K1000 - What's the Appeal?

nickthetasmaniac · 10-23-2022, 06:12 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Walt H

what's the appeal?

Because most film shooters today are not gear obsessed nerds that hang out on forums like this and know the ins and outs of every 35mm SLR released 40 years ago.

They just want a camera to overexpose Portra by a few stops, and there’s a million blogs articles and YouTube videos and Facebook/IG/TikTok posts recommending the K1000.

Autonerd · 10-23-2022, 07:15 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by builttospill

User Pioneer says it much better than me:

Yeah, but couldn't all of the same things be said about the KM, KX, MX, Spottie F (just to name Pentax cameras)?

For me, it's the match-needle vs center-the-needle meter display that makes the KX the winner in this group. No need to count clicks and no excuse that I didn't know what the shutter speed was.

Aaron

**arnold** · 10-23-2022, 10:02 PM

I owned the sequence of K1000, KM, KX, K2 (along the the Spotmatic line). When thinning out my collection at a camera fair, the K1000 (an early Japanese version), was the first to go. It sold for more than any of the others could, and besides, the KM really is a K1000 with a timer and preview. To use the KM as a K1000, ignore the timer and depth preview button. Easy.
The answer is simply familiarity to non-camera people, promoted by instructors trying to keep costs down for their students.

**Papa_Joe** · 10-24-2022, 02:06 AM

Originally posted by nickthetasmaniac

Because most film shooters today are not gear obsessed nerds that hang out on forums like this and know the ins and outs of every 35mm SLR released 40 years ago.
They just want a camera to overexpose Portra by a few stops, and there’s a million blogs articles and YouTube videos and Facebook/IG/TikTok posts recommending the K1000.

I think this is the most reasonable explanation. People who want to start fast into analog photography and do not bother with the market.

And from this point the K1000 is a reasonable choice. There are plenty of excellent lenses on the market, which recommends Pentax instead of any other brand. The K1000 was built for a very long time, so there are is a lot of them available in good working condition. And they are most likely newer then a KX or KM.

Personally I agree with the postings here, that there are better all manual cameras from Pentax. As my first camera was a Chinon CE-4 I would even go one step further and recommend a Chinon CM-4s or a Cosina CT-1 with their reliable copal blind as a analog all manual beginners camera . Dirt cheap and high usability and with a bit of luck with intact light seals.

Lord Lucan · 10-24-2022, 05:14 AM

Originally posted by Autonerd

that makes the KX the winner in this group. No need to count clicks

I once read advice, in the case of cameras without viewfinder info of shutter speed or aperture, to take the dials to the end of their range and then count the clicks back from that until the meter needle is in balance; then if you know the lens and camera then you will know the settings. Sounded crazy to me - and a good way to wear the kit out before time, and it's much quicker and easier to take the camera down from your eye for a moment and look anyway. I do that (lower it and look) with my 6x7 which meters using the same very basic bridge-balancing technology. I never heard of anyone actually using the click-counting method until I read the quote from Pioneer above.

**MossyRocks** · 10-24-2022, 01:19 PM

I would have to agree that for a lot of people it is nostalgia as they likely learned on a K1000 or that is what they aspired to get when starting out way back when. I still hear people refer to them as a "professional" camera when referring to owning one years ago or learning on one years ago back in school. When I am at my local camera store and trying out a lens and didn't bring my digital they always hand me a K1000 to try it out with even though they usually have a few KX, MX, or sometimes LX bodies that it could be stuck on instead where one can really see if the lens is functional (DoF preview being the most notable and sluggishness in the aperture). Also like others have noted even a beat up K1000 will go for a higher price than a pristine KX or MX and a nice K1000 will come in just below a LX or at least they do at my local camera store.

