Video: A History of Pentax (1919-2022)

PentaxTips video displaying Pentax camera bodies and important lenses throughout the years

By FozzFoster in Articles and Tips on Mar 31, 2022

Are you ready to take a hands-on journey through the entire history of Pentax cameras, from the company's early roots in 1919 to the latest and greatest technology available in 2022?

In this comprehensive 1 hour and 38 minute video, PentaxTips showcases all Pentax interchangeable lens cameras as well as important lenses and innovations throughout the years. We cover key features along with the historical significance of each camera.

This crowdsourced power-montage incorporates over 40 unique video contributors displaying over 185 pieces of equipment: a sincerely impressive catalogue of Pentax cameras. Please see the credits at the end of the video for a list of all contributors and reviewers.

Without further ado; a History of Pentax:

Want to see more PentaxTips videos?  See these links for a K-70 overview and a K-3 Mark III overview!

To learn more about any camera model featured in this video, see also the camera database.

Acknowledgements

We would like to extend a special thank you to Luis Salazar. This project would not have even started without his collection and support. If you enjoy this content, head over to his instagram @spaceman_lou, and send you love his way!

And another special thank you to Adam and the entire PentaxForums community, including our many contributors! You have been an endless source of knowledge and entertainment - thank you!

Content Contributors

Special thanks to Luis Salazar (Insta: @spacemanlou)

Special thanks to PentaxForums (PF)

