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Wingspar
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p.1 #1 · Honeywell Pretax

Wasn’t sure which forum to post this, so since I’m a Nikon person, I decided to post here. Feel free to move it if there is a better forum.

Does anyone know what a Honeywell Pretax is, or is there such a camera? Not sure it’s spelled right. I Googled it, and came up with stuff of Honeywell and corporate taxes. The reason I’m asking is that an old friend just mentioned it in an email as something she inherited years ago along with 3 lenses. Then again, maybe she was going from memory, and it’s really a Pentax, but that wasn’t made by Honeywell, was it?

Edited on Oct 15, 2005 at 03:03 AM

Oct 13, 2005 at 02:49 PM

joefrost
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p.1 #2 · Honeywell Pretax

It's probably a Pentax.

http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/index-frameset.html?AsahiPentaxSpotmatic.html~mainFrame

Joe

Edited on Oct 15, 2005 at 03:03 AM

Oct 13, 2005 at 03:14 PM

Wingspar
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p.1 #3 · Honeywell Pretax

Looks like you are right, and that’s what I figured, but Honeywell wasn’t mentioned till near the bottom of that page. A Pentax Spotmatic was my first SLR in the late 60's. My main interest was shooting rock concerts in San Francisco, but in 1971 or ‘72 I switched to a Minolta SRT101 because it had the wide open metering system. With the Spotmatic, it got darker in the viewfinder as you stopped down. That wasn’t ideal in a dark concert hall. The Spotmatic was a great camera. High tech in those days.

Edited on Oct 15, 2005 at 03:03 AM

Oct 13, 2005 at 03:22 PM

DAllshouse
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p.1 #4 · Honeywell Pretax

I learned photography the first time with a Pentax and a Spotmatic F back in the early 70s. I stll have the F although the meter has died. Now I'm learning all over again.

Edited on Oct 15, 2005 at 03:03 AM

Oct 13, 2005 at 06:53 PM

mikerfns
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p.1 #5 · Honeywell Pretax

It's a genuine Pentax, built by Asahi Optical Company (Pentax) in Japan. IIRC Honeywell was the distributer of the Spotmatic series in the USA for many years, and many (all?) Spotmatics imported into the USA during that era were badged "Honeywell Pentax" as opposed to "Asahi Pentax" for the rest of the world.

With Spotmatic F collectors at least, the Asahi badged cameras tend to sell for better prices than the Honeywell badged cameras, particularly black bodies.

Edited on Oct 15, 2005 at 03:03 AM

Oct 13, 2005 at 07:38 PM

fwyflyr
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p.1 #6 · Honeywell Pretax

mikerfns has it right. My dad brought me back a Asahi Pentax Spotmatic back around 1965/6? with the 50 mm lens. On a later business trip about a year later, I had him bring back the 135 & 200 mm lens. I still have them in my collection, having added Canon A-1, Mamiya 645, Nikon F5 and Nikon D1x systems in the mean time. Honywell was the U.S. version.

Edited on Oct 15, 2005 at 03:03 AM

Oct 13, 2005 at 10:07 PM

rafadavidc
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p.1 #7 · Honeywell Pretax

all the pictures in this directory are pictures of honeywell pentax gear that i own and is for sale.

--RC

Edited on Oct 15, 2005 at 03:03 AM

Oct 14, 2005 at 08:57 AM

Wingspar
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p.1 #8 · Honeywell Pretax

mikerfns wrote:
It's a genuine Pentax, built by Asahi Optical Company (Pentax) in Japan. IIRC Honeywell was the distributer of the Spotmatic series in the USA for many years, and many (all?) Spotmatics imported into the USA during that era were badged "Honeywell Pentax" as opposed to "Asahi Pentax" for the rest of the world.

With Spotmatic F collectors at least, the Asahi badged cameras tend to sell for better prices than the Honeywell badged cameras, particularly black bodies.
KEH has one in excellent condition for $109. They have lots, both Honeywell and Asahi, and both in chrome and black. Bargains for around $59. Black body Asahi in excellent for $254.
http://www.keh.com/shop/SHOWPRODUCT.CFM?CRID=12302709&SKID=PS02010800003I5&SID=newused&BID=PS&CID=02&SOID=N&curpic=0&dpsp=0

Edited on Oct 15, 2005 at 03:03 AM

Oct 14, 2005 at 03:06 PM

44lefty
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p.1 #9 · Honeywell Pretax

I still have (and use) my Pentax equipment. I bought my first one in 1966, from a fellow G.I. at Ft. Monmouth. It was a H1a, and it still runs like a top. I also have two Spotmatics and annother H1a, and enough glass to wiegh down a pack mule, (which is why I bought Pentax in the first place; you needed to Man Mountain Dean to carry Canon, Nikon or Bessler).

Mine is not for sale; - The needle sharp photos are really addictive.

Larry

Edited on Oct 15, 2005 at 03:03 AM

Oct 14, 2005 at 04:45 PM

rafadavidc
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p.1 #10 · Honeywell Pretax

larry - would you like my gear, then?

--RC

Edited on Oct 15, 2005 at 03:03 AM

Oct 14, 2005 at 07:14 PM

fastoys2nv
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p.1 #11 · Honeywell Pretax

Gave one away ( camera and 3 lenses) in the freebee thread a month or so ago. Its a Pentax plain and simple. A rose is a rose no matter what other name you put above it.

Oct 15, 2005 at 03:03 AM


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