Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 
Log in or register to remove ads.

Pentax Camera Reviews » Pentax Film Cameras » Pentax Manual Focus Film SLRs
Pentax K1000 Review RSS Feed

Pentax K1000

Reviews Views Date of last review
45 148,487 Wed April 12, 2023
spacer
Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
100% of reviewers $60.50 8.70
Pentax K1000

Pentax K1000
supersize
Pentax K1000
supersize
Pentax K1000
supersize

Description:
The iconic Pentax K1000 was Pentax's classic intro level film SLR, which gained a very high popularity among photography students due to its rugged build and low price.

The original K1000 was basically a KM without depth of field preview and self-timer. The K1000 became very successful and was produced from 1976 to 1997. The top and bottom plates were changed from metal to plastic in the final production run. In 1997, the ZX-M replaced the K1000 as Pentax's intro-level manual offering.

The main variants are the K1000 (black leather, microprism focusing aid) and the later K1000 SE (black or brown leather and with a split image focusing screen or a combination microprism/split image screen).

K1000
Year introduced
1976
Mount
K
Meter range
3 - 18 EV
Meter pattern
c
ISO range
20-3200
DX ISO range
No DX coding
Exposure modes
M, B
Exposure compensation
Not applicable
Exposure memory lock
Not applicable
Shutter speeds (auto)
Not applicable
Shutter speeds (manual)
1 - 1/1000s, B
Shutter speeds (mechanical)
1 - 1/1000s, B
Self timer
No
Mirror lock-up
No
Auto bracketing
Not applicable
Multiple exposures
Yes
Winder
No
Built-in flash
No
TTL flash
No
P-TTL flash
No
Sync speed
1/60s
Flash exposure comp
Not applicable
Autofocus
No
Autofocus sensitivity
Not applicable
Power zoom
No
Viewfinder
0.88x
Viewfinder type
Pentaprism
Diopter correction
No
Exchangeable screen
No
Depth of field preview
No
Image size
24 x 36 mm
Panorama format
No
Battery
S76
Battery grip/pack
No
Size (W x H x D)
143 x 91.5 x 49 mm
Weight
620 g
Price History:



Add Review of Pentax K1000
Author:
Sort Reviews by: Date | Author | Rating | Recommendation | Likes (Descending) Showing Reviews 16-30 of 45
Veteran Member

Registered: October, 2012
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,437
Review Date: September 11, 2013 Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Light, User-friendly, Easily Learned, Very Capable, Attractive, Inexpensive
Cons: No DoF Preview, no Interchangeable Focusing Screens

My only wish for the K1000 would be that Pentax had designed all four of the old Ks with interchangeable focusing screens. Beyond that, even though a DoF preview would be nice, it's not really a necessity.

This camera really can do anything that an up-market model can do -- it just takes a deeper understanding of how the camera works. Exposure bracketing? Do it yourself but no problem. Double exposures? Sure, but it's fiddly. High-contrast setting compensation? Sure, if you meter off an area with your subject's approximate illumination. This camera can take any picture you see in your mind if you know how to use it properly.

You'll learn how to take a picture with this camera in a minute. You'll learn how to capture an image with it in a few years. And that journey, learning to capture an image, will be enjoyable, exciting, and much more informative than with an automated camera.
   
New Member

Registered: December, 2012
Location: Capital Federal, Buenos Aires
Posts: 10
Review Date: July 20, 2013 Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: N/A 

 
Pros:
Cons:

Hi guys I need help with this wonderful piece of history. My grandpa gave me his old Pentax KX (same as k1000 but with timer and film speed manual set) that looks brand new by the way :P

Im having problems with the film speed indicator and its pin. It used to spin and work well but sometimes it cames loose and spins ineffectually.

If the lightmetter is on and I change the film speed to a higher asa value, the lightmetter needle is supposed to go up, isn't it? PLEASE HELP becasue I don't know if it's working properly.

THANK YOU!!
   
Senior Member

Registered: June, 2012
Posts: 276
Review Date: June 9, 2013 Recommended | Price: $40.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: strudy, motivating for learners, cheap, common
Cons: can't see the whole viewfinder if you wear glasses like me (not huge problem though, you get used to it)

I own 2! One was my initial companion and the second comes with a wide-angle lens, it was so cheap (lens + camera = $40) so I just bought both, no brainer. I guess when you shoot film a second K1000 simply saves you the trouble of changing lens/film type. So I carry both on trips.

The function is so basic it forces you to focus on the basic exposure settings (i.e. shutter speed and aperture). Just get one if you want to master exposure from scratch. Good to master manual focus and manual exposure too. You will learn everything that a modern DSLR won't teach you.

