List of M42 Camera Bodies By Generation

As an addendum to this article, here is a list of M42 camera bodies (post-1948) by technological generation. This is not a complete list and is an ongoing project. I am leaving out Edixa models and most rebadged bodies (Revueflex, Vivitar, Porst, Sears, etc.) for now. Where there is an exact modern silver oxide equivalent to the original battery, that is listed. Where the original battery was a mercury type without an exact silver/alkaline equivalent, the mercury is listed.

First Generation

Non-Metered + Manual Stop-Down Aperture Control

Model	Year	Notes
Contax S	1949	Built-in Pentaprism
Contax D	1952	Built-in Pentaprism
Contax E	1956	Contax D with Uncoupled Selenium Meter
Pentax	1957	Built-in Pentaprism & Lever Advance
Pentax S	1958	Built-in Pentaprism & Lever Advance
Petri Penta	1959	Pentaprism & Lever Advance
Praktica	1949	Waist-Level Finder
Praktica FX	1952	Waist-Level Finder
Praktica MX	1952	Waist-Level Finder
Praktiflex	1949	Waist-Level Finder
Zenit E	1965	Uncoupled Selenium Meter
Zenit B	1968

Second Generation

Non-Metered + Auto-Diaphragm Operation

Model	Year	Battery	Notes
Contax/Pentacon F	1956	None	First 2nd Generation Body
Contax/Pentacon FB	1956	None	Contax F with Uncoupled Selenium Meter
Contax/Pentacon FM	1958	None	Contax F Split-Screen Focusing Aid
Contax/Pentacon FBM	1958	None	Contax FM with Uncoupled Selenium Meter
Pentax K	1958	None
Pentax S2	1959	None
Pentax S1	1959	None
Pentax S3	1961	None
Pentax SV	1962	None
Pentax S1a	1962	None
Pentax Spotmatic SL	1968	None
Praktica FX2	1956	None
Praktica FX3	1956	None
Praktica IV	1959	None
Praktica IVB	1961	None	Selenium Meter
Praktica VF	1964	None
Praktica Nova	1964	None
Praktica VFB	1965	None	Selenium Meter
Praktica Nova B	1966	None	Selenium Meter
Pentaflex SL	1967	None
Praktica PL Nova	1967	None
Praktica PL Electronic	1968	PX625	First SLR with Electronically-Controlled Shutter
Praktica L Series	1969	None
Praktica LB Series	1972	None	Selenium Meter
Yashica Penta J	1961	None	Optional Clip-On Meter Coupled to Shutter Speed
Yashica J-3	1963	RM-1	Non-TTL Light Meter Not Coupled to Aperture
Yashica J-P	1964	None	Optional Clip-On Meter Coupled to Shutter Speed
Yashica J-5	1964	PX625	Non-TTL Light Meter Not Coupled to Aperture
Yashica J-4	1965	PX625	Non-TTL Light Meter Not Coupled to Aperture
Yashica J-7	1968	PX625	Non-TTL Light Meter Not Coupled to Aperture

Third Generation

Stop Down TTL Light Metering + Auto-Diaphragm Operation

Model	Year	Battery	Notes
Chinon M-1	1972	PX625
Chinon CX	1974	PX625
Chinon CS	1978	PX625
Chinon SLR	1979
Chinon CS-4	1980	2 x SR44
Cosina Hi-Lite	1968	PX675
Cosina Hi-Lite DL	1970	PX675
Cosina SLR	1971
Cosina Hi-Lite 202	1975	PX675
Cosina 1000S	1976?	PX675
Cosina 4000S	1976?	PX675
Exakta TL 1000 / TL 500	1972	PX625
Exakta Twin TL 42	1973	PX675
Fujica ST701	1970	2 x PX400
Fujica ST601	1975	2 x PX400
Fujica ST605	1976	2 x SR44
Fujica ST605N	1978	2 x SR44
Miranda Sensomat TM	1974	PX675
Pentax Spotmatic	1964	PX400	First 3rd Generation Body
Pentax Spotmatic 500	1971	PX400
Pentax Spotmatic II	1971	PX400
Pentax Spotmatc IIa	1971	PX400
Pentax Spotmatic SP 1000	1974	PX400
Praktica Super TL	1968	PX625
Praktica LTL Series	1970	PX625
Praktica Super TL 2	1975	PX625
Praktica TL	1976	PX625
Praktica DTL Series	1978	V21PX
Praktica MTL 3	1984	PX625
Praktica MTL 5	1984	PX625
Praktica MTL 50	1985	4 x SR44
Ricoh Singlex TLS	1967	PX675
Ricoh TLS 401	1970	PX625
Ricoh SLX 500	1975	PX625
Ricoh Singlex II	1976	PX625
Voigtlander Bessaflex TM	2003	2 x SR44
Yashica TL Super	1966	SR44
Yashica TL	1968	SR44
Yashica TL Electro X	1968	PX28	Electronic Shutter
Yashica TL-E	1969	PX28?	Electronic Shutter
Yashica TL Electro X ITS	1971		Electronic Shutter
Yashica TL Electro	1972		Electronic Shutter
Zeiss Ikon Icarex 35 / 35S TM	1969	PX625
Zenit 19	1979	2 x PX625