I love my old Spotmatic F and that was my first "real" camera and what I learned on. It is really beat to hell (a good amount of brassing, several dents, some paint chips, and a lot of scuffs) but just keeps going. If I didn't already own another one (pristine condition) I would consider getting one just because I like it.

martin42mm · 10-25-2022, 08:25 AM

Originally posted by builttospill

User Pioneer says it much better than me:

Absolutely-I've always thought of the K1000 as a Spotmatic F without the self-timer, but with a K-mount rather than m42.

m42man · 10-25-2022, 09:17 AM - **1 Like**

I have a K1000 and MX. The MX viewfinder's SO much better, and the mirror slap SO much gentler.

Still, the greater weight and height of the K1000 always feels more stable in terms of camera shake (greater moment of inertia in the pitch axis).

martin42mm · 10-25-2022, 09:56 AM

Originally posted by m42man

I have a K1000 and MX. The MX viewfinder's SO much better, and the mirror slap SO much gentler.

Still, the greater weight and height of the K1000 always feels more stable in terms of camera shake (greater moment of inertia in the pitch axis).

Yes, the brightness of the MX v/f was my reason for migrating-eventually-to K-mount from my lovely Spotmatics

petermorris · 10-25-2022, 10:03 AM

I should be persuaded by the nostalgia factor, but am not! My K1000 was Chinese, and the tape that sat upon the pentaprism leaked goo all over and ruined it. I've pretty much settled on the MX as my go to camera. Although I recently got a spotmatic F, that covers all the checkmarks people love with their K1000s. I actually prefer the needle metering over the LEDs in the MX.

m42man · 10-25-2022, 10:23 AM

Originally posted by martin42mm

Yes, the brightness of the MX v/f was my reason for migrating-eventually-to K-mount from my lovely Spotmatics

Yep - it's the size, too. The K1000's is tiny in comparison.

martin42mm · 10-25-2022, 10:51 AM

Originally posted by petermorris

I should be persuaded by the nostalgia factor, but am not! My K1000 was Chinese, and the tape that sat upon the pentaprism leaked goo all over and ruined it. I've pretty much settled on the MX as my go to camera. Although I recently got a spotmatic F, that covers all the checkmarks people love with their K1000s. I actually prefer the needle metering over the LEDs in the MX.

Only the later K1000s were Chinese-the original ones were 100% Japanese made.

largea · 10-25-2022, 12:26 PM

Originally posted by Walt H

I'm a former Pentax film camera guy, I've owned K1000's, ME, ME Super, Super Program and an MX back in the 80's and 90's. Here in 2022, I'm truly intrigued by the high prices K1000's fetch as compared to their M series contemporaries. Admittedly, the K1000 is iconic, dependable, and beautiful in its simplicity. But when you compare it cameras of the same era with more features, why would you pay more for a K1000?

For example, my MX was also an all mechanical camera. But it offered interchangeable finder screens, self timer, depth of field preview, a more responsive light meter, data back, winder and motor drive. It was rugged and reliable, and it generally seems to sell for less than a K1000. So for you K1000 users and seekers, what's the appeal?

Respectfully, Walt.

I wish Pentax would make a digital version of the K1000. The through the lens meter is all I need to have full control of my photos. I'm using a D100 and it's hard to get it to focus on what I want it to sometimes.

m42man · 10-25-2022, 12:29 PM

Originally posted by largea

I wish Pentax would make a digital version of the K1000. The through the lens meter is all I need to have full control of my photos. I'm using a D100 and it's hard to get it to focus on what I want it to sometimes.

Easier to focus accurately with an MX. An MX with digital back would be Fab!

**RobA_Oz** · 10-25-2022, 01:09 PM

I started with an S3 in the early 1970s, then SV, SP-F, ES, ESII and K2DMD in the early 1980s. Except for the SP-F, all those were secondhand buys. Although I briefly considered an MX, the K2DMD was such a good, versatile SLR that I never felt that much of a pull. I could never personally see the attraction of the K1000, and I still can’t. I certainly wouldn’t pay the current asking prices for a used one, even though they’re not really that expensive. To each their own, I guess.

