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| Mamiya/Sekor 1000DTL. |
The 1000DTL was a very popular camera in the ’70s, and a ground-breaking one at that. It’a a great addition to my SLR collection, as it’s an M42 screw-mount, popularized by Pentax. In the world of Mamiya, leading manufacturer of medium format SLRs, this is also known as the “Praktica-Mamiya/Sekor 42mm universal threaded mount.”
This was the first 135 SLR with a dual-pattern TTL meter, switchable between a 6% spot and an averaging meter. It employs stop-down metering, which is more cumbersome, but also more accurate than full-aperture metering. Its user interface is elegant and simple; pull out the rewind lever to its first stop to turn the meter on, and push it back in to stop the lens down for metering and depth of field preview. When you’re finished shooting, press the center hub of the rewind lever to turn off the meter and fully retract the lever. The meter runs on a single, easy to find S76 battery.
Part of the fun of collecting these old cameras is cleaning them up. An old toothbrush, a few Q-tips, some multipurpose cleaner, and they look practically new. For stubborn stains, a dab of Soft Scrub goes a long way, and some mineral spirits removes sticky, greasy residue. A drop of bleach helps to whiten engraved and painted markings.
So, I drop in a silver oxide 357/303 battery (equivalent to the S76) flip the rewind lever, and sure enough, the meter works just fine. I just might have to pick up some 135 film to shoot before I return home.
Used one of these in High School when I was the school photographer. Then I was able to convince them to buy a Canon AE-1, along with a Vivitar zoom and never saw it again. Probably still sitting in a drawer in the old darkroom!
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