Pentax a3 / a3000 35mm film slr with tokina 35-70mm f/3.5-4.8 macro excellent

3 A very attractive and easy-to-use 35mm film SLR from Pentax’s innovative 1980s era, paired with a versatile Tokina 35–70mm f/3.5–4.8 Macro manual-focus zoom lens in Pentax K-mount. Released in 1984, the Pentax A3, known as the Pentax A3000 in the Americas, arrived at an important moment in camera history. Manufacturers were beginning to combine the optical quality and interchangeable lenses of traditional SLR cameras with the convenience of electronic automation. The result is a camera that still gives you the authentic experience of manually focusing through a real SLR viewfinder, while taking care of much of the exposure and film handling automatically. An Important Pentax Transitional SLR The A3 was one of Pentax’s most interesting attempts to make serious 35mm SLR photography easier and more accessible. One of its major innovations was the built-in motorized film transport. Earlier Pentax SLRs generally required the photographer to advance the film manually with a lever unless an external motor drive was attached. With the A3, film advancing became part of the camera itself, automatically moving the film to the next frame after each exposure. It was also among the early Pentax cameras to introduce DX film-speed recognition. When compatible DX-coded 35mm film is loaded, the camera can electronically identify the film speed, reducing the number of settings the photographer needs to worry about. Pentax intentionally simplified the controls as well. Rather than covering the body with multiple shutter-speed dials and complicated exposure controls, the A3 was designed around Programmed Auto Exposure, making it much more approachable for someone who wants the quality and creativity of an interchangeable-lens SLR without needing to manually calculate every exposure. Another practical advantage is its power supply: the camera operates using two commonly available AA batteries, making replacements inexpensive and easy to find. How This Camera Works This particular setup offers a nice combination of automatic exposure and manual focusing. The camera body handles the exposure automatically, calculating the appropriate shutter speed and aperture combination depending on the lens configuration and available light. However, the Tokina lens is manual focus. That means you compose your photograph through the optical viewfinder and then rotate the lens focusing ring yourself until the subject appears sharp. For many film photographers, this is actually part of the attraction—it gives a slower and more deliberate photographic experience while still allowing the camera to take care of exposure. So although the A3 is highly automated for its time, it is not an autofocus camera. The photographer remains directly involved in focusing every photograph. Tokina 35–70mm f/3.5–4.8 Macro Lens The included Tokina 35–70mm f/3.5–4.8 Macro is a period-correct third-party lens using the popular Pentax K-mount system. Tokina has a long history of producing well-regarded alternative lenses for major camera systems, and this compact zoom makes the A3 a very practical everyday film setup. Its 35–70mm focal range covers many of the situations a film photographer is likely to encounter. At 35mm, it is excellent for street photography, travel, landscapes, architecture and general everyday scenes. At 70mm, it provides a more compressed perspective that works particularly well for portraits, details and tighter compositions. The maximum aperture ranges from f/3.5 at 35mm to f/4.8 at 70mm, helping keep the lens compact and lightweight. It also includes a close-focusing Macro range, allowing considerably tighter photographs of flowers, objects, textures and other small details than a conventional everyday zoom. Condition The camera is in very good to close-to-excellent cosmetic condition, especially considering its age. There are only some small cosmetic imperfections and normal minor handling signs on the body. Please carefully examine the supplied high-definition photographs, as they form the best and most accurate representation of the exact cosmetic condition of the camera you will receive. Mechanically, the camera has been fully tested and is working great. The important camera functions have been checked, including the electronic operation, exposure system and motorized film transport. The Tokina lens has also been tested and operates correctly, with smooth manual focusing and zoom operation. A Great Film Camera for Beginners and Enthusiasts The Pentax A3 is an especially interesting choice for someone who wants to experience genuine 35mm SLR photography without immediately jumping into a completely manual camera. You still enjoy the classic experience of looking directly through the lens, manually focusing your subject and choosing your composition carefully, while the camera takes care of much of the technical exposure work and advances the film automatically after every photograph. It therefore sits in a very interesting middle ground between a traditional manual SLR and the fully automatic autofocus cameras that would dominate the following decade. Combined with the versatile Tokina 35–70mm Macro lens, this is a complete and enjoyable vintage setup for street photography, portraits, travel, everyday shooting and close-up experimentation. Very good to close-to-excellent cosmetic condition, fully tested and working great, with only minor cosmetic imperfections visible in the detailed photographs. A distinctive and highly usable Pentax film SLR from an important transitional period in photographic history.