Pentax Spotmatic

The Pentax Spotmatic comprises a range of 35mm single-lens reflex cameras manufactured by the Asahi Optical Co. Ltd., later known as Pentax Corporation, between 1964 and 1976. The original 1964 Spotmatic was one of the first SLRs to offer a through-the-lens (TTL) exposure metering system, initially using average metering and later center-weighting. Despite the name, the camera did not use spot metering, although it had this feature in an early prototype.

The range comprises the original Spotmatic, Spotmatic II and IIa, Spotmatic F, plus the SP500 and SP1000. There was also the Pentax SL, which was identical to the Spotmatic except that it did not have the built-in light meter. In 1971 the Electro-Spotmatic was the first aperture-priority, electronic, automatic SLR and was sold as a trial only in Japan. It was followed by the ES (name was shortened for the improved version) sold internationally and the U.S. in 1972. Two years later it was followed by the ES II. Spotmatic is often abbreviated to SP; references to the SP, SPII, SPF, etc. are common. The electronics in the Electro Spotmatic were undergoing constant revision during its trial period in Japan and should be approached in repair and restoration as though they are proto-types. The ES had standardized and improved circuity that addressed reliability issues in the original versionCecchi 1990, Asahi Pentax and Pentax SLR 35 mm Cameras 1952–1989, Hove Collectors...
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