Fourth Generation

Open-Aperture TTL Light Metering with Proprietary M42 Lenses

Model	Year	Battery	Notes
Fujica ST801	1972	S28PX
Fujica ST705	1976	2 x SR44
Fujica ST605 II	1978	2 x SR44
Fujica ST705W	1978	2 x SR44
Mamiya DSX 500 / 1000	1974	SR44
Mamiya MSX 500 / 1000	1974	SR44
Olympus FTL	1971	PX625
Pentacon Super	1968	PX625	First 4th Generation Body
Pentax Spotmatic F	1973	PX625
Praktica LLC	1969	V21PX
Praktica VLC Series	1974	V21PX
Praktica PLC Series	1975	V21PX
Voigtlander VSL1	1974	PX625
Zeiss Ikon SL706	1971	PX625

Fifth Generation

Aperture or Shutter Speed Priority Autoexposure with Proprietary Lenses

Model	Year	Battery	Notes
Exakta FE 2000	1977	PX675	Shutter-Speed Priority Autoexposure
Fujica ST901	1974	4 x SR44
Fujica AZ-1	1978	3 x SR44
Pentax ES	1971		First Fifth Generation Body
Pentax ES II	1973	4 x SR44
Praktica EE2	1977	V21PX
Praktica EE3	1979	V21PX
Ricoh Auto TLS EE	1976	PX675	Shutter-Speed Priority Autoexposure
Yashica TL Electro AX	1971	A32PX	Button to Open to Full Aperture
Zenit 18	1980		Only AE with the Zenitar ME1 50mm f/1.7

Chinon / Cosina / Zenit System

Stop-Down Metering Activated Through Half-Press of Shutter Button

Model	Year	Battery	Notes	Others Versions
Chinon CE	1974	S28PX	Aperture-Priority; 1/2000 Top Speed	Revueflex 4000 EE
Chinon CE-II	1976	S28PX	Aperture-Priority; 1/2000 Top Speed	Revueflex 4004 / 4000 EE / 4004 / 5005; Porst Reflex M-CE & C-EE
Chinon CX-II	1976	PX625	No Autoexposure	Revueflex 3000 SM & 3003
Chinon CE-3	1978	2 x SR44	Aperture-Priority	Revueflex AC1
Chinon CM-1 / CM-3	1978	2 x SR44	No Autoexposure	Revueflex SC1
Cosina Hi-Lite EC	1972		Aperture-Priority; 1/2000 Top Speed
Cosina Hi-Lite 402		PX625	No Autoexposure
Cosina Hi-Lite 405	1974	PX625	No Autoexposure; Spot & Center Metering	Revueflex SM302; Porst Reflex C-TL Super
Cosina Hi-Lite ECL	1977	S28PX	Aperture-Priority; 1/2000 Top Speed	Revueflex EE 303
Cosina CSL	1978	2 x SR44	No Autoexposure
Cosina CSM	1978	2 x SR44	No Autoexposure	Porst Compact-Reflex; Petri MF-2
Cosina CSR	1978	2 x SR44	No Autoexposure; Spot & Center Metering
Zenit 12	1983	2 x SR43	No Autoexposure
Zenit 122	1990	2 x SR43	No Autoexposure
Zenit 312M	1999	2 x SR43	No Autoexposure
Zenit 412DX / 412LS	2000 / 2002	2 x SR43	No Autoexposure