Pentax Spotmatic II1971

History

The Spotmatic line began in 1964 when Pentax introduced TTL metering to the mass market. The original Spotmatic used an unusual name - its through-the-lens metering was initially described as "spot" metering before the camera shipped, then changed to center-weighted averaging before release, though the "Spotmatic" name remained. The SP was a massive commercial success.

The Spotmatic II appeared in 1971 as a refinement - the most significant addition was the accessory hot shoe on the prism housing, addressing the most-cited complaint about the original SP, which required a cold shoe and PC cord for flash. The body and shutter mechanism remained otherwise identical.

The SPII had a short production run of approximately two years. In 1973 Pentax introduced the Spotmatic F (SPF), designed around the new Super-Multi-Coated Takumar lenses with an open-aperture metering coupling pin. The SPF could meter at full aperture, eliminating the need to stop down - a significant usability improvement. The SPII was discontinued as the SPF took over, although the even cheaper Spotmatic 1000 continued for budget-market sales.

Why It Matters

The Spotmatic II sits in the final chapter of Pentax's most important camera family. The entire Spotmatic line educated a generation of photographers in the 1960s and 1970s: the cameras were approachable, reliable, and paired with outstanding Takumar glass. The M42 mount is one of the widest-supported legacy mounts - adapted lenses work on contemporary mirrorless systems from Sony, Fujifilm, Nikon Z, and Canon RF.

The SPII is historically interesting as the last stop-down metering Spotmatic, closing a design lineage that Pentax then abandoned in favor of open-aperture systems. It also represents the era of SMC (Super-Multi-Coated) Takumar lenses, which Pentax introduced around 1971 and which are among the most optically respected legacy lenses available today.

Lenses & Accessories

The M42 mount accepts the full range of Pentax Takumar lenses as well as M42 lenses from Zeiss (for East German Praktica), Yashica, Chinon, Mamiya, Ricoh, Cosina, Vivitar, Sigma, Tamron (with adapter), and dozens of other manufacturers.

Key Pentax Takumar lenses of the SPII era:

• Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 50mm f/1.4 - the classic standard, well-coated, sharp from f/2
• Super-Takumar 50mm f/1.4 - earlier single-coated version, more prone to radioactive-glass thorium yellowing
• Super-Multi-Coated Macro-Takumar 50mm f/4 - close-up specialist
• Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 28mm f/3.5 - wide-angle workhorse
• Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 135mm f/3.5 - compact telephoto

The 50mm f/1.4 Super-Takumar and its SMC successor are among the most-adapted lenses for Sony A7-series bodies in the contemporary film-photography community.

Accessories: M42 auto-aperture adapter (allows open-aperture viewing if lens supports), cable release, Pentax cases. The SPII uses the same battery (PX625) as many other CdS-metered cameras of the era.

Battery note: The original PX625 mercury cell is no longer legally sold in most countries. Voltage-correct replacements: Wein MRB625 zinc-air cell (1.35V, correct voltage), or use a 1.5V silver-oxide SR44 with an adapter knowing the meter will read slightly high. A CLA technician can recalibrate the meter circuit for modern silver-oxide voltage.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• The Spotmatic line broadly was used by photojournalists and editorial photographers throughout the late 1960s and 1970s before Pentax's K-mount transition in 1975.
• David Hamilton shot extensively with Pentax Spotmatic-era equipment.
• The Spotmatic appears in Japanese photography education materials as an emblematic camera of the era; the SPII specifically as the "mature" version.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Pentax Spotmatic - covers the full Spotmatic family with variant details
• PentaxForums: Spotmatic II review - user community notes on operation and buying