The Pentax MZ-S is a 35mm single-lens reflex camera from Pentax of Japan. It was introduced in 2001 and discontinued in February 2006. It is closely related to the prototype MZ-D Full-frame digital SLR, which never entered production. It was the top-of-the-line model of Pentax's MZ/ZX series and replaced the PZ-1p as the high-end Pentax camera. No camera was produced to replace the MZ-S, making it Pentax's last high-end 35 mm camera. The MZ-S is the last film camera from Pentax that was manufactured in Japan.

Design

The MZ-S was a "clean sheet of paper" design that re-thought most aspects of Pentax's camera interface and appearance. Design goals included simpler operation, small size and light weight without sacrificing the sophisticated features required to be competitive. The MZ-S design returned to a more conventional one compared to the PZ-1p; the shoe for external flash and accessories returned to the top of the pentaprism housing, instead of the unusual right-handgrip position used on the older camera. The status LCD moved from atop the pentaprism to the top of the camera's right shoulder, like many competing designs. However, instead of a flat camera top, the Pentax designers angled the top plate towards the user at a 30° angle for easier viewing. The camera featured an autofocus system based on six linear CCD sensors, on-film data recording and an MTF autoexposure mode which chooses the aperture for maximum sharpness.