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10-23-2022, 06:12 PM - 1 Like	#16
nickthetasmaniac Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 2,361	Originally posted by Walt H what's the appeal? Because most film shooters today are not gear obsessed nerds that hang out on forums like this and know the ins and outs of every 35mm SLR released 40 years ago. They just want a camera to overexpose Portra by a few stops, and there’s a million blogs articles and YouTube videos and Facebook/IG/TikTok posts recommending the K1000.

10-23-2022, 07:15 PM - 1 Like	#17
Autonerd Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2019 Location: Los Angeles, CA Photos: Gallery Posts: 156	Originally posted by builttospill User Pioneer says it much better than me: Yeah, but couldn't all of the same things be said about the KM, KX, MX, Spottie F (just to name Pentax cameras)? For me, it's the match-needle vs center-the-needle meter display that makes the KX the winner in this group. No need to count clicks and no excuse that I didn't know what the shutter speed was. Aaron

10-23-2022, 10:02 PM	#18
arnold Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,299	I owned the sequence of K1000, KM, KX, K2 (along the the Spotmatic line). When thinning out my collection at a camera fair, the K1000 (an early Japanese version), was the first to go. It sold for more than any of the others could, and besides, the KM really is a K1000 with a timer and preview. To use the KM as a K1000, ignore the timer and depth preview button. Easy. The answer is simply familiarity to non-camera people, promoted by instructors trying to keep costs down for their students.

10-24-2022, 02:06 AM	#19
Papa_Joe Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: SW Bavaria Posts: 562	Originally posted by nickthetasmaniac Because most film shooters today are not gear obsessed nerds that hang out on forums like this and know the ins and outs of every 35mm SLR released 40 years ago. They just want a camera to overexpose Portra by a few stops, and there’s a million blogs articles and YouTube videos and Facebook/IG/TikTok posts recommending the K1000. I think this is the most reasonable explanation. People who want to start fast into analog photography and do not bother with the market. And from this point the K1000 is a reasonable choice. There are plenty of excellent lenses on the market, which recommends Pentax instead of any other brand. The K1000 was built for a very long time, so there are is a lot of them available in good working condition. And they are most likely newer then a KX or KM. Personally I agree with the postings here, that there are better all manual cameras from Pentax. As my first camera was a Chinon CE-4 I would even go one step further and recommend a Chinon CM-4s or a Cosina CT-1 with their reliable copal blind as a analog all manual beginners camera . Dirt cheap and high usability and with a bit of luck with intact light seals.

10-24-2022, 05:14 AM	#20
Lord Lucan Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: South Wales Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,978	Originally posted by Autonerd that makes the KX the winner in this group. No need to count clicks I once read advice, in the case of cameras without viewfinder info of shutter speed or aperture, to take the dials to the end of their range and then count the clicks back from that until the meter needle is in balance; then if you know the lens and camera then you will know the settings. Sounded crazy to me - and a good way to wear the kit out before time, and it's much quicker and easier to take the camera down from your eye for a moment and look anyway. I do that (lower it and look) with my 6x7 which meters using the same very basic bridge-balancing technology. I never heard of anyone actually using the click-counting method until I read the quote from Pioneer above.

10-24-2022, 01:19 PM	#21
MossyRocks Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,982	I would have to agree that for a lot of people it is nostalgia as they likely learned on a K1000 or that is what they aspired to get when starting out way back when. I still hear people refer to them as a "professional" camera when referring to owning one years ago or learning on one years ago back in school. When I am at my local camera store and trying out a lens and didn't bring my digital they always hand me a K1000 to try it out with even though they usually have a few KX, MX, or sometimes LX bodies that it could be stuck on instead where one can really see if the lens is functional (DoF preview being the most notable and sluggishness in the aperture). Also like others have noted even a beat up K1000 will go for a higher price than a pristine KX or MX and a nice K1000 will come in just below a LX or at least they do at my local camera store. I love my old Spotmatic F and that was my first "real" camera and what I learned on. It is really beat to hell (a good amount of brassing, several dents, some paint chips, and a lot of scuffs) but just keeps going. If I didn't already own another one (pristine condition) I would consider getting one just because I like it.

