I have always had a deep rooted passion with photography from a very young age of about 12.
It all started when I watched a gentleman spend a couple hours composing a shot overlooking the Missouri River with a large field camera in Sioux City Iowa.
The Gentleman's name was Lee Russell , and he worked for the Sioux City Tribune that summer in 1941.
Mr Russell also had a small photography studio he shared with another photographer downtown next to the Barber shop that my father frequented.
It seems Mr. Russel had noticed a young girl intently watching him work on several occasions. She had endless questions about the "How" , "What" , and "Why" of capturing images with such a large and strange device.
Little did I know they were both members of the Homeless Mens Bureau and sat on the same county committee every month.
One day the following Spring my father came home with a small package just for me ! I was just tuning 13 and it was 1942 . Times were really tough back then and any gift was very hard earned. Mr Russell's enlightenment had somehow prompted my father to buy it for me because of my fascination with his photography work.
When I opened the package I could hardly believe my eyes , my very own Zeiss Ikoflex Camera !
I was in another world , and still can remember running around town doing every imaginable task just to buy more film. Mr Russel introduced me to processing that year , oh what a smelly affair !
My first Pentax was purchased for me by my Husband the day he proposed marriage about ten years later in 1953. He was a very smart man , and knew a simple engagement ring just wouldn't do it for this Lady, Ha ha !
It was a Pentax Asahiflex. Yes , it did the trick ! I married him the following week and stayed that way for over 62 years until his death a few years ago.
I have owned nearly every Pentax made to date , and used the heck out of every one of them. From the Asahiflex to the Spotmatics , H-1 , EX , MX , LX , PZ1 , and some I have even forgotten the names of.
The one model I never used or owned was the K1000. I dont know how that one slipped past , but it did.
I made the switch to digital a few years back with a new Pentax K30. That turned out to be the very first unhappy experience with any Pentax. It kept breaking down and getting sent back for repairs repeatedly.
I finally got disgusted with it and gave it to a young man in Showlow Arizona that knew what the problem was and said he could fix it . Good riddance !
And now this leads me here to this KP forum.
After the brief love affair with the K30 , and a replacement K5 that I used for nearly 5 years.....I saw the KP.
As soon as I saw the picture on B&H last year I knew I was going to investigate.
When I finally got one in my hands while in their store last year it was all over with , I bought one.
It has everything cosmetically that I could want. It looks like a Camera design from decades past. Somewhat of a cross between a 67 and a LX ! That is so Sexy to me !
I really liked my MZ-S film body , but this KP far outshines it too.
The features are so lovely too. I originally wanted a K-3II before handling the KP , but with a different screen that articulates , but no such luck.
When nothing new looked like it was in the works , I went ahead and bought 1 more of the KP models , so now I have 2.
I knew when I saw the looks and specs that this was MY camera , my very last camera.
Im using one PK body heavily , and keep one for a spare to avoid going through anything similar to the K30 fiasco ever again.
Have since sold , donated , and gifted all my old film bodies and gear , and even the K-5.
I did keep all my M42 Pentax lenses and K mount Pentax lenses that Ive acquired over the years.
Of course my old Zeiss isnt going anywhere , nor the Asahiflex my husband caught me with...Haha.
This Old Lady may only shoot in JPG , but the KP is HelenJo Approved !