This is a review for the Pentax Z-1. This is a friend's camera that stayed with my for 3 months during which I shot one film with it.
The Pentax Z-1 came out in the (now) distant 1991 and it was a very innovative camera back at that time. I remember reading about this camera on the photographic press; it was marketed as the Top-of-the-line Pentax although it clearly lacked the modularity and the build quality of its predecessor, the Pentax LX. The LX was a modular system while the Z-1 was a high-end tier camera. It stayed in production for a total of 9 years, receiving an update in 1995 which added a few more features and a more responsive AF module but nothing else. As it is usually the case, cameras of that era (early 90's) are jam packed with useless features which impact on their usability. I suppose it was kind of way to make a camera sound very "high-tec" back at that time. The Z-1 is no exception, the user manual is a whooping 120 pages to read.
First impressions are a mixed bag. Good quality plastic and nice finish are evident on this camera. The weight is nice and comfortable. The problem is the extensive use of plastic. I unscrewed the bottom plate and believe me, it is wafer thin plastic, you can crash it easily with your one hand. On a top-of-the-line Pentax I would expect to see more metal.
Other than that, the shape of the camera is nice and comfortable to hold with a big chunky grip. There are a few more ergonomic hiccups though. When I grab the camera grip, my fingers go like this: Index finger: Rotating wheel, middle finger: shutter button, the other two fingers on the grip. I find this to be un-ergonomic. I always trip the shutter with my index so it seems that Pentax has placed the shutter button a bit too low, leaving a lot of empty space on top. Probably this has also to do with Pentax's decision to place the flash gun on the right of the camera. This meant that the LCD panel was moved on the top of the pentaprism, making it big and easy to read but at the same time it is left unprotected. True, in my sample the LCD panel has loads and loads of scratches. Another thing that left me cold was the viewfinder. Relatively small and not so bright (with the Ricoh 50 f/2), I was expecting something of the glorious Pentax MX in there. But no.
But, hey, there are good news too. First of all, the multi-segment meter is phenomenal. I am not sure how does the Z-1 do it, but it is always spot on. There are multiple reports on the Internet which testify it but I can speak from my own experience too that the light meter performs flawlessly. There is also the usual spot and centre-weight metering if you wish. Another thing that works well is the AF. It is not the fastest horse on the race, with occasional hunting and not as responsive as the newer cameras, but I doubt it will ever let you down. I tested it with the old 35-135 f/3.5-4.5 and it was good. Noise is a bit on the loud side, especially the advance motor but nothing too bad. Vibrations are kept low. A big advantage of this Pentax (just as with every Pentax really) is the compatibility with older Pentax glass and third party PK lenses. I have used the Ricoh 50 f/2 that you see in the picture and works well on Aperture priority and Manual. You can also use spot metering with these lenses.
So, good build quality, excellent metering, good AF module, compatibility with older lenses - this sounds like the winning recipe. Not yet ,there is one more thing. It is the user interface that I found it to be really (really) bad. It is not as bad as the Minolta's 9xi but it is still very bad. Apart from the usual exposure and drive modes that you can fathom out easily, the rest of the camera's functions remain a mystery. Just to give you a
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| Rear of the camera |
taste, the mid-film rewind is hidden in the PF mode, where: You select PF, you press the button and you rotate the main input dial three times to the left (?). Also, I came across the self timer quite accidentally while checking the drive modes. Let's make it clear, you need to read the user's manual a couple of times in order to get your head around this camera. Also, switching from an AF lens to an older PK lens (K-series, M-series, A-series), you need to turn the switch to "Manual" otherwise the camera will not trip the shutter (why?). Also with the Ricoh 50 f/2 there is no focus confirmation on the viewfinder (why? the much older Nikon F4s does it with every lens possible and so does the F90x). If you use mirror lock up, you have run out of luck - there isn't any (I don't, so I don't care about that really). If you only use the camera on Programme mode, Av, Tv then the IF button and the rear rotating dial will probably remain a mystery to you (>
Yea...you need to read the manual<).
Pentax introduced the so called "Hyper Programme" and "Hyper Manual" exposure modes with this camera. The idea is that in these modes, you can instantly switch from one exposure mode to another with just a rotation of a dial. While some Pentax users find this an excellent feature, I found it quite useless. And this is because, if I shoot on programme, I want it on programme. If I feel that I need to change exposure mode, I press the button and rotate the dial. If I want to change the f/speed combination, I can do that through programme. So adding two more exposure modes on this camera, makes an over-complicated user-interface even worst. Pentax dropped this feature later on (as they probably saw that it was pointless, I would add....).
Although the Pentax Z-1 is a reliable camera, twenty years later there are a few things to watch out when buying second hand. First of all, cracked bottom plates are quite common - the one reviewed here has - a sign of the camera being dropped. There are reports about uneven spacing between frames and loose spring on the build-in flash (this one reviewed has a loose flash spring - leaves the flash half open). Finally, check to see if the mirror is stuck in the up position, apparently this is something quite common with these cameras.
Summary
OK, I might sound too harsh but I am not. This is an excellent camera that will always bring back home well exposed and focused pictures. And at the end of the day, this is was matters. You have to read my criticism within the context of the "Pentax's flagship for a decade" though. Does this camera compare favourably against the likes of the Nikon F4 or F5? Canon EOS-1n? Minolta 9xi or Dynax 9? No it doesn't. The Pentax Z-1 feels more like a competitor for the Nikon F-90x or the Canon EOS-5 or the Minolta 700s. And how does it compare to them? OK but these are newer cameras so the Z-1 might struggle a bit in terms of AF speed and ease of use.
For me, the biggest problem of this camera is the fact that it is over-complicated. I have sold better cameras than this in the past because of their complexity. Pentax realised it later on and all these bad ergonomics were corrected in the MZ-series. The Pentax MZ-5n is an excellent example of how a camera interface should be (in my opinion the best user interface ever... by far). The Z-1 is a camera that you can customise it however you want but make sure you don't forget the manual at home.
Today (April 2015) these cameras are sold for 1/10th of their original price. On that auction site you can get them for anything between £50-£70. If you are a Pentax user, maybe getting one of these makes sense although I would urge you to have a look on the newer MZ-5n or MZ-6. If not, the similar tier offers from the big three might be a better option. For less money you can get a Nikon F90x which is streets ahead the Pentax.
The decision is yours.