When it comes to point-and-shoot cameras, they still remain very much in vogue with a certain cross-section of film photographers. While I don’t often reach for these cameras, it is always fun to try out something outside of my usual selection of cameras. This is my third Pentax Point-And-Shoot; I’ve used the first point-and-shoot, the PC35AF, and one of the Espios, a more high-end offering. The Zoom 280-P is a clunky, early ’90s brick of a camera with a bit of ergonomics. And you know, despite being a P&S, the Zoom 280-P is a decent little camera that does the job of taking photos, but it also has a few tricks up its sleeve. Thanks to my coworker Vikin for donating this camera for a review!
Camera Specifications
Manufacturer: Asahi Optical Co
Model: Pentax Zoom 280-P
Alternate Names: IQZoom 280-P
Type: Point-And-Shoot
Format: 135 (35mm), 36x24mm
Lens: Pentax Power Zoom 28-80mm f/3.5-8, 10 Elements in 8 Groups
Shutter: Programmed AE Focal Plane Leaf Shutter, 1/400s – 10m
Meter: Program AE, EV8.6 ~ EV17 @ ASA-100, ASA-25-ASA-3200
Autofocus: Active IR Autofocus
Dimensions (WxHxD): 143×81.5×61.5
Weight: 400g (w/o Battery)
Power Source: 2x CR123 Batteries
Year of Manufacture: 1992
Background
The Asahi Optical Company traces its corporate history to 1919 as an optical company producing lenses for binoculars and glasses. The company would move into projector lenses in the 1920s and camera optics in the 1930s. Asahi continued to produce lenses for military applications throughout the war years, and most of their factories were damaged or destroyed during the Allied bombing campaigns against the Japanese home islands in 1945. Asahi would rebuild and resume full production of camera optics by 1948 and work on producing their first camera. Released in 1952, the Asahiflex was a waist-level, interchangeable lens SLR; over the course of the decade, the models would improve to include an instant return mirror and slow shutter speeds. In 1957, Asahi released the Pentax, going with a pentaprism eye-level finder and a larger M42 lens mount; the Pentax would be further improved with the release of the Pentax Spotmatic, which featured TTL metering in 1964. The iconic bayonet K-Mount arrived in 1975, overhauling the Spotmatic line to match the new lens mount. But two years later, in 1977, Konica released the C35AF, the first commercial autofocus point-and-shoot camera that used a passive IR focusing system developed by Honeywell.
Asahi would turn their attention to building an autofocus SLR based on the Honeywell system, which was released in the 1981 ME-F; based on the compact Pentax ME Super, the ME-F used a specialised lens that included both the IR detection and focusing motor. But they also focused on the growing demand for compact point-and-shoot cameras. These early options used high-quality fixed-focal-length lenses. In 1982, Asahi released the PC35AF, again using the passive IR system for autofocus. The PC35AF featured a fixed 35mm f/2.8 lens, manual film advance (a power-winder accessory was available, and a later model, the PC35AF-M, had the winder included) and a compact clam-shell design. While other companies began production of dual-lens options (two focal lengths), Asahi released the world’s first power-zoom camera in 1986, the IQZoom. The IQZoom featured a 35-70mm, allowing the user to smoothly transition between focal lengths between the two end-points. Asahi would update the look and feel of these cameras by the late 1980s from a boxy style to a far more streamlined look. The cameras would improve through the late 1980s and into the 1990s with the release of the Zoom 280-P in 1992. By this point, Asahi was embroiled in a lawsuit with Honeywell over the passive IR autofocus system and had since switched to an Active system similar to Canon’s. I’m unsure of when production of the Zoom 280-P was discontinued, but it was somewhere in the mid-1990s.
Impressions
The one thing that struck me off the bat is how big this camera is, I mean, there’s nothing wrong with a big camera. But when you’re using a point-and-shoot you do expect them to be a bit more compact. But I like this about the 280-P, it feels good in the hand, way more ergonomic than the early point-and-shoots from Pentax. Probably the best part of the camera being as large as it is is that the controls are well spread out but still easily accessed. The LCD at the top is a wealth of information a lot more than what I would expect from the camera. There is, sadly, no exposure information included on this. But you have the frame count, focal length, flash mode, and various other pieces of information. The thumb toggle responds well for the zoom function, and there is a little slide to lock the camera into faux-panorama mode. You also have the dedicated on/off button and what I rather like is an integral diopter and as a glasses wearing, having this is wonderful. You also have the shutter release in a little indent so you don’t accidently trigger the shutter. There’s also four separate buttons to adjust the various modes and settings that comes with the camera. Another neat feature is that there is a remote control that allows for you to adjust the zoom and trip the shutter. Overall the camera is obviously an early 1990s camera but it has a lot of features you would find in a premium offering of the age and it still stands up to use today.
