Plastic fantastic K-camera on the way...

**BigMackCam** · 11-06-2015, 04:30 PM - **1 Like**

I just got back from dinner with an old friend to find I'd won an eBay auction I was bidding on...

A plastic fantastic K-mount SLR... the superlative Cosina C1S, plus legendary (!!!!!) Cosina 35-70mm F3.5-4.8 MC Macro lens

(yes, I'm laughing too!!). New / old stock (allegedly) - box, manual, all as new, camera & lens tested and working... for about a third of what I paid for dinner

OK, it's not an MX + K50 F1.4, I realise that - but I had one of these Cosina SLRs some years ago and I really enjoyed it, considering it's a low-cost camera. Very plasticky and beloved by photography students for being all manual and ... er... cheap, it's a perfectly acceptable film back for some of the legacy K-mount glass I've acquired for digital use.

Now I just need a yellow or orange filter and some B&W film

(photo from seller)

Attached Images

**ChrisPlatt** · 11-06-2015, 04:37 PM

Should be a serviceable rig. Cosina made the Nikon FM10, Olympus OM2000, Vivitar V3800 and other SLRs,
and even the Voigtlander Bessa R rangefinder using much of the same mechanism. Enjoy!

Chris

**boriscleto** · 11-06-2015, 04:43 PM

Cool. I have the same camera marketed as a Promaster 2000PK Super, with the Promaster Spectrum 7 50mm F1.9.

I also have the follow up camera as a Hikari Multi-Exp 2002 with the 28-70 F3.4-4.8

**BigMackCam** · 11-06-2015, 04:51 PM

Originally posted by ChrisPlatt

Should be a serviceable rig. Cosina made the Nikon FM10, Olympus OM2000, Vivitar V3800 and other SLRs,
and even the Voigtlander Bessa R rangefinder using much of the same mechanism. Enjoy!

Chris

Thanks

Yes, I think the Voigtlander VSL-43 and Vivitar V3800 are the same camera

As I say, I had this exact same model (in a sort of champagne-silver colour) many moons ago... It's basic, but fine for a bit of film fun

---------- Post added 11-06-2015 at 11:54 PM ----------

Originally posted by boriscleto

Cool. I have the same camera marketed as a Promaster 2000PK Super, with the Promaster Spectrum 7 50mm F1.9.

I also have the follow up camera as a Hikari Multi-Exp 2002 with the 28-70 F3.4-4.8

OK, I never heard of those, but I imagine they produced the same camera for a number of manufacturers.

If it actually turns out to be genuinely new / old stock, I'll be delighted. IIRC, the metering on my previous copy was excellent, as was the general handling. It didn't feel as robust as the metal-framed cameras from the 70s - 80s, but otherwise was a pretty good little camera

Thanks for the reply

Last edited by BigMackCam; 11-06-2015 at 04:56 PM.

**stemked** · 11-06-2015, 09:03 PM

What sized filters are you looking for?

Dipsoid · 11-06-2015, 10:13 PM

I have a Promaster camera that I'm pretty sure is the exact same camera. It's sturdy, reliable, and cheap. It's like a modern K1000 with a 2000 max shutter speed. Came with a decent 50mm 1.9 "macro" lens that has a bigger minimum focusing distance than any other 50 I have. It's a sharp lens though, comparable to my Ricoh f2. Watch out for that awful mirror slap though!

wizowel · 11-06-2015, 10:28 PM

I too have the Promaster version with the 50/1.9. Great little camera that takes amazing pictures for the price. Just be careful with it. Its more plastic than metal and won't take a lot of abuse.

stevebrot · 11-09-2015, 03:44 PM

Originally posted by ChrisPlatt

even the Voigtlander Bessa R rangefinder using much of the same mechanism. Enjoy!

Don't mention this around my Bessa R3M. I have been trying to find the right time and way to inform her of her, ummmmm, "heritage"...

Steve

**BigMackCam** · 11-12-2015, 03:37 PM - **1 Like**

So, my Cosina C1s arrived a couple of days ago and, true to the seller's word, it has obviously never been used - the strip of LR44 batteries was still unopened and, surprisingly, they seem to have plenty of juice in them as they're powering the metering just fine

I've left the supplied Cosina zoom lens in the box, where it belongs (

), and mounted an old (but also unused) Steinheil 28mm f/2.8 that was lying in my cupboard of bargain eBay lens finds. I also had a (remarkably) unexpired roll of Kodak BW400CN chromogenic sat gathering dust, so I've put that in and I'm pretty much ready to go

Except for one minor issue...

