Pentax ME vs ME Super vs MX: Which compact Pentax suits you?

The Pentax ME, ME Super, and MX share the same compact M body but are three fundamentally different cameras: The ME is a pure shutter priority for those who just want to take photos. The ME Super adds manual shutter speeds via push buttons and exposes up to 1/2000 s. The MX is fully mechanical, runs without batteries, and has the largest viewfinder image in its class. All three use two standard SR44 button cells — no mercury problem, no adapter needed.

Cover photo: Thomas Backa — CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Table of contents

1. Three cameras, one body — the overview
2. Technical data in direct comparison
3. Operating philosophy: automatic, buttons, or dials
4. The viewfinder — the underrated buying argument
5. Battery: Insert SR44, done (with one catch)
6. Weak points and used camera checklist
7. Which one suits you? (And why the K1000 is too expensive)
8. Lens recommendations for beginners
9. Accessories and digitizing

Three cameras, one body — the overview

In 1972, Olympus introduced the OM-1 and overnight made all other SLRs bulky and heavy. Pentax took four years to respond. At the end of 1976, ME and MX were launched simultaneously — two cameras in practically identical compact bodies but with opposite philosophies.

The ME was radical: shutter priority only, no manual speeds, nothing to adjust except the aperture. The MX was the opposite — fully mechanical, fully manual, built as a smaller alternative to the professional class. In 1979, Pentax introduced the ME Super, which added manual shutter speeds via push buttons and a 1/2000 shutter.

For context, because the M-series quickly becomes confusing: the MV and MG are stripped-down budget automatics, the ME-F from 1981 is the world’s first mass-produced autofocus SLR (technically interesting, practically irrelevant), and the LX from 1980 is the weatherproof professional flagship with interchangeable viewfinders. The K1000 is not part of the M-series at all — it is larger, heavier, and simpler, but thanks to its reputation as a school camera now costs more than the technically superior MX. More on that later.

Technical data in direct comparison

	Pentax ME	Pentax ME Super	Pentax MX
Years of production	1976–1979	1979–1984	1976–1984
Shutter	Seiko, metal, vertical, electronic	Metal, vertical, electronic	Fabric, horizontal, mechanical
Shutter speeds	8 s – 1/1000	4 s – 1/2000	1 s – 1/1000 + B
Flash sync	1/100	1/125	1/60
Exposure	shutter priority only	shutter priority + manual (buttons)	manual only
Viewfinder	0.97×, 92%	0.95×, 92%	0.97×, 95%, 8 interchangeable screens
Display in the viewfinder	Shutter speed LEDs	Shutter speed LEDs	5 LEDs + time and aperture readable
Battery	2× SR44/LR44	2× SR44/LR44	2× SR44/LR44
Without battery	only B + 1/100	only B + 1/125	all speeds, only meter dead
Dimensions (mm)	131 × 82.5 × 49.5	131.5 × 83 × 49.5	135.5 × 83.5 × 49.5
Weight (body)	460 g	460 g	495 g
Motor	Winder ME (1.5–2 fps)	Winder ME/ME II	Winder MX (2 fps), Motor Drive (5 fps)
Used price 2026*	approx. 40–80 EUR	approx. 60–120 EUR	approx. 110–220 EUR

*Functional, unserviced bodies on the EU used market; dealer-checked examples with warranty are priced higher. All three accept every Pentax K lens — from 1975 to current Limited lenses.

A note for those looking up specs: the English Wikipedia lists the MX dimensions for the ME (copy-paste error). The correct ME values are above.

Operating philosophy: automatic, buttons, or dials

Pentax ME — the consistent automatic

The ME has no shutter speed dial. You select the aperture on the lens, the camera chooses the shutter speed — continuously between 8 seconds and 1/1000. That sounds like restriction but works surprisingly well in practice: the center-weighted meter is reliable. CasualPhotophile tested it and saw no misexposures in over 72 shots — their conclusion: "one of those rare values."

If you use exposure as a creative tool, you reach for exposure compensation (±2 stops on the ring around the rewind crank). There is no more manual control than that. That’s exactly what makes the ME a secret tip for everyone who just wants to shoot — and the cheapest entry into the M series.

Pentax ME Super — automatic plus buttons

The ME Super can do everything the ME can, plus manual shutter speeds from 4 s to 1/2000. They are not set by a dial but via two push buttons next to the shutter release. This is the most controversial design decision of the entire series. Some get used to it immediately, others never. Hamish Gill from 35mmc was bothered by the tiny unlock button for mode switching and the lack of AE lock — his verdict: "Not for me, but a great camera regardless."

All in all, the ME Super is the most flexible of the three. If you want to own only one M camera and need both automatic and manual control, this is the one.

Pentax MX — the mechanical one

The MX completely forgoes electronics in the shutter. Shutter speed dial on top, aperture on the lens, five LEDs in the viewfinder show the deviation (green = correct, orange = half stop off, red = one full stop or more). The battery only powers the light meter — the camera itself runs without it.

In the Photrio forum, Ian Grant sums it up: “I have both but prefer the MX — it's a mechanical shutter so will keep working even if the battery goes flat. I also find it much quicker to use." And CasualPhotophile calls the MX “the Mazda Miata of 35mm SLRs … a street photography machine."

The viewfinder — the underrated buying argument

On paper, there’s almost no difference between the three: 0.95× to 0.97× magnification. But at the eye, they’re worlds apart.

The MX shows 95% of the frame at 0.97x magnification — the largest and brightest viewfinder in its class, bigger than some professional cameras. It also has eight interchangeable focusing screens (shared with the LX) and displays both shutter speed and aperture in the viewfinder. You see your entire exposure without taking your eye off the subject. With the ME and ME Super, you only see the shutter speed.