Experiences
As point-and-shoot cameras go, the Zoom 280-P is a beast; it’s bigger and heavier than other cameras that I’ve used, and probably the closest in size and form factor is the Minolta Weathermatic 35DL. The camera is comfortable to use and hold and doesn’t weigh too heavily around the neck. The only annoyance I have is the placement of the camera strap at the hand-grip side of the camera. It does make bringing the camera up to the eye annoying when the strap is still around my neck. The larger size makes the layout easy and comfortable to use; the buttons are clearly labelled and well-placed, making them easy to use without being too close together to accidentally press the wrong button. The LCD at the top is interesting as it displays information that would be better in the viewfinder. The viewfinder is simple; it adjusts when you zoom in and features a pair of frame lines used for close-up work, not for regular photos. The downside is that you may encounter a chance of parallax error, but it isn’t too significant. With my first roll, I thought I had to use the frame lines, and ended up with my compositions being off. After reading the manual, I learned that you use the whole frame. The lens zoom isn’t fast, but it isn’t too slow either, and it smoothly transitions between focal lengths. The autofocus is fast, and the exposure meter is accurate. One interesting feature of the camera is that it has an integrated remote control. The remote allows you to zoom the lens (28, 50, and 80mm) and fire the shutter. The downside is that the remote has an integral battery, so when it’s dead, it is dead. You needed to get the battery replaced as an authorised repair dealer, and I haven’t had the chance to see if any repair places can replace the battery today. The biggest problem I have with the camera is that you cannot turn off the flash for regular photography; it can only be turned off in night mode and bulb mode. Other than that, the camera functions well; it’s easy to use and quite enjoyable while also delivering excellent results.
Optics
I’ve never had an issue with the optics in Pentax point-and-shoot cameras; the images that came out of the Espio 115m are superb for a consumer camera. Right off the bat, you’ll notice that the Zoom 280-P has a 28mm wide-angle end, which is wider than most point-and-shoot cameras of the era. At that 28mm end, the quality is excellent. With a f/3.5 wide-open aperture, you have a decently fast wide-angle lens (I do like my Nikkor 28mm f/3.5), and there are no noticeable distortions in the images. One thing that many of these point-and-shoot optics suffer from is softness at the longer end, in this case, 80mm, where you’ll notice it. However, I don’t see anything like that with this lens. Although you only have a wide-open aperture at f/8, which is slower than I would prefer, it does help with sharpness. The lens tends to flare when exposed to off-axis light, which can affect the exposure. Overall, the optics on this camera are far better than I expected from a 1990s point-and-shoot, with good contrast and sharpness reminiscent of black and white film, which gives me confidence in the colour film performance of this lens.
Lowdown
Unlike many point-and-shoot cameras of this era, the Zoom 280-P does not hold the same cult status as other Pentax cameras of this class, which means you can get your hands on one for less than 100$ these days. Yes, there will be some that are over 100$, but I haven’t seen anything close to 200$ on the used market. That being said, I would not spend more than 70$ on this camera. You also want to ensure that it’s complete with the remote control. The control doesn’t have to work, but it completes the look and feel of the camera. You’ll also be annoyed by the battery, as it requires not one but two CR123 cells, which can be found at most hardware stores and specialty camera stores. The Zoom 280-P is a fun camera and one that I didn’t think I would get along with, but here we are: I’m surprised at the image quality, look, feel, and experience. So, if you’re looking for a point-and-shoot that shoots wide-angle without breaking the bank, then this one might be what you’re looking for.
Further Reading
Don’t just take my word on the Zoom 280-P; you can check out the reviews by other awesome camera reviewers!
The Old Camera Guy – Pentax Zoom 280-P Review
Wallace Koopmans Artlog – Pentax Zoom 280-P Review