For anyone who owns one of these, I do have a question re the viewfinder "mount"... Being very much a budget camera, there is no viewfinder surround / eye cup supplied, and - since there's no diopter adjustment on the viewfinder - I'm going to have to wear my glasses to shoot. Hence, I'd like to fit some sort of rubber-surround eye cup to avoid scratching my glasses. My question: is the viewfinder mount standard - i.e. can I fit a Pentax (or other brand) eye cup, or do I need an original Cosina accessory?

Thanks in advance

**RKKS08** · 11-21-2015, 11:46 AM - **1 Like**

The Cosina C-series was the first K mount series offered in Germany - as Cosina and also (slightly cheaper) rebadged but absolutely identically as Porst.

The Cosina CS-2 (the CS series was the follower of the C series) was my first K mount camera (but the name was Porst compact reflex OV), with the Porst 2.0/50mm (also from Cosina).
This was my entry to the K mount world, which finally made me a kind of Pentaxian (in late summer of 1981).
I had choosen Porst because of the K mount, already having in mind to switch over to original Pentax cameras and lenses at some point in development of my income. Specially the amount of different lenses available from so many companies made this a no-brainer for me.

The Porst compact reflex OV (= Cosina CS-2) was feature-identical to the Pentax ME, the only differences in built were the shutter (cloth instead of metal), self-timer (electronic instead of mechanic), and plastic casing instead of metal. There even was a winder/motor available with 2 frames/sec. And it came for less than half the price of a ME. I myself soon replaced the Porst/Cosina lens by the SMC Pentax-M 2.0/50, which turned out to be slightly better (coatings). And some time later, I sold the Porst/Cosina and bought an used ME Super. And this was just because I was sometimes missing the possibility of pure manual exposure control.

But I heard from others that they used these Cosina/Porst bodies for more than a decade and shot many thousands of pictures, without any problems. So it seems, despite the plastic body, that they were quite durable.

@BigMackCam

Quote:

For anyone who owns one of these, I do have a question re the viewfinder "mount"... Being very much a budget camera, there is no viewfinder surround / eye cup supplied, and - since there's no diopter adjustment on the viewfinder - I'm going to have to wear my glasses to shoot. Hence, I'd like to fit some sort of rubber-surround eye cup to avoid scratching my glasses. My question: is the viewfinder mount standard - i.e. can I fit a Pentax (or other brand) eye cup, or do I need an original Cosina accessory?

Does the frame of the VF look as if it was prepared for the use of an eyecup? Mind that in the (very) old days, most of such assessories were to slide vertically onto the frame/mount. Pentax changed this to a slit all around the frame and flexible (=rubber) eyecups with the M series. Also from K to M series, they changed the size of the frame. If you have not found a solution, please post the exact size of the frame (mind a possible slit). If it is the same as with the Pentax DSLRs, any cup of the Pentax SLRs from M, A, and P series should fit. If not, maybe some forum member can compare with K series viewfinders.

EDIT:
Be aware that original Pentax rubber eyecups for the SLRs will now not only be quite old, but may also have become stiff . I got a used one from eBay which had lost all of its flexibility and would detach by itself when touched.

**BigMackCam** · 11-21-2015, 01:20 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by RKKS08

The Cosina C-series was the first K mount series offered in Germany

Thank you for a fascinating post - very much appreciated! I've been playing around with a couple of digital lenses since my original post on this subject, so haven't got round to shooting the roll of film I loaded into the Cosina, but hope to do so in the coming week (we have a few forecasted spells of dry weather!!). I'm pretty excited about shooting some film after so long

The Cosina zoom lens that came with the camera is *very* plasticky. I have a reasonable number of decent manual lenses I can use on it, though, and the split-prism focusing screen is a revelation compared to the matt focusing screen on my K5 & K3. I think I stand a pretty good chance of getting my shots somewhere close to accurate focus

Yes, the VF frame is designed to take an eye-cup (it even mentions this as an accessory in the manual, though I haven't been able to find one online). I'll check the measurements tomorrow - thanks for this