My meters are still fine and quite reliable, although during sunny days I simply use the Sunny 16 Rule.

Finally, I wrote a short article about my experience with K1000 here: https://www.pentaxforums.com/news/mastering-exposure-using-the-classic-stude...tax-k1000.html
   
Junior Member

Registered: March, 2013
Posts: 35
Review Date: March 18, 2013 Recommended | Price: $32.50 | Rating: 7 

 
Pros: Classic (asahi one), simple, hard iron
Cons: I like m series shape better

This camera fit to me as newbie on 35mm film slr, except for it dead meter, now i always depend on my iPod pocket meter
   
Pentaxian

Registered: April, 2011
Location: Lost in translation ...
Posts: 18,076
Review Date: March 11, 2013 Recommended | Price: $20.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: All manual ... just like the one that I had in high school
Cons: Hefty, all manual - thus not a go to SLR for many reasons

Bonjour,

I bought a very nice copy of this SRL off a French e-bay equivalent, the body is in great shape plus it came along with a SMC M 50/2, which is not a great lens ... but do not worry, I have plenty of other manual lenses to use on it. Looks like this K1000 sat in a shelf or drawer for many years.

I am really happy to have found such a good body, but it needs light seals and the mirror bumper replaced ... normal age and wear ... I have not shot a roll yet, but my impressions are back from many a long day ago when I had a K1000 in high school and for my photography class and yearbook candid photos, etc. ... Ah, the memories that this SLR brings back.

So, my review is based upon sentimental element, but that's no big deal, because all of the other review have said a lot about the K1000. It's worth an "8" in my books ... now my next task is to repair those seals, etc.

Salut, John le Frog
   
Veteran Member

Registered: May, 2010
Location: Hong Kong / Irvine, CA
Posts: 636
Review Date: January 18, 2013 Recommended | Price: $50.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: classic
Cons:

"Build like a tank" as everyone said.
Very solid metal, I like the needle of the exposure meter.
Nothing wrong with it.
Feels very good in my hands.
   
Veteran Member

Registered: August, 2012
Posts: 351
Review Date: November 18, 2012 Recommended | Price: $35.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Heavy, Sturdy, Manual, Simple, Beautiful (even when beaten up a bit) Compact(?)
Cons: Heavy, Manual, Simple

I snagged mine here on the marketplace. I had to get a lens for it (M50/1.7) So that brought the total to $80 excluding film.

I bought this camera to experiment with film and as my first SLR. Film is... interesting. I am not used to not having instant feedback on my shots.

This camera, even being beaten up a bit, still feels very sturdy. Being made out of metal kinda helps...

Being full manual, if I mess up or miss a shot, I have nothing to blame but myself. I like that feeling. It means that I know what needs to improve to mess up less: Me.

Another thing... This camera is beautiful, even with a few dents IMHO.

(Mine is the earlier Japanese made one if anyone wants to know)
   
New Member

Registered: February, 2012
Posts: 7
Review Date: June 21, 2012 Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Simple to use
Cons: exposure dial can be tricky to move

I have three of this cameras, and enjoy using them. I got my first one a few years ago in a lot of lens I was biding on, payed what I was willing for two lenses that I was after so I considered the rest extras. It was in really great shape except light meter doesn't work, but decided to try it out since I was into only digital at the time. Only use film in cheap point and shot cameras as a teen.

I found film to be interesting (it has want I feel is different look then digital, like both the same they just have different qualities that are great in there own way) so I looked for another so I could use different kinds of film at the same time. My second was a SE version that I got for $15 as-is, but got it and found it to operate just fine, except the film advance lever is a little sticky on the way back (it will stick out on the side of the camera and not return to its position on its own if you don't move it with your finger, but has loosened up with use). Cosmetically it is a bit beat up, but it does have to be pretty to take pictures.

I bought my third just to have yet another one for use and got that one for $20 and was told everything worked and it does. The condition pretty good, except it has numbers and letters engraved on it, but does have that much wear and a working meter.

This camera does what it's supposed to and I can't complain. Being a manual camera doesn't bother me since I've shot that way since I bought my K10D, not sure if I have ever used it out of manual mode or used the auto focus. I like controlling my photos as much as I can, more interesting that way.
   
Senior Member

Registered: November, 2011
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 167

4 users found this helpful
Review Date: June 15, 2012 Recommended | Price: $50.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Makes you focus on taking photos
Cons: Everything else

I've owned 2 or 3 of these over the years, and have gone through a love-hate-love-hate cycle with them. Yeah, they're heavy. Yeah they don't have a self-timer, DOF preview, or any automatic features.

I think it became clear that this camera is a 10 when a friend of mine was getting into film photography after shooting digital for years. He kept asking if he should get this one or that one, each with more features than the K1000. I sat there and tried to imagine what it would have been like if I had started out on an ME Super or Minolta X-700. I couldn't.