Asahiflex I  Morgan Harwell (PF: Moe49)
Asahiflex I  Baard-Einar Moe
Takumar 50mm f/3.5 Tyler Satchwill (Insta: @tsatch)
Asahiflex Ia Gary Wakeling
Asahiflex IIb Tyler Satchwill (Insta: @tsatch)
Tower 23 Ismael Gonzalez - Puerto Rico
Asahiflex IIa Gary Wakeling
Asahi Pentax 'AP' Luis Salazar 
Takumar 55mm f/2.2 Luis Salazar
Takumar 35mm f/4 Morgan Harwell (PF: Moe49)
Pentax S  Martyn (PF: microlight)
Pentax K arnold (PF)
Auto-Takumar 55mm f/1.8 arnold (PF)
Pentax H2 Luis Salazar 
Pentax S3 arnold (PF)
Pentax S1 arnold (PF)
Pentax SV Luis Salazar 
Pentax S1a Luis Salazar 
Pentax Super S2 Martyn (PF: microlight)
Fish-eye-Takumar 18mm f/11 Tim Morgan (PF: blackcloudbrew) 
Pentax Spotmatic  Luis Salazar 
Super-Takumar 55mm f/2 Luis Salazar
Super-Takumar 55mm f/1.8 Stephen (PF: FozzFoster)
Super-Takumar 50mm f/1.4 (8-element) Luis Salazar
Super-Takumar 50mm f/1.4 (7-element) Luis Salazar
Super-Takumar 70-150 f/4.5 Gary Wakeling
Pentax SL Martyn (PF: microlight)
Spotmatic Motor Drive Gary Wakeling
Pentax 6x7 Luis Salazar
Pentax 6x7 Lenses & Accessories Luis Salazar
Pentax Spotmatic II Luis Salazar
Super-Multi-Coated Macro Tak Luis Salazar 
S-M-C Tak 50mm f/1.4 Stephen (PF: FozzFoster) 
SMC Tak 55mm f/2 Luis Salazar 
SMC Tak 55mm f/1.8 Luis Salazar 
Radioactive Super-Tak Luis Salazar 
S-M-C Fish-Eye-Tak 17mm f/4 Luis Salazar 
Pentax Spotmatic IIa Luis Salazar 
Pentax SP500 Luis Salazar 
Pentax Electro Spotmatic Luis Salazar 
Pentax ES Luis Salazar
Pentax Spotmatic F Luis Salazar
Pentax ES II Luis Salazar 
Pentax SP1000 Luis Salazar 
Pentax K2 Luis Salazar 
Pentax KX Luis Salazar 
Pentax KM Luis Salazar 
SMC Tak 55mm f/2 Luis Salazar
Takumar Bayonet 28mm f/2.8 Luis Salazar
Pentax ‘K’ 28mm f/2 Peter Schluter (Flickr: peter_schluter2002)
Pentax ‘K’ 15mm f/3.5 Peter Schluter (Flickr: peter_schluter2002)
M42 to K-Mount Adapter Stephen (PF: FozzFoster) 
Pentax K2 DMD Rob Allen
Pentax K1000  Luis Salazar 
Pentax K1000  Ismael Gonzalez - Puerto Rico 
Pentax ME  Luis Salazar 
Pentax MX Luis Salazar
Pentax ‘K’ 50mm f/1.4 Luis Salazar 
Pentax M 50mm f/1.4 Luis Salazar 
Pentax M* 300mm f/4 Peter Schluter (Flickr: peter_schluter2002)
Pentax Auto 110 Luis Salazar
Pentax Auto 110 50mm f/2.8 Luis Salazar
Pentax ME Super Luis Salazar 
Pentax MV Luis Salazar 
Pentax MV1 Luis Salazar 
Pentax LX Luis Salazar 
Pentax ‘K’ 50mm f/1.2 Luis Salazar 
LX Accessories Luis Salazar 
Pentax MG Luis Salazar 
Pentax ME F & 35-70mm f/2.8 Luis Salazar 
Pentax Auto 110 Super Bob Roberts (PF: roberrl)
Pentax PC35AF Nicholas Van Tol (nostalgiccameras.ca)
Pentax Super Program Luis Salazar
Pentax A 50mm f/1.4 Luis Salazar 
Pentax A* 300mm f/4 Bruce Raynor 
Pentax Program Plus Luis Salazar 
Pentax A3000 Luis Salazar
Pentax A3Date Rene Gruenwald (Insta: @th3_pentaxian) 
Pentax A3DateS Rene Gruenwald (Insta: @th3_pentaxian) 
Pentax 645 McBain Camera (mcbaincamera.com) 
Pentax 645 Lenses McBain Camera (mcbaincamera.com) 
Pentax 645 to 67 Adapter Mitch (Insta: @mkellertravels)
Pentax K to 645 Adapter Mitch (Insta: @mkellertravels) 
Pentax P3 Luis Salazar
Pentax P30Date Rene Gruenwald (Insta: @th3_pentaxian) 
Pentax P5 Ole (PF) 
Pentax P50Date Rene Gruenwald (Insta: @th3_pentaxian) 
Pentax Zoom70 Nicholas Van Tol (nostalgiccameras.ca) 
Pentax SF1 Bernard (PF: bdery) 
Pentax SFX ‘See Thru’ Jan (Reijnaart) from ‘s-Heer Abtskerke, the Netherlands 
Pentax F 50mm f/1.7 Luis Salazar 
Pentax P3N Tom Ramsey
Pentax SF10 Luis Salazar 
Pentax SFXn Fred Schröter from the Netherlands 
Pentax 67 Gary Wakeling
Pentax 105 Super Nicholas Van Tol (nostalgiccameras.ca)
Pentax P30T Luis Salazar  
Pentax PZ-1 ’See Thru’ Gary Wakeling 
Pentax PZ-1 ‘75 Anniversary’ Luis Salazar 
Pentax FA 50mm f/1.4 Stephen (PF: FozzFoster) 
Pentax FA* 28-70mm McBain Camera (mcbaincamera.com) 
Pentax PZ-10 ‘See-Thru’ Gary Wakeling  
Pentax Z-10 senicar (PF) Insta: @senicar.bostjan 
