Hey folks! I have a question for you all, but it requires a little backstory. So, here it goes…
About two years ago, I decided to move from a digital body (a dying *ist D) to film body. After lots of research, I decided I would go with the MX: it is fully mechanical, it has a lot of nice features, and it is really small. It just seemed like a rugged, reliable camera. I bought one from the local camera shop—complete with a CLA/overhaul, 1-year warranty, and original manual—and I fell in love.
Last weekend, my partner went to Value Village and bought a K1000 SE and SMC-M ƒ/1.7 for $20. She said it looked like such a good deal that she couldn't pass it up. She was right: it is in excellent condition. But after cleaning it up and playing around with it a bit, I'm starting to believe I like this camera body more than my MX. The K1000 doesn't have that wonky shutter-button activated meter that I had to repair on the fly once or twice; neither does it have that LED meter display that is sometimes hard to read ("Wait…it's orange…is that +1 or -1?"). I don't use the exposure info in the viewfinder, I don't use the self-timer, and I definitely don't use the DoF preview. The film advance feels smoother on the K1000…almost like the Spotmatics I've gotten to try; and the K1000's shutter speed dial doesn't take as much force to move. I'm starting to believe that the K1000 is the better camera (at least for me).
…but am I nuts for thinking that? I just keep thinking about
Bojidar Dimitrov's short criticism of the K1000:
Quote: This big, heavy, and fully mechanical body offers no automation of any kind. It offers only the most basic features: a light-tight box, a film advance, a tripod socket, and a built-in light meter: all that one needs for learning the basics of photography. This total lack of convenience features explains the cult status of the K1000 among photo students worldwide. However, it fails to explain its popularity with PDML members. I mean, do you people not miss viewfinder information on aperture and shutter speed, a self-timer, a DOF preview lever or minimal flash automation? Wouldn't a KX or a KM be a better choice?
I guess my answer to him would be…no. I don't miss any of those conveniences. I'm not interested in nostalgia—I think I just want a basic camera with a meter on it. Am I alone on this?