Pentax's screw-mount SLR — the S2, simple all-mechanical eye-level body, screw mount, 1959.
The Pentax S2 of 1959 continued the screw-mount S-series and was one of the bodies exported under the H-series naming in some markets. It refined the eye-level SLR formula Asahi had established with the AP and S. It belongs to the run of all-mechanical Pentax bodies that led up to the metered Spotmatic in the mid-1960s.
This is a 35mm film SLR using the screw lens mount that became the M42 standard, taking Asahi's screw-thread lenses. It has a horizontal cloth focal-plane shutter and a fixed eye-level pentaprism with an instant-return mirror and a rapid-wind lever. There is no built-in meter, so exposure is set manually, and the body is fully mechanical, firing without a battery. It worked with automatic-diaphragm lenses that stopped down as the shutter released.
The S2 suits collectors, students and photographers who want a simple, robust all-mechanical Pentax with a clear finder. Handling is straightforward, though the lack of a meter means using a handheld meter or judgement. It is a dependable, uncomplicated body for deliberate shooting and a good entry point to the screw-mount system.
As a late-1950s body, careful checks apply. Inspect the cloth shutter for pinholes and even travel across the range, testing slow speeds for sticking. There is no meter or battery to consider. Examine the pentaprism and finder for desilvering, haze or fungus. Confirm the film advance and rewind feel smooth and positive. A supply of clean screw-mount lenses keeps the camera genuinely usable.