Pentax K1000

wlank · 06-23-2008, 11:04 AM

I'm considering getting one. It seems there are three versions. 1. Made in Japan, 2. Assembled in Hong Kong, and 3. Made in China.

Is one of these versions better than the other two? How is it determined which version the camera is? What question(s) should I ask the seller?

Bill

Last edited by wlank; 06-24-2008 at 01:57 AM.

TiJean · 06-23-2008, 11:19 AM

The version that is made in Japan is easy to spot: it says asahi on the front of the prism right above Pentax. People will swear that the Japanese version is better than the other two and made of better materials. I have one Japanese copy and one Chinese copy.

I have never compared them very carefully but during casual use I cannot tell the difference. I've had the Chinese copy for about 12 years now and abused it pretty terribly. It lived in my backpack with no protection throughout high school, then in the glove compartment of my car, and now regularly gets thrown into tote bags along with my keys, lunch, cell phone, and assorted change. It has fallen out of a second story window onto asphalt and bounced and I didn't even lose that roll of film. I've never had it repaired or cleaned. Basically, I don't really buy the story about it being of inferior quality.

Where are you buying it from? Just make sure the basics work -- the lightmeter (don't believe any "it just neeeds a battery garbage") works, the film advances, and the shutter sounds right.

zx-m · 06-23-2008, 11:22 AM

I would definitely inquire about the location of manufacture. The most obvious distinguishing characteristic is that the earlier examples have "Asahi Pentax" lettering on the prism, whereas the later ones just have "Pentax" on the prism. The later ones weight less. When I had been looking for one, I had decided to buy only a made in Japan example. The pricing seems to be similar, and thus why not go with the Japanese version?

jgredline · 06-24-2008, 08:11 AM

I to have one of each and I can't tell the difference. In one I keep color film and the other black and white.

06-23-2008, 11:04 AM	#1
wlank Inactive Account Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Santa Teresa, New Mexico Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,130	Pentax K1000 I'm considering getting one. It seems there are three versions. 1. Made in Japan, 2. Assembled in Hong Kong, and 3. Made in China. Is one of these versions better than the other two? How is it determined which version the camera is? What question(s) should I ask the seller? Bill Last edited by wlank; 06-24-2008 at 01:57 AM.

06-23-2008, 11:22 AM	#3
zx-m Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Virginia Posts: 376	I would definitely inquire about the location of manufacture. The most obvious distinguishing characteristic is that the earlier examples have "Asahi Pentax" lettering on the prism, whereas the later ones just have "Pentax" on the prism. The later ones weight less. When I had been looking for one, I had decided to buy only a made in Japan example. The pricing seems to be similar, and thus why not go with the Japanese version? Last edited by zx-m; 06-23-2008 at 11:24 AM. Reason: type

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06-23-2008, 11:19 AM	#2
TiJean Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Lower Appalachia Posts: 66	The version that is made in Japan is easy to spot: it says asahi on the front of the prism right above Pentax. People will swear that the Japanese version is better than the other two and made of better materials. I have one Japanese copy and one Chinese copy. I have never compared them very carefully but during casual use I cannot tell the difference. I've had the Chinese copy for about 12 years now and abused it pretty terribly. It lived in my backpack with no protection throughout high school, then in the glove compartment of my car, and now regularly gets thrown into tote bags along with my keys, lunch, cell phone, and assorted change. It has fallen out of a second story window onto asphalt and bounced and I didn't even lose that roll of film. I've never had it repaired or cleaned. Basically, I don't really buy the story about it being of inferior quality. Where are you buying it from? Just make sure the basics work -- the lightmeter (don't believe any "it just neeeds a battery garbage") works, the film advances, and the shutter sounds right.

06-24-2008, 08:11 AM	#4
jgredline Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: LosAngeles, Ca. Photos: Albums Posts: 10,628	I to have one of each and I can't tell the difference. In one I keep color film and the other black and white.