10-25-2022, 08:25 AM	#22
martin42mm Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 408	Originally posted by builttospill User Pioneer says it much better than me: Absolutely-I've always thought of the K1000 as a Spotmatic F without the self-timer, but with a K-mount rather than m42.

10-25-2022, 09:17 AM - 1 Like	#23
m42man Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Southern England Posts: 624	I have a K1000 and MX. The MX viewfinder's SO much better, and the mirror slap SO much gentler. Still, the greater weight and height of the K1000 always feels more stable in terms of camera shake (greater moment of inertia in the pitch axis).

10-25-2022, 09:56 AM	#24
martin42mm Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 408	Originally posted by m42man I have a K1000 and MX. The MX viewfinder's SO much better, and the mirror slap SO much gentler. Still, the greater weight and height of the K1000 always feels more stable in terms of camera shake (greater moment of inertia in the pitch axis). Yes, the brightness of the MX v/f was my reason for migrating-eventually-to K-mount from my lovely Spotmatics

10-25-2022, 10:03 AM	#25
petermorris New Member Join Date: Jul 2022 Location: Way Upstate New York Posts: 13	I should be persuaded by the nostalgia factor, but am not! My K1000 was Chinese, and the tape that sat upon the pentaprism leaked goo all over and ruined it. I've pretty much settled on the MX as my go to camera. Although I recently got a spotmatic F, that covers all the checkmarks people love with their K1000s. I actually prefer the needle metering over the LEDs in the MX.

10-25-2022, 10:23 AM	#26
m42man Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Southern England Posts: 624	Originally posted by martin42mm Yes, the brightness of the MX v/f was my reason for migrating-eventually-to K-mount from my lovely Spotmatics Yep - it's the size, too. The K1000's is tiny in comparison.

10-25-2022, 10:51 AM	#27
martin42mm Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 408	Originally posted by petermorris I should be persuaded by the nostalgia factor, but am not! My K1000 was Chinese, and the tape that sat upon the pentaprism leaked goo all over and ruined it. I've pretty much settled on the MX as my go to camera. Although I recently got a spotmatic F, that covers all the checkmarks people love with their K1000s. I actually prefer the needle metering over the LEDs in the MX. Only the later K1000s were Chinese-the original ones were 100% Japanese made.

10-25-2022, 12:26 PM	#28
largea Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 57	Originally posted by Walt H I'm a former Pentax film camera guy, I've owned K1000's, ME, ME Super, Super Program and an MX back in the 80's and 90's. Here in 2022, I'm truly intrigued by the high prices K1000's fetch as compared to their M series contemporaries. Admittedly, the K1000 is iconic, dependable, and beautiful in its simplicity. But when you compare it cameras of the same era with more features, why would you pay more for a K1000? For example, my MX was also an all mechanical camera. But it offered interchangeable finder screens, self timer, depth of field preview, a more responsive light meter, data back, winder and motor drive. It was rugged and reliable, and it generally seems to sell for less than a K1000. So for you K1000 users and seekers, what's the appeal? Respectfully, Walt. I wish Pentax would make a digital version of the K1000. The through the lens meter is all I need to have full control of my photos. I'm using a D100 and it's hard to get it to focus on what I want it to sometimes.

10-25-2022, 12:29 PM	#29
m42man Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Southern England Posts: 624	Originally posted by largea I wish Pentax would make a digital version of the K1000. The through the lens meter is all I need to have full control of my photos. I'm using a D100 and it's hard to get it to focus on what I want it to sometimes. Easier to focus accurately with an MX. An MX with digital back would be Fab!

10-25-2022, 01:09 PM	#30
RobA_Oz Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Tasmania, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,209	I started with an S3 in the early 1970s, then SV, SP-F, ES, ESII and K2DMD in the early 1980s. Except for the SP-F, all those were secondhand buys. Although I briefly considered an MX, the K2DMD was such a good, versatile SLR that I never felt that much of a pull. I could never personally see the attraction of the K1000, and I still can’t. I certainly wouldn’t pay the current asking prices for a used one, even though they’re not really that expensive. To each their own, I guess.