[mannyquinto]

So, I was checking the FB marketplace when a message pops out for a new K1 body for sale. I thought to myself, yeah right, but the pictures were convincing so I gave the seller a message asking for its background. The seller said that they needed the money badly hence the low price. It belongs to her uncle and guarantee that it was new and wasn't used and they do not have any lens to test it with. I didn't haggle for a lower price and agreed to meet and inspect the unit and bring in a new memory card and lens. Hell, for that price if the unit was used it would still be a winner as long as the camera was fully functional.

After 3.5 hours travel over 85km of traffic jam, I arrived at the meeting place. They gave me the box of the K1 and noticed that it was dilapidated and had packing tape on the sides. Physical check of the unit turned out fine and unit looks clean except for some traces of dried white liquid substance that was present in the memory card chamber and the back of the LCD flip screen. Looks like water damage or some liquid substance that was spilled over the unit. Put the lens on and performed some test and the unit works as intended. I told her, I just needed to know the shutter count of the camera and see if the pictures were OK when viewed on a laptop. Testing the shutter count and this pop out of my screen:




ME: Pulled out my wallet and paid her.

I guess I'm now a member of the FF club.

[Martin Stu]

Congratulations!

[UncleVanya]

Wow! I hope it is a reliable and pleasant addition to your gear.

[Mooncatt]

Congrats if it actually works out. A dilapidated box plus water intrusion (or similar), plus an apparent sob story are all yellow flags for me. I would definitely not consider it new and unused, so the seller has lied right off the bat. Then to have a zero shutter count makes me wonder if the firmware was re-flashed to hide the true number of clicks.

Call me cynical, but I would be highly suspicious of this camera and would have backed out of the deal without a deeper price cut to offset the risk of early failure and possible repair time and cost.

[Not a Number]

Let's hope it works out. Is not the card door weather sealed? Water ingress there could go directly into the body.

[ramseybuckeye]

Score - does her uncle know that she had it and sold it?

[Kevin B123]

Score - does her uncle know that she had it and sold it?

That was my thought too.

Lets be positive and not rain on this, enjoy your new acquisition cos it is a great camera and at a great price double the pleasure

[mannyquinto]

She did came w/ her Parents (she is in college) and I had the opportunity to talk to his father. Her uncle was recently in the country and the camera came from Canada. They were selling the camera because nobody in their family is a photographer or knows how to use it. I reviewed the pictures posted on the FB marketplace upon coming home and confirmed that the picture of the box was indeed what I got - but there where two units. Mine was just partially viewable in the background, the one highlighted was mint. Another ad was posted and listed as new for $US1000.

I did not inquire on how the uncle got the units from Canada. I can only conclude that my unit even though the exterior of the box was not presentable but the inside was OK. On how the traces of liquid got into the camera, I can only guess that it was either purchased "AS IS" - somebody spilled something at it at the store/display OR it recently happened by accident. Now, on how the uncle got his hands on two units....was there any camera store in Canada that went under during Covid and sold the units on sale?

Firmware version on my unit is ver. 1.0 and I will be updating soon. Still have that GRIN in my face . This score out ranked finding a new CV 90 APO in Hong Kong for $US400 and purchasing the Pentax K28 f2 "Hollywood lens" for $US200.

Taken using the "Hollywood" lens wide open:





Taken using CV 90