Pentax Spotmatic SP 500 - Camera

1 10
1 1

Model Details

Manual focus M42 mount 35mm SLR released by Pentax in 1971. It is virtually identical to the normal SP, just without a self timer. Despite the shutter speed dial only going up to 1/500s, the camera can use 1/1000s if you rotate the dial to the empty space between 1/500s and bulb. The light meter was made to use a 1.3v mercury battery. Metal body available in silver grey.

  • Shutter: Horizontal cloth focal plane, 1s - 1/1000s + B
  • ISO range: 20 - 1600
  • Size: 140 x 92 x 54 mm
  • Weight: 602g
View full details

M42

M42 (also known as Pentax Universal) is a screw-type lens mount for SLR cameras. It was originally developed by Carl Zeiss but was adopted by many other manufacturers throughout Europe and Asia. Other notable M42 manufacturers include Praktica, Fujica, Pentax, and Zenit.

M42 is a very simple system with a long flange distance, making adapters simple and common. Many film manufacturers made adapters for mounting M42 lenses to their systems, and they can also be used with modern SLR & mirrorless cameras quite easily. Because it was used by so many companies, there are a huge number of M42 lenses out there, covering every focal length and level of optical quality.

1 5
View all
Pentax Spotmatic SP 500 - Camera Price History
Date Sold SKU Quality Control Price Image
13 Oct 2025 T107398 € 265 Pentax Spotmatic SP 500 - Camera Image
12 Jan 2025 T79717 € 299 Pentax Spotmatic SP 500 - Camera Image
24 Sep 2024 T47281 € 40 Pentax Spotmatic SP 500 - Camera Image
29 Aug 2022 T19357 € 179 Pentax Spotmatic SP 500 - Camera Image