Build quality. Sealed construction. Wide range of accessories. OTF metering outstandingly reliable. Meter works even without finder. Many speeds are available without batteries. Accepts either a 2fps winder or a 5fps motordrive. One of the shortest shutter lag among all SLR cameras. Wonderful Pentax lenses.

The early bodies could be heavy used and not completely reliable. If you can afford it, buy a late LX (brand new, if you are able to find one). A complete CLA can cost more than a used body. The accessories are hard to find and are becoming expensive. No exposure lock. Viewfinders do not show 100% of the frame (just barely less, though).

One of the best 35mm cameras ever made. For sure the best Pentax 35mm camera. I can say that: I own four LX and 12 other Pentax bodies... While many features could seem to many people poor and out of date (no spot metering, flash synch only 1/50 in TTL) this is one of the most reliable cameras you can get on the market. It''s a true mess it is out of production.

Customer Service

The Pentax service in Italy is good. I have never had my LX bodies serviced but I''ve been told that a repair or a simple CLA can be very expensive.

Similar Products Used:

Other LX bodies; Nikon F2; Nikon F3; many Pentax bodies from the K2 to the Z-1p.

IDM metering thru the dark, mechanically control shutter in manual mode, all basic features of a PRO camera.

not as solid as F3, no succeeder from Pentax.

Longest exposure I tried was 3.5 min and still got excellent picture. Shutter jammed when battery caught cold in my Europe trip, I simply selected the mech shutter according to the metering.

The metering display in manual mode is very intuitively read, a simple and better system than today's metering scale.

Customer Service

good

Similar Products Used:

F3HP, ME super, F4s, F2A, EOS630, EOS 5, RTSIII

Read the other reviews :-)
I like the small size/weight. Superb. light reading (-4 or so).

The sticky mirror. Never had this myself.
Flash synchro (1/60)

I bought a second body a few years ago as backup but sold it again last year because I never needed it :-) It is the best Pentax ever made (in 35mm). I think it is a great camera, and prefer it above the Nikon F3. A shame Pentax has no follower for this fine 35mm wonder.

Customer Service

Never needed.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F3, F4, FM F801s F90X - Canon Eos1n - Pentax ME/super

Professional-calibre camera that takes a vast number of accessories, fairly small, great light-metering system, depth of field preview, mirror lock.

Mirror sticking a problem.

A beautiful camera — Pentax’s finest ever!

Customer Service

Never used it; camera repaired by independent shop.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax ME Super, Pentax MZ-5N (although LX

Metering is excellent. Manual focusing. Changable focusing screens. Able to use excellent SMC optics (poor marketing NOT poor system). MLU!

Wish the finder was illuminated, but not a big deal.

As you can see, I am a Pentax fan. The LX is the best of the 35mm line. Autofocus is unnessesary. True MLU, OTF metering, DOF preview, TTL flash control, interchangable screens, WL viewfinder - these are the things that a nature photo maker really needs. Just about no other camera offers this (Olympus is the only one I can think of).

Customer Service

Had to return my ZX-5 for work. Slow turn around. Eventually sold the ZX-5 - too flimsy.

Similar Products Used:

Own: Pentax 67, Pentax KX, Pentax K1000, Pentax ZX-5; Shot with: Fuji 67, Canon AE-1, Nikon FE, Nikon F100.

- Advanced off-the-film metering (BEST FEATURE)
- TTL flash
- Compact body, rugged chassis
- Interchangeable viewfinder systems (2ND BEST FEATURE)
- Mechanical 1/75 - 1/2000 speeds
- Weather seals

- Small viewfinder eyepiece
- Lacks display illumination
- Right-side grip limits strap to be installed on left side of camera only

- The pinnacle of Pentax 35mm SLRs, bar none.
- Nothing Pentax makes comes close to this gem (maybe except the 645N).
- This is my most highly cherished camera that I use solely for B&W for people/urban photography, primarily due to compactness and the FA1/FB1/FC1 finder systems. Perfect with my SMCA 24mm/f2.8 or SMCA 35-105/f3.5 for travelling or roaming around town.
- After 20 years of using Pentax, I finally switched to Nikon for their superb autofocus cameras and lenses -- I longed for a pro-spec camera better than the PZ-1p but got too tired of waiting. But I'll never give up my LX, as a matter of fact I might buy another one.

Customer Service

Competent, but slow turnaround in Vancouver office

Similar Products Used:

Pentax K1000/Super Program/MX/ME Super
Nikkormat FT2
Nikon FA/FE2/F90x

Small, lightweight,Very accurate TTLOTF
metering. Thousands of K-Mount lenses available used at great prices. Camera strap lugs!! (Great)

flash sync. (60)

Great travel SLR because of its weight and the way the strap system works. I have travelled SE Asia & Russia with the LX & 50mm1.4 (M) lens. Thats truly a lightweigh combo and have great slides to prove it.

Customer Service

None needed

Similar Products Used:

Nikon, olympus, minolta slrs

Solid build. Very tight weather sealing. Extremely accurate off-the-film metering. A real pedigree among the mutts.

Only available used. Expensive.

Of all my cameras, this one is my favorite. The metering, although simple center-weighted is extremely accurate. The feel and operation of the LX is better than any other camera I've used. It is, by far, the best ever made by Pentax. Yeah, I like AF, motor drives, and matrix metering but... I keep reaching for my old LX.

Customer Service

Excellent. The last repair (dropped while open for film changing, rolling down the sand dune) was fast and cheap.

Similar Products Used:

Lots of Pentax 35mm and 6x7. Canon EOS-3 and Rebel 2000.

Several view finders. 2 min exposure times. Exposure taken on film plane; monitors changes during exposure. Lots of extras. An excellent manual pro camera. Very tight seals. Mirror lock up.

60X flash sync. Manual exposure longest exposure is 4 seconds (but does have a 'B' of course).

A really lovely camera to use in nature work. The exposure posibilities sold me on this camera. Get the new ones though 53XXXXXX; less prone to mirror stick up, also can check exposure with fider release button.

Customer Service

Pretty good. The LX, although old still is taken care of by Pentax.

Similar Products Used:

None

Very well made solid feel. Excellent handling. Low vibration levels and can be hand held at low shutter speeds. Unique flash metering system.

Low flash sync speed. When used with a TTL flash sync speed is forced to it's maximum (unless you know the magic kludge). View finder could be a little brighter.

If you own/like manual focus K mount lenses, this is the body to own. As good, or better, than similar era cameras.

Customer Service

The worst. Pentax USA has proven itself so inept that I switched brands.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax made nothing else like this. Nikon FA & FE2.