What model is this Pentax camera?

[Bunyip]

Last Friday, I picked up at a very reasonable price an Asahi Pentax (film) SLR in very good original condition complete with a leather "ready" case and a 55mm f/1.8 M42 "Super Takumar" lens. All very clean and, apparently, in perfect working order.

The camera looks similar in overall appearance, size and construction to an Asahi Pentax Spotmatic except:

There is no meter (or battery compartment, of course).

No stop-down lever adjoining the lensmount.

The exterior is all metal -other than the "sharkskin" covering on the back cover and finger-grips- (but there is no visible structural plastic e.g. as there is on the Spotmatic around the lens-mount).

There is no self-timer lever on the front of the camera, instead there is a scalloped disc on the top plate, under the film rewind knob (which you turn to set the timer), together with a domed push-button (to set it going) located between the rewind lever and the pentaprism housing.

Other than the Asahi Pentax logo on the prism housing and a serial number on the rear, there is nothing to identify the model.

Inside, there is a minimum of plastic, e.g. the pressure plate and the film take-up spool spindle, but -amazingly- the sprocket-teeth themselves, on the winding spindle, are actually manufactured of cut metal (!).

Can someone, please:

Inform me of the model, possible year of manufacture, and direct me -if possible - to an online user manual?

[cyclohexane]

Can you post a few images of the camera?

[heartseye]

Need to see it....it's likely an H1 or H2....

[Bunyip]

Thanks for responding.

Since I last posted, I've had a closer look at the top plate, and -what do you know- there is a model designation there in rather small lettering, which I didn't recognize as such (being accustomed to seeing model designations in large, bold lettering, and usually on the front of the camera. It is a model "SV" ( or a "Honeyswell Pentax H3V, US designation), manufactured circa 1962.

Wow, 46 years old, and you should see the condition its in!

OK, does anyone know of a link for an online manual?

[sean_buerger]

We want to see a picture of your camera! Don't tell us how nice the condition it's in - show us

Cheers, Sean.

[Bunyip]

Now that I know the model designation, finding a link to an online user's manual was a snap. Here it is:

Download Manual - Pentax H3v

[sean_buerger]

We haven't seen yours though S.

[Bunyip]

Thanks for responding: I will post an image asap. I have been having difficulties uploading to my Photo Camel "My Gallery". Don't know why, but the uploads fail to "take" for some reason, and I get a "Page Unavailable" message. Until I can sort this out, you'll all have to wait.

Here is a small quote from the manual (I love it!):

"Little Jewell
This gem like object is a pentaprism -nearly two solid ounces of finest optical glass. Ground and polished to extremely fine tolerances, it contains 25 distinct surfaces and is a thing of beauty, yet it dwells out of sight within the innards of Asahi Pentax cameras."

Aaahhh! Sheer poetry!!

Yes, almost forgot the link. Here it is:

Asahi Pentax SV and S1a instruction manual, user manual