11-06-2015, 04:30 PM - 1 Like	#1
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,671	Plastic fantastic K-camera on the way... I just got back from dinner with an old friend to find I'd won an eBay auction I was bidding on... A plastic fantastic K-mount SLR... the superlative Cosina C1S, plus legendary (!!!!!) Cosina 35-70mm F3.5-4.8 MC Macro lens (yes, I'm laughing too!!). New / old stock (allegedly) - box, manual, all as new, camera & lens tested and working... for about a third of what I paid for dinner OK, it's not an MX + K50 F1.4, I realise that - but I had one of these Cosina SLRs some years ago and I really enjoyed it, considering it's a low-cost camera. Very plasticky and beloved by photography students for being all manual and ... er... cheap, it's a perfectly acceptable film back for some of the legacy K-mount glass I've acquired for digital use. Now I just need a yellow or orange filter and some B&W film (photo from seller) Attached Images

11-12-2015, 03:37 PM - 1 Like	#9
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,671 Original Poster	So, my Cosina C1s arrived a couple of days ago and, true to the seller's word, it has obviously never been used - the strip of LR44 batteries was still unopened and, surprisingly, they seem to have plenty of juice in them as they're powering the metering just fine I've left the supplied Cosina zoom lens in the box, where it belongs (), and mounted an old (but also unused) Steinheil 28mm f/2.8 that was lying in my cupboard of bargain eBay lens finds. I also had a (remarkably) unexpired roll of Kodak BW400CN chromogenic sat gathering dust, so I've put that in and I'm pretty much ready to go Except for one minor issue... For anyone who owns one of these, I do have a question re the viewfinder "mount"... Being very much a budget camera, there is no viewfinder surround / eye cup supplied, and - since there's no diopter adjustment on the viewfinder - I'm going to have to wear my glasses to shoot. Hence, I'd like to fit some sort of rubber-surround eye cup to avoid scratching my glasses. My question: is the viewfinder mount standard - i.e. can I fit a Pentax (or other brand) eye cup, or do I need an original Cosina accessory? Thanks in advance Attached Images

11-21-2015, 11:46 AM - 1 Like	#10
RKKS08 Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Frankfurt am Main Posts: 1,241	The Cosina C-series was the first K mount series offered in Germany - as Cosina and also (slightly cheaper) rebadged but absolutely identically as Porst. The Cosina CS-2 (the CS series was the follower of the C series) was my first K mount camera (but the name was Porst compact reflex OV), with the Porst 2.0/50mm (also from Cosina). This was my entry to the K mount world, which finally made me a kind of Pentaxian (in late summer of 1981). I had choosen Porst because of the K mount, already having in mind to switch over to original Pentax cameras and lenses at some point in development of my income. Specially the amount of different lenses available from so many companies made this a no-brainer for me. The Porst compact reflex OV (= Cosina CS-2) was feature-identical to the Pentax ME, the only differences in built were the shutter (cloth instead of metal), self-timer (electronic instead of mechanic), and plastic casing instead of metal. There even was a winder/motor available with 2 frames/sec. And it came for less than half the price of a ME. I myself soon replaced the Porst/Cosina lens by the SMC Pentax-M 2.0/50, which turned out to be slightly better (coatings). And some time later, I sold the Porst/Cosina and bought an used ME Super. And this was just because I was sometimes missing the possibility of pure manual exposure control. But I heard from others that they used these Cosina/Porst bodies for more than a decade and shot many thousands of pictures, without any problems. So it seems, despite the plastic body, that they were quite durable. @BigMackCam Quote: For anyone who owns one of these, I do have a question re the viewfinder "mount"... Being very much a budget camera, there is no viewfinder surround / eye cup supplied, and - since there's no diopter adjustment on the viewfinder - I'm going to have to wear my glasses to shoot. Hence, I'd like to fit some sort of rubber-surround eye cup to avoid scratching my glasses. My question: is the viewfinder mount standard - i.e. can I fit a Pentax (or other brand) eye cup, or do I need an original Cosina accessory? Does the frame of the VF look as if it was prepared for the use of an eyecup? Mind that in the (very) old days, most of such assessories were to slide vertically onto the frame/mount. Pentax changed this to a slit all around the frame and flexible (=rubber) eyecups with the M series. Also from K to M series, they changed the size of the frame. If you have not found a solution, please post the exact size of the frame (mind a possible slit). If it is the same as with the Pentax DSLRs, any cup of the Pentax SLRs from M, A, and P series should fit. If not, maybe some forum member can compare with K series viewfinders. EDIT: Be aware that original Pentax rubber eyecups for the SLRs will now not only be quite old, but may also have become stiff . I got a used one from eBay which had lost all of its flexibility and would detach by itself when touched. Last edited by RKKS08; 11-21-2015 at 12:03 PM. Reason: Typing

