C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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The Pentax P5 (1989; sold as the P50 in the Japanese domestic market) is a manual-focus consumer SLR occupying the entry tier of the Pentax 35mm lineup at the end of the 1980s. It accepts the full range of Pentax KA-mount lenses, providing aperture coupling for program and aperture-priority AE modes. A built-in pop-up flash is included, which was increasingly standard for consumer SLRs in this period. Focus is manual via a split-prism/microprism finder.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
Develop 35mm film
Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
Late-1980s Pentax consumer SLR with KA mount, program AE, and built-in flash in an accessible package.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Pentax KA (K-mount, manual focus, aperture coupling) |
| Years | ~1989–1993 |
| Shutter | 1s - 1/1000s + Bulb, electronic vertical metal |
| Flash sync | 1/100s |
| Meter | TTL center-weighted |
| Exposure modes | Program, aperture-priority |
| Focus | Manual, split-prism/microprism/matte |
| Viewfinder | ~88% coverage, ~0.80× |
| Weight | ~450 g (body only) |
| Battery | 2x AA |
Pentax built the P-series beginning in the early 1980s as an accessible counterpart to the more professional K and M series. The P3 (c. 1985) established the P-series pattern at the budget end. The P5 arrived in 1989 as an updated entry, carrying the KA mount — which had superseded the earlier K mount with additional electrical contacts for program AE — and adding a built-in flash.
The P series was a late generation of manual-focus consumer SLRs. By the early 1990s, the AF segment had largely displaced manual-focus bodies at the consumer level, and Pentax shifted its volume to the Z (ZX) and MZ series. The P5 was among the last of this type produced by Pentax at volume.
The P5 is significant primarily as a lens platform. The KA mount accepts the full range of Pentax K-mount glass, including Manual-focus primes from the M and A series (SMC Pentax-M and SMC Pentax-A), which are widely regarded as excellent-value optics. With an A-series lens, the P5 supports program AE; with an M-series lens, stop-down metering applies.
For contemporary film users, the P5 represents one of the least expensive ways to use Pentax K-mount glass with a working SLR and some degree of automatic exposure. It lacks autofocus and has a restricted shutter speed range (top speed 1/1000s vs. 1/2000s or faster on mid-tier bodies), but these are modest limitations for casual use.
The KA mount supports:
Recommended companion lenses:
Built-in pop-up flash provides basic fill and low-light capability. Hot shoe accepts Pentax-compatible external flashes.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
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