[From1980]

In the "40 years ago" era Phil speaks of above, I was working at a camera store in Windsor Ont. Remembering trivial numbers and completely inane facts is a thing I do. So, our actual selling prices for these at the time was K1000 w/50f2 - 199.99 and MX w/50f1.7 - 359.99 or w/50f1.4 - 419.99. In Canadian $. Nobody was selling most items anywhere close to list prices then. The cheapest was Toronto Camera by mail order then - way before internet.

[tonyzoc]

These are "list" prices from a Canadian Pentax price list dated January, 23 1978:

K2DMD (Black MP/SI) $566.50
K2 (Chrome MP) $448.50
K2 (Black MP) $471.46
MX (Chrome MP/SI) $316.17
MX (Black MP/SI) $334.50
ME (Chrome MP/SI) $303.50
ME (Black MP/SI) $321.50
K1000 (Body only MP) $165.00
K1000 (with M50/2 MP) $299.50
K1000 (with M50/2 SI) $310.00

The M50/2 was only available with the K1000, there was no separate price for it listed in my list.

Phil.

Is that Canadian dollars?...I think around that time we're looking at close to 1.5 US = 1 CAN...so $300 CAN would be about $200 US. (Edit: I checked 1.34) I don't know if the 50/2 was sold separately here for sure...maybe I'm thinking 50/1.7... I think I did get the MX with the 1.7 originally. I bought the 40mm from the same store a while later. I also bought a 40-80 and a 135/3.5...dont remember the prices but they were probably $100-$130 range...based on my budget at the time.

Another note:. This was more like 80-81 now that I think about it...I was in college in 78 and wasn't working until 1981...

---------- Post added 07-06-19 at 05:22 PM ----------

Is that Canadian dollars?...I think around that time we're looking at close to 1.5 US = 1 CAN...so $300 CAN would be about $200 US. (Edit: I checked 1.34) I don't know if the 50/2 was sold separately here for sure...maybe I'm thinking 50/1.7... I think I did get the MX with the 1.7 originally. I bought the 40mm from the same store a while later. I also bought a 40-80 and a 135/3.5...dont remember the prices but they were probably $100-$130 range...based on my budget at the time.

Another note:. This was more like 80-81 now that I think about it...I was in college in 78 and wasn't working until 1981...

Actually, the only price I'm sure about is $192 for a black MX body from B&H...that was in 83, probably after the Super Program came out and they we're clearing inventory.

[tonyzoc]

Popular Photography August 1982 B&H add for Pentax.
https://nextcloud.zdatareports.com/index.php/s/BnKw6cjGSDKGTxC

They sell the 50/2 with anything in the US I guess

[gofour3]

Is that Canadian dollars?.

Yep Canuck dollars.

Phil.

[cooltouch]

The early 80s were something of a golden era when it came to camera gear prices -- before Reagan devalued the dollar against the yen. It was like about 250 yen to the dollar back then, and I did my share of buying gear from the ads in the back of the photo magazines. I was a Canon shooter back then, but I was paying attention to the prices of most of the popular makes. I bought a Canon A-1 body for about $220. And I can recall Canon F-1s and Nikon F3s selling for not much over $300. I bought my share of lenses and other items from the NY discount houses too. Canon as well as aftermarket. Vivitar, Soligor, and Tamron, mostly. By the late 80s, the golden days were finished, not to be revisited again until the bottom fell out of the film camera market with the advent of digital gear. Suddenly it was like the early 80s all over again. Except for this time I was buying gear for several film formats, including Pentax now. So what, most of the stuff I'm buying is 30 years old -- or more? I'm happy, and that's all I care about.

[Cuthbert]

Popular Photography August 1982 B&H add for Pentax.
Nextcloud ZDataReports

They sell the 50/2 with anything in the US I guess

That must the M50mm f2, K55mm f2.0 could be bought just with a MIJ K1000, first series. It was the K version of the Takumar 55mm f2.0 that was also restricted to the Spotmatic SP500 and 1000:





We are talking about THIS lens:

[tonyzoc]

The early 80s were something of a golden era when it came to camera gear prices -- before Reagan devalued the dollar against the yen. It was like about 250 yen to the dollar back then, and I did my share of buying gear from the ads in the back of the photo magazines. I was a Canon shooter back then, but I was paying attention to the prices of most of the popular makes. I bought a Canon A-1 body for about $220. And I can recall Canon F-1s and Nikon F3s selling for not much over $300. I bought my share of lenses and other items from the NY discount houses too. Canon as well as aftermarket. Vivitar, Soligor, and Tamron, mostly. By the late 80s, the golden days were finished, not to be revisited again until the bottom fell out of the film camera market with the advent of digital gear. Suddenly it was like the early 80s all over again. Except for this time I was buying gear for several film formats, including Pentax now. So what, most of the stuff I'm buying is 30 years old -- or more? I'm happy, and that's all I care about.