Pentax Zoom90WR Nicholas Van Tol (nostalgiccameras.ca)
Pentax Z-20 arnold (PF) 
Pentax Z-20p Don Voigt (PF: DonV) 
Pentax Z-50p MightyMike (PF) 
Pentax PZ-1p Tim Morgan (PF: blackcloudbrew) 
Pentax Z-5 MightyMike (PF) 
Pentax Z-5p Rene Gruenwald (Insta: @th3_pentaxian) 
Pentax PZ-70 GGascay
Pentax Z-70p Rene Gruenwald (Insta: @th3_pentaxian)
Pentax F Fish-Eye 17-28mm Tim Morgan (PF: blackcloudbrew)
Pentax MZ-5 Lars Holte (PF: Laho) 
Pentax MZ-10 Sherri Foster
Pentax ZX-10  Luis Salazar 
Pentax EI-C90 Kris K. (YouTube: Quest Studios)  
Pentax efina Nicholas Van Tol (nostalgiccameras.ca)
Pentax 645N Tim Morgan (PF: blackcloudbrew) 
Pentax FA 645 150mm f/2.8 McBain Camera (mcbaincamera.com) 
Pentax 43mm f/1.9 Limited Bernard (PF: bdery)
Pentax 77mm f/1.8 Limited Stephen (PF: FozzFoster) 
Pentax 31mm f/1.8 Limited McBain Camera (mcbaincamera.com) 
Pentax ZX-5N  Luis Salazar  
Pentax MZ-3 Luis Salazar  
Pentax ZX-50 Luis Salazar  
Pentax ZX-M Luis Salazar 
Pentax 67II Lars Holte (PF: Laho)  
Pentax 67II Lenses & Accessories Lars Holte (PF: Laho)  
Pentax MZ-7  Luis Salazar  
Pentax MZ-30  Luis Salazar  
Pentax LX2000  Morgan Harwell (PF: Moe49)  
Pentax A 50mm f/1.2 Morgan Harwell (PF: Moe49)
Pentax EI-200 BigMackCam (PF) 
Pentax 645NII  Lars Holte (PF: Laho) 
Pentax 645NII Lenses & Accessories Lars Holte (PF: Laho)
Pentax MZ-6  Luis Salazar  
Pentax MZ-S  Lars Holte (PF: Laho)
Pentax MZ-S  Tim Morgan (PF: blackcloudbrew) 
Pentax MZ-60  Luis Salazar  
Pentax *ist Bruce Raynor 
Pentax *ist D Don Voigt (PF: DonV) 
Pentax DA 16-45mm f/4 McBain Camera (mcbaincamera.com) 
Pentax DFA 50mm f/2.8 Adam (PF) 
Pentax *ist DS Martyn (PF: microlight) 
Pentax *ist DS2 Luis Salazar  
Pentax *ist DL BigMackCam (PF) 
Pentax *ist DL2 kypfer (PF) 
Samsung GX-1L BigMackCam (PF) 
Schneider-Kreuznach Lenses Fred Schröter from the Netherlands 
Pentax K10D McBain Camera (mcbaincamera.com) 
Samsung GX-10 BigMackCam (PF) 
Pentax smc DA Fish-Eye 10-17mm Tim Morgan (PF: blackcloudbrew) 
Pentax DA* 50-150mm f/2.8 Stephen (PF: FozzFoster) 
Pentax K100D Brad Shea (PF: UncleVanya) 
Pentax K110D Edwin Gossert (PF: grog85361) 
Pentax K100D Super Tim Morgan (PF: blackcloudbrew) 
Pentax K20D Tim Morgan (PF: blackcloudbrew) 
Pentax K200D Brian Stirling 
Pentax K-m  Don Voigt (PF: DonV)
Pentax K-7 Fred Schröter from the Netherlands 
DA Limited examples  Stephen (PF: FozzFoster) 
Pentax K-x Don Voigt (PF: DonV) 
Pentax 100mm f/2.8 Macro WR Stephen (PF: FozzFoster)
Pentax K-5 Stephen (PF: FozzFoster) 
Pentax O-GPS1 Stephen (PF: FozzFoster) 
Pentax K-r Mitch (Insta: @mkellertravels) 
Pentax 645D Mitch (Insta: @mkellertravels) 
Pentax 645D Lenses & Accessories  Mitch (Insta: @mkellertravels) 
Pentax Q Adam (PF) 
Pentax K-5 II Don Voigt (PF: DonV) 
Pentax K-5 IIs Ole (PF) 
Pentax K-30 McBain Camera (mcbaincamera.com)
Pentax K-01 Fred Schröter from the Netherlands 
Pentax Q10 Don Voigt (PF: DonV)  
Pentax K-50 Adam (PF)  
Pentax K-500 GGascay
Pentax Q7 BigMackCam (PF) 
Pentax K-3 Steven Kovick 
Pentax Q-S1 Don Voigt (PF: DonV) 
Pentax K-S1 ChristianRock (PF)
Pentax 645Z Sandy Hancock (PF) 
Pentax 645Z Lenses & Accessories  Sandy Hancock (PF) 
Pentax K-S2 Stephen (PF: FozzFoster) 
Pentax K-3 II Fred Schröter from the Netherlands 
Pentax K-1 Karl Stevens 
Pentax 55-300mm PLM Stephen (PF: FozzFoster)
Pentax K-70 Stephen (PF: FozzFoster) 
Pentax KP Fred Schröter from the Netherlands 
Pentax K-1 II Gary Wakeling 
Pentax HD Fish-eye 10-17mm Tim Morgan (PF: blackcloudbrew) 
100 Yr Ann. Accessories Steven Kovick 
Pentax K-3 III Stephen (PF: FozzFoster) 
Manuals M. Butkus, NJ. (mike@butkus.org) 
ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/support/man-pdf
Music Michelle Foster
Reviewers Luis Salazar
Ismael Gonzalez - Puerto Rico
Brad Shea (PF: UncleVanya)
Adam (PF)

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