Welcome to my blog! I’m Adam, and photography has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. From an early age, cameras fascinated me. In this post, I want to share how I transformed my love for capturing moments into a fulfilling career—one that began with a thrift-store find and continues to inspire me today.
My First Camera: Pentax ME Super
About 30 years ago, when I was 12, my dad bought me a Pentax ME Super from a thrift store. He was tired of me borrowing his camera every chance I got! This manual film camera became my constant companion. I learned the fundamentals of photography by physically adjusting the aperture and shutter speed, advancing the film by hand, and relying on a basic light meter.
Why the ME Super is Great for Beginners:
- Manual focus and limited electronics
- Forces you to practice the exposure triangle
- Affordable and well-built
Building a Foundation in Film Photography
Shooting roll after roll of black-and-white film taught me to pay attention to every detail: composition, lighting, and the overall story behind each shot. With no “delete” button, every frame was precious, and every mistake was a chance to learn. I still believe that film photography is one of the best ways to master the art of capturing light!
I would HIGHLY recommend this camera to anyone interested in learning the basics of film photography. Even if you’ve been shooting digital for years and want to understand more of the fundamentals of your tools, this camera will force you to think much more about each setting and will help you build your skills! These cameras are a steal nowadays. I have seen them go on Ebay in good condition for $40-75, usually with a lens (those old Pentax lenses were incredibly well made!). The body is all metal, super solid, the only electronics are the two button batteries, which run the light meter and shutter operations, that can be easily replaced if they are not working.
Pentax ME Super: Key Specifications
- Type
- 35mm Film SLR Camera (Single-Lens Reflex)
- Introduced in 1979 by Asahi Optical Co. (Pentax)
- Lens Mount
- Pentax K-Mount
- Compatible with a wide range of manual-focus Pentax lenses
- Shutter
- Electronically controlled, vertical metal shutter
- Speed Range: 4s – 1/2000s + Bulb (B)
- Flash Sync: 1/125s (marked as “X” on the dial)
- Exposure Modes
- Aperture Priority Auto-Exposure: Set your aperture, and the camera selects the shutter speed
- Manual Mode: Adjust shutter speeds via push-buttons on the camera’s top plate
- ISO (ASA) Range
- ISO 12 to ISO 1600
- Dial on the top plate for adjusting film speed settings
- Viewfinder
- Bright, easy-to-read viewfinder display with LED indicators for shutter speed
- Split-image focusing aid in the center (for precise manual focus)
- Metering
- TTL (Through-The-Lens) Center-Weighted Metering
- Activated via a half-press of the shutter button
- Focus
- Manual Focus Only
- Accurate focusing thanks to the split-image/microprism focusing screen
- Build & Weight
- Compact, lightweight metal body
- Weighs approximately 445g (body only)
- Dimensions roughly 131 x 87 x 49 mm
- Power Source
- Two SR44 or LR44 button batteries (1.5V each) required for shutter operation and meter
- Additional Features
- Exposure Compensation: +/- 2 stops via dial
- Self-Timer: Mechanical self-timer lever for delayed shots
- Film Advance: Single-stroke film advance lever
Specifications from: https://www.kenrockwell.com/pentax/me-super.htm#spex
Formal Training and Darkroom Days
I gained a solid mastery of the exposure triangle by shooting roll after roll of black-and-white film on my ME Super, developing each one, and printing my own photos for years in a makeshift basement darkroom. Everything was done manually: if I made a mistake, there was no Photoshop to fix it, so I either started over or found creative ways to work with the light and realize my vision. It was fun, frustrating, time-consuming, and ultimately the best training ground for learning how to tell a story through light.
My passion led me to classes at the New England Art Institute in Manchester, NH, where I honed my darkroom skills. Working with chemicals, developing my negatives, and seeing my images appear on paper had a certain magic to it — and taught me patience. I wanted to pursue photojournalism, but life had different plans, and I ended up joining the military which led to many other adventures in life. I will forever be grateful for those early lessons in composition and storytelling I learned from that ME Super!
Life and Future Plans
Although I took a different path, photography remained a constant in my life. I might not have become a photojournalist, but I’ve continued honing my craft, experimenting with new techniques, moving to digital photography, learning digital editing methods (so much faster than the darkroom!), working in the fashion world here in Denver, and sharing my work with others. I’m excited to keep growing and continue to bring my film experience into modern digital projects.
More on all that later! I will be regularly updating this blog with more of my photography journey stories and will be sharing more of my photos frequently!
Final Thoughts
Thanks for joining me on this trip down memory lane. Learning photography the manual way taught me to value every frame and chase authenticity in every shot. If you’re curious about exploring film, I highly recommend picking up a Pentax ME Super or another vintage camera—it’s an affordable adventure in real, raw photography.
Have you ever shot on film? What camera sparked your passion? Share your experience in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe for more of my photography journey and future tips on mastering the art of light!