I've been doing that allot lately...rebuying old lenses I once owned. I've recently picked up SMC Pentax-M lenses, 35/2.8, 50/4 Macro, 135/3.5, 150/3.5, 40-80/2-8-4, 28-50/3.5-4.5 and 35-70/2.87-3.5... Other than the 35/2.8 which I paid about $80 for, the others were in the $10-$40 range.

---------- Post added 07-07-19 at 08:28 AM ----------

That must the M50mm f2, K55mm f2.0 could be bought just with a MIJ K1000, first series. It was the K version of the Takumar 55mm f2.0 that was also restricted to the Spotmatic SP500 and 1000:





We are talking about THIS lens:

Yes, they were definitelty M series. I didn't start buying cameras until I started working full time in the fall of 1980... and while the K1000 was still for sale, I had my eye on the MX and most of the lenses were M series by then. I later came to appreciate the KX and K2 and currently own 2 K2s and 1 KX. I did own a K1000 for a bit and I had a nice KM but I ended up giving them to my nieces.

[Cuthbert]

I am on my way to complete the Praktica B system that in these years has been one of my most used one.

I got this NOS Prakticar 300mm f4 tele lens completed with nice leatherette case for a very reasonable price:



Very compact for being a lens of this length.

[tonyzoc]

I am on my way to complete the Praktica B system that in these years has been one of my most used one.

I got this NOS Prakticar 300mm f4 tele lens completed with nice leatherette case for a very reasonable price:



Very compact for being a lens of this length.

Do you know who made this? I'm thinking it's a Zeiss Jena design, but could be a Meyer product too...I know a number of these lens companies were absorbed into VEB Penticton... Either way it's a nice lens. I have the Meyer Gorlitz 300/4.5 and 400/5.5 in Exakta mount.

[g026r]

Do you know who made this? I'm thinking it's a Zeiss Jena design, but could be a Meyer product too...I know a number of these lens companies were absorbed into VEB Penticton... Either way it's a nice lens. I have the Meyer Gorlitz 300/4.5 and 400/5.5 in Exakta mount.

The Prakticar 300/4 appears to have been CZJ, according to this page.

[Cuthbert]

Do you know who made this? I'm thinking it's a Zeiss Jena design, but could be a Meyer product too...I know a number of these lens companies were absorbed into VEB Penticton... Either way it's a nice lens. I have the Meyer Gorlitz 300/4.5 and 400/5.5 in Exakta mount.

Definitely a CZJ product, according to this website this is the last (3rd) variant of this lens:

Carl Zeiss Jena

13cm total length for a 288mm effective focal length not using any flouride or radioactive glass was quite an achievement...this lens serial number is 5411, I think of the last produced...I think 1380 east marks were quite a lot of money in the 80s.

Looking forward to test it, I don't have any Praktica body with me but I am going home at the end of the week.

The Prakticar 300/4 appears to have been CZJ, according to this page.

Yes CZJ, I already have the Flektogon 20mm f2.8, the 35mm f2.4, the Pancolar 50mm f1.8 as well as the 1.4 (both variants, including the radioactive one). I also have the real DDR 80-200 zoom vario-Sonnar, the best zoom that I have ever tested. Also bought in NOS conditions as according to that German website it costed like 2500 marks or anything as ridicoulus as this.

This is my BC3 with the radioactive Pancolar 50mm f1.4, the best 1.4 I have ever tried (the second one is the SMC Tak):

[microlight]

When I shoot film, I use one of these lovelies; AP with Tak 58mm/f2.4, K2 with refurbished SMCP 50mm/f1.2. The K2 came with the SMCP 50mm/f1.4 but this looks much prettier!

[tonyzoc]

When I shoot film, I use one of these lovelies; AP with Tak 58mm/f2.4, K2 with refurbished SMCP 50mm/f1.2. The K2 came with the SMCP 50mm/f1.4 but this looks much prettier!

Thanks, I've never seen a silver smcp lens. I assume it was only for the f/1.2?

[microlight]

No, it wasn’t originally like that. I bought it cheap as the exterior was a little beaten up but the optics were very good. Then I had it CLA’d and re-anodised in silver with a chrome nose by the forum’s dcshooter (haven’t seen him around here lately). It’s very pretty, especially on the K2 which IMHO is one of the best looking Pentax bodies.

[gofour3]

forum’s dcshooter (haven’t seen him around here lately).

He's moved on to greener pastures and is no longer on the forum as far as I know.

Phil.