K1000 Version

[wlank]

Is there a way to determine which version the K1000 is?

I know that some (maybe all) of them had a label on the bottom plate which indicated "Japan", "Hong Kong" or "China". Many times this label is not on the camera. I think that all K1000s with the "Asahi" absent on the prism are the plastic version. Can anyone confirm this?

Maybe a serial number sequence indicates which is which. I contacted Pentax US and I'm not sure that the Customer Service rep was even aware that Pentax made film cameras. An Email to Pentax Japan has gone unanswered.

Someone knows the answer.

Bill

[séamuis]

the earliest K1000's will have the serial number stamped on the top plate and say Asahi Opt. Co. Japan on the back, feature the AOCO logo on the pentaprism housing and say Asahi above the Pentax. all metal. 1976-1978

the slightly later and far more common Hong Kong version will retain all the same characteristics of the Japanese version but will not say Japan on the back and the serial number will be stamped on the bottom plate. all metal. 1978-1990

the last version is the Chinese version, it uses plastic top and bottom plates and some plastic internal parts. features no AOCO on the pentaprism, no Asahi above the Pentax and the serial is stamped on the bottom plate. 1990-1997

Im pretty sure thats correct but who knows what kind of variables there were during production. the one thing to remember however is that most of the Honk Kong versions are passed off as Japanese. (the US got far more Hong Kong versions due to the very short Japanese run) but unless you are finicky about that they are essentially the same.

[zx-m]

I thank you for the explanation, seamuis. I had been unsure as to how long the original Japanese run had lasted.

Glen

[wlank]

Originally Posted by séamuis

but unless you are finicky about that they are essentially the same.

I guess it is probably an ego thing to some extent. Anyway, see the attached. Maybe this is one of the variations.

Of course I could make (forge) one of those "Japan" labels very easily. Also, it does NOT have "Japan" on the back.

What do you think?

Bill

[séamuis]

like I said there could be many variables, all the japanese versions Ive seen were like how I described, with such a long production run who really knows for sure eh?

[Stevopedia]

I've got a pair of K1000s, and I know a bit about each:

The first is a plain K1000 that my father purchased in June of 1977. It looks identical to the one posted above (the serial number (6440020) is stamped on the bottom, no "Japan" indication on the back of the top plate.) The Japan sticker, if it ever had one, is long gone. The date places its place of manufacture firmly in Japan, but it looks identical to:

my K1000 SE (brown leather), which was assembled in Hong Kong. The sticker that tells me that is still on the camera, on the baseplate near the "Japan" one is on the picture posted above. (I will post a pic of it sooner or later.) The K1000 SE's serial number is 6494452.

I would guess that Pentax swtiched to the later pattern (as seen on Hong Kong-assembled K1000s) prior to shifting production from Japan to Hong Kong, such that there are Japanese-built K1000s that look like assembled-in-Hong-Kong ones.

(Can anyone tell me when the brown leather K1000 SE was produced? I've always wondered, and I've never been able to find out...)

[jgredline]

I know I have one of each. An all metal K1000 and a Plastic top K1000. Thanks for the info seamuis, I too have been wondering.

[séamuis]

(Can anyone tell me when the brown leather K1000 SE was produced? I've always wondered, and I've never been able to find out...)

I wish I could, however I have been unable top obtain any information on its production years.

all I do know is that there were two versions. an earlier with brown leather and a later with black. the later I can only assume was a china made version as it had no AOCO logo nor 'Asahi' on the pentaprism housing.