A fair point from the Photrio thread: The LED shutter speed display of the ME Super is easier to read in low light than the small LEDs of the MX. If you often shoot at dusk, you should try both at the eye.

Battery: Insert SR44, done (with one catch)

Here’s some good news. Unlike the classics from the mercury era (keyword PX625), all three Pentax models simply require two 1.5V button cells of type SR44 or LR44 — still widely available today, no adapter, no voltage correction. The measuring circuit works with a bridge circuit that largely doesn’t care about the exact cell voltage.

Silver oxide (SR44) keeps the voltage constant until just before the end and lasts significantly longer than alkaline (LR44). Use brand-name cells — leaked no-name cells are one of the most common causes of corroded battery compartments in used cameras.

Weak points and used camera checklist

All three cameras are 40 to 50 years old. What matters then is less the spec sheet and more the question: what breaks, and what can be fixed?

ME and ME Super: the gummed-up mirror damper

The most well-known problem of the electronic models is in the mirror box. The mirror’s air damper contains rubber parts that become stiff and sticky after decades. Symptoms: the mirror gets stuck up, moves sluggishly, or after a longer pause nothing happens at first when you press the shutter. Steve Roberts describes it dramatically in the Photrio forum: the aging rubber parts "steadily turn into goo." The repair is doable (iFixit documents the complete mirror box service), but with body prices of 40–100 EUR it’s rarely worth it at a professional shop — more a case for tinkerers or buying a better example.

The ME Super has two additional issues: the winding mechanism often fails on heavily used models (one forum user now collects them: "They aren't worth repairing — I just buy another"), and oxidized contacts on the ASA/correction ring cause the display to sporadically jump to extreme values. The latter can often be fixed by turning the ring back and forth several times.

MX: almost everything repairable

The MX ages differently. Light seals and mirror bumpers crumble — standard for every SLR of this era and easy to fix yourself for little money. The mechanical shutter can be maintained like a clockwork. A specific, rarer MX problem is gear wear in the horizontal shutter, which causes uneven exposure across the image width ("step exposure") — you can only recognize this on a test roll or a uniformly gray surface at 1/1000. Basically: since nothing electronic can die, the MX is the most durable of the three. Whether a full service is worth it depends on the individual case — our article "Does every broken analog camera need a CLA?" helps with the decision, and in the workshop overview you’ll find places that still work on Pentax.

Checklist for buying used gear

1. Bring fresh SR44 batteries. Without a battery, you can hardly test anything on ME and ME Super.
2. Mirror test (ME/ME Super): Fire ten times in a row, even after a one-minute pause. Any hang-ups, any sluggish lifting = damper problem.
3. Advance lever (ME Super): Perform several transport cycles — the lever must spring back cleanly and the shutter release must cock afterwards.
4. Cycle through all shutter speeds (MX): Count 1 s audibly, check fast speeds against a bright surface — the slit must run evenly.
5. Check the display: Compare the meter reading with a smartphone app or a known camera; for the ME Super test the ASA ring for contact problems (if the time jumps wildly, the contact is oxidized).
6. Light seals and battery compartment: Sticky black crumbs on the back cover are normal and cheap to fix; green residue in the battery compartment is a warning sign of deeper corrosion.

Which one suits you? (And why the K1000 is too expensive)

You want …	Take this one	Why
simple photography, smallest budget	ME	Accurate automatic, from ~40 EUR — more camera per euro you won’t find in the M series
a camera for everything	ME Super	Automatic for on the go, manual when it counts, 1/2000 as reserve
full control, street, reliability	MX	Mechanics without electronics risk, best viewfinder image, runs without battery
the name from the photo course	K1000	Honestly: better not — see below

About the K1000, because the question always comes up: It is a good, indestructible camera. But it now costs 120–230 EUR used — as much as the MX and more than twice as much as the better-equipped ME Super. For that, you get less: no self-timer, no meter shutoff, larger and heavier body, identical flash sync. The extra cost is pure name hype from twenty years of photo course recommendations. An ME Super is the smarter K1000, an MX the better one.

Lens recommendations for beginners

All three cameras take any K-mount lens. For starting out, four SMC Pentax-M lenses have proven themselves:

Lens	Used approx.	Assessment
SMC-M 50mm f/1.7	30–60 EUR	The standard tip. Sharp from f/2 throughout, compact, solidly built — “for the price this lens is a banger"
SMC-M 28mm f/2.8	60–110 EUR	Affordable wide-angle with decent performance — for street and travel
SMC-M 50mm f/1.4	80–140 EUR	Half a stop more light, higher contrast look — the extra cost is only worth it for open-aperture fans
SMC-M 40mm f/2.8 Pancake	150–450 EUR	Cult lens, makes the small camera pocket-friendly — demand drives the price

Rule of thumb: buy body with 50/1.7, often the lens is almost free in the set. Add the pancake later if you get hooked on the format.

Accessories and digitizing

The most useful accessory for a 45-year-old Pentax is unspectacular: fresh batteries, new light seals, caps for body and lenses. That’s exactly what we make replacements for:

And once the first films are developed: scanning yourself is the point where the cost per film drops drastically. How the complete setup of camera, film holder, and light source looks is explained in our Scanning Guide.

Video tips

Two worth-watching comparisons and reviews of the M series:

Romping Bronco compares ME Super and MX directly — including the button vs. dial question.

David Hancock goes through the MX in detail — with sample photos and practical tips.