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Alicia, Asahi Pentax is the camera manufacturer, and it is the original, full name for "Pentax." They made several different models of cameras before changing the name. I suspect it may be one of the "Spotmatic" models as they were among the most popular. Go to this web site which has a list of all the Spotmatic models Pentax made. There are links there with pictures of most of them. See if yours matches one of them:
http://212.187.14.19/cameras.htm There is a "pdf" file of the Asahi Pentax "Spotmatic F" which you can download on this site. Each chapter has its own file. The entire manual is about 20 files total. A "pdf" file can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader. The Acrobat Reader is free, so if it's not installed on your computer already, there are instructions there for downloading and installing the reader.
http://faveclassics.topcities.com/manuals/pentaxspotmaticf.html Even if it's some other version of the Spotmatic and not the "F" all the Spotmatic models are similar in basic operation, and how to load film in any of them is nearly identical. To answer a couple of your questions . . . ASA (film speed):
ASA = American Standards Association
With film, it is a number that represents the film speed. This is how quickly the film reacts to light (records a photograph). Some films are faster than others. The ASA speed rating is the old name for film speed. It is now called the ISO speed rating.
ISO = International Standards Organization
Although the exact testing method to determine how "fast" a film is changed very slightly when the ISO rating replaced the ASA rating, it results in the same number. In practical use, they're exactly the same thing with a different name. The higher the number, the faster the film. To make a photograph, the film must be exposed to light. The amount of "exposure" you give the film depends on how fast the film is, and how much light there is for what you want to photograph. How much light reaches the film is controlled by two things: lens aperture (opening, called the f-number) and the shutter speed. The lens aperture controls how much light passes through the lens. This is much the same way you can control water flow with how much you open up a water faucet. The shutter speed controls how long the light that passes through the lens is allowed to reach the film. It is much like how long you open a water faucet before shutting it off again. See if your grandmother (or grandfather) can take you to a local library. Look for a book there about basic photography. You will find a range of books from beginner to advanced. Find a beginner's book. It will explain more about film, film speed, and lens aperture and shutter speed for setting film exposure. -- John
June 15, 2002
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