Asahi Pentax S (1958)
The Asahi Pentax S is a rare 35mm SLR introduced in April 1958. It was a budget companion to the Pentax K and a lower-tier version of the original Pentax AP. It is a screw-mount camera - M42x1 - with no built-in meter and a top shutter speed of 1/500s. It came in satin chrome or black. The model designation "S" appears below the serial number, which is a quick way to identify it.
The standard lenses were the 55mm f/2.2 Takumar or the 55mm f/1.8 Takumar. The S arrived alongside the new Auto Takumar lenses, but it used pre-set lenses itself. That interface was already falling out of favor as easier auto-aperture interfaces took hold.
Surviving documentation on the S is thin, and production figures are uncertain. Some sources cite a total run of somewhere between under 4,000 and about 4,400 units, though this is not firmly established. One collector-oriented source says present values are posted at only a few hundred dollars due to very limited sales history, but estimates a mint S should be in the $1,000 - $1,500 range. The camera was also retailed under the Tower brand as the Tower 26.
Known specs, such as they are:
- 35mm film SLR, M42x1 screw mount
- No built-in meter
- Max shutter speed: 1/500s
- Standard lenses: 55mm f/2.2 or 55mm f/1.8 Takumar (pre-set)
- Finishes: satin chrome or black
- Introduced April 1958
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