[gofour3]

The greatest month in Pentax History, June 1975:

- New K-Mount introduced
- Three K-Mount camera bodies
- 26 lenses, including the all new 50/1.2
- K-Mount extension tubes & bellows
- Improved SMC coatings.


Well done Asahi Pentax!


Phil

[6BQ5]

Oooo! Do you know the exact date? I ought to mark it on my calendar!

[Zav]

Hum, so maybe the full frame will be called the K-XL.

[LesDMess]

According to the Sept 1975 Pop Photo magazine Special Report from Japan, the new K mount had been in production "awhile" and scheduled to go on sale in Japan on June 1 with sales in the US later in the year.

Obviously had to have been in production for some period of time to be able to make a June 1, 1975 release of the first three bodies - K2, KX & KM, as well as 26 super multi coated lenses.

Also, I seem to recall at least a 3 month lag to make it to print back then and that's why the announcement didn't make it till the Sept magazine.

Happy 40th Anniversary Pentax K mount!

[disconnekt]

I think even now there's a 3 month (or so) lag between announcements online and those in print (photo magazines, etc.)

[wissink]

Happy Anniversary . Great time to be a Pentaxian.

[6BQ5]

June 1 works for me! I will buy one cupcake for every piece of K-mount equipment I have to celebrate. Who wants to join me?

[LesDMess]

Scans from the Sept 1975 Pop Photo article Pentax goes bayonet

Fullsize -> Pentax goes bayonet
Fullsize -> Pentax goes bayonet
Fullsize -> Pentax goes bayonet

[gofour3]

I’m not sure when the K Series actually hit the stores in North America, well Canada at least.

I remember going to a local Vancouver camera store in the fall of 1975 looking for my first SLR and being steered in the direction of the new Pentax K Series.

I pulled the trigger later that year and got my first kit:

- KX (Chrome with mircoprism) and optional Soft Eveready case
- K28/3.5
- K55/1.8
- K135/3.5

Phil.

[narual]

I was -2 years old when that happened. I knew some of my lenses were older than I am.

[Outis]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing! I'm not sure my parents were even married in 1975...

[Nakedgun]

Hadn't bought my first SLR at that time, that would come a year later (Canon EF), and a full 20 years before my first Pentax (ZX-5).

I note the mag article starting on page 50 and continuing on page 206! They don't print 'em quite so thick, anymore.

[Cuthbert]

I was -2 years old when that happened. I knew some of my lenses were older than I am.

I was -3 years old when it happened, the oldest camera and lens I have is a 1939 combo Leica IIIb + Summitar, I'm still surprised to see how many good pics you can take with a pre WWII camera, while most DSLR after few years are obsolete.

However to celebrate the event I would like to post here a pic taken with my 1975 KM and its 55mm f1.8:



I used ektar 100, a warming filter and a hood, no post processing involved.

[redrockcoulee]

I was -2 years old when that happened. I knew some of my lenses were older than I am.

I'm 64 and have cameras older than me. I am sitting using photographic paper older than you. 😆

The year before the K series I bought into the Spotmatic F.

[monochrome]

My grandmother gave me a KX & K50/1.4 in June, 1977 - I still own and use it. My avatar on the left is the prism and aperture view window of that camera.