General Description
These cameras have brought a lot of acclaim to Pentax. Being members of the MZ/ZX-series, they have the small size and light weight of the M- and A-series manual focus bodies, but except for metal construction and mechanical operation, these bodies have all features of the top M- and A-series cameras and more: built-in flash, built-in winder, spot and multi-pattern metering, etc. Their controls are intuitive and easy to learn and the AF system is a welcome improvement over that of the older Z-/PZ-series cameras. DOF-preview works in all operating modes.
There are a small number of things that could be improved, however. The viewfinder is a bit small, and its display is difficult to see in bright light. The AF system has only three sensors, and of those none is sensitive to both horizontal and vertical patterns.
The cameras are available new (12/2001) for about US $300. Used units are difficult to come by, mostly because their owners are reluctant to part with them.
| Product Variations | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exact Name | MZ-5n | MZ-5n | ZX-5n | ||
| Color | silver-black | black | silver-black | ||
| Years of Production | 1997 ~ 2005 | 1997 ~ 2005 | 1997 ~ 2005 | ||
| Availability | used, several times a month | used, several times a year | used, several times a month | ||
| Sales Variations | |||||
| Description | without Data-Back | with Data-Back | — | without Data-Back | with Data-Back |
| Catalog Number | 01350 | 01355 | unknown | 01354 | 01359 |
| Sold with Case | — | — | — | — | — |
Technical Specifications
| General | |
|---|---|
| Lens Mount | KAF2 |
| AF System (sensitivity) | SAFOX IV (-1 ~ 18 EV) |
| AF with supersonic lenses | no |
| Power-Zoom Features | auto-lens retract, power zoom |
| Self-Timer | 12 seconds |
| Cable Release | cable-release F |
| Additional Features | DOF-preview, panorama format |
| Width x Height x Depth | 135 x 90 x 61.5 mm |
| Weight | 410 g |
| Exposure System | |
| Exposure Modes | Av, M, P, Tv |
| Metering Modes with K and M Lenses | center-weighted, spot |
| Metering Modes with A, F, and FA Lenses | 6-segment, center-weighted, spot |
| Meter Material | SPD |
| Exposure Compensation (Step) | +/-3 (1/2 EV steps) |
| Exposure Lock | yes |
| Meter Range | 0 ~ 21 EV |
| Manual Film ISO Speed | 6 ~ 6400 ASA |
| DX Film ISO Speed | 25 ~ 5000 ASA |
| Shutter | |
| Construction | electronic (vertical-run) |
| Material | metal |
| Shutter Speeds | 30 ~ 1/2000, B |
| Mechanical Speeds | — |
| Viewfinder | |
| Magnification [Coverage] | 0.8 x [92%] |
| Shutter-Speed Indication | LED |
| Aperture Indication | LED |
| Power Source | |
| Batteries | 2 x CR2 |
| Optional | Batter Pack Fg (uses 4 AA-size batteries) |
| Film Transport | |
| Built-In Winder | 2 frames/second |
| Flash Operation | |
| Command Protocol(s) | analog, digital |
| Flash Automation | TTL, P, S |
| Synchronization Speed(s) | 1/100 ~ 30, B |
| Built-In Flash | |
| Guide Number (GN) | 11 |
| Coverage (35mm equivalent) | 28 mm |
| Auto Pop-Up | no |
| Red-Eye Reduction | yes |
| AF Assist | no |
| Accessories | |
| Fitting Case(s) | soft case: Fg-S soft case: Fg-M soft case: Fg-L |