- It's light
- Well built
- Compatible with older pentax acessories
- Good manual
- Precise and quite fast AF
- Metal mounting for objectives and flash
- Remote control
- User freindly
- Quiet operations
- Dioptri adjustment
- Backlit LCD display
- Memory lock

- DOF preview is missing
- Missing split-image for manual focus

This is a great camera I enjoy very much. Every control button is excactly where it expected to be. I was thrilled that I could use the flash and lenses for my old Pentax camera. Ofcause not to the MZ-7's full potential, but its a great posibility. My good old AF260 flash works great together with the MZ-7, until I get funds to bye a better flash the AF260 does far better than the built in flash (The only feature that dont works is the AF-Assist flash light).

I got this camera to replace the Minolta Dynax 500si, and the difference between these two cameras is nothing less than breath taking. I just couldnt get used to the ackward user interface on the Minolta. And the Pentax is far better in low-light situations and for flash exposiure. The AF is a lot faster, and very much better. The operation is a lot quieter which is usefull in wild-life photography. The Pentax also fits better in my hands and the built in diopti ajdustment is great as I wear glasses.

I use it together with the following equipment:
- Sigma 28-80mm F3.5-5,6 Aspherical AF-Zoom
- Exakta 70-210mm F4.6-5.6 MF-Zoom
- Pentax AF260sa Flash
- SLIK U5000 Tripod

If your are in the range from Beginner to Expert this is a great choice. I just wish Pentax would make a digital body with the same look&feel, that can use the same acessories.

/Bjarne

Customer Service

Havent needed it yet.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax P30T (My main body for 10 years!)
Minolta Dynax 500si (This body is very bad.)

FAST autofocus
easy to overide settings
possible to autofocus in dim light (flash based)
Programs available
diopter

No DOF
Manual focus is too lazy
pricey here
built-in flash popup annoyance

Bought a 80~320 zoom from pentax, even with this lenses, the AF works great and fast.
If you are an intermidiate photographer, this is the one to go.

Customer Service

Not yet

Similar Products Used:

Canon EOS 3000
Pentax MZ-50

takes photos,looks good, chicks dig its big lenses, can take good surveilance photos

none mate

its a good camera for spying on people

Customer Service

ok

Similar Products Used:

canon are crap

-metal lens mount, film rails
-light up dial and display
-lens quality

-none

Tried may cameras got a good deal on this model. I would suggest the power grip if you have large hands it makes the camera more balanced in your hands. With the power grip you can shoot 200 24 exp. rolls (no flash). The snap in focus when using a manual lens with camera set in AF mode, great feature for nature photographers.

Customer Service

-none

Similar Products Used:

-Nikon F80
-Nikon F60
-Nikon F65
-Nikon F (old manual)
-Pentax K1000
-Pentax MZ-M
-Pentax MZ-30
-Canon Rebel 2000
-Canon 3000
-Minolta STsi

Light weight
Auto flash
Auto focus quick
Easy controls

Film rewind speed
Neck strap hooks get in the way while loadingunloading film
Auto flash pops up all the time
Hard to see internal display
Film rewind speed

This is a great camera for daily picture taking. My wife can pick it up and shoot GREAT pictures. It is light weight and does not weight me down while I carry it around at events. I bought it for B&W art, but am moving up to a F100 for the more advanced features; however, I will still use this camera on a daily basis to shoot color. It si a good camera overall and I would recomend it to anyone up to a intermediate photographer, anything above that and you will find yourself short handed.

Customer Service

Not needed

Similar Products Used:

Mamiya 645
Pentax K1000
Nikon F100

-Can be as simple as a P&S but can allow for fully manual control too
-w/ standard 28-80 lens the AF is very fast
-intuative interface
-total timestamp control
-ISO adjustment
-can use my dad's older Pentax gear with it

-w/ standard 28-80 it tends to hunt at times
-had to buy a rather expensive remote control to do hands free operation

This camera will carry you from beginner right up through intermediate levels of photography. It will do all the thinking for you at the begining. In fact it's been a learning experience noticing how the camera's selected settings always produce a better picture than my own attempts at setting up a shot. I've given up trying to out-think the camera and have decided to learn from it rather than compete against it: it's a great camera to learn from, as long as you pay attention to what it tells you.

Getting used to the controls on this camera was a snap. You hardly have to read the manual.

Many have complained about the flash popping up all the time. To solve this problem I just leave the dial turned to the 'No Flash' setting, which is exactly the same as the 'Auto Picture' setting, but just without the flash enabled! All it takes is a 180 turn of the dial!

Buying into the Pentax line opens up a whole range of lenses that can be used with this camera - this is a huge plus. The standard 28-80 zoom that usually comes with it seems a bit limiting to me, so I'll be hunting down a new lens for it soon. But like I said, borrowing from my dad's ME Super kit is a snap ... as long as he lets me.

I found the remote control for it very useful - although I was a bit disheartened that it didn't come with the original kit. I had to shell out another $40 for it.

A wonderful camera - but I can see myself wanting something more in a few years time - perhaps another Pentax.

Customer Service

None required.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax ME Super

Easy to use, balanced, good auto-focus, excellent camera for both outdoors and portraits.

None

Would (and have) recommend this camera to anyone who is looking for a good, dependable and remarkably light SLR. Great price to value.

Similar Products Used:

Vivitar, Nikon

Nice Depth of Field
Great all around focusing.
pre-programed exposure settings.
Ability to go all or part manual
Date option

Slow focusing

This is a great camera for anyone. Weather you are a beginner, or you are a pro. This camera is great as a first SLR or an addition to an already vast selection of cameras. The only downturn is the slow focusing. You have to push the button halfway down, let it focus then finish the pictures.

This camera combines the complecity of the K1000 with the ease of a point and shoot.

This is a must.

Customer Service

Pentax has great customer service, but I have never needed it with this camera.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax Zx-5, Nikon N80, Nikon N90S

Great all around focusing.
pre-programed exposure settings.
Ability to go all or part manual
Date option

built-in flash usless in night photography

Would (and have) recommend this camera to anyone who is looking for a good, dependable and remarkably light SLR. Great price to value.
Perfect for beginners, with a room to grow!

Customer Service

none needed

Similar Products Used:

none

Lots of features. Takes *great* pictures on 'green mode.' Quality. Good intuitive design and UI.

No depth-of-field preview. I don't miss auto-bracketing much because most of my exposures come out okay, but depth-of-field is needed. Pentax gear is a little tough to find. Flash is gimpy.

Great camera, has what you need, but lacks some of the things you will want as you progress.

Customer Service

Not used.

Similar Products Used:

None