserted with the l-" 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.
. 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 travel Ing.
an extended period, or is being prepared for an im- . 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. actenstrcs.
. Repairs deemed necessary due to usage of this . Replace the batteries at the same time. Do not
product in an industrialor commercial application mix battery brands, type or an old battery with a
mav not be covered under the terms of the new one. lt may cause explosion or overheating.
Pentax warrantv.
. 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-
ficultv 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 assessedand
a repair quotation will be provided.View original page 6Page 8 · Read text
Namesof workingparts """ "Flaps T u r n i n go n t h e p o w e r " " - " " " " " " " " '2 O
Safe use of your camera "'lnside cover U s i n gt h e D a t aB a c k " " " " " " " " " " " 2 1
Precautionsfor your camera """"""1 F i l ml o a d i n g " " " " " " " 2 2
Precautionsfor batteryusage"""" " """"""""""'2 U n l o a d i nf igl m " " " " " ' " " " " " " " " " 2 5
Practicalshootingguide """"" """" 3 . Rewindinga film in mid-roll """'26
""""4Tableof contents
L C D o a n e inl d ica t io n " """ """"""6 ff B A S f CO P E R A T T O( NS H O O T I N G ) '. . . " " " " " '2 7 - 4 5
V i e w f i nd einr d ica t io n " "" """""""""'7 U s i n gt h e G r e e nO p e r a t i oMn o d e " " " " " " " " " " " '2 7
Easyto use!(For beginners) """"""'B Settingthe Single-FrameDriveMode" " """ """"29
Camerafunctionsavailablewith variouslenses' ""10 Usingzoom lenses "'
H o w t o uset h is o p e ra t ingmanual"""-""""""""'12 H o l d i n gt h e C a m e r a "' " " " " " " " " " " '3 2
Selectingthe AutofocusMode ' " """ ' """""33
f. BASfCOPERATTON(PREPARATION) .......13-26 T a k i n ga p i c t u r e" " " ' ' " " " " " " " " 3 4
Attachingthe camerastrap "" """ " ""' """ " 13 . FocusLock Function """"""" 36
Loadingthe batteries """" """" "14 Basicoperationof the Built-inRetractableTTL Flash
. W h e nt h e b a t t e ryis e xhausted""""""""""""17 ( R T F ) . . ' . . . . . . . " " " " " " ' 3 7
At t a c hin gt h e le n s " """ """" """1B . Red-eveReductionFlashFunction """"""""'43
Operatingthe shutterreleasebutton """"""""""'20 o Automaticflashfunction """""45View original page 8Page 10 · Read text
LCD PANELINDICATION
M@rElErgtE?-P_4
Et lso 'ii,J,:.-,,--r-Iv_^ I l Z Hf_r
M : MeteredManualMode (p.64) ISO : Manual-setfilm speed(P.73)
@N : GreenOperationMode(p.55) 1y looa : Shutterspeed
lE : PortraitProgramMode (p.56) a : Batteryexhaustionwarningip.l7)
lI : LandscapeProgramMode (p.57) A v i P : A p e r t u r e v a l u e
lVl : Close-upProgramMode (p.58) % : Exposurecompensation(P.68)
lKl : Action ProgramMode (p.59) .rrt : AudiblePCVsignal(p.69)
+ : Flashinformation(p.37,38) O--- : Film status information(p.24'25)
(E : Red-eyereductionflash indication(p.43) e 0 : Exposurecounter (p.2a) and Exoosurecompensationvalue (p.68)
E[l : Automaticflash function information(p.45) LCD (Liquid-Crystal Display) (Smart f lash information) When the LCD is exposed to high temperatures over ap-
proximately 60"C, it may blacken, but when the tem-
oerature normalizes, it should return to normal.View original page 10Page 12 · Read text
EASYTO USE (For beginners)
1. Loading the batteries 2. Attaching the lens 3. Turning on the power
Openthe battery chambercover by using Align the red indexeson the Slidethe mainswitchto ON (See
a coin Load two batteries(CR2 type) ac- lensand cameraTurnthe lens page20.)
cordingto the markings(*, -) on the to the right until it seatswith a
battery chambercover (See page 14.) click (Seepage 18.)