Here's why: it's the matchstick metering. It's the most powerful tool I can imagine to communicate exposure to someone who has used only automatic cameras, or has never used a camera at all. And the careful setting of the aperture and shutter speeds eventually makes certain combinations feel familiar in a way a more automatic camera never could. "Oh, hello 1/60, f/2! Nice to see you again 1/500 f/4!" When the light meter broke on my sister's K1000 she just kept right on shooting, and nailed exposures every time because the camera had made her into a walking LV/EV chart. I'd sometimes ask her how she would set the camera for a particular scene, and then check her setting against the light meter on my Canon Elan 7 (she nailed it every time).

If you're like me and shoot cameras with lots more features, you still feel a sort of irrational pleasure when you pick up a K1000. It's the camera that taught us how to make a picture.

Set aperture.
Set shutter.
Compose.
Click.
   
Senior Member

Registered: May, 2012
Posts: 111

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: May 7, 2012 Recommended | Price: $100.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Built like a nuclear bunker (made of brass), easy to use (I taught myself at the age of 10), relatively inexpensive, Had a light meter needle in the viewfinder
Cons: expensive to fix (£60 for the light meter)

there's a lot of things I miss about this camera now I have my K-r; the light meter needle, the simple ease of use, the lack of autofocus (honestly, I prefer manual), the brass body… It's a great looking camera.

still took decent photos after 30 years, albeit it did have to get fixed 3 times. all of those times it was my fault though, just not taking enough care.

I really do miss this camera a lot, I wish photography was still like this, where it's not just about pointing a camera at something and pressing a button. Manual focus, film photography, and only 36 photos in a roll. You really did have to compose and work for a shot

To any future buyers, If you want to train someone in photography (in my case, my dad taught me with this one), do buy this camera. You learn proper photography
   
Junior Member

Registered: October, 2011
Location: Belton, SC
Posts: 33
Review Date: October 31, 2011 Recommended | Price: $8.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros:
Cons:

Beautifully made camera. Fun and easy to use. Perfect for beginners or those who want to try stepping out into the world of film. It is very basic, which is why I prefer to shoot my smaller, lighter Super Program, but this is always my go to for a day of fun casual shooting. Great to have around.
   
Veteran Member

Registered: October, 2009
Location: Texas
Posts: 384
Review Date: July 7, 2011 Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Love the looks, easy to use, if you good with manual
Cons: bit on the heavy side, film not cheap!

Got this with a deal of 2 lenses, seller did not know it work or not, got it and it works great, shutter opens and close like it should mirror lifts up
Mint condtion as you can see.
Rare to find them in this shape? I may be selling it to a good home soon after I get bored of looking at it

   
New Member

Registered: February, 2011
Location: Malang (East-Java)
Posts: 4
Review Date: July 3, 2011 Recommended | Price: $25.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Can use with no battery
Cons: Big body

maybe K1000 the best Pentax 35 mm SLR....i use this camera for street photo
   
Inactive Account

Registered: April, 2011
Location: Texas
Posts: 20
Review Date: May 22, 2011 Recommended | Price: $60.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Heavy, Solid, Manual,
Cons: Heavy, All Manual, no OFF if you lose lens cap.

In the philosophy of converting your weaknesses into your strengths this camera excels. It's heavy and it's all manual. All weaknesses, and yet all things we love about it.

I've had my K1000 for about 9 months now. It's very well built, metal top and bottom plates. Faux black is still in great condition. Everything works, since there's not much to malfunction. Love the simple light meter. I would really like a timer on it, but then again, not needed. Viewfinder is simple, period. Nice. No distractions.

Also, thanks to this camera I've gotten better at manual focusing with my digital which has no focus screen. I initially found the microprism focusing too difficult. The previous camera I had used a split image with microprism collar. To use just the microprism spot was difficult al first.

All in all great camera to have.
   
Veteran Member

Registered: January, 2011
Location: Minahasa, North Celebes (Sulawesi)
Posts: 586
Review Date: February 25, 2011 Recommended | Price: $75.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Build. 'Real' Manual Experience.
Cons: If really like going manual. there aren't any.

Pros Build. 'Real' Manual Experience.
Cons If really like going manual. there aren't any.
Rating 8
Price (U.S. Dollars) 75
Years Owned A few weeks

I can recommend this camera: Yes

Value, Features, Performance & Size
There's nothing that haven't been said yet, so my word is: PERFECT

Camera Review
I have just got one. I think everybody must have one. Perfect tool to learn the curves of anything photography. Get one.

Add Review of Pentax K1000



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 04:27 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top