Pentax MZ-S
Encyclopedia
The Pentax MZ-S is a 35mm
single-lens reflex camera
from Pentax
of Japan
. It was introduced in 2001
and discontinued in February 2006.
It is closely related to the prototype MZ-D
Full-frame digital SLR, which never entered production.
It was the top-of-the-line model of Pentax's MZ/ZX series and replaced the PZ-1p as the high-end Pentax camera.
No camera was produced to replace the MZ-S, making it Pentax's last high-end 35 mm camera. The MZ-S is the last film camera from Pentax that is manufactured in Japan
.
Design goals included simpler operation, small size and light weight without sacrificing the sophisticated features required to be competitive. The MZ-S design returned to a more conventional one compared to the PZ-1p; the shoe for external flash and accessories returned to the top of the pentaprism
housing, instead of the unusual right-handgrip position used on the older camera. The status LCD
moved from atop the pentaprism to the top of the camera's right side (viewed from the rear), like many competing designs. However, instead of a flat camera top, the Pentax designers angled the top plate towards the user at a 30° angle for easier viewing.
The camera featured an autofocus system based on six linear CCD sensors, on-film data recording and an MTF
autoexposure mode which chooses the aperture for maximum sharpness.
135 film
The term 135 was introduced by Kodak in 1934 as a designation for cartridge film wide, specifically for still photography. It quickly grew in popularity, surpassing 120 film by the late 1960s to become the most popular photographic film format...
single-lens reflex camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
from Pentax
Pentax
Pentax is a brand name used by Hoya Corporation for its medical-related products & services and Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company for cameras, sport optics , etc. Hoya purchased and merged with the Japanese optics company on March 31, 2008. Hoya's Pentax imaging business was sold to Ricoh Company, Ltd...
of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It was introduced in 2001
and discontinued in February 2006.
It is closely related to the prototype MZ-D
Pentax MZ-D
The Pentax MZ-D, also known by its internal code name of MR-52, was a prototype digital single-lens reflex camera from Pentax of Japan. It was announced at Photokina in September 2000 and was demonstrated to the press at the Photo Marketing Association show in January 2001...
Full-frame digital SLR, which never entered production.
It was the top-of-the-line model of Pentax's MZ/ZX series and replaced the PZ-1p as the high-end Pentax camera.
No camera was produced to replace the MZ-S, making it Pentax's last high-end 35 mm camera. The MZ-S is the last film camera from Pentax that is manufactured in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Design
The MZ-S was a "clean sheet of paper" design that re-thought most aspects of Pentax's camera interface and appearance.Design goals included simpler operation, small size and light weight without sacrificing the sophisticated features required to be competitive. The MZ-S design returned to a more conventional one compared to the PZ-1p; the shoe for external flash and accessories returned to the top of the pentaprism
Pentaprism
A pentaprism is a five-sided reflecting prism used to deviate a beam of light by 90°. The beam reflects inside the prism twice, allowing the transmission of an image through a right angle without inverting it as an ordinary right-angle prism or mirror would.The reflections inside the prism are not...
housing, instead of the unusual right-handgrip position used on the older camera. The status LCD
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display is a flat panel display, electronic visual display, or video display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals . LCs do not emit light directly....
moved from atop the pentaprism to the top of the camera's right side (viewed from the rear), like many competing designs. However, instead of a flat camera top, the Pentax designers angled the top plate towards the user at a 30° angle for easier viewing.
The camera featured an autofocus system based on six linear CCD sensors, on-film data recording and an MTF
Optical transfer function
The optical transfer function of an imaging system is the true measure of resolution that the system is capable of...
autoexposure mode which chooses the aperture for maximum sharpness.