4. Positioning the aperture ring 5. Setting the mode dial
\A121611
While holding down the aperture- Be sure to set the lens aperture Set the rirode dial to [ @D ] (See
A-lock button, turn the lens aper- ring tothe I A ] position. page 28 ). The Green Operation
ture ring to the 4 I position. Mode will be set
(See page 27.)View original page 12Page 13 · Read text
6. Loading film
a
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. Composingthe scene with the zoom ring 9. Focus on the subject and shoot
While looking through the viewfinder, turn the zoom Focus I t ] I on the subject.Depressthe shutter re-
ring to the right or left until you obtain the desired com- leasebutton fully to take a photo (See page 34.)
position. (See page 30.)
www.orphancameras.comView original page 13Page 15 · Read text
Notes:
* 1. As an F and FA Soft lens do not havethe A positionon the aperturering. a correct exposuremay not be ob-
talned.
* 2. A correct exDosuremav not be obtarned.
* 3. Lenseswith a maximumapertureof I,/2.8 or Iarger.(See AF Adapteroperatingmanual.)
* 4. Manualfocusingusingthe focus indicator(Fl) (O) in the viewfinder.
* 5. Lenseswith a maximumapertureof f /5.6 or larger.
* 6. The bar graph in the viewfinderdoes not light up-
. The A, F, and FA lensesare the bayonetmount lenses.
. The A, F, and FA lenseshave "A" (auto) positionon existingK-mountlenses.
. The screw mount lens CANNOTbe used to this camerabecausecorrect exposureswill not be obtained.
www.orphancameras.comView original page 15Page 16 · Read text
-lirHOW TO USETHIS OPERATINGMANUAL
This manual is organizedinto the following sections,allowing you to optimize the use of the camera:
I . BASIC OPERATION ]II. ADVANCED OPERATIONS
(PREPARATION)Page 13 - 26 Page 46 - 89
II . BASIC OPERATION IV. OTHERINFORMATION
(SHOOTING) Page 2? - 45 Page 90 - 99
"BASIC .lf you want to begin taking pictures with this new camera as soon as possible, read sectton I and ll, "BASIC OPERATION (SHOOTING)'" OPERATION (PREPARATION)" and
These sections introduce onlv the basic functions of this camera. More detailedinformation can be found in section
lll and section lV.View original page 16Page 17 · Read text
(1]ATTACHII.|GTHECAIIERASTRAPEil
BASICOPERATION
(PREPARATION) Fit the strap on the camera as illustrated.
. There is a pocket on the strap so you can store the
finder cap. release socket cover, hot shoe cover or any
other small accessorv as illustrated.
www.orphancameras.comView original page 17Page 18 · Read text
(2) LOADINGTHE BATTERIES
1
@
U'
o
!m7
-l
oz
!tm
!
7
1. Open the battery chamber cover by using a 2. Load two 3V lithium batteries (CR2)=oz
coin, etc. as shown in the illustration. equivalent as shown in the illustration.View original page 18Page 22 · Read text
(3) ATTACHINGTHE LENSG
n 1 2 -
@
2o
o
!m
7
=oz
Tam
I
{ 1. Remove the body mount cap (D and rear lens 2. Align the red dots on the camera and lens z 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
. The body mount cap is designedto protect the cam- click.
era againstscratchesand dust at the factory For stor- "Body age, the optional accessory Mount Cap K" is . Ensure that the camera's main switch is in the [OFF]
available position before attaching a lens to prevent unex-
oected ooeration of the lensView original page 22Page 24 · Read text
(4)OPERATINCTHESHUTTEHRELEASEBUTTOI|($ TURI{II'|COl|THEPOl'llER
The shutter release button has two positions' 1 2- Depressing it down halfway (first position)
@ turns on the exposuremeter and autofocus sys-
2o tem. Depressingit fully (second position) re- o leases the shutter. When taking a picture,
!mu depress the shutter release button gently to prevent camera shake.
=
z . To preventcamerashake,depressthe shutterrelease
! buttongently
Im . Before loading a roll of film, slowly depress the shutter
! release button to learn where the first position is
! . The LCD indication stavs on for about 1 0 seconds
-l after the button is released from the halfway position
oz Depressing the shutter release button down halfway 1. The power is turned ON when the main keeos the LCD indicator on. switch is moved to the right.
2.The power is turned OFF when the main
switch is moved to the left.