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
DA35 f2.4 - the Plastic Fantastic club	todd	Lens Clubs	1190	12-06-2023 04:51 PM
Streets A Nifty Fifty Plastic Fantastic	DarkShadow	Post Your Photos!	4	08-12-2015 07:56 AM
Camera on the way, lenses on the way, what am I missing?	Balog	Troubleshooting and Beginner Help	30	07-08-2010 01:38 PM
For Sale - Sold: Fs:the Plastic Fantastic...cult!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!	mayoapo	Sold Items	6	03-07-2008 08:23 PM

11-06-2015, 04:37 PM	#2
ChrisPlatt Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rockaway Beach NYC Posts: 7,694	Should be a serviceable rig. Cosina made the Nikon FM10, Olympus OM2000, Vivitar V3800 and other SLRs, and even the Voigtlander Bessa R rangefinder using much of the same mechanism. Enjoy! Chris

11-06-2015, 04:43 PM	#3
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,475	Cool. I have the same camera marketed as a Promaster 2000PK Super, with the Promaster Spectrum 7 50mm F1.9. I also have the follow up camera as a Hikari Multi-Exp 2002 with the 28-70 F3.4-4.8

11-06-2015, 04:51 PM	#4
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,671 Original Poster	Originally posted by ChrisPlatt Should be a serviceable rig. Cosina made the Nikon FM10, Olympus OM2000, Vivitar V3800 and other SLRs, and even the Voigtlander Bessa R rangefinder using much of the same mechanism. Enjoy! Chris Thanks Yes, I think the Voigtlander VSL-43 and Vivitar V3800 are the same camera As I say, I had this exact same model (in a sort of champagne-silver colour) many moons ago... It's basic, but fine for a bit of film fun ---------- Post added 11-06-2015 at 11:54 PM ---------- Originally posted by boriscleto Cool. I have the same camera marketed as a Promaster 2000PK Super, with the Promaster Spectrum 7 50mm F1.9. I also have the follow up camera as a Hikari Multi-Exp 2002 with the 28-70 F3.4-4.8 OK, I never heard of those, but I imagine they produced the same camera for a number of manufacturers. If it actually turns out to be genuinely new / old stock, I'll be delighted. IIRC, the metering on my previous copy was excellent, as was the general handling. It didn't feel as robust as the metal-framed cameras from the 70s - 80s, but otherwise was a pretty good little camera Thanks for the reply Last edited by BigMackCam; 11-06-2015 at 04:56 PM.

11-06-2015, 09:03 PM	#5
stemked Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Indianapolis Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 527	What sized filters are you looking for?

11-06-2015, 10:13 PM	#6
Dipsoid Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Posts: 241	I have a Promaster camera that I'm pretty sure is the exact same camera. It's sturdy, reliable, and cheap. It's like a modern K1000 with a 2000 max shutter speed. Came with a decent 50mm 1.9 "macro" lens that has a bigger minimum focusing distance than any other 50 I have. It's a sharp lens though, comparable to my Ricoh f2. Watch out for that awful mirror slap though!

11-06-2015, 10:28 PM	#7
wizowel Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 25	I too have the Promaster version with the 50/1.9. Great little camera that takes amazing pictures for the price. Just be careful with it. Its more plastic than metal and won't take a lot of abuse.

11-09-2015, 03:44 PM	#8
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by ChrisPlatt even the Voigtlander Bessa R rangefinder using much of the same mechanism. Enjoy! Don't mention this around my Bessa R3M. I have been trying to find the right time and way to inform her of her, ummmmm, "heritage"... Steve

11-21-2015, 01:20 PM - 1 Like	#11
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,671 Original Poster	Originally posted by RKKS08 The Cosina C-series was the first K mount series offered in Germany Thank you for a fascinating post - very much appreciated! I've been playing around with a couple of digital lenses since my original post on this subject, so haven't got round to shooting the roll of film I loaded into the Cosina, but hope to do so in the coming week (we have a few forecasted spells of dry weather!!). I'm pretty excited about shooting some film after so long The Cosina zoom lens that came with the camera is very plasticky. I have a reasonable number of decent manual lenses I can use on it, though, and the split-prism focusing screen is a revelation compared to the matt focusing screen on my K5 & K3. I think I stand a pretty good chance of getting my shots somewhere close to accurate focus Yes, the VF frame is designed to take an eye-cup (it even mentions this as an accessory in the manual, though I haven't been able to find one online). I'll check the measurements tomorrow - thanks for this