Pentax's TTL screw-mount SLR — the Spotmatic SPII, stop-down meter plus hot shoe, M42, 1971.
The Pentax Spotmatic SPII, released in 1971, updated the original Spotmatic SP with a higher meter sensitivity range and a hot-shoe flash contact. It remained the mainstream metered screw-mount Pentax, sitting between the base SP-derived models and the later Spotmatic F. It carried the Spotmatic formula through the early 1970s.
This is a 35mm film SLR using the M42 screw lens mount, taking universal M42 lenses. It has a horizontal cloth focal-plane shutter running from 1 second to 1/1000 plus B, and a fixed eye-level pentaprism with an instant-return mirror and a built-in hot shoe. Metering is stop-down TTL via a match-needle display, with a switch closing the lens to working aperture for the reading. There is no automatic mode; the shutter is fully mechanical and fires without a battery, the cell powering only the meter.
The SPII suits students, travellers, street and documentary shooters, and anyone wanting a robust metered screw-mount body with a hot shoe for flash. It handles like the original Spotmatic, with smooth operation and a bright finder, and the added flash contact improves everyday convenience. It pairs well with the large pool of M42 lenses.
As an early-1970s body, checks matter. Inspect and expect to replace perished foam light seals and mirror-damper foam. Test the cloth shutter for pinholes, capping and even speeds. The meter was designed for a 1.35V mercury PX625 cell, now unavailable, so a modern 1.5V replacement can shift readings unless an adapter or recalibration is used. Check the pentaprism for desilvering or foam haze, and test the advance and rewind. Its mechanical shutter still fires with a dead battery.