Sp Studio Systems Excalibur 3200 Manual
Germain Ojeda
Practical Testing. Since I had never worked with the original Pentax 67, I got together with a friend, Gerald Oswalt, who has had a Pentax 67 for nearly 20 years that he uses primarily for aerial and wedding photography in our community. We made direct visual comparisons of his early model camera and the brand-new 67II I had. The prime external differences we immediately noticed were as follows. There is now a protrusion on the front right of the body making it far easier to firmly and securely hold the somewhat hefty and bulky camera with just your right hand. The shutter release has been repositioned so it's on a beveled area at the top front of the new grip making it easier to operate. The rotary on/off timer switch is now located around the shutter release.
To release the prism there are still two push buttons, one on either side of the prism, but they must be first turned before pushing in to unlock the prism, a far more secure and safe locking method than before. The earlier camera's meter prism had an extension housing on the left that coupled with the shutter speed dial and there was but one metering method. This coupling has been eliminated and there are now three metering choices. Changing over from 120 to 220 film still requires moving the pressure pad, while before you also had to move an external lever. Naturally there was no informative LCD panel on the original model. The camera's press release said the finder is 60 percent brighter on the 67II so it was no surprise that the viewfinder was noticeably brighter on the new camera when the same lens was tried on both bodies.
As is the case with all medium format SLR cameras, there is considerably more bulk and weight to this camera than is found on a pro model 35mm SLR camera. This is inherent with obtaining a huge 6x7cm image (actually 55x70mm), which is approximately four and a half times larger than a conventional 35mm format image. This camera handles like an oversize 35mm SLR in every respect so there is minimal learning necessary to switch up to a far larger format image. Surprisingly, when the 67II is placed next to a "pro" 35mm SLR and you lift both cameras, there is actually not that much difference in the size or weight especially when you realize the film format is so much larger. True, the 67II does not have autofocusing or lots of electronic bells and whistles that today's 35mm SLR cameras have, but everything is there, readily accessible, to make memorable medium format images.
During my several months testing of this equipment I exposed many rolls of Fujichrome 100D, Kodak Ektachrome E100SW and E100S. All of this E-6 process film was competently processed by Accu-Color Lab, Inc., Fort Wayne, Indiana. Exposures were made inside using the dedicated flash and with studio flash for portraits and outdoors in all types of lighting and weather. I think what most impressed me with the results was the unerring accuracy of the camera's TTL metering system in multi-pattern and center-weighted modes. All of the daylight and dedicated flash TTL metered exposures were what I would consider right on the target resulting in transparencies of excellent density and crisp detailed quality. The Pentax AF-500FTZ dedicated flash was used on a variety of indoor subjects and it too produced excellent exposures via the TTL metering obtained with the hot shoe grip. The spacing between the frames on each roll was consistently even without erratic gaps between images as I have often encountered on other medium format cameras having manual film winding mechanisms.
I used the camera on a tripod to make some studio portraits using JTL J-500 and Excalibur 3200 AC powered flash units through Westcott diffusion umbrellas using manual exposures determined with a Sekonic L-508 Zoom Master flash meter. For these subjects I used the borrowed SMC 200mm f/4 telephoto lens and obtained really crisp, full color, images.
The variety of existing and new lenses for this system is extensive. There are 21 different SMC Pentax 67 lenses ranging from a fisheye 35mm f/4.5 to a 1000mm f/8 reflex telephoto plus 1.4x and 2x tele-converters. Available lenses include: SMC67 35mm f/4.5; 45mm f/4; 55mm f/4; 75mm f/4.5; 90mm f/2.8 or 105mm f/2.4 (normal); 165mm f/2.8; 165mm f/4 leaf shutter; 200mm f/4; 300mm f/4; 400mm f/4 ED (IF); 500mm f/5.6; 600mm f/4; 800mm f/4; 800mm f/6.7 ED (IF); 55-100mm f/4.5 zoom. Four special purpose SMC Pentax 67 lenses are the 75mm f/4.5 shift; 100mm f/4 macro; 135mm f/4 macro; and 120mm f/3.5 soft focus.
Some of the drawbacks to this particular system include no mid roll change capability and not being able to use any Polaroid back for rapid proof images. Changing film spools and loading film is a bit tedious, but like when using any new device I'm sure some practice would make it easier to do. When the hot shoe grip is attached, it is a bit more difficult to plug into the PC contact to the left of the prism when you want to use conventional studio flash units.
The suggested list prices for this new equipment are: Pentax 67II body $2432; SMC Pentax 67 105mm f/2.8 lens $1267; AE TTL prism finder $1138; and the hot shoe grip is $367. It is about as extensive a system of accessories as you will find for most major 35mm SLR cameras.
Contact: Pentax Corp., 35 Inverness Dr. E, Englewood, CO 80155; (800) 729-1419, (303) 799-8000; fax: (303) 790-1131; www.pentax.com.