. When not in use, ensure that the main switch is set to
the OFF position. pressed Pressedhalfway ImPressedfully m,hNot down down
. (first position) (secondoosition.View original page 24Page 25 · Read text
(6) USINGTHE DATA BACK
lf you purchased the DATE model, read this
section,
The DATE model recordsdata informationon your pho-
tographsclearlyon each frame that you expose
At each pressof the DATE button as shown in the illus-tration,the mode on the LCD panel of the Data Bacr trl r affili
switchesas indicatedin the chart tU *.6'j':J - * ' l ,. I M ] on the LCD indicates"Month".
o When the shutter is released,the bar mark [- ] in the
displayblinksfor a few secondsto indicatethat the
data has been imprinted . L -- -- -- J indicates that no data will be imprinted.
o lf there is a white or yellow object in the corner of the
picture where the data is imprinting, the data may oe
difficult to read When composing your photograpn, t*;ffi\ try to avoid brightly-colored subject in that corner
o To adjust the data, see page 75.
f--=r o The data back operates on a 3V lithium battery lf the
data imprinted on the picture or the data displayed on I I ,l'lfll
H o u r the LCD panel become weak or invisible, the batterv
may need replacing. To replace the battery see page IE 74.
o See page 75 for more detail.
\lq i616----------r'Month Dav year
www.orphancameras.comView original page 25Page 26 · Read text
O) FILMLOADING
We suggest that you first operate the camera- with no film loaded to become familiar with its
@ operations.
a'
o
o Automatic film speed setting
!m This camera is designedto use DX-coded films
v with ISO ratings from 25 to 5000. -{
oz . WhenDX-codedfilm is used,the correctfilm speedis
! automaticallysetfor the camera.lf you usea non-DX
Im codedfilm,you canset the film speedmanuallySee
! page73.
u o Beforeloadingfilm for the first time after purchase,
ooen the back cover and remove the protective card. 1. To open the back cover, slide the back cover Ioz DO NOT TOUCH THE SHUTTER CURTAINS. releaselever in the direction of the arrow'
2.Place the film cartridge in the film chamber
as shown in the illustration.
i.. . Always load and unload film in the shade or by using i
li your body to shade the camera.
i
:View original page 26Page 30 · Read text
3
@
tt
o
o
!
m
!
-
z
Tmt
I
-l
3. Open the back cover and remove the film. x Rewinding a film in mid-roll z lf you wish to unload the film before exposingall the
. A roll of 24-exoosurefilm takes about 13 secondsto frames.use this function.
rewind.
. Before openingthe back cover, check that I O ] rs 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 shuttermav be releaseda frame or more after the using the protruding part of the strap clamp'
specifiednumber of frames have been used as indt-
cated by the numberof frames on the film cartridge o Do not 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 . Before opening the back cover, check that I O ] rs
f ilm when the f ilm reachesthe numberof framesindi- blinking.
cated on the film cartridge.View original page 30Page 31 · Read text
(1)USll'lGTHEGREEl'l0PERATI0I'I[l|0DE@
0 000w
il BASICOPERATION
( S H O O T I N G )
For easy picturetaking,use this mode.You simply de-
oress the shutter releasebutton The camera selects
the best combinationof aperture and shutter speed
automatically
Confirm that the lens aperture ring is set to the - A .
position.
lf the aperture ring is set to a position other than the
A position, a correct exposure may not be obtained'
How to set
1. Turn the lens aperture ring to the I A ] posi-
tion as shown in the illustration.
. To move the lens aperturering to the I A ] position,
turn the aperture ring while holding down the
aoerture-Alock button on the lens www.orphancameras.comView original page 31Page 34 · Read text
(3) USINGZOOMLENSES
Using the zoom function makes the subject ap-
pear larger (telephoto) or smaller (wide angle)
in the viewfinder. Turn the zoom ring to the de-
sired position and depress the shutter release
button to take a picture.
@ . The smallerthe numbershown in the zoom scalewrn-u,
o dow, the wider the angle. Conversely,the larger the
o number,the more magnifiedthe imageappears.
!mu o The lmageSizeTrackingMode,Zoom ClipMode,Auto Zoom Effect Mode and Power Zoom function do not
=oz operatetached. with this camera even if an FA lens is at- Telephoto
o
Ioo
Izo
Wide angleView original page 34From the M. Butkus archive. Original publisher and archive notices are retained.
Check the model and edition against your equipment.
PDF verified 2026-10-10.