Using the Super A

This page is not intended to substitute the manual, although you probably will get by using the Super A with just reading this page. The Super A is very user friendly and its operation does not require much elaboration. So I will only attempt to explain the features of the Super A that, to my opinion, are peculiar or unusual.

Modes. - The Super A can operate on all modes including Program Æ and Shutter Priority when using lenses with the "A" setting in the aperture ring (KA, KAF, or KAF₂ mount lenses). With K mount lenses, the Super A is limited to Aperture Priority and Manual modes. With the Mode Dial at "Auto" and the aperture ring at "A", the Super A is in Program Æ Mode. Set the aperture ring at any setting other than "A" and your on Aperture Priority. Turn the Mode Dial to "M" and you're on Manual Mode. Turn the aperture ring back to "A" and your on Shutter Priority.

The mode dial. - In most instances, turning the mode dial requires that the dial button be depressed at the same time. Thus, to turn the dial from "Auto" to "M" or from "M" to "Auto", or from "M" to "125x", you must simultaneously depress the dial button. But when the mode dial is already set to "125x", you can turn it to "B" or back to "M", or when in "B" it can be turned to "125x", without depressing the dial button. Also, turning the Mode Dial from "L" to "Auto" does not require depressing the dial button.

Shooting the First frame. - When film is loaded in the Super A, the shutter speed reads 1/1000 when in Auto or Manual mode. In Auto Mode the shutter speed reads 1/1000 regardless of actual light conditions while in Manual the meter reading does not show. The shutter speed remains at 1/1000 until the film is advanced by three frames, that is, until the frame indicator reads "1". At first I thought there was something wrong with my Super A, but another body (a Program Plus) exhibited the same behavior, so this must be a design feature. I also read somewhere that this was intended to prevent the camera from taking long exposures with the front lens cap still on.

Film advance indicator. - At the back of the body just below the wind lever, you'll find a small window with two red vertical bars behind it. These vertical red bars move to indicate that film is actually advancing. Personally I find this feature useless and redundant. The rewind crank turns when film is advancing. And by lightly touching the rewind crank you'll know even in total darkness that film is advancing.

Cocked indicator. - A dot appears at the upper right hand corner of the top LCD panel to indicate that the camera is cocked. The dot is visible even after the camera is turned off (Mode Dial on "L".)

The self-timer. - The self-timer is activated by pulling in the direction of the arrow (away from the lens mount) a switch located on the right of the lens mount, just above the depth-of-field preview lever. A red LED will blink and a beeping will be audible. The shutter will release after 12 seconds, and the beeping and blinking is faster during the last two seconds. Pushing the self-timer switch back cancels the self-timer operation and the shutter will not fire.

Flash Exposure Compensation.- The advantage of having TTL flash metering is that one can control fill flash without bothersome calculations. Want to expose for ambient light with -1 stop fill flash? Set the mode dial to manual, expose for the background, set the exposure compensation dial to ½x, and fire away. To be sure, this method will not work in absolutely all situations. But once you get to know your equipment more, percentage hits will be acceptable.

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